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Tank Wagons - Chemical 4-wheel
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Creosote tank DB998995, initially allocated to the ScR for Greenhill Sleeper Depot. One of the locations they loaded bitumen emulsion was the
Lion Emulsions facility in Hereford, where they could be seen alongside the Lion fleet, which, of course, are already in the Morfa Bank fleet.
These tankers led a messy life and were rarely seen in anything remotely approaching a clean state and I was keen to capture the distinctive
weathering.
A brief burst of sun on a dark winter’s day and we see DB998992, when new allocated to the WR Creosoting Works at Hayes. Both these tankers
were later allocated to the Soil Mechanics Section. The tanks were used for formation preparation and ran with wagons carrying blanketing
material (such as fine stone dust or sand) on track relaying jobs. Once that was laid down a bitumen emulsion mix from the tanks was sprayed
over this as a binding agent and waterproofing layer, under the direction of the Soil Mechanics Section. This technique was later replaced
by heavy gauge polythene sheeting. Build details for these 2 models can be found on the November 2026 update (omwb_245 via the sitemap page).
Here we see the edge of the sand wharf and the Lock
Siding of the long-lived Aberavon Wharf & Tramway Company. Their
Yorkshire 0-4-0DE is parked up at their fuelling point with an old
internal shunt truck and an Italian tank wagon that will be loaded
with pesticides for export at the Mechema works further down the
tramway. A E Knill s Barry scrapyard was very close to the famous Woodham
yard and I took hundreds of wagon photos at both yards throughout the 1980s.
VTG ferry tank at Morfa Bank Sidings. Here it is with the new number panels in place and
ready to head down to the chemical works. For further details and the construction of this
wagon, please see the September 2020 update page.
078 5 197-3 This is a diagram E445 bromine tank, the most complex of the conversions so far
(utilising a heavily modified Liliput HO acid tank). Further details of this conversion
can be found on the November 2020 update page (omwb173).
