lather Posted June 20, 2023 Share Posted June 20, 2023 Looking at pictures of HTVs on Paul Bartlett's website, I've noticed several with branding stating that they should be returned to Cambridge. Some of them also carry additional "M.O.D." branding, which I assume means that they are dedicated to some form of Ministry of Defence use. So, the question is (if my assumption is correct), why would the MoD need HTVs full of sand (I know that "to fill bags" is the obvious answer!), would it be trainload or wagonload, where would the traffic originate, and to which destinations? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium John Isherwood Posted June 20, 2023 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 20, 2023 16 minutes ago, lather said: Looking at pictures of HTVs on Paul Bartlett's website, I've noticed several with branding stating that they should be returned to Cambridge. Some of them also carry additional "M.O.D." branding, which I assume means that they are dedicated to some form of Ministry of Defence use. So, the question is (if my assumption is correct), why would the MoD need HTVs full of sand (I know that "to fill bags" is the obvious answer!), would it be trainload or wagonload, where would the traffic originate, and to which destinations? The traffic originated from sand pits, located on the truncated Kettering - Cambridge line, near St. Ives. I believe that the destination was somewhere in North London. I don't recall the MOD marking - the line ran within a few hundred yards of our then-home; I strongly doubt that it referred to the MoD. CJI. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Flying Pig Posted June 20, 2023 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 20, 2023 Fen Drayton to Kings Cross sand traffic is mentioned in this thread and the linked thread about Kings Cross Goods Yard: Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted June 20, 2023 Share Posted June 20, 2023 Might 'MOD' be 'Mod' indicating some modification that had been carried out, such as seals to stop sand being lost in transit? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hmrspaul Posted June 20, 2023 Share Posted June 20, 2023 1 hour ago, cctransuk said: I don't recall the MOD marking - the line ran within a few hundred yards of our then-home; I strongly doubt that it referred to the MoD. CJI. https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/br21thopperweld/e2b0cfe12 Paul Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium John Isherwood Posted June 20, 2023 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 20, 2023 1 hour ago, Fat Controller said: Might 'MOD' be 'Mod' indicating some modification that had been carried out, such as seals to stop sand being lost in transit? Believe me - there was plenty of lost sand. When the line closed, there were two rails, half buried in sand; (until travellers camped on the trackbed and several rails disappeared). You could easily detect the route of the sand trains through the Cambridge station track complex, by the fact that the ballast and sleepers were buried in sand. CJI. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hodgson Posted June 21, 2023 Share Posted June 21, 2023 6 hours ago, Fat Controller said: Might 'MOD' be 'Mod' indicating some modification that had been carried out, such as seals to stop sand being lost in transit? Sand getting into axle boxes could be a right pain in the backside. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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