• Our booking engine at tickets.railforums.co.uk (powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!

Mountfield Good Depot — Who Uses It?

Status
Not open for further replies.

Dr_Paul

Established Member
Joined
3 Sep 2013
Messages
1,355
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?
 
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R

RailUK Forums

yorksrob

Veteran Member
Joined
6 Aug 2009
Messages
38,828
Location
Yorks
It serves one of the countries few gypsum mines, used for making cement.
 

PeterC

Established Member
Joined
29 Sep 2014
Messages
4,073
Unsurprisingly trains have been cancelled all week.
 

Dr Hoo

Established Member
Joined
10 Nov 2015
Messages
3,912
Location
Hope Valley
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

Established Member
Joined
1 Aug 2013
Messages
10,020
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.

Member
Joined
25 Aug 2019
Messages
202
Location
Hastings, East Sussex.
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.
 
Last edited:

Dr_Paul

Established Member
Joined
3 Sep 2013
Messages
1,355
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.

Member
Joined
25 Aug 2019
Messages
202
Location
Hastings, East Sussex.
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

Established Member
Joined
14 Jul 2015
Messages
4,559
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

Established Member
Joined
28 Jan 2006
Messages
7,190
Location
Wittersham Kent
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

Member
Joined
18 Nov 2009
Messages
124

Peter Sarf

Established Member
Joined
12 Oct 2010
Messages
5,644
Location
Croydon
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

Established Member
Joined
10 Nov 2015
Messages
3,912
Location
Hope Valley
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

Established Member
Joined
12 Oct 2010
Messages
5,644
Location
Croydon
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

Established Member
Joined
10 Nov 2015
Messages
3,912
Location
Hope Valley
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'.
 
Last edited:

Peter Sarf

Established Member
Joined
12 Oct 2010
Messages
5,644
Location
Croydon
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

Veteran Member
Joined
7 Apr 2010
Messages
31,275
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... :frown:
 

paul1609

Established Member
Joined
28 Jan 2006
Messages
7,190
Location
Wittersham Kent
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

Member
Joined
12 Apr 2016
Messages
467
Location
Hadlow
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

Established Member
Joined
8 Jan 2013
Messages
3,456
Location
Back Cab
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

Established Member
Joined
12 Oct 2010
Messages
5,644
Location
Croydon
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 :D.
 

Peter Sarf

Established Member
Joined
12 Oct 2010
Messages
5,644
Location
Croydon
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

Established Member
Joined
28 Oct 2016
Messages
2,200
You were the driver then ? :lol:.

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.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Top