73119 at Lavant Quarry; November 1987
This working from Lavant Quarry in West Sussex to Drayton (to the east of Chichester) was the primary reason for an interest in rail freight operations for me that has lasted (to date) getting on for 28 years. This was such an idiosyncratic working, with the unique Tarmac (formally Francis aggregates) side discharge wagons hauled by a class 73 (or occasionally a class 33) on a 5 mile trip several times a day. The afternoon trip is pictured leaving the quarry in November 1987 with the usual load of gravel. At Drayton the wagon side doors were activated by the application of compressed air and the load discharged into a lagoon, where the gravel parted company with the associated clay, and the clean gravel was recovered simply by dredging using a mechanical excavator. I had many trips to the quarry and even had a ride up the branch once on this service.
Today everything has gone and the track bed is a cycle path. Happy memories indeed
73119 at Lavant Quarry; November 1987
This working from Lavant Quarry in West Sussex to Drayton (to the east of Chichester) was the primary reason for an interest in rail freight operations for me that has lasted (to date) getting on for 28 years. This was such an idiosyncratic working, with the unique Tarmac (formally Francis aggregates) side discharge wagons hauled by a class 73 (or occasionally a class 33) on a 5 mile trip several times a day. The afternoon trip is pictured leaving the quarry in November 1987 with the usual load of gravel. At Drayton the wagon side doors were activated by the application of compressed air and the load discharged into a lagoon, where the gravel parted company with the associated clay, and the clean gravel was recovered simply by dredging using a mechanical excavator. I had many trips to the quarry and even had a ride up the branch once on this service.
Today everything has gone and the track bed is a cycle path. Happy memories indeed