Slip coaches

Didn't the Cornish Riviera (the Limited) have something like 3 slip portions in the 1930's? I need to dig out Signalmans Morning again.

 

The pre-WW1 timetable was depart Paddington 10:30 am, slips at Westbury 12.07 pm, Taunton 1.00 pm, Exeter 1.30 pm, arrive Plymouth 2.37 pm.

 

Not quite. All couplings have two hooks and two shackles, one on each vehicle, it wasn't a case of moving the shackle from one hook to another, when not being slipped, the slip coach shackle went onto the hook of the non-slip vehicle. At the stop before being slipped the situation was reversed so that the conventional coach's shackle went over the slip hook

 

Not quite the same as slipping coaches but something similar was practiced at Ledston Luck colliery in the early eighties. I've described it before but probably worth doing again.
The colliery was connected to Peckfield colliery by a 1.5 mile 2'-6" gauge line. As productivity improved it became a bit of a bottleneck due to the maximum load that the locos could take (actually brake). The solution was to top and tail but attaching the trailing loco also took time. The drivers (unofficially) adopted their own method of working. The leading loco would set off with the load and, once clear of the points, the second loco would be attached, in theory whilst the train was stationary. In practice, the train wouldn't stop and the trailing loco would set off in pursuit and catch up. As Willison automatic couplings were used they would automatically couple and the two locos would take the train to Peckfield. On approaching the tippler siding, the train would slow slightly and the leading loco driver would slip his coupling then accelerate away, leaving the trailing loco to brake the train. The leading loco would run into the empties road and the driver would then jump out and change the points to allow the full train to run into the fulls tippler road. A similar method operated in the reverse direction with the empty minecars. It saved a lot of running round and shunting. All very unofficial and against the rules but I never heard of any incident as a result.

 

I believe the slip testing on the GCR was for brake testing of new rolling stock.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Were any preserved?