Comments left about this photograph:
From STUART SHAWCROSS at 2008-04-12 23:36:56 : HELLO PAUL, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO EXPRESS MY APPRECIATION FOR ALL THE CONFLAT PHOTOS ON THIS SITE. MY LONG TERM PLAN IS TO TRY TO MODEL, IN 00, SOME OF STOCKPORT EDGELEY'S RAIL SYSTEM WHICH INCLUDED A SIGNIFICANT ARRANGEMENT OF YARD WITH LARGE OVERHEAD CRANE/TRANSPORTER FOR HANDLING THE CONFLAT DELIVERED CONTAINERS ONTO BR VEHICLES AND VICE VERSA. WHOLE TRAINS OF THE CONFLATS WERE RUN UP TO LONDON IN AN EVENING (NO DOUBT TO MISS THE DAYTIME PASSENGER TRAFFIC ) I THINK, BUT DON'T KNOW FOR CERTAIN, THAT THE BR VEHICLES WOULD HAVE INCLUDED SCAMMEL SCARABS AS I SEEM TO REMEMBER SEEING CONTAINERS ON THE BACKS OF SOME AS A CHILD IN THE 50's. PERHAPS YOU COULD THROW SOME LIGHT ON THIS. DON'T KNOW HOW STABLE THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN WITH THE THREE SUPPORT POINT BASE OF THE TRAILER. I HAVE BEEN COLLECTING SOME MODELS OF CONFLATS FOR THE YARD (YET TO BE BUILT) MAINLY OF THE BD TYPE BUT HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO. INFORMATION SUCH AS YOURS WITH GOOD CLOSEUPS SHOWING TURNBUCKLE DETAILS/LOCATIONS AND OTHER ASPECTS IS INVALUABLE FOR WHAT I WILL BE DOING. IT'S ALSO VERY INTERESTING TO SEE THE OTHER LOADS WHICH THE CONFLATS CARRIED. IF YOU HAVE OR KNOW OF ANY SOURCE OF PHOTOS / DRAWINGS ETC WHICH WOULD SHOW HOW THE CONTAINERS WERE LIFTED PERHAPS YOU COULD LET ME KNOW SOME TIME. I ASSUME THAT THE UPPER CHAIN LINKS ATTACHED TO THE SLOPING SIDE STRAPPING, WERE ENGAGED WITH THE HOOKS ON FOUR SLING LEGS FROM A CENTRAL LIFTING HOOK ON THE CRANE IN THE CASE OF STOCKPORTS OVERHEAD CRANE BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THIS WAS THE UNIVERSAL METHOD.DO YOU KNOW OF ANY OTHER SITES WITH CONFLAT PHOTOS/ DETAILS ETC ? ALSO I WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO FIND SOME INFO ON THE BR MARKINGS ON THE CONTAINERS. i.e. DID THEY MARK THEM (CHALK, WHITEWASH OR ?) WITH DESTINATIONS AND CONTENTS OR DID THEY RELY SOLELY ON THE CONTAINER NUMBER CORRELATED TO CONTENTS/DESTINATION ON SOME FORM OF DOCUMENTS. PERHAPS THE INFO WAS TELEGRAPHED TO THE RECEIVING STATION(S) (LONG BEFORE WIDESPREAD USE OF COMPUTERS) THANKS REGARDS STUART
From Brian H Williams at 2008-04-13 21:55:30 : I think the Scarabs were a bit small to handle loaded B-type containers, which would have grossed about five tons (most Scarabs were rated at three tone, though a six-ton type was built in later years. Looking at the cover pictures of a couple of books suggests the following:- British Railway wagons- their loads and loading- volume 1 ( Grant & Taylor) has a couple of overall views of South Lambeth in 1959. Containers are being loaded on flat trailers (some step-framed) by fork-lifts with attachment hooks. The tractor units visible seem to be of the long-bonneted types- either Austin Lodestars or Bedfords. The Scarabs visible are towing tilt-trailers. Quite a few containers are loaded in open wagons- a procedure which saved chaining down, and made the box very difficult to access for illicit reasons during its journey. The 4mm Wagon- part 2 by Geoff Kent has some views of Aberdeen in the mid-60s. Again, no Scarabs shown with containers, there being some of the long-nosed tractor units visible again (including one in yellow). There's what looks like a non-BR 'LAD' cabbed rigid with a container next to the offices in the background. BR used tractor units with LAD cabs (both Leyland and Dodge types) in the very late 1950s into the 1970s to haul semi-trailers with containers etc. They also used Bedford TKs once they became available- early 1960s? Brian
From Paul Bartlett at 2008-04-13 22:24:20 : Some loading pictures at http://gallery6801.fotopic.net/c43377.html and http://gallery6801.fotopic.net/search.php?txt=drikold&action=Go&t=p
From Dave Larkin at 2008-04-14 17:00:00 : A comment regarding traditional containers. I have seen unloading pictures where the container is being lifted off by a Ransomes Rapier mobile crane. How did the slinger get on to the roof of the traditional container with the curved roof to put the hooks of the lifting chains into the eyes of the container? There were no ladders and, quite frequently, the Conflat was in a siding in the middle of a goods yard. Does anyone know?
From Brian Williams at 2008-04-14 19:52:10 : I wonder if they used a shunter's pole? Brian