In my 1st anniversary post, I mentioned that my friend Simon in the UK has been a wonderful enabler as I build Bydemill – my first-ever 7mm scale layout, which depicts the Great Western Railway in the Edwardian era. Simon provided some notes about beer shipments, starting with ideas for a layout he’s planning…
“The GWR branch terminus at Cardigan received a wagon-load of beer from Burton-on-Trent every Monday. The beer was delivered in barrels, in a Midland Railway wagon, and unloaded on the same day. The wagon was loaded with empty barrels and went back on the Tuesday goods service. It was a standing working – probably similar to what happened all over the country…”
“Stroud isn’t too far from Highworth (your inspiration for Bydemill) – but back then, too far for a cartload of beer barrels on country roads. A van is quite likely to stop pilfering. It might not go into the shed, though. Instead, straight from the railway wagon to a cart… Storage in the shed was also possible.”
This is great context. I suspect the publican was putting in extra supplies for the anniversary party – more than his cart could manage in a single trip – and that the railway volunteered to store the overflow in the shed for him. The large tree beside the shed helps keep the interior cooler than the inside of a wagon sitting in the goods yard.
This discussion with Simon prompted me to do some online searching of the names painted on the side of my beer wagon. I found a neat site called Brewerypedia – the Brewery History Society Wiki.
I love that this exists. I have many friends who will get lost for hours as they explore this. I will, too.
From Brewerypedia, I found this neat prototype photo of my model (a ready to run model from POWSides):
Thanks – again – for your help, Simon. Cheers!
The Model Railway Show 