Tank wagon identification.

[Michael Delamar]

Should be an easy one for the experts, the type of wagon and livery please.

 

Childwall Liverpool on the CLC 1962, Im modelling near here and was suprised to see a couple of tank wagons in the train, ive never seen any shots of them along this line. Vans and dock traffic yes but cant think of a reason for tank wagons, either way its an excuse to have a couple on the model.

 

All the best

 

Mike

 

 

 

 

[jim.snowdon]

The best I can tell from the picture is that they are a pair of Class B tank wagons, the leading one being to the typical pre-war design with crossed wire ropes securing the barrel. Their being in the train is nothing unusual - tank wagons did not always travel in block trains and there were many small rail-served depots all over the country. Equally they could be consignments going to an industrial plant, or empties therefrom.

 

Jim

[Michael Delamar]

Cheers Jim, there was a large oil depot to the south of the city at the docks at Brunswick. But id imagine this must be fuel oil for maybe a rail served factory. Maybe somewhere like Jacobs for their shunt engine. There was a gas and tar works in Bootle so could be for that. But of all the shots ive got of the yards and docks in Liverpool and ive got quite a collection, ive never seen any with tank wagons.

 

Cheers

 

Mike

[Fat Controller]

Surprising you didn't see any. Possible traffic in tanks might include molasses and latex; the latter being transported for Henry Diaper, who had a plant at Kirby. They had a fleet of bogie tankers which lasted into the 1970s.

[Michael Delamar]

I think they would have went another way on the L&Y branches rather than this CLC route.

[TheSignalEngineer]

There were a number of oil company sidings in the Liverpool area in the 1950s. Shell Mex BP and Esso used Brunswick amongst other places. I believe that Banner, who were the original patentees of White Spirit, used Walton-on-the-Hill and Huskisson..

[Michael Delamar]

There were a number of oil company sidings in the Liverpool area in the 1950s. Shell Mex BP and Esso used Brunswick amongst other places. I believe that Banner, who were the original patentees of White Spirit, used Walton-on-the-Hill and Huskisson..

Thats very interesting as im building Walton on the hill. Wonder if they was unloaded into a road tanker in the goods yard?

[Marshall5]

I'd be inclined to think that those class B tankers were carrying fuel oil for boilers/heating at a rail connected factory. The 2nd - 5th wagons look as if they are  carrying insulated meat containers - any connection do you think?  I can't think of anywhere between Hunts Cross and Walton on the Hill that fits the bill but I didn't move to Liverpool until a year later and, although I lived close to Childwall, the only CLC section I 'spotted' regularly was Garston - Central.  This looks like a trip freight so the North docks are probably unlikely but maybe Aintree. Where was the large Stanley abattoir connected to?

Cheers,

Ray.

[Michael Delamar]

A handful of photos dont tell the story of several years but even so Ive been sifting through shots of Walton triangle sidings to try and spot some.

 

[Michael Delamar]

I’ve asked someone whos house was on the road to the goods yard and he says he vaguely recalls tank wagons in the goods yard but cant be 100% sure, What he does vividly recall is mineral wagons being loaded with scrap swarf from the nearby metal box factory.

 

So I’ve learned something from a chance question from a photo. Thanks all. Do we think they are Esso livery? I think I can make out the raised Esso sign. Think I’ll get a couple of Bachman ones now.

 

[TheSignalEngineer]

There is a mention of Banner using Walton-on-the-Hill in  the tables at the back of 'Oil on the Rails' as listed in the 1938 and 1956 RCH Handbooks. I can't see anywhere that would fit the bill from photos or maps other than direct to road vehicles in the goods yard. Banner were also listed as using Huskisson.

The only private sidings I can see in the Walton area would be Hartleys Jam and Jacobs Biscuits at Fazakerley North, Dunlop Rubber Cables opposite the shed yard and the industrial estate opposite Everton Cemetery.

Banner's present Liverpool depot is at Sandhills but I can't find any reference to historic sites.

 

Regarding the tanks, Shell Mex-BP and Esso both had sites around Liverpool. I've seen a picture of Esso Class B tanks under the Overhead at Herculaneum station.

In the 1956 list Brunswick had SMBP and Esso, Liverpool Docks -SMBP, North Docks - Esso, Park Lane - SMBP and Esso

[Michael Delamar]

Superb! I was going to ask where you got the info from.

 

The only last place I could think of was Linacre lane gasworks and nearby tar works on the Midland Langton branch off Fazakerley north junction. There was also a tar works on the L&y North Mersey branch where ive seen a shot of tank wagons in there but I dont think they would make their way along this branch but you never know.

 

Either way its something to add to the model which I am happy about. Ill be on the lookout for a suitable road tank vehicle too.

Edited December 24, 2017 by Michael Delamar

[Michael Delamar]

Im struggling to find much info on Banner. Would they use road vehicles branded by their own name or Esso etc?

[TheSignalEngineer]

Doesn't seem to be much information on the web but there are some small pictures of Banner road tankers on the 150 years of history page. There also seem to be a lot of barrels at the works.

[Michael Delamar]

Did they have their own rail tank wagons or would that come in one of the larger companies wagons?

[TheSignalEngineer]

I Can't remember seeing a picture of a Banner rail tank. In my childhood I only remember white spirit being delivered in barrels, cans or bottles. I don't know how large users would have had it delivered.