Another goodsyard

[MikeWilliams]

"Oh no", some of you will be saying "he's off on one again"!

This is a commercial postcard from e-bay and I am guessing it dates from just before the Great War.  I find it interesting for several reasons, but there are (at least!) two things on which I have no idea and would value suggestions.

The location is Hereford andin the foreground is the light coloured ridge of a roof, but is it a shed or a wagon?  It looks too rough for a wagon (e.g. salt wagon) and is bare boards, but if it is a shed why would it have a large hole in the roof and some tarpaulin which is presumably intended to cover the hole?

The first wagon is a 6-plank and could be to the 1887 or 1907 standards.  The only J.Jones, Colliery Agent I can trace was in Aberystwyth, but I don't think it says that on the lower plank.

Next is an unknown early wagon with a raised plank at both ends which were very common but rarely seen on models.  The diagonal strapping is internal, so it may be a wagon made by Gloucester RC&W Co.  It has brakes on one side only.

The next wagon is hidden by a tarpaulin, and the one after that is GWR.  But what are those evenly spaced blocks on the floor of the GWR wagon?  Any suggestions?

Then come two more P.O. coal wagons - note the different type of coal in each and different again to Jones and the unknown early wagons.  In fact the train in that siding is very mixed.  Many stations had separate coal sidings and goods sidings, but apparently not at Hereford.  The horse-drawn wagon backed end-on for unloading was the normal arrangement at many stations, but few model railways have the space to portray it.

All the first few wagons in the next row look to be GWR.

All the cattle wagons on the left are LNWR, some large and some medium, some in pre-1908 livery and some post-1908.  The variation of roof colour is worth noting for our models and also the amount and position of whitewash!

Mike

[MikeWilliams]

Being a scan of a commercial postcard I can't enlarge it much, but here is that GWR open wagon with the curious blocks inside.

Mike

[Andy B]

 Can't say I know much about Hereford station - but much of interest in the picture.
The 2 trans-shipment sheds don't look very big end on, but this (much later) aerial view shows how long they were - https://herefordshirehistory.org.uk/archive/herefordshire-images/herefordshire-railways/262470-hereford-looking-sw-aerial-view-1967?

The postcard has been published before - https://www.thekilvertsociety.org.uk/assets/downloads/archive/kilvert-society-journal-38.pdf
The caption states that the horse-drawn wagon to the left is carrying hop poles.

And the 6" map to get a sense of the layout of the station & yard: https://maps.nls.uk/view/120896584


Andy

[MikeWilliams]

Thanks Andy.  Well spotted.  So its dated 1910.

Mike

[John Candy]

The next wagon is hidden by a tarpaulin, and the one after that is GWR.  But what are those evenly spaced blocks on the floor of the GWR wagon?  Any suggestions?

The load is very compact which suggests high density (e.g. cast iron).

How about wagon brake blocks with the linkage fulcrum uppermost?

GRCW had a repair facility at Hereford and was a joint owner of the Port Talbot Steel Works.

John

[John Candy]

It looks too rough for a wagon (e.g. salt wagon) and is bare boards, but if it is a shed why would it have a large hole in the roof and some tarpaulin which is presumably intended to cover the hole?

Could it be that the roof is corrugated and not planked?  The Steetley company (and one of its predecessors     
Porthywaen Lime Company) owned lime wagons which had partly corrugated roofs and the white colour could be lime dust. The wagon could have a broken hatch and be in for repairs ..... Steetley were based in the Welsh border country, not that far from Hereford.

John.