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Parts you can get off rolling stock just before scrapping

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221101 Voyager

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Hi all,

Just wondering what items can you get off rolling stock before it's scrapped?

I'm not talking seating or any other large items like that, as I much as I'd love loads of train seats and the like, I simply don't have the room.

What I'm interested in though, is smaller items like old maps, adverts, even first class antimacassars and so on.

How would I go about getting items like this?

Should I contact the scrapyard (if these parts aren't already removed by the TOC first) or the train company instead?


Many Thanks,
James :D
 
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py_megapixel

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The London Transport Museum sometimes has such items (in particular, line diagrams) available in their online shop - of course, it's limited to TfL stuff but you might still find some interesting things.
 

hexagon789

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Hi all,

Just wondering what items can you get off rolling stock before it's scrapped?

I'm not talking seating or any other large items like that, as I much as I'd love loads of train seats and the like, I simply don't have the room.

What I'm interested in though, is smaller items like old maps, adverts, even first class antimacassars and so on.

How would I go about getting items like this?

Should I contact the scrapyard (if these parts aren't already removed by the TOC first) or the train company instead?


Many Thanks,
James :D
Given such items do turn up on a certain auction site now and again, I'd say practically anything.

I've seen Virgin branded items and things off LNER HSTs.
 

Mothball

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The only experience I have with purchasing parts was when the Metrolink T68s were going to booths, no idea if they still do (pre/post covid) but you could go down on a Saturday morning and they would take you around the scrapyard for a tenner. They were willing to remove anything if asked for and the boss would make a price up on the spot. Made weekly trips for a little while and rarely left empty handed.

As for the London Underground stock on site at the same time, a destruction order was attached to them by TfL so absolutely nothing could be removed, not even posters/maps.
 

ChilternTurbo

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From postings on other threads, the only scrapyard that's likely to entertain salvaging parts of condemned rolling stock is Booths in Rotherham. The likes of SIMS in Newport or EMR Kingsbury process stock very quickly and I would assume do not salvage any parts. I did read on here that the first ex LNER Mk3 HST trailers that went for scrapping at SIMS (the ones that were stored at Tyne Yard) still had crockery and cutlery set up in first class! It does sadden me to think of those handsome Primarius seats from GWR Mk3s being junked as an example.
I do think it's a shame that more 'up cycling' doesn't happen. As mentioned earlier, the London Transport Museum and TfL do a good job with this and I love my very useful luggage rack from an A-Stock train!
As ubiquitous as it is, I find eBay can be a good source of salvaged railwayana...
 

fgwrich

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I do think it's a shame that more 'up cycling' doesn't happen. As mentioned earlier, the London Transport Museum and TfL do a good job with this and I love my very useful luggage rack from an A-Stock train!
As ubiquitous as it is, I find eBay can be a good source of salvaged railwayana...
It is a big bugbear of mine - If the Airline Industry can do it, then why can't the Railway Industry? And for that I'm thinking in terms of items like the crockery, antimacassars, seats or tables. Thankfully there are some people out there as well as the staff of the LT Museum, who are able to get hold of items like seat cushions and bits of moquette and do up-cycle them. I've got a nice Dynamic Lines cushion made of a few bits of FGW HST seats I salvaged last year.
 

Rail Blues

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I'm guessing the time and faff it would take to allow people to buy a couple of antimacassars or whatever simply isn't worth the candle to either the Rosco or the company scraping the train.
 

gimmea50anyday

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Maybe your best bet then is to sneakily remove from the train while it is still in service. Not that I am advocating wanton theft or vandalism in any way.....

#tonguefirmlyincheek
 

YorksLad12

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It is a big bugbear of mine - If the Airline Industry can do it, then why can't the Railway Industry? And for that I'm thinking in terms of items like the crockery, antimacassars, seats or tables. Thankfully there are some people out there as well as the staff of the LT Museum, who are able to get hold of items like seat cushions and bits of moquette and do up-cycle them. I've got a nice Dynamic Lines cushion made of a few bits of FGW HST seats I salvaged last year.
Indeed. This time last year BA was selling off crockery, cutlery, cushions, glassware, robes, slippers... no flights and nowhere to store it all so downsize and restock when the need arises.
 

Ashley Hill

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I've never seen the need for total destruction orders. It's not like someone is going to breach copyright or steal sensitive information off a 40 year old train that many people know inside and out. Likewise buying internal fittings,why are TOCs so reluctant to make a few bob selling such items that are of limited value to the scrappies and why prevent them from selling them on. Baffling!
 

fgwrich

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I've never seen the need for total destruction orders. It's not like someone is going to breach copyright or steal sensitive information off a 40 year old train that many people know inside and out. Likewise buying internal fittings,why are TOCs so reluctant to make a few bob selling such items that are of limited value to the scrappies and why prevent them from selling them on. Baffling!

I believe that one of the issues comes down to Liability. A certain major lesser tends to stick TDO's on their stock as its simpler for them not to worry about what happens if someone get's injured / catches fire etc on an item previously used in one of their trains. It's ridiculous, but a sad sign of the times when anyone can sue for just about anything and everything in this day and age. Another may come down to maintenance regimes, and how TOC X may look after a fleet better than TOC Y, Who's fleet in worser state may end up running with TOC ABC for another few months...
 

Ribbleman

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It’s not usually the TOC’s property to sell if it’s an internal fitting. It will belong to a ROSCO.
 

Ashley Hill

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ROSCOs when they feel charitable are quite happy to give trains away so why aren't they prepared to sell seats,signage and flamecuts etc?
 

fgwrich

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It’s not usually the TOC’s property to sell if it’s an internal fitting. It will belong to a ROSCO.

Oh I agree, however there will be items like crockery etc which are equally collectable to some. I do have a number of GNER wineglasses for example, along with a plate from the GWR Pullman Dining - before they changed to a cheaper, plainer crockery.
 

Ashley Hill

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a plate from the GWR Pullman Dining - before they changed to a cheaper, plainer crockery.
Some of this ended up on the Night Riviera together with some of the Red Dragon crockery for a while. It disappeared when the buffets were refurbished. Skipped or stored?
These discussions make you realise just how much you miss Collectors Corner :)
 

JonathanH

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ROSCOs when they feel charitable are quite happy to give trains away so why aren't they prepared to sell seats,signage and flamecuts etc?
Probably because they would need to employ someone to deal with the sales. There is a cost to the scrapyard in making sales as well.
 

fgwrich

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Some of this ended up on the Night Riviera together with some of the Red Dragon crockery for a while. It disappeared when the buffets were refurbished. Skipped or stored?
These discussions make you realise just how much you miss Collectors Corner :)
No doubt either skipped or slipped away to staff's homes. I was rather disappointed when they dulled it down to plain, rather cheap feeling crockery ahead of the transition to the IETs. It took a very minor edge off of the exclusiveness. The table clothes were also changed to a single use paper type covering - easy to bin off after use, and saves laundry costs. But again, another little edge off the quality of the Pullman.
 

43096

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Probably because they would need to employ someone to deal with the sales. There is a cost to the scrapyard in making sales as well.
Correct. We’ve been through this before. ROSCOs are not set up to sell to the general public - they don’t have the staff or facilities to do so. It’s just not worth bothering with; even more so when you factor in the time wasting idiots who already make enquiries about vehicles or components with no way of going through with a purchase.
 

Bletchleyite

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Correct. We’ve been through this before. ROSCOs are not set up to sell to the general public - they don’t have the staff or facilities to do so. It’s just not worth bothering with; even more so when you factor in the time wasting idiots who already make enquiries about vehicles or components with no way of going through with a purchase.

And yet profitable businesses exist to salvage "souvenir" bits off aircraft and sell them on.
 

adc82140

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If someone were to set up a business salvaging railway parts for souvenirs, there would probably be more interest from the scrapyards that operate like Booths. Said company could deal with the day to day sales to the public, and could build up a working relationship with the scrappy. I can understand why scrapyards are not willing to deal directly with random members of the public.

But until someone were to attempt to run such an enterprise, I can't see the attitude of the scrap merchants changing.
 

365 Networker

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Although not really from scrapped rolling stock, I managed to buy a WAGN antimacassar on eBay. I have also seen flame-cut 317 numbers and also door buttons. So I think eBay is probably one of the best places to buy old railway items.
I've attached an image of the antimacassar below:-
WAGN Antimacassar.JPG
 
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ChilternTurbo

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A latter day 'Collectors Corner' would be an excellent idea and I think it could well work as a business model. On similar lines, I've used an excellent architectural salvage company in Surrey who upcycle things like street furniture (road name signs, finials, lamp posts etc.) and he has arrangements with various local authorities. A railway equivalent would be excellent.
Scrapyards and that industry is highly regulated and H&S is quite rightly paramount and I can understand their reluctance to deal with the general public. The days of yards like MC Metals and Vic Berry's are a thing of the past.
 

D365

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Scrapyards and that industry is highly regulated and H&S is quite rightly paramount and I can understand their reluctance to deal with the general public. The days of yards like MC Metals and Vic Berry's are a thing of the past.
Exactly this.

Correct. We’ve been through this before. ROSCOs are not set up to sell to the general public - they don’t have the staff or facilities to do so. It’s just not worth bothering with; even more so when you factor in the time wasting idiots who already make enquiries about vehicles or components with no way of going through with a purchase.
And this.
 

billio

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I wonder what happened to all those ladders one could find in a Pacer.
 

co-tr-paul

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Some of this ended up on the Night Riviera together with some of the Red Dragon crockery for a while. It disappeared when the buffets were refurbished. Skipped or stored?
These discussions make you realise just how much you miss Collectors Corner :)
The Red Dragon was used in one coach only but some Pullman stock was used in a few more. The actual number though was quite small. None were binned.......
 

Bikeman78

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Although not really from scrapped rolling stock, I managed to buy a WAGN antimacassar on eBay. I have also seen flame-cut 317 numbers and also door buttons. So I think eBay is probably one of the best places to buy old railway items.
I've attached an image of the antimacassar below:-
View attachment 94078
I've seen photos of 317s at Eastleigh that have clearly had the unit numbers cut out before the rest of the vehicle is scrapped.
 

32475

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Hi all,

Just wondering what items can you get off rolling stock before it's scrapped?

I'm not talking seating or any other large items like that, as I much as I'd love loads of train seats and the like, I simply don't have the room.

What I'm interested in though, is smaller items like old maps, adverts, even first class antimacassars and so on.

How would I go about getting items like this?

Should I contact the scrapyard (if these parts aren't already removed by the TOC first) or the train company instead?


Many Thanks,
James :D
Type ‘hardware railwayana’ into eBay and you might find what you’re looking for. Recently salvaged items from rolling stock are featured regularly such as seats, vestibule route maps and antimacassars
 

ChiefPlanner

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How things change for the worse - I had LUL contacts from my time in freight shifting their scrap trains around , and a question asked about the 1962 stock when they were binned.

Helpful answer was take anything you want from Ruislip Depot , but nothing to stop the train leaving - so armed with tools and signed in etc (had joint Track permits anyway) - got a deadman's handle , a full destination blind box , 2 guards gangways and best of all (using a club hammer to belt the shield off) , a whistle - (which was solid brass and if I could get a compressor , would use as a doorbell !)

My mate got a complete drivers seat , plus all the rest.

Definite market there , but what is available is overpriced and not as comprehensive as that. I was very lucky.
 
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