Tuesday 18 March 2003 was a momentous day for H&SUP and a very significant
day for preservation of the Southern Region diesel-electric multiple units.
This was the day that 60122 the DMBS power car formerly owned by Hastings
Diesels Ltd. would be moved from St Leonards under the ownership of the
society.
Allely´s had been chosen to undertake the move and we had been told on what
day it would take place and that it would happen late morning.
It seemed fitting that this event should be recorded in pictures and Chris
Dann, David Start, Mark Johnson and myself duly aimed to go to St Leonards
to record this event on camera.
Once at St. Leonards, Chris made a call to the haulier who informed us that
the “Rig” was coming to us from Dover , as it was coming back from Germany.
It had just taken a Siemens Desiro coach which had been damaged in transit
back to the makers in Germany and they would pick up our power car on the
return.
At that point, about 11:15, the rig was expected in two or three hours. So
we had some waiting to do – mercifully it was a dry day with hazy sunshine,
but it sure was quite cold as the wind had a significant chill factor.
After a bit of spotting the “lunch break” approached we adjourned to the pub
near the depot service road.
By chance at around 14:10 I caught sight of the words Allely's on something
that was visible briefly between two houses and then disappeared from view.
I announced that “they´re here” and we all walked to the end of the road to
have a look at what had arrived. Indeed an HGV Tractor (DAF 95XF STGO Cat3
if anyone is interested in such things) with an appropriately long trailer
with 4 axles waited at the end of the service road.
Ed: The Corgi Classics 1:50 model “DAF XF Super Space Cab, King Trailer and
Locomotive Load - Allely´s Heavy Haulage Ltd” is in a blue livery whereas
this is in red. The model carries the Flying Scotsman but we digress even
more…..
The driver had already got out of the truck and walked down the service road
to speak to the staff, presumably to make sure they are expected and not to
have to take that large rig down the road unnecessarily. The other guy in
the cab looked to be putting some clothes on!
Happy that all was ready to be collected the driver went back to the truck
and it came down cab first, turning in to a yard (part of a builders
merchants I think) opposite the entrance to St Leonards to maneuver itself
in, trailer first.
With grateful thanks to the staff of St Leonards depot, we were allowed onto
the premises to watch the loading taking place.
The long trailer was positioned over some track near the entrance to the
covered depot, where the power car with its brakes clearly released and well
clear of the wheels was waiting.
The tractor unit was detached so the coach would be loaded on to the trailer
from the end normally connected to the tractor unit. The driver and
co-driver using various rails and blocks of wood that were carefully stored
in that trailer constructed a rail ramp which would route the power car
onto the trailer.
Normally the coach would be winched on to the trailer by means of a winch on
the tractor unit, unfortunately it had been broken during its visit to
Germany, so some innovation was called for. What they did was to use a piece
of coupling chain attached to the coupling hook at the front of the power
car and use the truck to pull the power car out of the depot and about half
way up the ramp, at which point the wheels were “chocked”, to prevent the
power car rolling back in to the depot. This happened without drama even
though there were bangs, creaks and groans from the makeshift ramp.
There was some concern over the weight of the power car and apparently the
total rig with the 56 tons of power car on it was absolutely at the weight
limit for that rig.
The problem now was how to pull the power car the rest of the way up the
ramp and on to the trailer properly without the use of a winch.
The depot staff had started and moved the Network Rail track DEMU to provide
extra power if required, this being interesting itself -being a class 205
power car, a coach and a Hastings diesels power car. Fortunately the Allely´s
people were able to move the power car up the trailer and into position
using a cable attached under the power car between the bogies. Again without
drama and made to look very simple.
This done the blocks and additional pieces of rails used to load the power
car was dismantled and carefully put away back on the trailer. Once this was
all done the tractor unit was brought round to the front of the trailer for
the moment of truth - could the tractor lift the end of the trailer now the
power car was on it in, so it was in traveling position.
The co-driver checked the various gauges on the tractor unit and seemed
content and the tractor was finally backed up against the trailer, so that
it’s hook (rather like the trucks that move the skips around in recycling
places if you’ve ever seen them) was in position to lift.
The hook lifted taking the strain and quietly and smoothly lifted the end of
the trailer off the rails whilst the co driver walked round to check all
looked well. Once in position the co-driver continued to check and walked
under the connection between the tractor and trailer – rather him than me!
It was all done and the driver and co-driver return to the cab and set off
to slowly move out of the depot whilst the staff walked the route and moved
vehicles and objects likely to foul the load being carried.
What they were not able to do is to drive out of the depot and just turn
right on to the service road and up to the main road – the trailer was too
long. There would be considerable maneuvering to get the rig out of the
depot.
Firstly the truck went directly out of the depot entrance and back in to the
yard of the premises opposite.
Quite ingenious and perhaps used to maneuver the trailer earlier but I hadn´t
seen it - the wheels on the trailer would actually turn independently of
the tractor unit, and indeed the co-driver had a large control unit in his
hand with a reassuringly thick cable going to the trailer, with which he
could get the trailer wheels to turn on command.
So began a period where the truck moved forward in to the yard and the
trailer wheels were turned towards the main road and the tractor unit backed
out. The trailer was turned as far as possible on the service road, after
which the trailer wheels were straightened and the tractor would move
forward back into the service yard and the trailer wheels turned again
towards the main road and the tractor backs out of the yard as far over to
the left as it could to facilitate getting the rig ready to back out of the
service road.
This was not easy as a low pole at the entrance to that service yard had to
be avoided by the tractor. Whilst all this happened the rig did block access
to the various businesses at the end of the service road, so the maneuvers
had a bit of an enforced audience. We were wondering what they were all
thinking as they watched what, to them, was a tatty coach being moved about
on a trailer.
Eventually the tractor cleared the pole and the service yard – the rig was
now fully in the service road and was slowly and smoothly backed out to the
main road, whilst us HSUPS´ers milled around by the side of it.
The challenge for the driver and co-driver now was how to back the rig out
on to a very busy road.
Fortunately, just to the East of the service road was a traffic light
controlled pedestrian crossing which could be used to stop the traffic, and
the co-driver used this to take the opportunity to back the rig from the
service road in to the main road, which granted is not the recommended way
in the highway code but with something like this there was no choice. The
steering wheels of the trailer were again used to get the rig on to the main
road.
With no ceremony the rig was promptly straightened up on the road facing
West bound, in it´s normal traveling position on the road, away from the
kerb, where the co-driver did a quick check as he walked from the back of
the rig to the cab, where he boarded and the rig powered off en-route to
Derby.
By now it was around 16:50 and we started our journeys home. I was finally
at home at 21.00 and it had been quite a long day, but a very worthwhile
one. Actually it was a shorter day for me than going on a Rail tour, but
long by other standards.
Thanks due to Chris for his expert chauffeuring and navigation, David as our
official photographer, Mark for helping to keep the spirits up, St Leonards
for their hospitality and Allely´s for their sheer professionalism and safe
handling of our goods.
Hauliers Allelys reversing 60122 onto the A259 in
St Leonards at the start of the journey to Derby.
Photo: Copyright David Start 2003
