TTA Bitumen Tanks

[Chris217]

Hi Everyone.
Not sure if this post is in the right place so apologies if it is.
I am looking for information regarding a fleet of black Bitumen TTA tanks I used to see once a week in Newport South Wales back in the 90s.
All I know is the train ran in both directions once a week,usually overnight. Passing each other on a Wednesday evening/early am hours.
To add what I do know is that they had BPO6xxxx number series.
Hull to Baglan Bay seems to ring a bell but I may be completely wrong.
I am chasing the number series for these trains which were quite lengthy,and featured almost all of that fleet of wagons if you got to see both trains.
If anyone has details of the number series and or a photo of a said wagons
This would be most appreciative.
I would like to model this service on my layout.
I suspect all of the said wagons in question have been withdrawn.
Thanks in advance for any replies.

 

[Ken H]

Are these the tings we used to se at Skipton where Tesco is now? They had to warm up the bitumen with propane before road vehicles too the product
away
You can see some in this image of Skipton

Class 110 At Skipton.

Class 110, 51847/51828, arrives at Skipton with 2H23 14:00 (SO) Leeds to Skipton on the 27th February 1988. Note the bitumen tanks in the siding in the background. The trains to the bitumen depot at Skipton were a feature of the scene for many years.

www.flickr.com

 

[Steveswan10]

I think there was a flow from Hull Saltend BP to Baglan Bay carrying acetic acid and a flow from Llandarcy Oil Refinery to Llanwern Steel works carrying heavy fuel oil don't have any pics but I'm sure if you Google it there will be pics

 

[Gloster]

David Radcliffe’s Modern Private Owner Wagons on British Rail (PSL, 1989) lists BPO63160-63294 built 1966-67 as Class B TTA tanks. 63560-63960 and 65560-65787 were TTB, so could work with them.

 

[Wyrleybart]

For clarification, the Saltend - Baglan Bay "vinegar tanks" were different colour and shape to bitumen tanks. Just to worry the waters a little there was also a flow of gas to Humber and back going north on Tuesdays as I think 6E20 and returning on Friday. But again, this was white barrels with orange stripes on bogies cars.

Bitumen tanks are generally matt / dirty black and used to have heating coils in them for warming the product prior to pumping it out.

My interest is in the Regent flow from Cardiff to Soho Pool in West Birmingham. Regent received 150 35 ton tanks for class B heating oil then some 45 ton tanks for the same purpose. So I bought the R Tourret book "Petroleum rail tank wagons of Britain". It has lots of really useful information but is basically listing by company, so you would need to know which company you are researching, A map at the front of the book lists these places in South Wales :

Milford Haven - Esso Gulf and Amoco
Pembroke - Texaco
Llandarcy - BP

I add Regent later Texaco later Minimet which operated from Cardiff, but AFAIK none of these produced railborne bitumen.

Sorry I cannot really help

 

[Gloster]

The book in #3 lists the acetic acid as being carried in wagons with different owner letters and with different numbers, and they do appear to have stainless steel tanks.

EDIT: The book also lists BPO61560-61799 as TTB for bitumen.

 

[3973EXL]

Hi Everyone.
Not sure if this post is in the right place so apologies if it is.
I am looking for information regarding a fleet of black Bitumen TTA tanks I used to see once a week in Newport South Wales back in the 90s.
All I know is the train ran in both directions once a week,usually overnight. Passing each other on a Wednesday evening/early am hours.
To add what I do know is that they had BPO6xxxx number series.
Hull to Baglan Bay seems to ring a bell but I may be completely wrong.
I am chasing the number series for these trains which were quite lengthy,and featured almost all of that fleet of wagons if you got to see both trains.
If anyone has details of the number series and or a photo of a said wagons
This would be most appreciative.
I would like to model this service on my layout.
I suspect all of the said wagons in question have been withdrawn.
Thanks in advance for any replies.

If memory serves me correctly, the workings were between Llandarcy and Grain.

Flickr Search — “llandarcy grain”

www.flickr.com

 

[Gloster]

Try Googling llandarcy-grain tanks and see in any of the Images ring a bell.

 

[Chris217]

The book in #3 lists the acetic acid as being carried in wagons with different owner letters and with different numbers, and they do appear to have stainless steel tanks.

EDIT: The book also lists BPO61560-61799 as TTB for bitumen.

Thanks mate. You have nailed it.
They were 61560-598 & 61660-691.
Just remembered seeing them covered in tar.
Both trains were quite lengthy each time I saw them. Usually hauled by a class 37 back in the day.
Just looked up on Paul Bartletts excellent photo guide to wagons and found them.
As suspected most were cut up by 1999.
Great memories.
Thanks Everyone for your assistance with this topic.
Good on'ere innit