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Live Animals by Train

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Foxcote

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I understand that Irish cattle traffic through Holyhead and Birkenhead, then onwards by rail, became the last authorised movements of cattle by rail on BR. All other cattle movements on BR had ceased. This also applied to sheep, pigs and goats etc. which used the same wagons. The wagon had partitions so that different animals could be carried at the same time or a small number of animals could be accommodated.

My memories; Sorry, but I may have missed some instructions out. Rail staff had to examine all livestock to ensure they were fit to travel and provide reasonable assistance with loading. Any animal near to calving was not to be accepted. TT attested cattle were to be kept separate from non-attested. Calves, sheep and goats not to be loaded with horses or mules. Boars must be kept separate. Small ponies must not be loaded with horses. Bulls to be tethered to the wagon. Animals travelling under licence, - licence and invoice to be clipped onto wagon side with invoice. All loading was to be completed before the sender signed the consignment note. Finally, BR staff to have the last word in regard to loading.

Watering; Horses, cattle, pigs and goats every 24 hours. Cattle and pigs only, may be left unwatered if they can reach their destination in 27 hours. Sheep 36 hours. Feed to be provided at time of watering.
 
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Marton

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Link to Farmer moving South.

Turning to different livestock, packages of bees used to be sent to customers by train.
 

Lucan

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As a kid around 1964 I remember seeing a muzzled greyhound, apparently with no owner present, being led by a porter and placed in the guard's luggage area of an up 4-SUB at Mitcham Junction. Was it possible to send an unaccompanied dog like that or was this perhaps a stray that had been picked up?
 

WesternLancer

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I seem to remember a BTP film about someone flitting between farms, and taking everything including the livestock by train - and didn't some circus concerns use trains (One of the Railway Detective novels - Inspector Colbeck - features a circus train being derailed on the Tyne Valley route in the 1860s)
Yes, BTF Farmer Moving South

http://www.britishtransportfilms.co.uk/
follow the link from here for some stills
http://nicwhe8.freehostia.com/btf/productions/alphabetical.html

it's on a BFI DVD.

EDIT - I see I've been beaten to it!
 

Dr_Paul

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What about horses ? specifically the racing / sport source ...

There used to be a horse-dock on the country side of Richmond station especially for the Royal Horse Show for which the town was famous. The last show was in 1967; I don't know when horses stopped being transported to the show by railway. Thinking back as far as the early 1960s I don't think I ever saw it in use or saw horse-boxes in or around Richmond station. The dock still had track in it well into the 1960s, maybe even into the 1970s, but it has been built on since then.

Yes, circuses moved by rail - probably until the 1950s or 1960s - including animals. There were specially designated elephant vans, with strengthened floors. Doubtless HBs for horses and such, don't know about lions and the like: possibly circus (road) cage trailers on (open) carriage trucks. On arrival there would be a publicity parade through the streets from station to circus ground!

When I was a little kid, some wag told me that there were also giraffe vans with a sliding roof panel so that the giraffes could stretch their necks. Even at that age I wasn't so daft to believe that.
 

pdeaves

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When I was a little kid, some wag told me that there were also giraffe vans with a sliding roof panel so that the giraffes could stretch their necks. Even at that age I wasn't so daft to believe that.
Triang made a model of that so it must be true. Not a toy at all! :)
 

Dr_Paul

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Triang made a model of that so it must be true. Not a toy at all! :)

So a giraffe van did exist, at least in model form. I did a search and found this piece here. I have some vague memory of this returning to my mind. Looking at the picture, I presume the lever under the wagon hit a treadle in the four-foot and the giraffe ducked down.

I must say that I was a 'realist' even as a little kid and wanted models to be like the real thing, and saw these sort of things as a silly joke. There was also some daft Triang effort with rocket launchers and 'exploding' wagons, if I recall correctly.
 
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randyrippley

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When I was a little kid, some wag told me that there were also giraffe vans with a sliding roof panel so that the giraffes could stretch their necks. Even at that age I wasn't so daft to believe that.

Tri-Ang had models of them, with the giraffe ducking its head.
I think it was part of the American range of HO models they imported and sold alongside their OO stuff
 

daveshah

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Brusher Mills, the legendary snakecatcher of Brockenhurst (whom now has pub named after him), is believed to have sent live snakes from the New Forest by train to London Zoo to feed other animals.
 

Foxcote

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As a kid around 1964 I remember seeing a muzzled greyhound, apparently with no owner present, being led by a porter and placed in the guard's luggage area of an up 4-SUB at Mitcham Junction. Was it possible to send an unaccompanied dog like that or was this perhaps a stray that had been picked up?

Unaccompanied dogs were very common throughout the UK, some would be going to mate. From one station I regularly dealt with dogs to Eire, which involved completing forms and working out charges for BR rail, Sea conveyance charge, Sea Surchage, Port Dues, Customs Clearance charge and Irish Rail Surcharge, as well as any Customs documentation.

All the information was to be found in the Book of Rates.
The paperwork took a little time to complete and all charges were shown on the small orange Paid Parcel Label which was pasted onto the address label. All dogs to be on collar and chain/lead to allow it to be tethered and must be muzzled. I once received a goat travelling BR only under this arrangement.
 

jimm

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I would guess the only way this is possible today is via a lorry on EuroTunnel.

Are there any more movements left? When did they stop?

Eurotunnel does not carry farm livestock.

Horses can be taken on the trains, but these must be in vehicles that fit on to the single-deck passenger shuttle wagons and you can only use a few approved operators. Racehorses are not accepted (presumably they don't want an insurance claim if something went wrong during the journey).

https://www.eurotunnel.com/uk/travelling-with-us/travelling-with-your-pet/horse-travel/
 

notverydeep

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I remember them!
In the guards van unattended.
Manchester area.

I too remember day old chicks, often in the brake van of my train home from school. This was a roughly 1615 Bristol Temple Meads to Weymouth (generally loco hauled in those days with a 31 and later a 33, but also DMMU for some periods) which ran somewhat earlier than its nearest current equivalent, 2O94 1450 Great Malvern to Weymouth. Hearing the plaintive cheeping coming from a rather non descript parcel was quite a shock when I first saw this. Presumably consignments of day old chicks could have lasted until the end of Red Star parcels by rail. The Wikipedia article https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Star_Parcels summarizing the history of Red Star is not very specific on when this was, but could have been as late as 2001. It is possible that animal protection legislation would have stopped this practice before then anyway - not my area of expertise!
 

341o2

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So a giraffe van did exist, at least in model form. I did a search and found this piece here. I have some vague memory of this returning to my mind. Looking at the picture, I presume the lever under the wagon hit a treadle in the four-foot and the giraffe ducked down.

I must say that I was a 'realist' even as a little kid and wanted models to be like the real thing, and saw these sort of things as a silly joke. There was also some daft Triang effort with rocket launchers and 'exploding' wagons, if I recall correctly.
That would be part of the "Battle Space" series,
http://www.hornbyguide.com/company_details.asp?companyid=23
 

DerekC

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The livestock trade was transferred to the Metropolitan Cattle Market north of Kings Cross in 1855 and declined in the 20th century until the MCM was closed in 1963. Were they trucking beasts from Smithfield to Caledonian Road, detaching the cattle trucks elsewhere or shipping carcasses?

I have a vivid memory of seeing a cattle train (with cattle) heading north up the ramp out of the City Widened Lines into Kings Cross Suburban station and disappearing towards Gasworks Tunnel, hauled (I think) by an N2. I have to guess the date but I would think it was around 1955. Would this have been heading for the MCM? It seems very surprising that the MCM didn't have cattle sidings of its own. The nearest ones appear to have been LNWR at Maiden Lane NLR station or GNR on the up side of the main line south of the old Holloway Road GNR station. Both would have meant walking the animals through the streets. Caledonian Road Goods doesn't seem to have had cattle pens, judging by old OS maps.
 
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PeterC

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I have a vivid memory of seeing a cattle train (with cattle) heading north up the ramp out of the City Widened Lines into Kings Cross Suburban station and disappearing towards Gasworks Tunnel, hauled (I think) by an N2. I have to guess the date but I would think it was around 1955. Would this have been heading for the MCM? It seems very surprising that the MCM didn't have cattle sidings of its own. The nearest ones appear to have been LNWR at Maiden Lane NLR station or GNR on the up side of the main line south of the old Holloway Road GNR station. Both would have meant walking the animals through the streets. Caledonian Road Goods doesn't seem to have had cattle pens, judging by old OS maps.
According to Wikipedia originally they did walk the animals from the nearest depot.
 

randyrippley

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That would be part of the "Battle Space" series,
http://www.hornbyguide.com/company_details.asp?companyid=23

The "Battle Space" range was a later rebrand of existing models and was launched after Tri-Ang took over Hornby.
Originally Tri-Ang just had an exploding bomb store wagon (camo green), a large single bomb on a low loader, an "Honest John" rail mounted missile launcher, a tank on a low loader - and I think a Sioux helicopter which could be launched from a flatbed wagon. After the takeover these were reissued as the "Battle Space" range with a couple of extra models. One was a rail mounted radar truck with flashing light which launched a flying saucer drone
My understanding is these were outsourced, not made by Tri-Ang
 

Foxcote

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Wrexham
At one time I worked in a town which held a large well attended weekly cattle market. On market day, a sharp suited representative from the Divisional Manager’s Office would arrive by train. His task was to talk to farmers in the market and surrounding pubs and try to obtain business for BR. He had a cash allowance to pay for this. At the time I thought that such a job would suit me; a different market town and pub every day and being sought out by farmers looking for a free drink. One of the few BR jobs where alcohol was officially allowed.

However, no increase in the usual wagon load cattle was ever seen.
What we did see was an increase in calves in sacks by passenger train.
Calves had their legs bent up under their body, then placed in a sack
which was tied at the top around their neck. A destination label was attached and the Paid Parcel label pasted on. The average calf weighed some 70 lbs. They were charged like any other parcel, on weight and distance and often had journeys of over 100 miles with changes.

As can be imagined, the calves were frightened by noise, particularly steam trains passing at speed and they struggled in their sacks and often soiled them
 

Midnight Sun

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One of the very last flows, was the Red Star parcel service for injuryed Hedgehogs to Aylesbury for Tiggywinkles Hedgehog hospital in Haddenham,Buckinghamshire.
 
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