LMS Route: Evesham to Birmingham

Cofton Tunnel: mrcof1671

Three of Logan and Hemingway's rail mounted steam powered cranes are working to clear the rubble over the weekend of 26th to 18th January 1929. The contractor's wagons, seen on the left, were crude affairs being built to withstand the inevitable knocks from the cranes as the spoil is tipped from the boxes into them. Built using large sections of rough sawn timber they were side tipping which is why they were pitched so high. The timber frames extended at each end forming the 'dumb' buffer (e.g. not sprung) and were joined to each other by three link chains. The contractor's or 'temporary' track on which the cranes are mounted are of a higher standard than normally used by contractor's wagons. This is because the cranes need much better laid track as they are not using stabilising jacks or similar. On the right a four-plank Engineering Department wagon can be seen apparently filled with rail chairs.

back