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Joined: May 2009
Posts: 339
Old Hand
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Old Hand
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 339 |
Billy's plan show some of the improvements driven by war requirements - a new 70 foot turntable big enough for any loco and tender and the old LMS and GWR coaling sheds being dismantled - to be replaced by the concrete coaling and ash (2) plants and the large water tank seen in the scrapyard pic. new ashpits next to the Hinderton road coalyard replacing a small turntable and extra roads put in between the Gasworks and shed side where the old GWR turntable had been.
The plan also shows the cutback roof of the old LNW/LMS side - previously it was exactly the same size as the GWR side.
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Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 2
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Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 2 |
I wonder if you can help me boyoboy. When I was very young I'm pretty sure that I saw a GC 04 2-8-0 on a John Summers ore train at Bidston dock (they were usually 8Fs at that time.) I haven't had contact with anyone else who saw one so doubt my memory. Were you at Bidston in the period 1955-60? Did you see such a thing? The GCR locos were quite frequent visitors - but not usually used on the John Summers run - which was normally run by Bidston allocated locos at this time - as you suspect 8Fs - but replaced by 9Fs by the late 50's. The loaded John Summers trains were the heaviest unbraked trains on BR (no vacuum/air braking) and the Brush class 47 diesels that took over at the end of steam were not up to the job braking wise..! I was told by a fitter at the shed that on one of the early trials of the 47s the brake gear suffered serious damage caused by it's efforts to stop. If I remember correctly 8Fs did turn up occasionally right up to the end of '66 and possibly early '67. You confirm that use of the O4s would be unusual but has anyone any idea just how unusual?
Last edited by TheCrab; 12th Jun 2012 5:48pm.
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Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 209
Addict
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Addict
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 209 |
I wonder if you can help me boyoboy. When I was very young I'm pretty sure that I saw a GC 04 2-8-0 on a John Summers ore train at Bidston dock (they were usually 8Fs at that time.) I haven't had contact with anyone else who saw one so doubt my memory. Were you at Bidston in the period 1955-60? Did you see such a thing? The GCR locos were quite frequent visitors - but not usually used on the John Summers run - which was normally run by Bidston allocated locos at this time - as you suspect 8Fs - but replaced by 9Fs by the late 50's. The loaded John Summers trains were the heaviest unbraked trains on BR (no vacuum/air braking) and the Brush class 47 diesels that took over at the end of steam were not up to the job braking wise..! I was told by a fitter at the shed that on one of the early trials of the 47s the brake gear suffered serious damage caused by it's efforts to stop. If I remember correctly 8Fs did turn up occasionally right up to the end of '66 and possibly early '67. You confirm that use of the O4s would be unusual but has anyone any idea just how unusual? The 47's also apparently had trouble with loose tyres, obviously caused by having to brake a heavy train on downhill gradients & with none of the wagons, except the guard's van, having any form of braking.The 9F's should have been kept longer, many of them being less than 10 years old when scrapped. Bob.
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Joined: May 2009
Posts: 339
Old Hand
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Old Hand
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 339 |
To confirm - Bidston Shed still retained some 8F locos after the 9Fs were given the Summers run - so they would be back-up, with the 04 being very rare, if at all on that run....
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Joined: May 2012
Posts: 39
Newbeee
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Newbeee
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 39 |
Hahaha I can remember going there with a pram to get some coal; we used to make a hole in the fencing and we helped ourselves.
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