Mastering marshall arts

With their complicated operation and sprawling, space and track-hungry layouts, it’s no wonder that marshalling yards aren’t a popular choice with modellers. But that’s no obstacle to a man like PAUL A. LUNN…

It’s no wonder that marshalling yards aren’t a popular choice with modellers. But that’s no obstacle to Paul A. Lunn…

Ithink modellers have always shied away from building marshalling yard layouts, for two primary reasons: the space required and the difficulties of realistically operating and controlling hump shunting. Alan Davies’ ‘Hazlebury Yard’, which featured in MR146 (right), stands as an almost solitary example of a working hump yard. It’s an excellent concept, marred only by certain aspects of constructional execution, such as the overly high hump. The challenge, to overcome space and appearance as limiting factors, is a complex one, and so I’ve devised three possible solutions: a cosmetic arrangement for 6ft by 4ft, a partially working hump in 10ft by 5ft and a fully working room-filler in ‘N’. The latter is based on Healey Mills, near Wakefield, and I am deeply grateful to Peter Cramp, my uncle and former Running Foreman for sharing with me his reminiscences on the subject. The inspiration behind these plans is testimony to his dedication to the industry. Railways have always been

associated with the movement of freight and, as such, handling facilities grew on an ad hoc basis, often to serve local needs and usually in a limited capacity. BR’S Modernisation Plan demanded a complete overhaul of these facilities, including a network of strategically located marshalling yards. The latest technology would allow trains to be sorted in a faster, more cost-effective way. It’s not surprising that such projects elicited a level of excitement and anticipation, which was documented in promotional brochures distributed at official openings of the various yards. That enthusiasm would ultimately prove to be misguided following the wholesale demise of the railfreight industry, with many yards closing before they reached their full potential.

TWO-WAY YARD

Healey Mills was a two-way, semiautomatic yard where primary shunting took place over one hump, with arrivals and departures possible in both directions. Work commenced on the 140-acre site in late 1959, and the result was 120 sidings, totalling 57 miles of track. Of the retarders (the air-operated devices that slowed rolling wagons), two were 65ft fully automatic primary examples and eight were secondary 75ft semi-automatics. The 40ft-high control tower was sited to give the best possible view of the yard and, from there, communication was made to yard staff and shunting locomotives. It also featured a power-operated signal box controlling movement in and out of the yard, and for seven and a half miles of adjacent running line, replacing seven mechanical ‘boxes. At the time of opening, the installation consisted of 464 routes, controlling 58 main colour light signals, 81 position-light ground subsidiary signals, 120 electropneumatically operated points and 334 track circuits. Compressed air for points and retarders came from a separate

compressor room, to prevent noise and vibration in the tower. Signalling consisted of an elevated three-aspect (stop, slow, fast) double-sided white signal that controlled movement over the hump and two-aspect position-light ground signals that controlled movement from the reception sidings and the return of shunting locomotives. The hump’s three-aspect signal was repeated inside all shunting locomotive cabs to facilitate maximum speed during shunting operations. Communication, via telephone, was provided throughout the yard, and a talk-back loudspeaker system enabled control tower staff and yard inspectors to speak to yard staff at key points. Control tower staff and yard drivers could talk directly to each other via an inductive telephone system and Ultra High Frequency radio. My uncle Peter joined the newly formed BR on January 26 1948 as a 17-year-old cleaner at Ardsley shed. Promoted to fireman in 1952, he moved over to the administration side in 1958 and became Running Foreman at Healey Mills in September 1964. He retired from BR in April 1987. Recalling his time at Healey Mills, he said: “The daily workload was governed by traffic flows and customer requirements, which varied not only from week to week but from day to day. At other large depots, the fixed train plan would run with little variation, while ours would involve 20% cancellation, mostly confirmed the previous week. “A huge number of additional trains ran at different times and to destina-

tions that were only confirmed at the last minute. Drivers were governed by traction experience, time availability and route knowledge, while for guards only the latter two factors applied. “We operated largely on an ad hoc basis, complicated by huge variations in staff knowledge. We kept up-to-date records about the staff pool, so we could allocate men to jobs that covered the domestic workload.” In the early 1960s, Healey Mills served destinations such as York, Hull, Doncaster, Wath, Birkenhead, South Wales, Liverpool, Stoke, Bolton, Manchester and Blackburn. Further routes were added in 1970 to include all collieries in West Yorkshire, together with Hebden Bridge, Halifax, Laisterdyke, and points between Hunslet, Leeds Wellington Street, Huddersfield, Carlton/cudworth and Tinsley/ Rotherham goods yards.

ROUND THE CLOCK

“Shifts ran from midnight to 8am, 8am to 4pm and 4pm to midnight, with no time allowance for changeover and no specified time for breaks,” Peter said, although he was able to persuade management to provide an assistant supervisor to help during the weekdays. He said, “At changeover, we discussed the pool of staff available, what work they’d done or were doing, details of any work arranged or expected in the near future, plus locomotive availability

and any relevant maintenance issues. “Staff absences, sickness and the late running of through trains, which stopped only for crew change, were a further complication. These had to be covered by men whose booked work had been cancelled at short notice, or those whose trains were running too late for them to work. Cover supervisors were provided from a pool of Deputy Foremen, they were mainly drivers or passed firemen.” In 1964, depot staff comprised three running foremen, three acting supervisors, 19 pilot drivers (mostly ex-mirfield, Wakefield, Normanton, Ardsley and Sowerby Bridge men), 12 main line link drivers, plus eight spare link drivers and eight spare drivers. There were five firemen, seven passed firemen, all main line link staff, with a further four spare link firemen. “When I started work, there were six ‘08s’ and one ‘03’ which worked as number one to seven pilots. Numbers ‘1’ and ‘2’ were hump pilots, ‘3’ to ‘6’ were at the departure end and ‘7’, the Class 03, worked the Down Secondary at night time only. “All seven locomotives were allocated to Bradford Hammerton Street, which liaised with us on weekday mornings, and we issued instructions about which way round a locomotive should arrive. Healey Mills’ diesel depot was built in 1965/66, so Hammerton Street’s locomotives were transferred there and maintained on-site. “The fleet increased between 1967 and 1970 as local sheds closed. Trip-working took place to Dewsbury Railway Street, Castleford, Monkton, and Monk Bretton and the pilots stationed at Wakefield Kirkgate, Crofton, Huddersfield and Wakefield Carriage and Wagon.

STAFFING BOOM

Freight from York and Hull was diesel-hauled from the start, but all London Midland Region services were steam-hauled until the end of steam. The turntable was removed when the diesel depot was built, so steam locomotives were turned on the Crigglestone triangle. In June 1967, when Wakefield and Mirfield depots had closed, Healey Mills footplate staff increased from 70 to 600. “A running foreman was responsible for the provision of locomotives and crew to meet traffic requirements, supervision of all footplate men entering Healey Mills Yard, resolution of disputes between drivers and traffic department staff and liaising with yard staff and signalmen regarding all locomotive movements. This intensified from 1966/67, when we had more than 50 main line diesels and were responsible for service and maintenance. “From January 1970, we took responsibility for 144 guards and we were re-designated as train crew supervisors. By then, all steam depots had closed. We had outstations at Wakefield Kirkgate and Huddersfield, and a total of 700-800 staff.” In more recent times Healey Mills, like many other marshalling yards, has become a shadow of its former self, now used for company block trains and storing life-expired locomotives.

In the past I’ve designed marshalling yard layouts as a series of loops and sidings on a flat base - hump shunting in model form may be operationally impractical - even impossible. This ‘N’ gauge design, with a fairly obvious oval track arrangement, recognises that potential limitation and while it captures the overall feel, it didn’t quite live up to my expectations.

LES NIXON Healey Mills yard is bustling with traffic on August 7 1982, as 40057 and 40077 arrive with a ballast train from Hunslet, Leeds. Much of the track used at Healey Mills was recovered from closed lines. The flyover bridge was from the original site and the lattice footbridge came from the north end of Darlington station.

A British Railways publicity poster showing the benefits of the modern marshalling yard. Inset: The retarders squeezed against the rail flanges, decelerating the wagon.

RICHARD PRIESTLEY/RAIL PHOTOPRINTS Healey Mills depot is dwarfed by the massive lighting towers. There were eight 150ft-high steel towers, with banks of lamps on all four faces of five, and three faces on the remainder. Six towers have substations at the base, the remaining two are fed from substations nearby. A faulty section could by isolated so that remaining lights were still operable. All lights were switched off in the daytime by a light-sensitive relay. There are plenty of suppliers of yard light models, including Express Models, N brass Loco, Vollmer and Viessmann.

Above: The huge expanse of track that was Carlisle Kingmoor yard in 1965. Despite the huge amount of money invested in these modern marshalling yards, the empty sidings were an omen of their eventual closure.

BOTH: COLIN WHITFIELD/RAIL PHOTOPRINTS Left: Carlisle Kingmoor was another marshalling yard built under the Modernisation Plan. This is a view from 1965, looking north. A Class 08 prepares to release three vans over the hump; the retarders are clearly visible.

Below: Just over a decade later, it was little more than an area of overgrown wasteland and a place to dump old locomotives and rolling stock. PAUL A. LUNN

Class 31 31158 snakes across the pointwork at Tinsley yard on August 9 1985. The distinctive architectural style of the control tower - typical of many marshalling yards - can be modified from Peco kits. GAVIN MORRISON