Cattle wagons

[MalcolmInN]

I see we are still Churning it out,
but I think we have reached the Rump of the jokes,
so it is probably time to Chuck it in ?

[javlinfaw7]

I would think that most cattle moved by rail were beef cattle and British popular beef cattle have always included black as in Aberdeen Angus or black and white as in Galloways

[MalcolmInN]

I would think that most cattle moved by rail were beef cattle and British popular beef cattle have always included black as in Aberdeen Angus or black and white as in Galloways

Belted Galloways. We did think of those onceover, but no local supplier, so we went for Dexter instead They fetch a fair price now, and so does the meat from them, to the degree that, we found out later, our slaughterman/butcher was making off with an (un)fair proportion

I'm glad you brought the thread back on course because we were in danger of turning poor Bob's efforts into a load of Tripe
mahatmacoat > > >

[trkilliman]

MalcolmAL said,
  I'm glad you brought the thread back on course because we were in danger of turning poor Bob's efforts into a load of Tripe
mahatmacoat > > >

I'll not mince my words, I reckon you can steak a claim for the best puns so far. Maybe time for the ribbing to stop now though, as it's been pared to the bone?

[austinbob]

I think I need something stronger than milk now....   

[LAandNQFan]

Before Sprintex horns in and moves this thread to jokes, (it has been one of the best series of puns) here are a few extra morsels for the hoof-counters. 
Reminiscences of a gentleman of 90+ who told me that before the Great War he can remember complaints of those living near the goods yard of the protests of the cattle who were left in trucks overnight - I look forward to videos of Caz's fitting decoders and speakers into her cattle trucks....
Reminiscences of a signalman who complained that, when a cow was seen to have fallen over in transit, the train would have to be stopped and shunted into the nearest cattle dock for the truck to be emptied and the animal restored to its feet.  The partitions were provided so that cattle could be tightly fitted in to prevent their falling over, and the framing was always away from the occupied side to prevent injury.
Memories of being told that cattle trucks and horse boxes had to be at the front of goods trains to reduce the effect of shunting loose-coupled wagons, and that on branch lines horse boxes or cattle trucks could be added to passenger workings if the wagons were vacuum-fitted.
Pre-1920s the interiors of cattle trucks were sometimes lime-washed to disinfect them so that interiors were white and characteristic white stains would appear where the lime washed out in the gaps at the bottom of wagon sides and where the planks were not tightly butted together.  The practice was banned in the 1920s.
Horned cattle were loaded across the wagon head to tail to avoid accidents.

[Karhedron]

I think I need something stronger than milk now....   

Bovril? 

[RichardBattersby]

Before Sprintex horns in and moves this thread to jokes, (it has been one of the best series of puns) here are a few extra morsels for the hoof-counters. 
Reminiscences of a gentleman of 90+ who told me that before the Great War he can remember complaints of those living near the goods yard of the protests of the cattle who were left in trucks overnight - I look forward to videos of Caz's fitting decoders and speakers into her cattle trucks....
Reminiscences of a signalman who complained that, when a cow was seen to have fallen over in transit, the train would have to be stopped and shunted into the nearest cattle dock for the truck to be emptied and the animal restored to its feet.  The partitions were provided so that cattle could be tightly fitted in to prevent their falling over, and the framing was always away from the occupied side to prevent injury.
Memories of being told that cattle trucks and horse boxes had to be at the front of goods trains to reduce the effect of shunting loose-coupled wagons, and that on branch lines horse boxes or cattle trucks could be added to passenger workings if the wagons were vacuum-fitted.
Pre-1920s the interiors of cattle trucks were sometimes lime-washed to disinfect them so that interiors were white and characteristic white stains would appear where the lime washed out in the gaps at the bottom of wagon sides and where the planks were not tightly butted together.  The practice was banned in the 1920s.
Horned cattle were loaded across the wagon head to tail to avoid accidents.

This is really interesting, thank you for posting. It answered some questions I was going to post at some point. I'm pleased I don't have to lime wash my cattle wagons.

[NinOz]

  The practice was banned in the 1920s.

What was the reason for the ban?

[Karhedron]

  The practice was banned in the 1920s.

What was the reason for the ban?

I believe that the lime contributed to  hoof rot (whatever that is). It was replaced circa 1926 with a 5% phenol in water solution. This was suitably disinfectant without the side effects (or visible evidence) of lime wash.

[N-Gauge-US]

Thank you Richard and Karhedron! Very useful information!! Thanks for mooving the thread along

[Newportnobby]

I have a couple of packs of these for 'Bletchford' and find them suitably disgusting condition wise

http://www.ehattons.com/42793/Graham_Farish_373_270_Triple_pack_8_Ton_cattle_wagons_in_BR_bauxite_early_weathered/StockDetail.aspx

[trkilliman]

Some interesting stuff has been mentioned here, but I think it's time for me to steer clear. Fish vans are interesting, but I don't want any hake mail...I can fillet coming.

Something that has been a long interest of mine is the Cornish broccoli traffic that started its journey from Ponsandane (Penzance) and were known as the broccoli specials. Living just 22 miles away I have visited the semi-derelict Ponsandane loading sidings a few times, but I feel it will be developed on soon. Many photos of it are online.
In fact it was cauliflowers that for some reason were referred to as being broccoli. Interestingly much of the vegetable traffic was carried in cleaned cattle wagons due to the ventilation they offered!

At Bristol some traffic was sent to Wales, some to the Midlands and forward to Scotland.

Back in the day vegetable/flower traffic was huge from Cornwall due to it being a milder growing climate. Fish was also a big traffic. I do grimace when I see veg in Cornish shops/supermarkets that has been grown in e.g Israel, and in particular blackberries from Bolivia have stuck in my mind.

[LAandNQFan]

Many cattle trucks were also converted to "Ale Wagon"s because they were so well ventilated.  So Austinbob needn't limit himself to Bovril. 
They are even available commercially:
http://www.osbornsmodels.com/nr-46abc-peco-gwr-ale-wagon-converted-cattle-truck-with-barrel-load-7236-p.asp

[MalcolmInN]

I'll not mince my words, I reckon you can steak a claim for the best puns so far. Maybe time for the ribbing to stop now though, as it's been pared to the bone?

 
I think you have a fair claim to a First Rosette yourself

Any moment now I am sure a mod. will be along to put salt on our tails to Cure us of this habit.
We tend to treat posting to a forum as a kind of conversation but without facial expression and sound/intonation it is a very limited straight jacket, almost, one could say, a bit sort of Potted Tongue ?

But seriously folks, very informative and entertaining at the same time, I have learned lots about the use of cattle wagons. Thank you everyone, and I have now moooved all my unfitted Peco cattle wagons up to the front of my trains ! 

Now, without hesitation but perhaps a little deviation,,,, never mind the fish, lots of fish vans about but,
what happened to pig and/or sheep wagons? One never hears much about them?