Cement by Rail and onward transit

[Blink Bonny]

OK - not strictly LNER...

I have been interested in the movement of cement by rail since childhood, having grown up near Dewsbury Blue Circle Cement works with its attendant EE Type 4s shunting yellow Presflos.

My new layout will have a wagonload cement traffic but my question is this:

What sort of vehicle would have been used for the forward transport of the cement from the railhead? I thought I had a picture if this in one of my vast collection of British Railways Illustrated but I am unable to find the issue.

Any assistance gratefully received.

[Trestrol]

There is a picture on the front(and inside) of BRITISH RAILWAYS WAGONS the first half million by Don Rowland showing a Prestflo being unloaded to a road lorry. It is only the back but looks like a Scammel three wheeler with no trailer but a tank on the back(if you get what i mean).

[hq1hitchin]

Bagged cement used to be conveyed in Vanfits before the advent of Presflos, certainly that was the case in the 1950s/1960s.

[strang steel]

You may find this link useful http://www.igg.org.uk/gansg/12-linind/cement.htm

Scroll a long way down the page and there are illustrations of various lorries used for carrying powder cement.

[Blink Bonny]

Cheers, Strang Steel. I feel a cement layout coming on.....

[Bryan]

There is a map of Melton cement works on the attached thread.

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=3711&hilit=melton

[simonh]

There was a feature on Ketton in April 2008 Rail Express:
"
# From Ketton to Castle, David Ratcliffe looks at the historic and present day rail operations at Ketton cement works following a major rail redevelopment."

I don't know if it answers your specific question but remember it as an interesting article with some useful photos. Let me know if you would like a copy as I think that one is somewhere in a pile destined for recycling.

[micmacmoc]

I was a shunter at Southampton Northam Yards in the mid eighties. There were two cement facilities, Castle and, I think, Blue Circle. It was messy work, when it rained it was very slippy and bloody dangerous! The vac pipes were a right bugger to connect, they'd be caked in cement some of it set and some powdery or slippey. We had 08 and 09 shunting locos from Eastleigh. There was a gantry under which the trucks would be loaded using a very noisy vacuum system (?). We had various freight there including Transit vans from Eastleigh. I derailed a train of these once, leaving the wheel wedge block on the front of the train by accident, I was terrified as I saw about 60 brand new transit vans jump up in the air. My shunter driver was as cool as a cucumber. We put the block back infront of the leading bogie and it jumped back on the track much to my relief. It was hard and dangerous work, the pay was poor too. I loved it!

[Blink Bonny]

Dewsbury was an unloading plant I think and the racket generated when a train came in could be heard inside the house nearly a mile away. Oh, and every time a yellow, 4-axle fluted cab Scammell went past it felt like the house leapt up in the air, because there was a large bump in the road outside.

A fascinating website and it has given me many ideas.

(Mrs BB says: It's time for his lie down and medication now. He does get over-excited.)

[Blink Bonny]

There is a map of Melton cement works on the attached thread.

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=3711&hilit=melton

Hmm. More ideas. Thanks, Bryan