Adrian Barr
Member
This thread is prompted by a couple of recent developments at Doncaster.
Colas were previously stabling locos in the two "carriage sidings" south of the station on the up side, as seen here in 2019 with no less than four 56s present: https://www.flickr.com/photos/dbs60100/48476303627/
Last year they switched to a new stabling point which consists of two short sidings accessed from a ground position signal at the south end of the "Two Way Goods 2" on the down side adjacent to West Yard:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/122599534@N05/53658604821/
Visible in that shot is a large green tank. It can be seen better in a view from a train in this video by Donny Pete, if you pause at 4:35 -
Great, big, fun packed Bankholiday special.... NOT!!!!! | Donny Pete
Trackmaps Eastern 5th edition (2020) shows only a single siding here, suggesting a second one has been installed recently. The 1st edition Quail map for the same area (1988) shows that there were originally two sidings here, extending past the brick building seen at 4:41 in the video. One of these sidings formed a headshunt for locos to access Doncaster Works - 37800 is seen in the headshunt here in 1990, with 31299 on the adjacent siding:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/197795529@N04/52924235706/
I assumed this green tank must be part of a fuel point when I first noticed it. However, I was somewhat surprised to see a fuel point pop up because I'd heard that it can be quite difficult to install fuelling facilities due to environmental regulations, planning problems, the need for catchment pits for fuel spills and so on. I've found a "Colas Rail Review 2023" document which confirms it opened as a fuelling facility:
In a more recent development, the bay platform at the former Doncaster Royal Mail Terminal now sports a similar setup (see attached pictures taken on Saturday 31st August). This has only appeared very recently - on Friday they were still moving and compacting aggregate using small plant. The large tank is hooked up to a generator (presumably powering a pump), with fuel lines connected to a hose reel which would be used to fuel locos. The setup is fairly basic with some spill mats between the rails. I would guess the other paraphenalia might be related to some combination of sand / coolant / lube oil used for servicing locos.
The only permanent thing here seems to be the small areas of concrete slab underneath the big tank and by the fuelling area - for example the tank looks like it was craned into position rather than being a permanent building. This is perhaps a factor making it easier to install, in terms of planning permission required. It's only just been put there so I haven't witnessed any locos being fuelled yet. GBRF use both the bay platform at the mail terminal and the adjacent Down Decoy sidings to stable locos, requiring frequent movements round the curve towards the Sheffield line to Roberts Road depot for fuel. I get the impression that locos staying at Roberts Road tend to be there for maintenance, with most locos visiting for fuel and basic servicing then stabling for their next duty at Down Decoy / Royal Mail terminal.
=============================
These Doncaster developments got me thinking about loco fuelling facilities more generally. The image that comes to mind of a typical "fuel point" is the sort of British Rail installation with a canopy seen here at March TMD in 1989:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/36034969@N08/49776121073/
Or a covered servicing and fuelling shed such as this 1992 view of Hither Green: https://www.flickr.com/photos/tigertim1950/28401802107/
In recent years there seems to have been quite a variety of installations, varying from substantial buildings to minimal facilities, but I can't find much discussion online apart from this thread on RMWeb:
https://www.rmweb.co.uk/forums/topic/178704-fueling-points/
This picture by Adrian Nicholls shows the inspection and fuelling shed at Warrington Arpley, complete with inspection pit. As the caption says, it was built in 1997 to replace Springs Branch depot at Wigan:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/36034969@N08/50376855197/
Before it was built, I can remember locos frequently heading light engine from Warrington to Wigan for fuel.
More recent installations to compare are at Mossend and Tees Yard. The fuel point at Mossend (in the down yard, replacing Motherwell depot) looks extremely minimal: https://www.flickr.com/photos/148194160@N04/50219915682/
Although it does have a separate inspection shed nearby: https://www.flickr.com/photos/36034969@N08/48182524426/
The facilities at Tees replaced the now-demolished Thornaby depot: https://www.flickr.com/photos/139404814@N05/53855229927/
With Tees Yard Wagon Repair Depot behind (the old Tees Wagon Shops were effectively part of Thornaby depot): https://www.flickr.com/photos/150500212@N02/50675969636/
Meanwhile the facilities at Leicester look quite impressive, seemingly an upgrade or revamp of the previous fuel point with its familiar design of canopy: https://www.flickr.com/photos/ukbuses/43267712050/in/photostream/
At the other extreme, fuelling can simply involve the arrival of a road tanker, as seen here at Carlisle Yard in 2012: https://www.flickr.com/photos/36034969@N08/7577909702/
There's some interesting discussion in the comments. Lets hope the UN code displayed on the tanker (1223 kerosene) was wrong! This method is also sometimes used to fuel locos at freight terminals.
Anyway, I thought it might be interesting in this thread to compile a list of locations / facilities that are currently in use to fuel locos. Some of them are obvious (like Toton TMD) but others less so...
Colas were previously stabling locos in the two "carriage sidings" south of the station on the up side, as seen here in 2019 with no less than four 56s present: https://www.flickr.com/photos/dbs60100/48476303627/
Last year they switched to a new stabling point which consists of two short sidings accessed from a ground position signal at the south end of the "Two Way Goods 2" on the down side adjacent to West Yard:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/122599534@N05/53658604821/
Visible in that shot is a large green tank. It can be seen better in a view from a train in this video by Donny Pete, if you pause at 4:35 -
Great, big, fun packed Bankholiday special.... NOT!!!!! | Donny Pete
Trackmaps Eastern 5th edition (2020) shows only a single siding here, suggesting a second one has been installed recently. The 1st edition Quail map for the same area (1988) shows that there were originally two sidings here, extending past the brick building seen at 4:41 in the video. One of these sidings formed a headshunt for locos to access Doncaster Works - 37800 is seen in the headshunt here in 1990, with 31299 on the adjacent siding:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/197795529@N04/52924235706/
I assumed this green tank must be part of a fuel point when I first noticed it. However, I was somewhat surprised to see a fuel point pop up because I'd heard that it can be quite difficult to install fuelling facilities due to environmental regulations, planning problems, the need for catchment pits for fuel spills and so on. I've found a "Colas Rail Review 2023" document which confirms it opened as a fuelling facility:
In a more recent development, the bay platform at the former Doncaster Royal Mail Terminal now sports a similar setup (see attached pictures taken on Saturday 31st August). This has only appeared very recently - on Friday they were still moving and compacting aggregate using small plant. The large tank is hooked up to a generator (presumably powering a pump), with fuel lines connected to a hose reel which would be used to fuel locos. The setup is fairly basic with some spill mats between the rails. I would guess the other paraphenalia might be related to some combination of sand / coolant / lube oil used for servicing locos.
The only permanent thing here seems to be the small areas of concrete slab underneath the big tank and by the fuelling area - for example the tank looks like it was craned into position rather than being a permanent building. This is perhaps a factor making it easier to install, in terms of planning permission required. It's only just been put there so I haven't witnessed any locos being fuelled yet. GBRF use both the bay platform at the mail terminal and the adjacent Down Decoy sidings to stable locos, requiring frequent movements round the curve towards the Sheffield line to Roberts Road depot for fuel. I get the impression that locos staying at Roberts Road tend to be there for maintenance, with most locos visiting for fuel and basic servicing then stabling for their next duty at Down Decoy / Royal Mail terminal.
=============================
These Doncaster developments got me thinking about loco fuelling facilities more generally. The image that comes to mind of a typical "fuel point" is the sort of British Rail installation with a canopy seen here at March TMD in 1989:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/36034969@N08/49776121073/
Or a covered servicing and fuelling shed such as this 1992 view of Hither Green: https://www.flickr.com/photos/tigertim1950/28401802107/
In recent years there seems to have been quite a variety of installations, varying from substantial buildings to minimal facilities, but I can't find much discussion online apart from this thread on RMWeb:
https://www.rmweb.co.uk/forums/topic/178704-fueling-points/
This picture by Adrian Nicholls shows the inspection and fuelling shed at Warrington Arpley, complete with inspection pit. As the caption says, it was built in 1997 to replace Springs Branch depot at Wigan:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/36034969@N08/50376855197/
Before it was built, I can remember locos frequently heading light engine from Warrington to Wigan for fuel.
More recent installations to compare are at Mossend and Tees Yard. The fuel point at Mossend (in the down yard, replacing Motherwell depot) looks extremely minimal: https://www.flickr.com/photos/148194160@N04/50219915682/
Although it does have a separate inspection shed nearby: https://www.flickr.com/photos/36034969@N08/48182524426/
The facilities at Tees replaced the now-demolished Thornaby depot: https://www.flickr.com/photos/139404814@N05/53855229927/
With Tees Yard Wagon Repair Depot behind (the old Tees Wagon Shops were effectively part of Thornaby depot): https://www.flickr.com/photos/150500212@N02/50675969636/
Meanwhile the facilities at Leicester look quite impressive, seemingly an upgrade or revamp of the previous fuel point with its familiar design of canopy: https://www.flickr.com/photos/ukbuses/43267712050/in/photostream/
At the other extreme, fuelling can simply involve the arrival of a road tanker, as seen here at Carlisle Yard in 2012: https://www.flickr.com/photos/36034969@N08/7577909702/
There's some interesting discussion in the comments. Lets hope the UN code displayed on the tanker (1223 kerosene) was wrong! This method is also sometimes used to fuel locos at freight terminals.
Anyway, I thought it might be interesting in this thread to compile a list of locations / facilities that are currently in use to fuel locos. Some of them are obvious (like Toton TMD) but others less so...
Attachments
Last edited:
