Alan Sewell visits the Manchester Ship Canal Railway...

I recently shared a photo of my Hornby Sentinel posed on my European H0 shelf layout, posing as if working in a British setting. The photo evoked memories for many of you, including Alan, who visited the Manchester Ship Canal in the summer of 1984... 

Over to Alan...

Back in 1984 I took my wife and three young children to the Liverpool Garden Festival (well they wanted to see the Blue Peter Garden!). Somehow I had corresponded with the Manchester Ship Canal and got permission to visits a couple of their sites. One was Stanlow sidings serving the Shell Oil works which was dispatching bitumen to BR. The were using a Sentinel 0-6-0 taking eight wagons up the steep bank to the BR sidings and needed to use a brake van. I can't remember how but the children (who were seven, five and three) were allowed on site and we were given a cab ride with a loaded train up the 1-in-76 bank and back with the brake van. Quite an experience for all and I doubt it would be possible today if if the railway existed. I shall dig out my photos and complete visit report!

D2 at the Barton Dock Estate, August 1984, Alan Sewell photo.

Manchester Ship Canal Company

The Dock Office

Salford

Manchester

Gauge: Standard

Date of Visit: 24 August 1984

Stanlow Oil Sidings

Trains worked to BR at Ellesmere Port Station from Associated Octel (one of whose grey RH 0-4-0D was glimpsed) and to a greater extent for Shell. Traffic for the latter appeared to be mainly bitumen tankers.

The working loco used was 3003 0-6-0DH Sentinel wks. No. 10146 of 1963 painted a faded blue. This is kept in a wired off compound to the west of the MSC sidings. Locos are stabled here for around a month before going to Ellesmere West for maintenance. There is a steep 1 in 76 grade up to BR called locally the “Stanlow bank” . Trains are hauled up in rakes of around eight wagons (six in wet weather) with one of two MSC brakevans attached. The loco really growled up the grade at little more than walking pace. Having set out the wagons by the BR station 3003 returned without empties pushing the brake van down the grade 

Ellesmere Port West  

A working loco was parked by the level crossing – another Sentinel 0-6-0 number 3004)- awaiting orders. Two other locos (Sentinel 0-6-0DH numbers 3001 and 3002) were lined up outside the blue painted workshops together with an ex GWR Engineers brakevan

Barton Dock Estate   

At least three locos were stabled here to work traffic largely for Kellogg’s and the Container Base. The normal practice is for incoming traffic to be finished by 7am and work on outgoing loads to start around 5pm. 

Two working locos and one spare were parked outside the loco shed which is between the Kellogg’s works and the line to BR and Trafford Park. The morning shift had been worked by D2 a 204hp Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0D ( wks. number D1187 of 1960) and 4002 a 430hp Hudswell Clarke ( D1076 of 1959) was being readied for the evening shift . Another 430hp Hudswell Clarke was spare on the shed road. In spite of being from the same makers these were very different styles of locomotives. All were painted a now weathered green and devoid of names and works plates  

Stanlow Oil Sidings, August 1984. Alan Sewell photo.

Stanlow Oil Sidings, August 1984. Alan Sewell photo.

Stanlow Oil Sidings, 3003 on the 'Stanlow Bank', August 1984. Alan Sewell photo.

Thank you Alan for sharing these photos and report, and can you imagine such a visit being possible, taking your children on a working industrial railway??! Until next time, more soon...