Prototype PhilH's Industrial Railway Photos

[PhilH]

On the July 1978 visit I took 8mm cine film of the operation from slate blocks being hauled out of the mine to finished slates being despatched down the incline. At the same time there was a professional crew also filming and they appear occasionally in my film. I've seen their results at the Llechwedd Quarry Tours visitor centre, so it may have been commissioned by them for that purpose.

Transferring the 8mm film to digital format has been on the 'to do list' for a long time, and still remains there ! As a backup when I send it away I made a copy by playing the film on a screen and recording it from the screen on a digital camera, this is what you can see now. So excuse the quality it should be a little bit better when I eventually get it professionally transferred, but at least for now it should give some idea of the operation of the system.

Note for potential modellers of similar slate quarry railways, there is quite a lot of manual haulage and changing points by foot, hand or bashing with a piece of metal which might be difficult to emulate in model form !

 

[Brian McKenzie]

Great footage of some amazing scenes and work practices. Thanks Phil.

How did the men manage to load those large chunks of rock on to wagons, on a daily basis, inside the mine shafts?

-Brian

 

[PhilH]

How did the men manage to load those large chunks of rock on to wagons, on a daily basis, inside the mine shafts?
-Brian

The slate was quarried in large chambers underground and the slabs loaded onto the slab wagons, or sleds as they were known locally, by means of a tripod crane - as here at Maenofferen:

The crane would probably have been powered by a compressed air winch off the photo to the right


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[Crimson Rambler]

But how did they get the slate slabs to the tripod before they could be lifted onto the sled?

Were they arranged to slide down the cavern wall before being manhandled to the crane?


Crimson Rambler

 

[LarryG]

Super move Phil. One can still get something of a feeling for this long lost period if one is lucky enough to see an works train on the narrow gauge Festiniog Railway branch that leaves the main running line between Tanygrisiau and Blaenau and cuts through the slate waste to facilities near the site of the old LNWR station.

 

[PhilH]

But how did they get the slate slabs to the tripod before they could be lifted onto the sled?
Were they arranged to slide down the cavern wall before being manhandled to the crane?
Crimson Rambler

I think you've nearly answered your own question, they would be slid or prised down the rockpile (what you can see beyond the tripod is a pile of loose blasted slate not the cavern wall) - note the long steel bars leaning against the cavern wall on the right which would have been used in this process - and once at the bottom of the rockpile they could have been lifted by the tripod. Exactly the same process as used in an open slate quarry.

 

[Crimson Rambler]

Many thanks for the answer @PhilH

Crimson Rambler

 

[Dave Holt]

Phil.
Just to say a big thank you for posting your industrial photos here and to encourage you to continue. I can't say I'm a great fan of industrial railways, per se, but I am quite interested in industrial history and have found your posts fascinating and enjoyable.
The Maenofferen film is wonderful, but some of the practices and that main incline look scary. I doubt it would meet current H&S requirements. Truly a bygone age.
Dave.

 

[PhilH]

The underground workings at Maenofferen were visited in June 1967 and like the previous Oakeley visit the resulting photos taken were rather mixed, but a few are possibly worth posting.

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View from the Mill Level down the Back Vein Incline, which gave access to the underground workings. A man riding car is on the left hand track, while an empty slab wagon descends on the centre track. The incline followed the same angle into the ground as the slate vein.

At the time of the visit slate was being mined on Levels C, G, H and I, with locomotives working on Levels B, G and H.




The bottom of the Back Vein Incline was on Level B and a slab wagon and man riding car are at the incline foot.


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An unidentified Ruston & Hornsby loco working on Level B. Its fitted with a Lister 10hp engine, front water tank instead of a radiator and exhaust conditioner at the rear.

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Winding gear at the top of the B31 Incline which descended to Level F, with 3 tracks to Level D, 2 tracks to Level E and just a single track continuing to Level F.

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This unusual brake trolley was found on Level G, which apparently incorporated the wheels from a steam locomotive, possibly a spare set from one of the two Bagnall 0-4-0STs which the quarry sold to Penrhyn Quarry in 1929.

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Ruston & Hornsby works no.174535 working on Level H. Supplied new to the quarry in 1936, it was fitted with a Lister 12hp engine, front water tank and an exhaust conditioner at the rear. I believe its currently preserved at the Chasewater Railway.

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You've seen part of this photo already, but just to complete the underground photos, this is a working chamber on Level H with the tripod crane for loading slabs on the right and rubbish wagon for waste slate on the left.

 

[PhilH]

On each visit I made to Maenofferen there was a different loco working on the Mill Level

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In March 1965 it was Ruston & Hornsby works no.175138. This was a 21hp loco built in 1935 for the neighbouring Votty & Bowydd Quarry and acquired by Maenofferen after that quarry closed in November 1962. However its use at Maenofferen was fairly short lived as it ran away down the incline to the office level later in 1965, and I saw the battered remains down there in 1967 which were later scrapped.

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In June 1967 Ruston & Hornsby works no.177642 was in use with the driver demonstrating how these locos could be driven by standing alongside. This was a 12hp loco supplied new to Maenofferen in August 1936. It was sold for preservation in October 1975, going initially to Brockham Museum, Surrey, then later to the Great Bush Railway.

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Ruston & Hornsby works no.175127, a 21hp loco supplied new to the Ruabon Brick & Terra-Cotta Co. Ltd. at Gardden Lodge Brickworks, Ruabon, in May 1935. The brickworks tramway was replaced by road vehicles about the end of WW2 and the loco sold to Maenofferen by February 1946. This is the loco shown in the Youtube video taken in July 1978. It is (or was until recently) rusting away in the derelict slate mill at Maenofferen.

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In June 1982 this tiny Clayton battery loco works no.5688 was in use, its about the same size as the adjacent rubbish wagon. It was supplied new in 1969 to the Wheal Jane Tin Mine near Truro, and sold to Maenofferen about July 1980. Note how after removal of the cab roof and supports the drivers seat hinges upward to reduce the length of the loco for lowering down a narrow mine shaft.

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Despite its small size it was capable of handling a reasonable number of loaded rubbish wagons. After rail traffic ceased it was left derelict in the slate mill. At Wheal Jane this loco apparently carried the name MINER, although I'm not sure whether this was official or unofficial. Two other similar locos carried the names SMELTER and SPITFIRE, and these were the names of the three steam locos on the Redruth & Chasewater Railway.

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Underground mining at Maenofferen ceased in 1999 and with it the use of the rail system. The remaining locos, 2 battery and 2 diesel, were abandoned in the Slate Mill, although the diesel locos had not been used for some time before the closure. Ruston & Hornsby works no.174536 was a 12hp loco supplied new to Maenofferen in May 1936 for use underground, but latterly with some problem such as a defective exhaust conditioner which prevented such use. The second loco is Ruston & Hornsby 175127/35 as previously described.

 

[michael mott]

Phil I just watched the video of the workings, thank you for posting that. What an amazing industry it was, and having done a little stone garden work it still amazes me how much stone was considered rubbish. your colour photographs will be quite helpful with my little photo diorama.

Michael

 

[PhilH]

Slate to sugar, something a bit more exotic.

Perusahaan Negara Perkebunan (PNP) is the state sugar plantation organisation in Indonesia. Sugar plantations and mills were grouped together and designated with Roman numerals, e.g. PNP XX, and until fairly recent years operated with a large number of steam locomotives, mainly of 600mm and 700mm gauge. The following photos were taken on a visit in 1975.

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The PNP XX Pedjosaire system was situated near Madiun in East Java. No.5 KELUT an 0‑4‑2T+T built by Orenstein & Koppel in 1901 with train of loaded oil tank wagons takes water enroute back to the mill from the interchange with the state mainline system.

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No.8 an 0-8-0T+T probably by Orenstein & Koppel, although it was seen in passing so we couldn't examine it for further details. This one seems to be fuelled with bagasse (sugar cane waste).

No.2 DIENG another Orenstein & Koppel 0-4-2T+T built in 1901 outside the mill loco shed.


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No.11 GEDEH built by Orenstein & Koppel in 1928. This is an 0-10-0 with Luttermoller drive to the end axles. The first and second axles and the fourth and fifth axles are connected by gears in the centre of the axles instead of the coupling rods so that they can move to some degree at right angles to the axis of the rails and also the gears permit a certain amount of movement sideways. So in effect it pulls like a 0-10-0 but corners like a 2-6-2.

No.10 SALAK an 0-8-0T+T also by Orenstein & Koppel, an unusual and possibly unique loco with indirect drive.




Maybe the cylinders were raised for clearance or possibly the gearing connecting the two centre shafts gave some tractive effort advantage.


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[PhilH]

PNP also managed Palm Oil production in Sumatra. The PNP VII 700mm gauge system in North Sumatra serving seven oil palm estates had over 100 locomotives.

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The most common type seemed to be the 0-4-4-0 Mallet tank, built by Orenstein & Koppel and the Dutch company Ducroo & Brauns.
No.13 is an Orenstein & Koppel example, built according to the boiler plate in 1920 at the Bah Jambi Estate. These locos have inside frames at the front and outside frames at the rear.

No.78 was built by Ducroo & Brauns works no.175 in 1929.


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No.14 an 0-6-2 built by Andrew Barclay works no.2377 in 1962 dumped outside the workshops at the Mabex Mill, partly dismantled and minus its tender. It was the last steam locomotive built by Andrew Barclay and only 13 years old when photographed. Presumably it was found unsuitable for the work here and no doubt it was polished up specially for our visit.

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No.95 also at the Mabex Estate was built by Orenstein & Koppel in 1937 and is coupled to a transporter wagon carrying a 3'- 6" gauge tank car. The palm oil production mills were connected to the main 3'- 6" gauge PNKA state system by the 700mm gauge and main line tank wagons were brought to the mills for loading on 700mm gauge transporter wagons.

No.95 is an 0-10-0 with Luttermoller geared end axles.


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The interchange point between the 700mm gauge and the 3'- 6" gauge, with the 3'- 6" gauge track in the foreground leading on to a line of empty transporter wagons.

The transporter wagons are carried on two bogies and the 3'- 6" wagons run on the inside edge of the wagon frame.




The shunter at the interchange was No.8 an 0-6-0T+T built by Ducroo & Brauns works no.239 in 1931.


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[PhilH]

Something a bit less exotic and less colourful, but possibly more useful for any modellers of industrial railways. Brakevans could occasionally be found on industrial systems, although not always used for their original intended purpose.

An ex Midland Railway 6 wheel brakevan built by Derby in 1913 at NCB Florence Colliery, Staffordshire in 1968. The body was painted yellow.


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A 'homemade' brakevan looking rather incongruous at the end of a train of MGR hoppers at NCB Granville Colliery in Shropshire. Granville Colliery had a fairly steeply graded line down to the BR interchange at Donnington and brakevans were sometimes used on trains in steam days.

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A similar brakevan out of use at Granville Colliery. This one is lettered 'NCB CRC UNIT No.4' with the CRC standing for Cannock & Rugeley Collieries, so this brakevan was originally used in the Cannock area. Both vans at Granville were painted light grey.

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Brakevan No.1 at NCB Littleton Colliery, Staffordshire, presumably ex BR. Like Granville the line from Littleton Colliery to the BR interchange at Penkridge was steeply graded in the direction of loaded trains and brakevans were normally used with the steam locomotives. The brakevans were not required after the introduction of diesel locomotives fitted with air brakes and the use of MGR hoppers.

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Ex LMS Brakevan No.5 at NCB Cannock Wood Colliery, Staffordshire. The NCB had running powers over some BR lines in the Cannock Area for which a brakevan would be required at the rear of the train.

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Photographed at NCB Maesteg, South Wales in 1971. I'm not sure of the origins or use of this one, whether it was originally a brakevan or not, but it may have had an open verandah at the far end ? Possibly adapted for use as a stores van or some other use.

 

[AJC]

Thank you for the interesting selection of brake vans. I think they all started out as brakes, including the 'homemade' examples which may be NER vehicles in origin. The Littleton example is ex-SR (via BR) and a similar van (it's listed as Littleton no. 2) is preserved at the Foxfield Railway: SR 56120 Goods Brake Van built 1931.

The Maesteg van is certainly a heavily modified GWR Toad, but I'm not sufficiently well up on them to be able to say which of the many diagrams issued it might have been.

Adam

 

[PhilH]

Thank you for the interesting selection of brake vans. I think they all started out as brakes, including the 'homemade' examples which may be NER vehicles in origin.
Adam

Adam,
Thanks for the information and the link to the van at Foxfield.

I took a few overall measurements of the Brakevan No.4 at Granville:

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The axleboxes had cast lettering "E.E.G."
The van in the previous photo (on the train) had the lettering "W.H.Ltd." on the axleboxes.

 

[PhilH]

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NCB Walkden Railway - 3 vans parked on the disused connection to the former LNWR line at Walkden Low Level in 1968, possibly used for permanent way maintenance on the system. I noted that the two vans at each end were ex LMS, which I believe are single ended brakevans with the ends boarded in and originally LNWR (?). The centre van was ex GWR with a door on one side only (away from the photograph). Did the GWR have such low roof vans ? or another possibility is that its a converted 7 plank wagon with a roof.

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An ex LMS/Midland Railway Brakevan at NCB Walkden Yard. This was originally used on NCB trains travelling over BR between Gibfield and Howe Bridge Collieries on the Bolton to Kenyon Junction line via Howe Bridge East Junction to Chanters Colliery on the Manchester to Wigan line. After these trains ceased about 1960 it was stored at Walkden Yard for a time then converted into a mobile workshop by boarding in the end verandahs and repainting with the lettering as shown. The intention was that it could be sent out to collieries to carry out light repairs to locomotives instead of bringing the locomotives in to the central workshops. However whether it was actually used for such is doubtful as on my fairly frequent visits to Walkden Yard it was always parked outside the loco shed.

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Brakevan B2 at NCB Golborne Colliery in 1975. This was originally Midland Railway No.1710 built at Derby in 1923. It carried a plate denoting that it had been generally repaired at Derby in August 1954, possibly indicating the date it was sold by BR to the NCB. It was formerly used on NCB trains from Golborne Colliery to the Haydock Coal Preparation Plant, travelling over the former Great Central line through Haydock Park Racecourse and Ashton in Makerfield Stations. A photograph taken in August 1960 shows NCB North British diesel locomotive D4 passing through Haydock Park Racecourse Station on one of these trains, but they ceased running about 1962.

An ex BR/LNE Brakevan in the BR exchange sidings at I.C.I.Ltd. Northwich in 1981.




Manchester Ship Canal Railway Brakevan No.6372 at Stanlow in 1982, similar to the brakevan at Golborne so presumably ex BR/LMS/MR.


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[Mike W]

The picture of three vans - the end ones are indeed ex-LNWR D17a 20-ton brakes.

Mike

 

[LarryG]

MSC No. 6372 looks to be from the second style of LMS goods brake to D1657 with the higher veranda end planking being flush to the outside.. It retains the split handrails as if originally fitted with lookouts. The diagonal strapping was a later addition.

 

[PhilH]

These photos are posted in response to another members proposal to build a model of a similar loco.

This particular example is Andrew Barclay works no.1142 supplied to the Fife Coal Co.Ltd. in 1908 for use at their Mary Colliery, Lochore. After Nationalisation it worked at several collieries, latterly Frances Colliery at Dysart near Kirkcaldy. After a period in store at Cowdenbeath Workshops and the Arniston Machinery Stores it was acquired by East Lothian District Council in 1981 and placed on open display in Danderhall Park, later being moved to the Prestongrange Mining Museum. It is currently under restoration at the Shed 47 Railway Restoration Group, Lathalmond Railway Museum near Dunfermline.

The photographs were taken at Frances Colliery in June 1976.

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