Interesting small loco.and vans.

[John Candy]

Came across these photos which are interesting for a number of reasons.
They appear to be of Edwardian vintage and relate to the City of London Corporation's Deptford Cattle Market.

The loco is a Maudslay petrol-engined shunter bearing the City's crest. Looks to be a simple-to-construct model for anyone wanting a small industrial shunter.

Perhaps of more interest are the vans (which look to be ventilated meat vans) since they also carry the City's crest.
Anyone know any more about these wagons (builder) and whether they were allowed on the main line or were "internal user" stock?

Interestingly, the notes refer to "street running" .... was the Deptford Cattle Market a sprawling complex?

http://users.tinyworld.co.uk/ainskip/ThievesBridge/Images/CMp370%20Maudslay.jpg

http://users.tinyworld.co.uk/ainskip/ThievesBridge/Images/CMp369%20Maudslay.jpg

John.

[MikeWilliams]

Interestimg John.

I note from

http://deptfordmisc.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/1870-city-of-london-proposed-foreign.html

that "the City of London's Foreign Cattle Market was established in 1871 and operated until the 1st World War. In the time that it was open over 4 million sheep and cattle were landed and slaughtered on site. The Foreign Cattle Market is the setting for 'The Gut Girls' by Sarah Daniels. The site was requisitioned for military use in 1914. After the war frozen and chilled meat largely replaced live imports and the Foreign Cattle Market did not reopen. The site is nowadays known as Convoys Wharf."

So, do your pictures show dead meat before the Great War, or chilled meat after the War?  The former would normally be in ventilated vans and the latter refrigerated vans, so I guess pre-War.  If so, then the vans look to be of an up to date design.

Mike

[MikeWilliams]

Oh, just realised that your pictures were from a book published in 1904, so were obviously pre-War.  D'oh!

In which case the vans were a very modern design.

Mike

[John Candy]

I have also been "digging" further.
It seems the site was taken over by the War Department in 1914 and remained in military use until at least 1945. So far as I can make out, it is currently part of the "Murdoch" empire (News International) but remains undeveloped.

The site was 23 acres and connected to the LB&SCR by the Grove Street Tramway .... hence the reference to "street running".
Seems possible that the City Corporation's meat vans would have run over the Brighton line to either Smithfield or Bricklayers Arms.

There are later photos (on another site) showing class A1 "Terriers" hauling trains along Grove Street Tramway, presumably carrying military traffic.

John