help please
 

My dad bought a name plate off a train .the bloke said it was from the Doncaster works ?? Its called the Planet .just wondering if this is worth anything .or if anyone can give me any information about any trains called the Planet. Many thanks,
Lauraloo

Hi Lauraloo.

Is it possible to show a picture of the plate ?

Is it called "PLANET" or "THE PLANET" ?

How do I post a pic

Sorry Philip, its Planet not the Planet
Lauraloo

Planet was an early locomotive (not train) that was built in 1830 by Robert Stephenson.
The current planet is a replica, as the original was scrapped a long time ago now. I would imagine your plate is a replica; however I could not be certain. If you google locomotive planet it will show you a lot of its history.
Good luck and all the best
Phil

The replica Planet has a rectangular brass plate, but I don't know if the original was the same.

Could there have perhaps been an industrial loco (or locos) with the same name ?

Quite likely I would think Philip. Some saddle tank somewhere, maybe someone could verify that!
Cheers
Phil

Thanks guys. My dad thinks it's an original piece of cast because its really heavy. Unfortunately someone has tried stripping the paint off. Do you know where I could find out about industrial locos? And what is a saddle tank
Lauraloo

The Saddle tank is a locomotive that has its water tank wrapped over the boiler as opposed to being in a tender at the back of the engine. If you look at some of the industrial loco pictures in the gallery you will see some good examples. Cast iron plates are easily replicated even today by anyone with a small foundry.
Just another thought there were many plates made for steam traction engines too especially for the fair ground vehicles. Could be a number of things like that!
All the best
Phil

I found this list and it has six Planet on it.

http://www.industrial-loco.org.uk/lo...ame_indexP.htm

You might need to find the first page to find out what the letters mean.

Thanks for the info Phil , I'm pretty sure he'll put it on eBay like all the junk he gets from car boots!
Lauraloo

Yeah just looked at the link Phil and can't figure out what the letters mean. Was the plant/Doncaster works important for trains?

Yes !

BUT, I doubt that whatever carried your Dads "Planet" nameplate was made there.

I think you will find that PLANET was the name of the firm that made the loco. It looks to me like the makers name from the front of the bonnet of a small diesel loco, the sort of thing that would have been used in and around factories, water works, quarries, etc.

Just googled Planet Diesel Locomotives and it came up with this:-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F._C._Hibberd_%26_Co.

And another link, scroll down to the picture, Fig 7 and you will see where the plate fits on the loco:-http://www.irsociety.co.uk/Archives/14/Planet.htm

Regards, 62440.

IF you look at the photo on the quoted post then got to
http://www.irsociety.co.uk/Archives/14/Planet_7.jpg

this looks pretty similar if not identical
IF you look at other older industrial diesels and steam loco's for that matter you will invariably find cast plates of their builder and build number

According to this website http://www.abrail.co.uk/DandEdepots.htm the only Hibberd "Planet" loco ever to be used on B.R. was no.52 (11104) at West Hartlepool Creosote Depot. I wonder if it went to Doncaster Works for scrapping?

Is it pure coincidence that Doncaster Works was usually referred to by railwaymen as "THE PLANT" ?

Hi,

Definately looks like the maker's name plate from the front of one of the Hibberd diesels - I have a photo in the gallery of Hibberd 0-4-0DM 'Rochester Castle' at Chatham Dockyard, showing the 'Planet' plate on the front:

http://www.railwayforum.net/gallery/...&searchid=8996

It's still a very interesting piece of loco history, but unfortunately it's not obvious exactly which loco it's come from! Not sure of a Doncaster connection either.

Tony

Extract from Wikepedia about the Thomas Hill company of locomotive builders, who at one time sold Hibberd 'Planet' locomotives under licence...

On 30/6/89 the company was again taken over, this time by RFS Engineering Ltd. (RFS were already operating at the old BR Doncaster works. The Thomas Hill name was dropped, but developments of TH designs continued to be produced. RFS’s first seven locos (narrow gauge locos for the channel tunnel contract) were numbered into their own scheme, thereafter works numbers of locos continued TH’s numbering.

Kilnhust works finally closed during 1993. Stock and work were transferred to RFS’s Doncaster works by 8/93. The final loco (CRACOE, for Tilcon, Grassington, N Yorks) was built at Doncaster as RFS Doncaster went into receivership.

So this could be a link as this would suggest that everything from Thomas Hill in Rotherham was transferred to RFS in Doncaster & this could possibly include items of spares or items taken off locomotives etc.

Tony

Thanks very much gents for all your information, it's really interesting to delve so deep into the history of such a thing as a piece of cast metal.
Lauraloo