Mountfield Good Depot — Who Uses It?

[Dr_Paul]

Does anyone know who uses Mountfield goods depot on the Tonbridge to Hastings line, and what kind of freight is loaded and/or unloaded there?

 

[PeterC]

Google labels the site as British Gypsum

 

[yorksrob]

It serves one of the countries few gypsum mines, used for making cement.

 

[PeterC]

Unsurprisingly trains have been cancelled all week.

 

[Dr Hoo]

Whilst gypsum was extracted at Mountfield in the past (it used to supply the former Northfleet Cement Works, for example) the site now receives imported gypsum from Southampton Docks.

 

[Taunton]

It serves one of the countries few gypsum mines, used for making cement.

Should be coming back into demand. Gypsum is Calcium Sulphate CaSO4, and besides the natural mineral this chemical is generated as a waste product from limestone input in the desulpherisation equipment put into coal-fired power stations in recent times, in fact so much was produced there that the bottom fell out of the natural gypsum market. But of course those power stations are pretty much going now. Apart from cement it's used extensively in the production of plasterboard etc.

 

[Andy R. A.]

It is one of the unusual turn of events. Originally the Gypsum was shipped out from Mountfield by rail (to Northfleet in HAAs). However, now the gypsum is brought into the site for the construction of plasterboard (The Plasterboard plant I think opened sometime in the 1960s ?). At one time there were two mines on the site, the one at Mountfield I think closed in 1990 ? With the other mine at Brightling connected to the Mountfield site by an overhead conveyer, although the output at Brightling is not as great as it used to be.
The inward rail workings come from Southampton with imported gypsum from South America ?, or some of the trains bring in flue gas desulphurisation gypsum (FGD or DSG) a by-product from the dwindling number of coal fired power stations in the UK.
During the mid to late 1980s there was a trial undertaken to ship the completed Plasterboard out by rail in (VDA ?) Railfreight grey/orange vans. This trial did not lead to any regular traffic, and the vans were stored in the 'Back Gas' siding at Hastings for several weeks before being returned via Ashford for other use.

 

[Dr_Paul]

Thanks for the information. I didn't know that gypsum was still being processed there. Isn't gypsum also used for cat litter?

 

[Andy R. A.]

Thanks for the information. I didn't know that gypsum was still being processed there. Isn't gypsum also used for cat litter?

I saw somewhere that the Brightling site only produces about 10% of what the mines were producing in their heyday. With the closure of the last coal fired Power stations I would imagine they will be looking at other sources of FGD/DSG ?
There is a bit of information about the mine at https://www.british-gypsum.com/about-us/locations/robertsbridge?tab0=0

 

[furnessvale]

I believe Dawson's at Middlesborough have recently invested £millions in a gypsum loading facility which currently rails gypsum to East Leake.

No doubt it can serve other locations as domestic FGD gypsum declines.

 

[paul1609]

I saw somewhere that the Brightling site only produces about 10% of what the mines were producing in their heyday. With the closure of the last coal fired Power stations I would imagine they will be looking at other sources of FGD/DSG ?
There is a bit of information about the mine at https://www.british-gypsum.com/about-us/locations/robertsbridge?tab0=0

The Brightling Mine is only being kept ticking over (for future use) as its currently more economical to use the power station waste theres no reason why it couldn't be ramped up again.

 

[Ian Hardy]

The WTT has a daily train (not Sundays) leaving at 12:30 from Mountfield arriving Southampton Docks at 16:33
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/H47626/2020-04-27/detailed
with the return leaving Southampton Docks at 19:55 arriving Tonbridge Yard at 00:12
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/H47928/2020-04-27/detailed
Then it leaves Tonbridge Yard at 05:10 for the short trip to Mountfield arriving at 05:52
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/H47770/2020-04-28/detailed

 

[Peter Sarf]

Whilst gypsum was extracted at Mountfield in the past (it used to supply the former Northfleet Cement Works, for example) the site now receives imported gypsum from Southampton Docks.

I used to see the hoppers coming through Strood from the Medway valley line (Paddock Wood) hauled by slim jims (Class 33/2s).

 

[Dr Hoo]

I used to see the hoppers coming through Strood from the Medway valley line (Paddock Wood) hauled by slim jims (Class 33/2s).

Not the usual route.
Mountfield-Tonbridge-Lee Curve-Sidcup Line-Dartford-Northfleet avoided two reversals (at Tonbridge and somewhere really awkward in North Kent).

 

[Peter Sarf]

Not the usual route.
Mountfield-Tonbridge-Lee Curve-Sidcup Line-Dartford-Northfleet avoided two reversals (at Tonbridge and somewhere really awkward in North Kent).

Yes it was not a common enough sight. Living in Strood I used to walk under the Medway Valley line quite a lot on my way to Rochester. i did find getting the 33/2s difficult but not as hard as the 33/1s of course. It was explained to me that it was not a usual route. I think the other reversal would be to gain access to Northfleet from the Gravesend to Dartford stretch of the North Kent line.

They might also have been going to/from Hoo Junction yard rather than on a flow.

 

[Dr Hoo]

Yes it was not a common enough sight. Living in Strood I used to walk under the Medway Valley line quite a lot on my way to Rochester. i did find getting the 33/2s difficult but not as hard as the 33/1s of course. It was explained to me that it was not a usual route. I think the other reversal would be to gain access to Northfleet from the Gravesend to Dartford stretch of the North Kent line.

They might also have been going to/from Hoo Junction yard rather than on a flow.

There were various Merry Go Round coal services through Strood at different times and odd things like spoil from Tilmanstone Colliery but the gypsum hoppers were quite distinctive, being narrower and 'not black'.

 

[Peter Sarf]

Th

There were various Merry Go Round coal services through Strood at different times and odd things like spoil from Tilmanstone Colliery but the gypsum hoppers were quite distinctive, being narrower and 'not black'.

I cannot remember exactly but I seem to remember the hoppers somehow looked longer because they were narrower. And yes back in the day there were collieries in East Kent !. Betshanger, Shepherds Well and Snowdown where the three names I remember. But Tilmanstone rings a bell.

 

[swt_passenger]

I cannot remember exactly but I seem to remember the hoppers somehow looked longer because they were narrower. And yes back in the day there were collieries in East Kent !. Betshanger, Shepherds Well and Snowdown where the three names I remember. But Tilmanstone rings a bell.

I remember those names from school geography lessons, nearly 50 years ago, drawing maps of the various coalfield locations. I suppose the subject comes under history now...

 

[Roast Veg]

The 6am service to Mountfield used to be my cue to go to sleep!

 

[Peter Sarf]

The 6am service to Mountfield used to be my cue to go to sleep!

You were the driver then ? .

Okay - I guess you lived on the route - where ?.

 

[paul1609]

I cannot remember exactly but I seem to remember the hoppers somehow looked longer because they were narrower. And yes back in the day there were collieries in East Kent !. Betshanger, Shepherds Well and Snowdown where the three names I remember. But Tilmanstone rings a bell.

Tilmanstone Colliery is the reason that the stub of the East Kent Railway existed in to preservation. It was about 3 miles off the Canterbury to Dover Line at Shepardswell.

 

[2HAP]

I used to see the hoppers coming through Strood from the Medway valley line (Paddock Wood) hauled by slim jims (Class 33/2s).

If they were the bogie hoppers with "Marinex" (later "Brett") on the side, they weren't for Mounfield. Used to see these come through Beltring & Branbridges Halt (my usual spotting location) around 4pm most weekdays heading towards Paddock Wood.

 

[gimmea50anyday]

hate plasterboard. The clout nails holding them up always seem to work themselves out, the tape usd to join boards together also seems to always work itself loose and warp and peel away. No strength, ever tried attaching a TV or a coat rack to plasterboard and watch them peel themselves away from the wall leaving massive holes in their wake?...

 

[Peter Sarf]

If they were the bogie hoppers with "Marinex" (later "Brett") on the side, they weren't for Mounfield. Used to see these come through Beltring & Branbridges Halt (my usual spotting location) around 4pm most weekdays heading towards Paddock Wood.

Oh yes I remember them !. I used to see them at Hoo Junction - I think they came off the Grain branch ?. Marinex to me meant Marine Extract - so dredged sand/gravel. I think some of them are still called Brett. I think those bogie hopper wagons are still around or some like them. Flat sheet metal with no curves - maybe an octagonal cross section (ignoring the bottom !).

Hoo Junction was the centre of my loco world unless I was staying at my Grandparents in Birmingham. In a country full of HAAs (and HEAs ?) they were quite different. I also have memories of double headed 33s taking Bogie oil tanks off the branch towards London - you could hear the sulzer thrash long before they accelerated into sight at the junction .

 

[Peter Sarf]

hate plasterboard. The clout nails holding them up always seem to work themselves out, the tape usd to join boards together also seems to always work itself loose and warp and peel away. No strength, ever tried attaching a TV or a coat rack to plasterboard and watch them peel themselves away from the wall leaving massive holes in their wake?...

I have fixed plaster board up with the right screws (bugle head iirc). I always rely on screws as nails always slide out of anything eventually. Never hang much weight on the plasterboard fixings though as either the fixing will let go or, worse still, a large piece of plasterboard comes away firmly fixed to the shelf/TV etc !. I always search for the wooden frame behind (usually verticals) then screw a descent plank of wood to them and then arrange the mountings for the heavy object where I want on the plank. My stepson was incredulous at how long it took me to hang a large TV. A few experts have queried its reliability, looked closely and smiled. TV is still there.

I would rather be out in the sun waiting for some real locos to thrash by.

 

[Roast Veg]

You were the driver then ? .

Okay - I guess you lived on the route - where ?.

Close enough to High Brooms to hear all the services through it - at the time my sleep pattern during the week consisted of about an hour and a half per night on weekdays.