Search LMS Society site:
 

Cookies

This site uses non-intrusive cookies to enable us to provide a better user experience for our visitors. No personal information is collected or stored from these cookies. The Society's policy is fully explained here. By continuing to use this site you are agreeing to the use of cookies.

WATER TROUGHS

T. J. Edgington [first published in LMS News No. 64 August, 1978]

LMS Society Occasional Paper No. 2

The LMS, as befits the largest of the four groups, owned the largest number of troughs. Comparative figures are LMS 35, LNER 10, GWR plus joint lines 15 and Southern Nil. One of the GW sets of troughs was in fact joint with the LMS, those at Ludlow 613 yards long, opened in April 1896.

One of the constituents of the LMS, the London & North Western Railway, was the first to use water troughs - the invention of their Locomotive. Superintendent, John Ramsbottom. The original set were laid down at Mochdre, between Colwyn Bay and Llandudno Junction, to enable the Irish Mail locomotive to run through from Holyhead to Stafford, without stopping. The Mochdre troughs were brought into use in November or December 1860 and were moved to Aber in 1871.

The three largest constituent companies of the LMS in England all owned water troughs, the pioneer LNW 17 sets, the L&Y 10 sets and the Midland 5.

The three Scottish constituents had no troughs in pre-grouping days, but three sets were installed by the LMS, at Floriston and Strawfrank on the Caledonian and at New Cumnock on the Glasgow and South Western.

The LMS owned the highest set of troughs in the country at Garsdale on the Settle-Carlisle line which were 1169ft. above sea level and were heated in winter, also one of the lowest sets at Hest Bank, only just above sea level. (Exminster and Ferryarde on the GWR were probably also claimants for the title of the lowest set.) The LMS also owned a unique set of troughs in a tunnel at Standedge between Stalybridge and Huddersfield, the only suitable stretch of level track between Manchester and Leeds.

Lengths of troughs varied between 478 yards and 642 yards, no doubt influenced in part by gradients at each end of the troughs, but the Midland sets and the three installed by the LMS show a remarkable consistency, all being 557 yards long, except Garsdale, which were 560 yards. Troughs on the LMS were much more closely spaced than on other companies, averaging about 35 miles between sets on the LNW section. The East Coast troughs were about 70 miles between sets and were longer than the LMS troughs, those at Langley were 694 yards and Muskham and Scrooby were 704 yards long.

This is a complete list of troughs on the LMS together with lengths, but as you will see very few opening-or closing dates. If anyone can fill any of the blanks, I shall be pleased to hear from him. I have, of course, been through all records at the NRM. (I am also missing the length of one set of troughs on the Great Eastern, those at Tivetshall which were. apparently closed by the LNER as they do not appear in the 1947 Appendix to the WTT).

WATER TROUGHS
LNWR
Name	Length in Yards		Date Open	Date Closed
Bushey	505	All		26.9.65 Slow Line 14.3.65 Fast Line
Castlethorpe	502½ 558½	Slow Fast		26.9.65 Slow 14.3.65 Fast
Newbold	554			14.3.65
Hademore	642
Whitmore	563	All		26.9.65 Slow 14.3.65 Fast
Moore	579
Brock	560
Hest Bank	560
Dillicar	502 553	Down Up
Church Lawford	560			14.3.65
Chester	556½
Flint	560
Prestatyn	528 502 504	Up Fast Up Slow Down Fast & Slow		5.9.65 All
(Mochdre)	?		Nov./Dec. 1860	Sept. 1871
Aber	508		14.11.1871
Halebank	510
Eccles	505 556	Up & Down Fast Up Slow Down Slow
Standedge	495 502 560	Up South Down South Up & Down North
INSTALLED BY LMS
Name	Length in Yards		Date Open	Date Closed
Caledonian Section
Floriston	557
Strawfrank	557
Glasgow & South Western Section
New Cumnock	557
MIDLAND
Oakley	557		12.1.1903
Loughborough	557		1903
Melton Mowbray	557		Dec. 1904 *
Hawes Jct. (or Garsdale)	560		1907
Tamworth	557			6.66
LANCASHIRE & YORKSHIRE
Lostock Jct.	504
Lea Road	503
Whitley Bridge	503
Horbury Jct.	503
Sowerby Bridge	502
Smithy Bridge	509
Walkden	478
Kirkby	506
Burscough	502
Rufford	503

*MELTON MOWBRAY
Melton and Brentingby - 2 new lines opened 4.12.1904.
Water troughs laid near Milepost 104, December 1904.
Up and Down goods lines taken out 1926.

Information from Locomotive Department Order Books

Order No.	Date	Items
0.2532	12. 1.1903	2 - 43000 gallon c.i. water tanks, water troughs Oakley.
0.2533	12. 1.1903	1 - 43000 gallon c.i. water tank, water troughs, Melton Mowbray.
0.2533	13. 4.1904 3.10.1904	1 additional 43000 gallon c.i. water tank, 2 extra water troughs, Melton Mowbray.
0.2534	12. 1.1903	2 - 43000 gallon c.i. water tanks, water troughs, Loughborough.
0.3196	27. 9.1906	Work in connection with water troughs Hawes Jct.
0.3196	23. 5.1907	Tank House, boiler & apparatus for warming water in troughs, Hawes Jct.