Post by Administrator on Sept 8, 2013 19:10:08 GMT
The Train Graveyard that Helped Preserve Britain’s Steam Heritage.
Established in 1892, Woodham Brothers Ltd of Barry, South Wales, was to become a familiar name among steam enthusiasts throughout the world. Colloquially known as Barry Scrapyard, the company was poised to scrap hundreds of redundant steam engines following the 1955 Modernisation Plan (which called for the acceleration of diesel and electric trains on UK railways and the reduction of wagon numbers from 1.25 million to 600,000), but ultimately played a major role in the preservation of Britain’s railway heritage.As the vast sidings at Barry Docks filled up with abandoned rolling stock, Woodham’s decided to focus on the scrapping of wagons and redundant track, which were easier to recycle than the more complex locomotives. It wasn’t long before railway enthusiasts were visiting Barry en masse to view the rows of derelict steam engines and an action group was established to connect Woodham Brothers with potential purchasers and funding partners. Of almost 300 steam locomotives sent the train graveyard, 213 were saved.
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Established in 1892, Woodham Brothers Ltd of Barry, South Wales, was to become a familiar name among steam enthusiasts throughout the world. Colloquially known as Barry Scrapyard, the company was poised to scrap hundreds of redundant steam engines following the 1955 Modernisation Plan (which called for the acceleration of diesel and electric trains on UK railways and the reduction of wagon numbers from 1.25 million to 600,000), but ultimately played a major role in the preservation of Britain’s railway heritage.As the vast sidings at Barry Docks filled up with abandoned rolling stock, Woodham’s decided to focus on the scrapping of wagons and redundant track, which were easier to recycle than the more complex locomotives. It wasn’t long before railway enthusiasts were visiting Barry en masse to view the rows of derelict steam engines and an action group was established to connect Woodham Brothers with potential purchasers and funding partners. Of almost 300 steam locomotives sent the train graveyard, 213 were saved.
Facebook LINK.