British Rail operated small fleet of full height plough blade independent snowplough similar to an LNER design. They were all out of traffic by the mid 1990's.
Does anyone know the full number range ? The lowest number I have is ADB979 and highest is ADB992. They were steam loco tender frames but which BR works
carried out the conversion work and in what year ? Of the 11 I saw in traffic they were all at North East locations.
We've only got twelve listed, ADB981-992. Was there definitely a 979 and 980?
https://www.ontrackplant.com/snowploughs/list-2033?fs=1&k=
989 is a bit of an oddball - no recorded sightings of it, and vague early disposal details - did it actually exist?
Please feel free to log your sightings here to help build up a better picture of their histories.
12 ploughs built at Gorton Manchester 1957 - 58.
Using redundant Tender underframes from Ex Great Central class J11 0-6-0 locos.
Design work carried out at Doncaster C+W using redrawn plans from a proposed batch dated 1947 but not built.
Drawing number DN-E-1143
Detail from "Railway Snowploughs in the North East"
There was ADE979 and ADE980 but they were part of this series
https://www.ontrackplant.com/snowploughs/list-2685?fs=1&k=
Seems there was also a ADE330982 but this I think is different to ADB982 (although we don't have a photo of the latter.)
Many thanks, Ben, Bryan and Vince.
The details Bryan has posted is exactly what I was looking for. With the conversion dates etc. I might have inadvertently caused some confusion as I put 979 in the wrong group. I do have this as ADE979 noted at Norwich Thorpe TMD in 1985. Of the batch ADB981 to ADB992 I saw all bar ADB989 which you have suggested might not actually have existed or been written off very early on. There was of course 'one off' ADB965189 which was a reduced weight plough for the West Highland line was this possibly originally conceived to be ADB989 but was subsequently built to a different design. (Vince) I'll upload my historic plough sightings.
The discussion on Snowploughs, those known and unknown, was interesting, and hopefully, with Vince's understanding, I have collated some more below. The following are well known with their allocations and disposals - ADB 981 - 988, 990 - 992 and ADE 330964/965/966/968/970/974/975/976/977/978/979/982/983, but there were others, and the following listing is not exhaustive, but all were 330 numbered, but where that number was not carried, it is in brackets. All are ex loco tenders, and a few were Sludge Carriers, and Water Carriers, which I have included for interest.
TDE (330) 628 Sludge Carrier Converted 6/3/60. Tender No. 1068 of 1897 *
TDE (330) 633 Sludge Carrier Converted 30/6/60. Tender No. 498 of 1902 *
ADE 330635 Snowplough based at Worksop
TDE (330) 636 Sludge Carrier Converted 16/3/62. Tender No. 367 of 1899 *
DE (330) 704 Water Carrier Tender Number unknown. To T.W. Ward, Beighton 29/5/74 for scrap.
DE 330757 Water Carrier Tender Number unknown. Based at Derby Loco Works, and broken up on site by Steelbreaking & Dismantling of Chesterfield in 9/75.
ADE 330910 Snowplough Sold from Doncaster by 1980.
TDE (330) 911 Snowplough Converted 15/12/60. Tender No. 1149 of 1900 *
TDE 330913 Snowplough Tender Number unknown. Broken up by Thomas Hill of Derby on 29/4/74.
TDE 330914 Snowplough Converted 13/1/61. Tender No. 615 of 1904 *
TDE 330915 Snowplough Apparently broken up in lieu of TDE 330913 at Finsbury Park TMD in 6/75.
TDE 330916 Snowplough Sold from Doncaster by 1980.
ADE 330917 Snowplough Based at Worksop.
330918 Snowplough Sold from Doncaster by 1980.
330954 Snowplough Sold from Doncaster by 1980.
TDE 330963 Snowplough Converted 24/11/58. Tender No. 2062 of 1897. To be kept at Doncaster Carr for cannibalisation.
TDE (330) 967 Snowplough Converted 13/10/59. Tender No. 5019 of 1906 *
TDE (330) 971 Snowplough Converted 23/3/60. Tender No. 8690 of 1909 *
330980 Snowplough Sold from Doncaster by 1980.
* All the above marked thus were broken up on site at Doncaster Carr by Robinson & Birdsell Ltd of Leeds on 3/5/74.
ADE 321012 Snowplough Tender No. 5593. Broken up at Eastfield TMD on 27/5/85.
ADE 321013 Snowplough Tender No. 5348. Broken up at Ayr by B.R. staff in 6/84.
TDE 321014 Snowplough Tender No. 3976 of 1937. Broken up on site at Oban by Ireland & Fermac Ltd., Greenford Works, Burnbank, Hamilton on 29/10/76.
DE 900566 Snowplough Preserved at Shildon.
DE 900572 Snowplough Preserved at Stainmore Railway.
DE 900574 Snowplough Preserved at Beamish.
TDE 900575 Snowplough Tender Number unknown but built at Darlington in 1909. Broken up on site at Holbeck TMD by Wakefield Metal Traders on 25/4/75.
TDE 900576 Snowplough All details as 900575 above.
TDE 900577 Snowplough Tender Number unknown, but built at Darlington in 1909. Based at Healey Mills C&W, but HM had no road access, and the plough was considered in poor condition, and could not travel any distance, so it was moved to Horbury Yard, adjacent to HM, and was broken up on site by Wakefield Metal Traders on 23/5/75.
TDE 900578 Snowplough All details as 900577 above.
Well, that's all I have, and maybe some people remember the ploughs above on their travels.