The Kibblesworth Drift Bogie

The Kibblesworth Drift Bogie was used to shunt the drift sidings at Kibblesworth Colliery.

Because the sidings were on a slope, the haulage engine was used to do the shunting. The bogie, with the haulage rope attached, was dropped down the slope into one of the sidings and coupled to the wagons. Wagons were then pulled out of the siding and dropped back into another or onto the main line to form part of a rope hauled train.

The bogie is shown at Springwell in the picture above, with a light haulage rope attached. In use at Kibblesworth the heavy main haulage rope was used. To enable the bogie to run down the sidings while trailing the rope, it had to be filled with several tons of scrap iron as ballast.

Note the shunter's platform on the front (rope end). The shunter rode the bogie while standing on the platform. A warning gong was made from a plate of steel fixed under the mainframe, which was struck by a steel hammer which was bolted to one of the wheels. The gong sounded once for each revolution of the wheel.

The bogie is now preserved at Springwell. Recently, the 'Yard Hauler' was recommissioned to allow the bogie to be run up and down the track at the rear of the Wagon Shop.

The Yard Hauler

Wagons were moved into the Wagon Shop for repair and maintenance by using the Yard Hauler. This is a small electric winch housed in a cabin to one side of the Wagon Shop. The Shop could not easily be shunted using locomotives because the approach is by a very sharp, short curve on a steeply rising gradient.

The haulage rope would be attached to the side of the rear wagon and used to pull the wagon or wagons up the slope into the Shop. Once the front wagon was inside the Shop, it could then be manhandled into place inside.

With the reinstatement of the Yard Hauler we have been able to demonstrate its use and also the use of the Drift Bogie. We expect to run the hauler as a demonstration on most operating days.

More photos here

This page last updated 1 June 2003