Project: Petroleum
Ensuring the story of Fuel Oil by Rail lives on in preservation
In the latter stages of 2022, the Dean Forest Railway approached Chris, one of the board members of the NWPG, interested in giving a home to our TEA Tank wagon. The conversation quickly turned to finding more fuel oil tanks to join the lonely TEA Tank.
As fortune had it, VTG wagon leasing company were taking the last of their 2-axle TTA Tanks off-lease and putting them into storage and subsequently awaiting scrapping at Gascoigne Wood Yard. VTG has initially offered one wagon to the group for preservation but a paperwork blunder lead the wagon to be sold for scrap by accident.
The NWPG sprung into action and tracked down the site owners, contacting them regarding the tanks in the hopes of preserving some. The initial estimate was that we would preserve 4 TTAs to join the bogie TEA, however the crowdfunder was more successful than initially predicted and, along with an angel investor dropping £15,000 on the project's fundraiser.
This resulted in 11 tanks being preserved and, after weeks of paperwork, exams, reinstating the wagons to TOPS and hiring a FOC, the tanks were moved via the main line for their swansong journey and into preservation on March 7th 2023. Two of the tanks, 60591 and 60875, are owned by individuals associated with the NWPG
The Tank Wagons
60197
This tank was built by Norbitt-Pickering of Wishaw in 1965 with a tare weight of 12.8t and built to design code TT026Y. It was renumbered from BPO 67791 to its present number.
Early in this wagon's career it came to grief and the underframe was written off. The tank barrel was transplanted to another underframe in which that wagon had a compromised barrel.
What's interesting about this wagon is that it is 25mm shorter than the rest of the fleet, measuring 8839mm instead of 8864mm.
60591
This tank was built by Charles Roberts of Horbury in 1966 and numbered SMBP 3359. The wagon was built to design code TT091F. Built as Class B Black tank for SMBP and later numbered in the 65xxx range under TOPS. Converted to Class A spec in 1980's and renumbered in 60xxx range and painted Dove Grey.
Having worked their life across all parts of the UK, the TTAs ended their life working the Grangemouth to Prestwick Airport A1 Aviation Fuel trains until 2021, when they were stood down in favour of their bogie counterparts, which still operate to this day.
60594
This tank was built by Charles Roberts of Horbury in 1966. The wagon was built to design code TT091R.
Built as Class B Black tank for SMBP and later numbered in the 65xxx range under TOPS. Converted to Class A spec in 1980's and renumbered in 60xxx range and painted Dove Grey.
60598
This tank was built by Charles Roberts of Horbury in 1966 and numbered SMBP 3367. The wagon was built to design code TT091R.
Built as Class B Black tank for SMBP and later numbered in the 65xxx range under TOPS. Converted to Class A spec in 1980's and renumbered in 60xxx range and painted Dove Grey.
60666
This tank was built by Charles Roberts of Horbury in 1966 and numbered SMBP 3391. The wagon was built to design code TT091R.
Built as Class B Black tank for SMBP and later numbered in the 65xxx range under TOPS. Converted to Class A spec in 1980's and renumbered in 60xxx range and painted Dove Grey.
60683
This tank was built by Powell Duffryn of Cardiff in 1966 and numbered SMBP 3447. The wagon was built to design code TT091R.
This wagon was renumbered from BPO 65674 to its current guise.
This wagon is the last surviving Class B black tank built by Powell Duffryn. Later converted to class A spec and painted Dove Grey
60763
This tank was built by R Y Pickering of Glasgow in 1966 and numbered SMBP 3595. The wagon was built to design code TT026X.
This wagon was renumbered from BPO 65768 to its current guise.
This wagon is the last surviving Class B tank built by Pickering. Later converted to Class A spec and painted Dove Grey
60768
This tank was built by R Y Pickering of Glasgow in 1967 and numbered SMBP 567. The wagon was built to design code TT026X. This wagon was renumbered from BPO 67081 to its current guise.
As with all of the TTA wagons, it's last runs were 15th November 2022 working 6B37 Grangemouth to Gascoigne Wood haulted by 37668 and 37685 and then into preservation on 7th March 2023 Gascoigne Wood to Lydney (DFR) hauled by 37418
60769
This tank was built by R Y Pickering of Glasgow in 1966. The wagon was built to design code TT026X.
The wagon was renumbered from BPO 67481 to its current guise.
60875
This tank was built by R Y Pickering of Glasgow in 1966 with the number SMBP 1807. The wagon was built to design code TT088G.
This particular wagon was chosen for preservation due to its exceptional condition with deep tyre tread and nearly-new brake blocks and springs.
60878
This tank was built by R Y Pickering of Glasgow in 1966 with the number SMBP 2044. The wagon was built to design code TT088G.
This particular wagon was chosen for preservation due to its exceptional condition with deep tyre tread and nearly-new brake blocks and springs.
87867
Built by Chas Roberts in 1972 and originally numbered SMBP 8009 to design code TE018R. The wagon was then renumbered BPO 83389 with .
This is the last surviving Class B Bogie Tank. It was converted to Class A in 1985 and renumbered to BPO 87867. Experimental FBT6 bogies were fitted to this and one other wagon, BPO 87866, however that wagon has since been scrapped meaning that this is the unique survivor.
The wagon was extant from the network for almost ten years inside Coryton Oil Refinery and used to move various gases and fuels around the facility, before finally ending up as a Bitumen slurry tank.