Mystery date & location - D1058 on single track milk train

[alexross42]

I'm appealing to the hive-mind knowledge for help with this one :)

I've acquired this slide but with no information at all.

From examining the slide I've determined the following:

 

- D1058 is in good exterior condition, suggesting it's more likely early to mid 70's?

- There is a crew of two in the rear cab

- The rear headcode suggests that the loco had previously been on a long distance passenger run such as Paddington to Penzance

- It's a single track section

- There's a string of lights coming across and attached to the telegraph pole - the ballast looks quite fresh, maybe recent overnight engineering works have taken place?

- The bridge has some distinctive brickwork patches including a significant rebuilt section of red brick on the far parapet , if that helps anyone to identify it

 

Finally, the loco was withdrawn in January 1977.

 

Any and all ideas are much appreciated!

Regards,

Ross.

 

Edited Thursday at 09:49 by alexross42
added detail about bridge brickwork

[Cwmtwrch]

2 hours ago, alexross42 said:

The rear headcode suggests that the loco had previously been on a long distance passenger run such as Paddington to Penzance

The 'A' shows a train to London. Depending on the year, it was possibly the Up "Cornish Riviera". I don't think it's a milk tank, because the tank barrel looks too small, the locations of the axleguard and brake handle look to be too far away from the bufferbeam, there is a horizontal rod between the end baulks, there is no auxiliary suspension and the cradle looks rather insubstantial. The tank size and the inward sloping end stanchions would seem to rule out a petroleum tank as well. My guess would be that it is possibly an acid tank.

[nigb55009]

Could it be St Erth, on the single line towards St Ives? The sidings beside the station served the milk

 depot, but the loco would need to use the branch, depending on the length of the train. When the train was ready  for departure, or after arriving in the station and running round, it would have to access the yard via the branch.

There is an old stone bridge that still stands, although it looks disused. It is now surrounded by the

St Erth roundabout on the A30.

[Flood]

I first thought of the original A30 bridge at St. Erth but the cutting is totally wrong for that.

From Cornwall Railway Society website.

 

Dolcoath is merely a siding so it's not there, neither is it Lostwithiel.

 

I'm running out of milk distribution points in Cornwall. I even took a doubtful punt at Hemyock, nope.

Did Falmouth have any milk traffic?

 

If it's not a milk tank then I thought of Hayle Wharf. Wrong again, that's a straight iron bridge.

 

Personally I still think it's a small diameter milk tank.

Edited Wednesday at 16:58 by Flood

[br2975]

Could be somewhere in West Wales ?

[Mallard60022]

Herefordshire?

[alexross42]

Thanks for all the responses so far....I wondered if it could be on the Torrington line (if we're still thinking it is a milk tank) ? But I don't think 52s ever ventured on it (maybe on railtours), would more likely be a 22 or 25?

[Phil Bullock]

41 minutes ago, Mallard60022 said:

Herefordshire?

No milk traffic I know of there Phil

[RFS]

Seems there's a train crew in the cab, so is it perhaps propelling its train?

[Mol_PMB]

2 hours ago, Cwmtwrch said:

The 'A' shows a train to London. Depending on the year, it was possibly the Up "Cornish Riviera". I don't think it's a milk tank, because the tank barrel looks too small, the locations of the axleguard and brake handle look to be too far away from the bufferbeam, there is a horizontal rod between the end baulks, there is no auxiliary suspension and the cradle looks rather insubstantial. The tank size and the inward sloping end stanchions would seem to rule out a petroleum tank as well. My guess would be that it is possibly an acid tank.

I agree that it's not a milk tank. As well as the points you raise, it has no lagging. As you say it's an unusually small tank so must be for a fairly dense product (like acid as you say, other chemicals, or perhaps specialist oils like transformer or lubricating oil). Also it can't be anything that needs a barrier wagon (note that the tank may be empty though).

[woodenhead]

Weed killer train?

[melmerby]

Water tank?

For some wayside facility that doesn't have a mains supply?

[younGGuns7]

1A19 shows as up Cornish Riveria so a bit of a red herring 

[bécasse]

Coombe Junction perhaps, propelling the tank to Moorswater for some purpose? There is certainly a skew stone over bridge immediately beyond the passenger platform there.

[65179]

Interesting tank wagons and WR branches makes me think of the Octel works at Hayle, but the wharf branches topography doesn't fit.

 

Simon

[Flood]

@bécasseI like the idea of the skew bridge at Coombe Junction, with the train reversing towards Moorswater with a weedkiller train @woodenheadas there is no run-round at Moorswater. Coombe Junction would be to the right of the bridge. It would mean propelling from Liskeard but the china clay trains to Moorswater had to do that anyway.

 

Of course, if it is a weedkiller train then it could be on any of the Newquay/Burngullow branches but I'd have to check if anything fitted for those.

 

Scrap that, there is a farm directly to the West of the bridge. Oh well, at least the idea of a weedkiller train opens up more possibilities.

Copyright Rail and Landscapes on Flickr.

Edited Wednesday at 22:45 by Flood

[Stoke West]

5 hours ago, nigb55009 said:

Could it be St Erth, on the single line towards St Ives? The sidings beside the station served the milk

 depot, but the loco would need to use the branch, depending on the length of the train. When the train was ready  for departure, or after arriving in the station and running round, it would have to access the yard via the branch.

There is an old stone bridge that still stands, although it looks disused. It is now surrounded by the

St Erth roundabout on the A30.

 

8 hours ago, alexross42 said:

I'm appealing to the hive-mind knowledge for help with this one :)

I've acquired this slide but with no information at all.

From examining the slide I've determined the following:

 

- D1058 is in good exterior condition, suggesting it's more likely early to mid 70's?

- There is a crew of two in the rear cab

- The rear headcode suggests that the loco had previously been on a long distance passenger run such as Paddington to Penzance

- It's a single track section

- There's a string of lights coming across and attached to the telegraph pole - the ballast looks quite fresh, maybe recent overnight engineering works have taken place?

- The bridge has some distinctive brickwork patches, if that helps anyone to identify it

 

Finally, the loco was withdrawn in January 1977.

 

Any and all ideas are much appreciated!

Regards,

Ross.

 

1A19 was the up Limited so loco worked Penzance to Plymouth then fresh loco with front portion attaching to Pad which then worked 2015 to Swansea 

[Stoke West]

8 minutes ago, Stoke West said:

 

1A19 was the up Limited so loco worked Penzance to Plymouth then fresh loco with front portion attaching to Pad which then worked 2015 to Swansea 

The track has just been relayed using second hand from main line , looks like an engineers train stood on site judging by how the crew are posed , suggesting the tank is  part of the engineers train

[The Stationmaster]

Definitely the site of engineering work and the movement is probably connected with it.  The headcode is basically irrelevant - it could have been left like that for a couple of weeks!   I am wondering if it is a single lone?  The angle of the bridge could be confusing and there is a lot of clean looking ballast beyond the loco and wagon plus there are c.16 circuits being carried on the telegraph pole which would seem rather a lot for a single track branch with the possible exception of Newquay. (which has at least one potential candidate for the Bridge - Travean might be worth closer examination).

 

The other thing is the use of a D10XX which were barred from most branches - with the definite exception of Newquay and later Bodmin (but not the entire branch as far as I know).

 

But the other big question is was the photo taken in Cornwall?  West Wales is a possibility although on an engineering train a D68XX would have been a much more likely candidate for traction.  

[alexross42]

The 'chock' on the wagon (the supporting crossbeam under the tank) seems to be of quite a unique style, in that it starts off flat and then rises up to the side of the tank, which is quite unusual when comparing to other tank wagon images online. Taking this into account along with the lining on the tank and the buffer style, the excellent Paul Bartlett site has this sulphuric acid tank as a very close candidate:

https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/mosacidtank/h7889dbe#h7889dbe

 

Sulphuric acid being quite an effective weedkiller.........

Edited Thursday at 08:37 by alexross42
clarifications

[Stoke West]

4 minutes ago, alexross42 said:

The 'chock' on the wagon (the supporting crossbeam under the tank) seems to be of quite a unique style, in that it starts off flat and then rises up to the side of the tank, which is quite unusual when comparing to other tank wagon images online. Taking this into account along with the lining on the tank and the buffer style, the excellent Paul Bartlett site has this sulphuric acid tank as a very close candidate:

https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/mosacidtank/h7889dbe#h7889dbe

Just noticed the string of lights in foreground powered by portable generator hence confirming a worksite

[melmoth]

How about somewhere between Witham and Cranmore, or Frome and Radstock?

[BluenGreyAnorak]

Possibly Quintrell Down Overbridge carrying the A392? If looking south from the bridge, the track on the far side of the railway seems to match.

 

https://maps.app.goo.gl/m75aY1Fq2QLsfcBQ7

 

 

 

 

Edited Thursday at 08:43 by BluenGreyAnorak

[Mallard60022]

What a fascinating discussion. The reversing suggestion is very plausible now I look at it.

Must keep in touch as I'm intrigued.

P

[Mallard60022]

13 hours ago, Phil Bullock said:

No milk traffic I know of there Phil

That is really interesting. I'd never realised that.

Thanks.

P