Fish

[David Holman]

Am interested to know how fish traffic was carried on the GS&WR, in particular in the early 1900s.

 My F6 2-4-2T is nearing completion and I already have two six wheel coaches to go with it, in purple lake livery. Hence thought it might be nice to add a couple of fish vans, ideally fitted ones so there would be no need for a brake van.

 Any ideas/thoughts welcome, please - including and livery differences compared to non-fitted wagons.

[jhb171achill]

1 hour ago, David Holman said:

Am interested to know how fish traffic was carried on the GS&WR, in particular in the early 1900s.

 My F6 2-4-2T is nearing completion and I already have two six wheel coaches to go with it, in purple lake livery. Hence thought it might be nice to add a couple of fish vans, ideally fitted ones so there would be no need for a brake van.

 Any ideas/thoughts welcome, please - including and livery differences compared to non-fitted wagons.

Ventilated vans were used, and the fish were carried in long flat wooden boxes, packed in salt. While I cannot put my hand to any photos, they were like standard goods vans of the day, with slats at the upper or lower parts of the sides.  Fish were also sometimes carried in "soft-tops" - convertible goods vans with the tarps open on the roofs.

Livery - soft-tops - grey, standard wagon livery. Ventilated vans, depending on type or railway company, could be the standard wagon colour, or possibly a coloured livery - often that of carriages on the same line. I have a notion that MGWR fish vans were at least at one time a lighter colour to reflect heat, but I'd have to look up details. Since my house move there's a load of stuff I just cannot find!

On the GSWR, you're safe with the wagon livery of the day, a very dark grey, sometimes almost black - not unlike what locos would end up having from 1915 onwards. I cannot say for certain whether any GSWR vans carried the passenger dark lake, but I wouldn't be surprised. Do you have any drawings or pics of such a van? If so, let's have a look at it..........

[David Holman]

Many thanks JB, I have a few semis/softwood on the roster, including a couple of GSWR ones, but if anyone has photos or plans of ventilated ones, I'd be only too pleased to have a go at building a couple. The idea of a pair of six wheelers with vans in the same livery has a nice feel to it.

[jhb171achill]

5 hours ago, David Holman said:

Many thanks JB, I have a few semis/softwood on the roster, including a couple of GSWR ones, but if anyone has photos or plans of ventilated ones, I'd be only too pleased to have a go at building a couple. The idea of a pair of six wheelers with vans in the same livery has a nice feel to it.

This is a model of a GSWR "soft-top" which my grandfather built about 1910. The scale ends up with a track gauge of about 7 inches.

Edited June 27, 2021 by jhb171achill

[jhb171achill]

I forgot to mention that due to ventilated sides, cattle trucks were occasionally used for transporting boxes of fish.

[Mayner]

A bit modern for an early 1900 layout the GSWR built 14 4w Motor/Fish Vans in 1907 with similar styling to the LNWR 6w CCT https://www.flickr.com/photos/31890193@N08/8901746841/ followed by 19 Fish Vans in 1910.

The majority of the Motor/Fish Vans had gone by the late 1940s 4 surviving to the late 50s, most of the Fish Vans survived into the late 50s the last 2 withdrawn in 1961.

Its possible that salted or smoked fish was transported in ventilated or ordinary vans (Covered wagons) mainly 14' variety before WW1.  IRCH Standard wooden Vans predominate in photos of Valencia Harbour up to the closure in 1960s, with lots of barrels possibly for salted fish on the platform. 

The Motor/Fish was built to the same basic design without the lower set of louvres and with folding end doors like the LNWR CCT

There is a 1950s lineside photo of an F6 hauled Cobh-Cork with what looks like an ex- GSWR Fish Van in the consist

I am sure that you can think of a way of adding that "salty fishy" smell at exhibitions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[David Holman]

Excellent stuff, many thanks to both of you. Must go back to the Valencia photos.

As for a fishy smell, wonder if any of those vaping oils come in that flavour?!?