Ballast Bin

P

PortLineParker

UK Route Builder
Hi everyone,

Quick question if I may; does anyone know of a ballast bin like that shown below?:

Bridge-9-to-SR-Limit.-27027.JPG


I've found one on the DLS by daemondex but it's a little on the small side. They were found all over UK railways in the 20th century and some still remain today, though chiefly on preserved railways.

Cheers,

PLP
 
Ray Whiley (ray_whiley) made some Coal and ash bins.

I'm sure these could be reskinned easily, or even ask him. I'm sure he would oblige.

<kuid2:275817:28335:1> DDD Coal bins extn L
<kuid2:275817:28336:1> DDD Coal bins extn R
<kuid2:275817:28344:1> DDD Coal bins (6)
 
Ray's "Coal bins" aren't really the right size or shape for a trackside ballast bin unfortunately, which are closer in size to a roadside grit bin.

I'd estimate the BR standard ballast bin is about 5' wide and 2'6" made from four concrete cast panels with the front lower than the back so you can shovel ballast out of them. The one in PLP's picture is an earlier, Southern Railway design

Ray's coal staithes are about big enough to hold the contents of a wagon, a ballast bin holds a not much more than a few wheel barrows full of ballast for the local ganger to use for small packing jobs. Think of something similar to a 1950's/60's prefab domestic coal bunker but without a lid!

I might have a drawing somewhere if anyone is interested.

ETA:

There's a thread on RMweb here: https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/131073-southern-concrete-chipping-bins/ which has some more pictures and some dimensions for the SR pattern one - though looking at the pictures I think there may have been more than one size....
 
Last edited:
The one in picture at the top of this thread is:

8'9" long
3'9" wide
1'3" high at the front
2'3" high at the rear

hth,

Anthony
 
The SR ballast bin with dimensions approximately matching those in post#7. Will this do?

vja2lm5.jpg




I put my Ballast 03 pile 12 <kuid:68213:22161> into the bin and it fits reasonably well.

2lcR4Qu.jpg


.
 
Last edited:
Oh my, that's perfect! I was just about to post dimensions and a link to some modelling forums but you have it spot on!

Cheers,

PLP
 
I don't personally, but it's up to you. I don't generally do seasonal routes but others may.

Thank you very much for this, it's a small detail but it helps bring routes alive.

Cheers,

PLP
 
Well it's not quite rocks, ballast is obviously broken stone. Permanent way gangs would patrol the line and use the ballast bins to top up and sections of track where the ballast was looking sparse or had been washed away etc. By having these little bins every mile or so it saved having to get an entire train down for one or two sleepers worth of ballast.

Cheers,

PLP
 
That looks excellent and will be a much appreciated asset in the UK I'm sure!

MP242 - these were placed frequently (every 4-500 yards) with ballast in. How else is a person on foot going to access small quantites of ballast without closing the line to traffic and running a special train for a few shovelfuls of ballast? UK ballast isn't that hard to shovel either.
 
DLS upload process does not seem to be working. The ballast bin was approved for uploading 2 days ago but is still stuck at the “available soon” stage.
 
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