MHR Restorations and Overhauls

Well, I think the Wagon group deserve a big pat on the back for the Cattle Wagon.....

 

We thank you Sir.

OK, its not an exact replica, as its 2' shorter than it should be - blame the LMS for only producing a 10' van BUT its the best thing that could have happened to it............ we have more than enough examples of the type, and this was the worst of the bunch - so a change of ID means it lives again.

Also, I believe some of our number will be on hand during the launch weekend on the cattle dock at Alresford to explain all......... but for the mo, please don't quote me on it!*

* details still to be confirmed.

 

At Ropley sheds today work continues on a special project

 

I feel a caption coming on. How about 'Are you sure?' 'Yes Thomas said Daisy was a cow when they were on the Island of Sodor'.

 

its such a boring job, you just have to keep moo----ving along from one cow to the next , or right ready for the udder one ? Am i milking this too much

 

A cow pat presumably?

 

Aha! Somebody got the joke! (How does a cow show appreciation for a good milker? She gives them a pat on the back!)

 

I sincerely hope not!

Our van is "pristine" thank you very much - and panto cows should not do that, unless they've had a dodgy curry............

It was?........

Right,

On a serious note.............

A slight plea for some help to do with said launch - we (the Rly/wagon group) could do with some images of SR (preferably) cattle wagons being loaded & unloaded at stations, with captions if possible - be they scanned from books or personal collections (credit will be given where due) to help us provide some background as to the workings of these vehicles through out Britain, and their importance to the nation for many a year - to hopefully provide an informative story inside the van rather than it just sitting there.........

So, if anyone has such material, or can point me in the direction - please PM me - the clock is ticking!

 

DD - does the following help:

Watch especially the first film from ca. 6min to the end.





Might be something you could have playing on a loop if you have suitable display equipment?

Tom

 

Tom - I'd forgotten about that one - thanks for the reminder - I know I enjoyed it. (was it our @Victor's brother moving South?........)

Though I doubt if AV equipment is going to be used, but you never know........ as said earlier - our budget is precisely zero. So anything we can do to make it or more interest will be more than welcome.

 

When is it? You could download aload of YouTube clips of the wagons being used then put them on a repeat using one of those digital photo frames everyone seems to have. Might add some movement to some display boards

 

I had a very quick flick through the SR volume and the pictorial volume of the Mike King Southern Wagon's book - plenty of photos but none at first glance showing them actively in use. I'll take a closer look at the pre-grouping volumes tomorrow to see if they are more productive.

Tom

 

Summer Fayre weekend.

 

Thanks Tom.

Anything we can garner will be of help!

 

DD - a few references. Interestingly, from this quick survey, pictures of cattle wagons in use (i.e. being loaded / unloaded) are surprisingly hard to come by. the film I linked to is interesting in that respect because of little details like laying sawdust / straw on the floor before loading the animals. It is also interesting that nearly all the photos I have found show them being loaded with things other than cattle! That might be significant, but it could also be explained by the fact that, in days when film was expensive, photographers preferred to photograph things out of the ordinary rather than the prosaic (I suspect that applies especially tho the photos of the wagons being used for military transport, which would have been comparatively interesting).

Anyway, hopefully you or someone in your group or the railway should have access to the following:

"An illustrated history of Southern Wagons, Volume 1"

Plate 86 - shows an ex-LSWR wagon (SR diagram 1501). Interesting as it shows use of a portable sheep ramp from ground level, which could be used for loading when no cattle dock was available. Looks like a staged photo to illustrate proper use of the device - sadly no sheep in view!

"An illustrated history of Southern Wagons, Volume 3"

Plate 124 - SER cattle wagons (later SR diagram 1513) being loaded with military horses at Maidstone Barracks, taken in SER days (or shortly thereafter - vehicles still labelled SER)
Plate 125 - SER cattle wagon and prize cattle wagon containing horses, about to be unloaded by the military at Okehampton, taken in SECR days.

These photos are interesting for several reasons: firstly the use of standard cattle wagons to take other traffic (in this case military horses) rather than using horse boxes - presumably on account of the numbers to be transported. Also, the second picture shows how far such wagons travelled: SECR cattle wagons being unloaded in Okehampton, in the far south west.

Plate 128 - Four cattle wagons (mixed SECR and LBSCR parentage) at Orpington ca. 1927, all loaded with fruit baskets - interesting as it shows the use to carry a remunerative return load for a vehicle that would otherwise have had to return empty. Apparently in later years, petrol in jerry cans was also considered suitable as a return load in cattle wagons.

Plate 133 - not being loaded, but another wanderer: a SR built (to SECR design) diagram 1515 wagon, shown in 1946 in Renfrew, Scotland! Vehicle is still in pre-1936 SR livery.

"Middleton Press, Branch Lines to Horsham"

Plate 98 - shows a long shot of cattle wagons being loaded with horses at Steyning, 1928 - there are also horse boxes in the train, so where exactly the horses are going isn't clear, but the cattle wagon doors are open.

Interestingly, that photo was taken by a youngish Bernard Holden, in later years the founder and long-time president of the Bluebell Railway.

If I come across any more, I'll let you know.

Tom

 

Tom,

Many thanks for this - I don't suppose you could scan the images for me could you, as I don't have these tomes, as my reference material is mainly LNER with very little Southern, or know anyone who does, and they would certainly go some way to illustrating what they were used for!

Before I made the request - I'd Googled cattle vans - sadly most are of models - the rest are of a European variety and somewhat macabre and disturbing given the subject matter and when they were taken.........

Cheers

Dave

 

I'll PM you - may be towards the middle of next week though, as I am just off for tomorrow and won't be back until late.

Tom

 

Tom.

That would be great!

 

And now at Ropley...

Facing London by Tim White, on Flickr

BR Standard 9F - 92212 by Tim White, on Flickr

Great to see her back where she belongs.
Whilst Nellie did sterling service last night, it would be great to have some 9F haulage on the RAT again. Maybe next weekend?

 

Is Bittern likely to be in service this Summer, or is it reserved for Thomas only?