Private Owner Wagons on the SMJ in the Pre-Group Era

[Kelvin White]

I've acquired Simon Dunkley's S scale E&W / SMJ items and aim to build a small layout to use them on.

More on this on this - another time.

I'm interested to know if there is a list of PO Wagons (Pre Group era) that called the SMJ home?  IE Wagons that  were registered to an SMJ station. 

Jordan page 64 - has a photograph of the Hutching & Co wagons, I would be interested to know of any other published SMJ PO wagons.

Thanks

Kelvin White

[Barry Taylor]

Hi Kelvin

I've been having a look through my SMJ photos, and it is remarkable how few have anything useful - just a few glimpses of wagons in the background in odd cases, and most of these only partly visible or illegible.

However, these bits & pieces might be useful for some further research -

Woodford & Hinton station - 'NUNEATON' coal wagon

Behind loco 7 on a train - 'EXHALL' coal

Behind loco 13 at Stratford - '****S & CO' (part of top line) - '**** MERCHANT' (bottom) - probably 'Hutchings & Co / Coal merchant'?

Wagons stored at B Dassett in 1930's - 'TARMAC'

Blisworth station in 1930's - 'STEVCO' and 'WILLIAMS' coal wagons

Byfield goods yard in 1930's - 'A RUSSELL'

One other part wagon - '****DING & CO'

 

Not much to go on but they might help. You are probably aware, but there is quite a series of books on PO wagons (I think Lightmoor Press) I'm not familiar with them but they might give you some regional examples?

Good luck with the search!

 

 

 

 

[Si Donal]

Kelvin,

Williams of Towcester also took wagonloads of Coalite smokeless fuel in the 1930s in Coalite wagons.

Si

[Si Donal]

Oh, also Wombwell Main wagons for CW Bartholomew at Blakesley. 

[Roger Whiffin]

I have some 00 wagons that belonged to the late Tim Gregory who had his Byfield layout on the local exhibition circuit up to about 10 years ago, unfortunately all that is left are a few bits of stock.

I know that he did research most if not all of the wagons that he ran on it.

I will try to see if I can do any photos or scans of them if you like.

[Simon Dunkley]

Roger Whiffin said:

I have some 00 wagons that belonged to the late Tim Gregory who had his Byfield layout on the local exhibition circuit up to about 10 years ago, unfortunately all that is left are a few bits of stock.

I know that he did research most if not all of the wagons that he ran on it.

I will try to see if I can do any photos or scans of them if you like.

Hi Roger,
Long time no speak! I hope you are well.
The locos have reverted back to me, but the information on PO wagons is still worthy of a wider audience.
I was once lucky enough to see Byfield at an exhibition, and was invited by Tim, Les, et al to operate a session (after I'd paid to get in, too!) It was fascinating to run: so much potential with so few turnouts.
Tim's passing was a great sadness: I felt he had more years left than transpired - we used to bump into each other about once a year. Unfortunately the last time I saw him he was quite ill, but I did not know how serious it was.
Regads,

Simon

[Dick Bodily]

News of another Byfield layout. 

A member of the Woodford Halse Model Railway Club, I don't remember his name, was in the process of adding a Byfield layout onto their Woodford layout at the Social Club a couple of years ago when I last saw it.  With a bit of essential poetic licence excusable for practical reasons, Byfield was being more or less added onto Woodford West. The full layout shows Woodford from the Old Yards south to the SMJ bridge over the GC main line and a short section of the SMJ at Woodford West. It's a pretty good representation of Woodford as it was in the '50s with models of all the houses that were next to the railway accurately modelled. The trains are not always representative of the ones seen on the GCR or the SMJ but are simply ones that the various members own and want to run. Occasionally they have events at the Social Club when the general public are invited to view the layout, if I get to hear of one coming up I'll put a message on the website.

[NIGEL]

Barry Taylor said:

Hi Kelvin

I've been having a look through my SMJ photos, and it is remarkable how few have anything useful - just a few glimpses of wagons in the background in odd cases, and most of these only partly visible or illegible.

However, these bits & pieces might be useful for some further research -

Woodford & Hinton station - 'NUNEATON' coal wagon

Behind loco 7 on a train - 'EXHALL' coal

Behind loco 13 at Stratford - '****S & CO' (part of top line) - '**** MERCHANT' (bottom) - probably 'Hutchings & Co / Coal merchant'?

Wagons stored at B Dassett in 1930's - 'TARMAC'

Blisworth station in 1930's - 'STEVCO' and 'WILLIAMS' coal wagons

Byfield goods yard in 1930's - 'A RUSSELL'

One other part wagon - '****DING & CO'

 

Not much to go on but they might help. You are probably aware, but there is quite a series of books on PO wagons (I think Lightmoor Press) I'm not familiar with them but they might give you some regional examples?

Good luck with the search!

 

 

 I am currently researching P.O. wagons on SMJ metals with a view to documenting the wagon builders at the time. There is a photograph of the grocers HAYCOCK & RUSSELL in Byfield c.1910 provided by Heritage Explorer. They sold a variety of goods including coal, and had many delivery methods. These include pony & trap, horse & cart, delivery boy with basket on wheels and a small boy with a wheeled handcart. Did this grocer own a wagon or wagons of the name Russell & Co. for obtaining coal as seen in Byfield goods yard c.1930?

Does anyone have any further information on this or any other P.O. wagons that ran on SMJ metals? This information will be useful for the Towcester Museum display that will be running soon.

 

[Paul Morgan]

I believe Williams the coal merchants of Towcester used P.O. wagons & there is a photgraph of 3 of them at Towcester in a small booklet on the SMJ published by the Towcester History Society .I  think the livery was Chocolate brown with white lettering (similiar to Southern Railway wagon  livery)

hope this helps

Paul Morgan

[NIGEL]

Paul Morgan said:

I believe Williams the coal merchants of Towcester used P.O. wagons & there is a photgraph of 3 of them at Towcester in a small booklet on the SMJ published by the Towcester History Society .I  think the livery was Chocolate brown with white lettering (similiar to Southern Railway wagon  livery)

hope this helps

Paul Morgan

Paul, I think that this photograph is probably the same one that has appeared in a Private Owner wagon series of books published by Blackdwarf Lightmoor. You are indeed right about the livery being chocolate brown with plain white letters.

[NIGEL]

A summary of P.O. goods wagons seen on SMJR metals with their probable builders is given below.

BESTWOOD                Charles Roberts / North Central / B.R.C.W.

BINLEY                        Thomas Hunter Rugby.

BRODSWORTH           S.J. Claye / Charles Roberts.

COALITE                      Gloucester Carriage & Wagon Co.

CO-OP SOCIETY         Harrison & Camm  later Wagon Repair & Builders Works Peterboro.

EXHALL                        Charles Roberts / Ince / Thomas Hunter Rugby.

HICKLETON                 Ince / S.J. Claye / Central Wagon.

HUTCHINGS                not known.

KINGSWOOD               Midland Wagon Co.

NUNEATON                 B.R.C.W.

A. RUSSELL                 not known.

STEVECO                    Gloucester Railway Carriage & Wagon Co.

TARMAC                      B.R.C.W. / Midland Wagon Co.

WILLIAMS                    Stablefords Coalville.

WOMBWELL                S.E. Stevens Doncaster.