Marshalling, 1950s style

[Inversnecky]

Came across this interesting film looking at transport in 1950:

After a section showing the tunnelling of the Woodhead route, there’s an interesting few minutes from 10:35 of hump marshalling, with interesting communications technology of the time.

The speedometer of the shunter goes up to 3 mph: is this a special controlled low speed Class 08 used for marshalling (speed was required to be increased from 1.5 to 2mph), compared to station shunting?

 

[bassmike]

Very interesting. Oh.those clipped all-british voices but noticed that the dreaded loud intrusive background music is begginning to rear it's ugly head!

 

[6Gman]

Not an 08 I think but one of the LNER shunters built in 1944 15000-3 which were specifically built for hump shunting at Whitemoor and capable of very precise low-speed working.

One other feature was that they could be used as generator units if power was lost after bombing (they were ordered in 1941 but by the time they were delivered bombing was rather less of an issue).

 

[Mcr Warrior]

The wagon marshalling yard is indeed of the one at Whitemoor in Cambridgeshire.

The film clip includes footage of a chap running alongside loose wagons in an attempt to apply the brakes to slow them down!

Not sure what modern day Elf and Safety would make of such a practice?

 

[6Gman]

The wagon marshalling yard is indeed of the one at Whitemoor in Cambridgeshire.

The film clip includes footage of a chap running alongside loose wagons in an attempt to apply the brakes to slow them down!

Not sure what modern day Elf and Safety would make of such a practice?

Health & Safety has - happily - eliminated, or at least reduced, industrial injuries which killed and/or maimed thousands.

Though the specific issue of shunters chasing wagons would have disappeared by now in any case.