Regent Oil & Texaco 345 Aviation Fuel Tank Wagon

From SVR Wiki
Revision as of 15:25, 10 April 2019 by Robin (talk | contribs) (edit link)
Jump to: navigation, search
Regent Oil & Texaco 345 Aviation Fuel Tank Wagon
PO 345 20170401.jpg
Ex Regent Oil & Texaco Aviation Fuel Tank Wagon No 345
Built By Chas Roberts
Status Stored awaiting overhaul
Number 345
Other Numbers TEX 47795
History
Built 1960
Diagram 6/014
Type 4-wheel Class B Tank
Capacity 22 tons
Brakes Vac fitted
1984 Arrived on SVRSevern Valley Railway

Goods Wagons

Private Owner Class B Aviation Fuel Tank No 345 was built by Chas Roberts & Co of Wakefield in 1960. It has a 15ft wheelbase and a capacity of 22 tons.[1] It is fitted with Oleo pneumatic buffers and is vacuum-braked, being equipped with two brake cylinders and a changeover valve to allow one or two cylinder operation in empty and loaded conditions respectively[2].

Service

The tank was used by the Regent Oil Company, which was re-branded as Texaco Ltd in 1967.[3] While used by Texaco, it was allocated TOPSTotal Operations Processing System, an American computer system adopted by BR from the late 1960s to number and manage rolling stock. number TEX 47795. Its final duty was in freight trains carrying aviation fuel from Edinburgh to Prestwick Airport[4] for which it carried the registration number BRBritish Rail or British Railways(D) 35[1].

Preservation

Two ex-Texaco tank wagons, 345 and 431, arrived on the SVRSevern Valley Railway on 23 July 1984 from Cardiff,[4] having been acquired by Don Wilcox. 345 was initially used as a diesel tank at Eardington, but then spent several years out of use in Kidderminster yard.[5]

Restoration began in 1989, with 345's chassis seeing the first use of the Wagon Department’s newly acquired shot blasting equipment. The chassis was completely shot blasted and repainted; the reservoir casing of one vacuum cylinder which was damaged during shotblasting was removed and overhauled. Details of the original Regent Oil livery were obtained from Procor Engineering who took over Chas Roberts. The tank barrel was then repainted in all-over black, the Regent Oil signs consisting of two four foot diameter circles of coach panel were fitted, and the lettering completed according to the manufacturer's original drawing.[5]

Following this restoration, 345 saw little or no use. However in autumn 2006 it received a further overhaul at Bewdley to enable it to be used by the P. Way Department to store water for the 6 ton steam crane, enabling 431 to be released from this role for overhaul. A new gate valve and 2" BSP outlet pipe were fitted and other repair work was carried out to the brakes and buffers. Repainting was completed in time for the wagon to take part in the 2006 Autumn Steam Gala Demonstration Goods Train.[2]

The main photograph shows 345 in Regent Oil livery at Arley in April 2017. It is owned by SVR(H)[4].

Gallery

See also

List of goods wagons

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Railway Heritage Register Wagon Survey
  2. 2.0 2.1 SVRSevern Valley Railway News 155
  3. Grace's Guide
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 SVRSevern Valley Railway Stock Book Ninth Edition
  5. 5.0 5.1 SVRSevern Valley Railway News 92,95,96

Links