Peak Rail Presents - Doug Copley's Lineside Images - #09.1 "Industrial British Steam" (1979-81)

After the end of BR steam in 1968, like many other enthusiasts, Doug sought out the steam continuing to work on industrial railways.

#1 (1980)
SHELL UK ARDROSSAN REFINERY

0-4-0 fireless built by Andrew Barclay, Kilmarnock 1928.

British locomotive manufacturers between them built 162 fireless locos and of these, no less than 114 were built by Andrew Barclay between 1913-1961.

#2 (from 03m40s)
(filmed 1980)
R.B. TENNENT ROLL FOUNDRY COATBRIDGE
WHIFFLET FOUNDRY, LANARKSHIRE, S E OF GLASGOW
looking more like small diesel shunters but in fact 3 coke boiler vertical-boilered chain-driven 0-4-0 Sentinels built late 1950s.

#3 (07m30s)
(filmed 1979)
BRYNLLIW COLLIERY South Wales

An NCB Peckett saddle tank built 1916. Locos of this type were once a familiar sight in the coalfields of South Wales but 1426' here at work was the last working survivor.

#4 (10m35s)
(undated)
BERSHAM COLLIERY, WREXHAM

After 40064 does a speedy fly-shunt of the brake van and deposits empty wagons, NCB 0-4-0 saddle tank bursts into life to commence shunting them.

Shakespeare was built by Hunslet of Leeds in 1916 and Doug reckons it's short wheelbase and outside cylinders gave it a distinctive duck-like waddle when under load!

#5 (18m50s)
(filmed January 1981)
CROSSLEY BROS SCRAPYARD SHIPLEY

Harry is named after one of the Crossley partners and is a small 0-4-0 saddle tank originally built by Andrew Barclay in 1924 which was renovated and brought back into use in the early 1980s. It is seen at work in a lovely dark blue livery with black and white lining.

Crossleys also had Ruston diesel mechanical locos which were not being used at the time of the visit.

#6 (21m45s)
(filmed summer 1980)
BEDLAY COLLIERY GLENBOIG, Glasgow

Doug made 2 visits in Summer 1980 which produced 2 working steam locos:
NCB No 9 a 1909 built Hudswell Clark 0-6-0T with full-length side tanks
NCB No 6 a 1937 built Andrew Barclay 0-4-0T saddle tank
NCB No 17 another Andrew Barclay 0-4-0T saddle tank but not in use
Extensive views of No 9 at work around the colliery, also taking wagons to the weighbridge, and then on the long rural incline up to the BR exchange sidings where a BR blue Class 20 running bonnet-first delivers some empties.
On the second visit the loco at work was the comparatively diminutive No 6. This loco had no bunker and coal was shovelled directly off the footplate into the firehole door.

#7 (44m20s)
(filmed 1967 then 1979/80)
The NCB MOUNTAIN ASH COLLIERY SYSTEM South Wales

The system in the Cynon Valley served multiple collieries and related facilities. It was centred around Mountain Ash and connected to BR at the former Vale of Neath Railway Mountain Ash (Cardiff Road) station
First 1967 footage of Abergorki colliery which closed in that year, and showing:-
a 1964 Andrew Barclay 0-6-0 diesel hydraulic
a 1939 Andrew Barclay 0-6-0 saddle-tank
Then presumably at a later but un-mentioned date, a Bagnall 0-6-0 diesel passes NCB South Wales Area central workshops and the adjoining winding gear of Abergorki colliery, now unused.

At the time of Doug's 1979/80 visit the main purpose of the NCB network was to convey coal dust waste from Penrikyber Colliery 2 miles up the valley, passing the now closed Abergorki Colliery and through the small town of Mountain Ash, to Aberaman phurnacite smokeless fuel plant.

First we see Andrew Barclay 0-6-0 saddle tank named 'Llantanam Abbey' at work, and then being fed and watered on Mountain Ash engine shed before crossing the river (Afon Cynon) to start shunting at Deep Duffryn Colliery.

Next we return to Mountain Ash engine shed again this time to see NCB No 8, a Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns Austerity 0-6-0 saddle tank built in 1944, being prepared for duty and then going to Penrikyber Colliery to pick up a load of coal dust to deliver to the Aberaman phurnacite plant. More views of No 8 around Mountain Ash and Deep Duffryn, interspersed with another shed visit to re-bunker with coal.

Months later, another visit to Mountain Ash shed finds Hallwen, another 0-6-0 Austerity saddle tank which is in apple green livery and clean!

Doubleheaded diesel shunters including 08484 are seen at work, then Hallwen gets coaled before we join it for a steam footplate ride up the valley to the works of Aberaman phurnacite plant.

The sidings there are a hive of activity and we also see a Class 37 pass by on the 'main line' with a couple of brake vans. The closing shots are at Aberaman with a nicely-lit glint panorama of steam double-heading with 08484.

#8 - (60m43s)
(filmed early 1980s)
CADLEY HILL COLLIERY
One of the last bastions of steam in the coalfields of Britain, but Doug only made one fleeting visit which was in the early 1980s.
A Sentinel diesel shunter was working but a new weighbridge had just been installed and steam locomotive 'Progress', a 1946 built Robert Stephenson & Hawthorn inside-cylindered 0-6-0 saddle-tank, was busy moving wagons to and from the new weighbridge for check-testing purposes.