Horse Boxes (on the Southern)

[Bob G]

I have acquired three horse boxes over the years.
But I'd like to know how they were marshalled/used on the Southern (BR southern region).

Were they tagged onto the end of existing passenger/goods trains? did they run separately?

And what liveries would be seen together at a southern station? I'm thinking that horse boxes from the eastern region would travel to the racecourse and be marshalled with green ones...? Or maybe not?

Can anyone help? I have no idea.

Bob

[martyn]

I found a photo of some at I think, Guildford, which I posted in a reply to one of Exmouthcraig's  posts.

It was on one of the Southern pages on David Hay's website;

http://www.davidheyscollection.com/

but note that this website takes an age to open each page, and there are nine pages of SR photos......

There were strict rules about running these vehicles and where they were marshalled in a train when loaded; I suspect that normally they would run as a 'block', especially on inter-regional workings to, eg Newmarket.

However, at least on the former GE section I have a couple of photos where they are correctly marshalled as the first vehicle in what would otherwise just be a stopping 'local' train (Cambridge to Colchester).

Sorry I can't be more precise about Southern workings.

Another link to the question;


https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/50513-horsebox-useage/page/2/

And a bit more about the SR, but not much;

https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/61222-southern-region-traffic-for-race-meetings-especially-50s-60s/
Martyn

[Newportnobby]

Oddly enough I watched a DVD this afternoon 'Steam on 35mm 3 & 4' and there was some footage of horseboxes at the tail of Eastern region passenger trains.
It doesn't help you with the Southern, though.

[martyn]

@Bob G

here is the link to the horseboxes at Guildford;

http://www.davidheyscollection.com/page87.htm

Be aware that the pages take several second to load.

Other sources of horsebox traffic, apart from racing, include private hire to transport a horse (if you were wealthy enough!), and, very occasionally, especially post WW2, horses (and sometimes hounds) for Hunts.

martyn

[Steven B]

Some more reading:
https://www.steve-banks.org/prototype-and-traffic/129-horse-race-traffic

Loaded horse vans ran directly behind the loco as the ride was smoother. They'd be attached to a standard passenger train, or run as a block working with a passenger rated brake van (BG, or SR BY).

Empty ones could be attached at the end of a train, or sent via a goods train to meet its next load.

They weren't just used for race horse traffic. They were also commonly used by Hunts, circus and the mounted regiments of the Army. Officer's horses would travel in HBs, other ranks mounts would have to manage with a cattle wagon.

There's no reason why you wouldn't see a maroon and green HBs next to each other in a train. Whilst they'd have different regional allocations they'd go wherever the traffic sent them. A race meet would involve horses from all over the country, so the boxes would get mixed, just like regular parcels traffic.

Steven B.