Traffic & Trains Part Two – Model Railway Freight Operation

3576 Model railway frieght operation

3576 To the left is Hintock Dairies creamery and to it the arriving mixed train is bringing empty milk tanks. In the background are the ‘East’ sidings.

Building trains to move from one place to another is a key part of model railway freight operation. Hintock present many opportunities with milk and dairy products from Hintock Dairies providing traffic. Milk is collected all around Hintock for processing at the Dairy and dispatch by rail in milk tanks to London (by the SR), and to the Midlands (by the GWR.) It also dispatches butter, dried and powdered milk in fitted ventilated vans. This requires one train every day with tanks and vans that run alternately to Vauxhall, London or Wolverhampton. The Up train collects further milk in churns from intervening stations.

3069

3069 A GWR Pannier tank loco bringing SR empty fitted vans to Sheepcroft Yard for loading with fruit and vegetables destined for Covent Garden.

The early varieties of fruits and vegetables that flourish in the Vale are much sought after in the wholesale markets of London and via Crewe, of the north West. To get it to there speedily and in good condition fitted GWR and SR fruit vans are employed. And, for this use the loading bank in Sheepcroft Yard is dedicated. The GWR vans are added at Hintock Junction to trains of Channel Islands produce from Weymouth and the SR worked to Dorchester for like trains to Nine Elms and thence Covent Garden. Flowers, watercress, game and fowl requiring even more speedy delivery are sent by van attached to passenger trains and loaded across the platform at Hintock.

3196 The Down GWR goods leaves its train on the running line and shunts Sheepcroft Yard,when complete it will move on to Station Yard and Port Bredy.

3196 The Down GWR goods leaves its train on the running line and shunts ‘Farmers Siding’ in Sheepcroft Yard, when complete it will move on to shunt Station Yard and Port Bredy.

Goods traffic is heavy, much goes to Town Yard (not modeled, where there are sidings serving the municipal gas works, cattle market and abattoir, the Iron Foundry, and a large Goods warehouse) and to the (modeled) Station Yard and Sheepcroft Yards Here come goods of a general nature and, for example, coal for John Hampton, Hintock Dairies, casks and barrels (full and empty) and malt for the Crown Prince Brewery, feed seed and grain for the Hintock Farmers Trading Society.

There is as much inward traffic as outward. They are busy yards. It all adds variety to the pleasure of workings at Hintock[1. For a detailed discussion of traffic in and out of Hintock see the Track Plan.].  This shows the number and variety of the particular traders with premises adjacent to sidings thus speeding transhipment.

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