Wickham Trolley

[johnd]

Just been looking at "Diesel and Electric on 35mm #3" dvd  which has some cab views on it, one sequence being from a dmu near Bledlow on the Thame branch. There are some track workers at one point with a Wickham trolley in maroon, which is on its rails at right angles to the track. The commentary says it was filmed in 1962 or 63.

 

A query, how were Wickham trolleys moved from their storage rails onto the track?  There is a wooden block between the running rails with a hole in the centre, which appears to be made from 4 cut down sleepers.  Is there something under the trolley to pivot it on over this wooden block?  But how is the trolley moved over the nearest running rail (the rails it is kept on appear to be the same height as the main rails). ?

Manpower - lift & carry.

[Combe Martin]

The third picture above, when and where is it,  looks late 60s

At a guess, I'd say Georgemas Junction on the far north line, where the branch goes off to Thurso. The line coming in from the top left is from Inverness, the line to the top right goes to Thurso, and the line to the bottom goes to Wick. Before the days of 156 and 158 DMUs, coaches going to Thurso, would detach here from the back of the train going to Wick, and then be hauled off in the opposite direction up the Thurso branch by a loco stabled up there.

[railroadbill]

Manpower - lift & carry.

A few health and safety issues there, perhaps.  Are Wickham trolleys that light?  They were pre 1992 Manual Handling Operations Regulations though. (Hope they carried out a proper TILE assessment first!),  :-)

 

I remember making a hut to hold a maintenance trolley for my H-D 3R layout. Didn't have a working trolley though (3rd rail would have got in the way  :-)   )

I had  been intrigued by seeing the huts  (with the rails at right angles to the track)  on the North Cornwall line when we went on holiday. Those were the days...

[Ben Alder]

The photo is of Georgemas. As for shifting the trolley from track to shed, I seem to remember on a previous thread, on perhaps a previous RMweb, that mention was made of a type of lowerable pivot that would enable the trolley to face the direction required. Smaller trolleys were manhandled.

[DaveF]

Some of you wondered about the dates and locations of the images from my thread which billy_anorak59 kindly posted.

 

I am repeating them below, with the captions along with some extra ones.  One shows a location at which they could be put on to and removed from the track.

 

 

The new ones first:

 

Aberdovey p w trolley on line Aug 69 J1890

 

 

Pilmoor Whickham trolley Sept 67 J1127

 

Now the others, with captions:

 

Kirkby Stephen p w trolley 10th April 97 C21766

 

 

Parkend Whickham Trolley ex WD 9045 April 72 C898  This one was taken after it was preserved.

 

 

Pilmoor Whickham trolley up May 68 J1308

 

 

Georgemas Junction pw trolley Aug 73 J3290

 

 

David

Edited March 25, 2016 by DaveF

[railroadbill]

Interesting photos, DaveF. The Aberdovy pic with the location to put the trolley on the track shows timbers between the rails with a definite hole in the middle which looks as if some sort of mechanism fitted into it. There's also a timber against the outside of the runni g rail presumably to run the wheels over. Be interesting to know exactly how this worked. It would be a good item to have on the layout.

[The Evil Bus Driver]

Hi,

 

I assume that all of these have now been withdrawn from mainline service and the only surving examples are on preservation lines?  If so, I can't really justify one on a 21^st century layout.

 

Regards

 

David

But then remember that rule #1 applies...

[Dungrange]

The Aberdovy pic with the location to put the trolley on the track shows timbers between the rails with a definite hole in the middle which looks as if some sort of mechanism fitted into it. There's also a timber against the outside of the runni g rail presumably to run the wheels over. Be interesting to know exactly how this worked. It would be a good item to have on the layout.

 

The Exeter & Teign Valley Railway seem to own one of these and halfway down the page on restoration (http://www.teignrail.co.uk/production.php) is the following text.

 

The trolley had a dowel beneath the driver’s seat and two aluminium cradles beneath the rear seat for stowage of the turntable. Original parts were measured up at Buckfastleigh and an “Improved Wickham Turntable” made at Christow. The turntable centre has a captive disc, floating on grease, on which the beam rests. The ends of the rails are articulated, so that when turning the clips are folded out of the way and when stowed the rails do not overhang. It has been tested up to 17 cwt.; the trolley weighs 16 cwt.

[railroadbill]

The Exeter & Teign Valley Railway seem to own one of these and halfway down the page on restoration (http://www.teignrail.co.uk/production.php) is the following text.

 

The trolley had a dowel beneath the driver’s seat and two aluminium cradles beneath the rear seat for stowage of the turntable. Original parts were measured up at Buckfastleigh and an “Improved Wickham Turntable” made at Christow. The turntable centre has a captive disc, floating on grease, on which the beam rests. The ends of the rails are articulated, so that when turning the clips are folded out of the way and when stowed the rails do not overhang. It has been tested up to 17 cwt.; the trolley weighs 16 cwt.

A very interesting site with a lot of information about the operation of Wickham trolleys. There's a picture of one on its turntable at 45deg to the running rails. It also explains about the use of a gangers occupation key used to lock the electric train staff in signal boxes thus protecting a section for maintenance. There's a pic of one as well.

 

The preserved trolley mentioned has a ford e93a engine (Ford popular) rather than a JAP engine.

The GWR and WR ordered 413 trolleys apparently.

 

Thanks for the reference.

Edited March 27, 2016 by railroadbill

[cal.n]

The Royal Deeside Railway had a 'Wickham Weekend' last year in May, website says the traction for the weekend was only a trolley car and any tickets would give a ride on one. Can't see anything to indicate one this year.

 

http://www.deeside-railway.co.uk/index.html

[PenrithBeacon]

The only Wickham Trolley I've ever seen working is the example on the Bluebell Railway. When linesiding, as I used to, the horn was particularly shrill but also very quiet, too quiet for safety.

 

Is this typical of the breed?

 

Regards

Edited April 7, 2016 by PenrithBeacon

[CloggyDog]

Might a solution to the pick-up drag issue be to adopt 'stylus' style pick-ups, where the pick-up wire is arranged such that the end tip bears on the wheel, rather than the usual scraper style.

 

CLAG (as ever) worked this out some years ago: http://www.clag.org.uk/tedpick01.html

 

The reason I've cited 'pick up drag' is because I've seen plenty of examples of skidding unpowered wheels that have pick ups. All the modern(ish) Hornby locos I have, have tender pickups. Bullied Pacifics, loco drive 4Fs and 2Ps, 8F, Std 4. All suffer skidding tender wheels to a certain degree, and this is with a tender that's a lot heavier than a Wickham. With all these I've spent a lot of time fiddling with the tension of the pickup and can usually get it adjusted to have sufficient 'light touch' to stop the skidding wheel, but as I've said these tenders are a lot heavier than a Wickham. There are also pickups on the front bogie wheels of the 2P (both loco drive Hornby one, and an original tender drive Mainline one where I fitted them). They are very difficult to get sufficient light touch, and there's no weight in the front bogie.
 

[John Isherwood]

Might a solution to the pick-up drag issue be to adopt 'stylus' style pick-ups, where the pick-up wire is arranged such that the end tip bears on the wheel, rather than the usual scraper style.

 

CLAG (as ever) worked this out some years ago: http://www.clag.org.uk/tedpick01.html

 

Tried that - in fact I felt that it was the only design of pick-up that stood any chance of working.

 

The problem is not pick-up drag, it's insufficient weight, the need to overcome inside bearing friction, and the necessarily tiny motor.

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

[griffgriff]

The only Wickham Trolley I've ever seen working is the example on the Bluebell Railway. When linesiding, as I used to, the horn was particularly shrill but also very quiet, too quiet for safety.

Is this typical of the breed?

Regards

Are you thinking of a sound chip? )

[brian777999]

....and exhaust smoke ?

[stewartingram]

What shade of green would I need to repaint with?

 

Stewart

[Coach bogie]

Go to 3mins 15 secs

 

 

Mike Wiltshire

[nick_bastable]

Any scale plans for these ?

[John Isherwood]

Go to 3mins 15 secs

 

 

Mike Wiltshire

 

I believe that this was filmed on the Longmoor Military Railway and, as can be seen earlier in the clip, Longmoor painted its Wickhams blue with black / yellow wasp stripes on the ends.

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

[PhilJ W]

I believe that this was filmed on the Longmoor Military Railway and, as can be seen earlier in the clip, Longmoor painted its Wickhams blue with black / yellow wasp stripes on the ends.

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

It was indeed, though some of the rolling stock was modified/painted for the film as can be seen by the villains austerity locomotive with fake side tanks and the brake van marked 'BR' so it cannot be considered reliable.

[railroadbill]

Go to 3mins 15 secs

 

 

Mike Wiltshire

 

 

Really enjoyed the clip, Mike. There is another 4 wheeled maintenance vehicle that appears in the film.   Anyone making a layout based on the film will of course require a model of it.

 

 

 

Fortunately Bachmann have already produced one.

 

 

 

 

(Actually it runs surprisingly well, goes right round the layout without stalling.  4 wheel pickups and vertical motor between the "crew". Great fun.).

[cal.n]

Found this on Bachmann USA website, obviously very crude, but it says a gravel weight is used but cannot see where? Presumably no DCC....

 

Any evidence of a crane wagon like this anywhere in the UK? 

 

http://shop.bachmanntrains.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=258_315&products_id=4501

Edited April 13, 2016 by cal.n

[PhilJ W]

Found this on Bachmann USA website, obviously very crude, but it says a gravel weight is used but cannot see where? Presumably no DCC....

 

Any evidence of a crane wagon like this anywhere in the UK? 

 

http://shop.bachmanntrains.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=258_315&products_id=4501

Check out the 'On Track Plant' website. I think there was a similar narrow gauge crane in use at one time but today hydraulic cranes of the Atlas or Hymec types used on lorries are used.

[johnd]

Bachmann website now showing as all 3 models due in the next 60 days.

[MarkSG]

Bachmann website now showing as all 3 models due in the next 60 days.

 

That means it's probably gong to be my next (new) model to arrive after the APT-E. Talk about going from the sublime to the ridiculous!