Bachmann 37-452 16 ton mineral wagon
Bachmann 37-452 16 ton mineral wagon
Bachmann Branchline - 16 ton slope side mineral wagon "Boston Deep Sea Fishing, Fleetwood" I am interested in the load these mineral wagons would have carried - possibly coal for the steam boilers on the trawler fleet prior conversion to oil burning.
Re: Bachmann 37-452 16 ton mineral wagon
That's far and away the most likely load and probable purpose, though they may well also have operated a coal fired fish processing factory at their Fleetwood (or indeed other) fishing port locations. Something of a research job lies ahead if more information is required about their operation's location(s).
And what coal did they purchase? That determines the routes the wagons probably ran over. If the choice was Wigan steam coal it will be a different route from South Wales anthracite. (Good coal with high energy content was essential for deep sea trawlers, that much I do know. Such ships were not large, but had to stay out on the fishing grounds for weeks, and needed as much hold space as possible for the fish to make the trip a paying proposition, so bunker space was limited. There was a very careful balancing act as the trawler went out with holds near full of ice, and bunkers full of coal; and hopefully as the ship was lightened by burning off coal, the holds filled with fish to maintain a near constant weight and centroid so that the sea keeping qualities of the ship design were maintained in what could be very rough conditions. This from a friend of a naval uncle, who had been on the trawlers before going onto submarines in WWII. This was in part achieved by housing the crew in the grimmest conditons and working them round the clock, as hard a life as one can imagine.)
And what coal did they purchase? That determines the routes the wagons probably ran over. If the choice was Wigan steam coal it will be a different route from South Wales anthracite. (Good coal with high energy content was essential for deep sea trawlers, that much I do know. Such ships were not large, but had to stay out on the fishing grounds for weeks, and needed as much hold space as possible for the fish to make the trip a paying proposition, so bunker space was limited. There was a very careful balancing act as the trawler went out with holds near full of ice, and bunkers full of coal; and hopefully as the ship was lightened by burning off coal, the holds filled with fish to maintain a near constant weight and centroid so that the sea keeping qualities of the ship design were maintained in what could be very rough conditions. This from a friend of a naval uncle, who had been on the trawlers before going onto submarines in WWII. This was in part achieved by housing the crew in the grimmest conditons and working them round the clock, as hard a life as one can imagine.)
Re: Bachmann 37-452 16 ton mineral wagon
Bigmet,
many thanks, a lot of useful information. Quite an interesting read of the fishing industry around Fleetwood until the infamous "Cod Wars" with Iceland. I had not thought of the weight balancing act to enable the trawlers to maintain stability in the North Sea conditions.
many thanks, a lot of useful information. Quite an interesting read of the fishing industry around Fleetwood until the infamous "Cod Wars" with Iceland. I had not thought of the weight balancing act to enable the trawlers to maintain stability in the North Sea conditions.