# Location ID



## andysk (Jun 16, 2005)

Hi All ...

I am looking to accurately (as possible !) identify the location of the attached pic. I know it's somewhere in London's West India system, but where ?

And if anybody can shed any light on the operational methods used to get a Cape gauge (3' 6") railway coach from Birmingham over standard gauge (4' 8.5") to the dockside for loading on the ship for export, that would also be interesting.

This pic is from the book 'Dockland Life', by C Ellmers and A Werner, published by the Museum of London in 1991/2000

Thanks in advance .....

Andy


----------



## loco (Dec 10, 2010)

A bit late, but...…..

One way of doing it may have been to put standard gauge bogies on for the delivery to the docks. 

Another-unlikely because of the length of the coach-would have been to put it on a low-loader bogie wagon.

Its a shame the bloke was stood there with his bike; the method used could otherwise have easily been seen!

Note that only rolling stock could have had wheelsets or bogies changed; for locos this was not possible, at least in steam days.

Martyn


----------



## YM-Mundrabilla (Mar 29, 2008)

Martyn has pretty much summed it up.
Clearly the carriage shown is on SG bogies and attached to a SG shunt movement.
Here in Oz freight and passenger bogies are often changed between standard (SG) and broad (BG) gauges and sometimes in the past between SG and narrow gauge (3'6" NG). 
Sometimes the wagon/passenger car centreplate may need changing but this is a simple bolt on 20 minute job. For a move like the one depicted the brakes may not even be connected and a braked vehicle(s) attached at the rear of the movement. Coupler height will usually vary between NG and SG/BG but this may also be adjusted with a different centreplate.
I agree about steam locos but diesels may be handled in a manner similar to that adopted for passenger and bogie freight rolling stock. The NG Commonwealth Railways NSU class diesel locos built by Birmingham Railway Carriage were actually mainline tested on SG in Britain before shipment to Australia. 
https://www.derbysulzers.com/australiabrcw.html
Geoff (YM)


----------

