Historical question on a freight train

[Trainman40083]

Enthusiasts of a certain age will remember a freight train from Runcorn to Sheffield Broughton Lane , the Cryogenics. A train of BOC tankers. Often had a Class 40 and a Class 25 on the front. Can anyone recall why it was double headed? To get up the incline through Chinley or brake force to stop the train, dropping down into Sheffield.

 

[Gaz67]

My favourite train from my youth[ featured left at Skelton jct], actually ran from Ditton situated over the Mersey from Runcorn. It was often a 40/25 combo but also pairs of 25s and single 40s up front. I thought it was due to the climb through the Hope Valley but could have been brake force, the reason 40s were not so common on the ICI hoppers was due to not being triple cock fitted[i think] meaning during the long descent from Peak Forest the brakes on the loco would be applied as well as the train, these were vac rather than air though so this could be rubbish. All the above is from memory with no reference to anything

 

[StoneRoad]

I'm guessing that another reason for the double-heading could be as "insurance" in case of engine failure with a load of highly perishable goods.
[liquified gases that BOC produce tend to have low boiling points so would be evaporating in transit, even with insulated tanks, a loss that they would want to reduce as much as possible ...]

 

[Trainman40083]

My favourite train from my youth[ featured left at Skelton jct], actually ran from Ditton situated over the Mersey from Runcorn. It was often a 40/25 combo but also pairs of 25s and single 40s up front. I thought it was due to the climb through the Hope Valley but could have been brake force, the reason 40s were not so common on the ICI hoppers was due to not being triple cock fitted[i think] meaning during the long descent from Peak Forest the brakes on the loco would be applied as well as the train, these were vac rather than air though so this could be rubbish. All the above is from memory with no reference to anything

Thanks for the correction to Ditton. It all seems to long ago, and I only ever saw it in Derbyshire. Now your mention of the ICI hoppers with a single 25, also brought back memories. Banked up through Peak Forest. Make sure the brakes work heading down through Chinley or .. well one train I recall went down the embankment at New Mills, but not the loco.. Must have been 1977/1978 time.

 

[Gaz67]

My favourite train from my youth[ featured left at Skelton jct], actually ran from Ditton situated over the Mersey from Runcorn. It was often a 40/25 combo but also pairs of 25s and single 40s up front. I thought it was due to the climb through the Hope Valley but could have been brake force, the reason 40s were not so common on the ICI hoppers was due to not being triple cock fitted[i think] meaning during the long descent from Peak Forest the brakes on the loco would be applied as well as the train, these were vac rather than air though so this could be rubbish. All the above is from memory with no reference to anything

Replying to myself here , my 100th post is actually about the BOC tankers featured in my profile pic, the two locos in shot 47100 and 47101 . Life throws up some strange co-incidences, sorry for the jibberish.

 

[Springs Branch]

By chance, I was just perusing some old Working Timetables - looking at the eclectic range of destinations served by petrochemical trains from the Stanlow / Ellesmere Port area in the 1970s & 80s. Back in the day, I loved seeing those lumbering oil trains, plus the (generally much cleaner stock on) chemical tanker trains of that era - Anhydrous ammonia, or chlorine anyone?

The same timetable books (1979-80) happened to include the various BOC trains from Ditton Jn - including 6E41 04:00 TWThO / 05:16 MO from Ditton BOC to Broughton Lane BOC Sdgs.

I've attached a couple of scans which track the progress of 6E41 through LMR territory to the ER border.

There is no mention of special haulage requirements, double-heading, or whatever. This is probably unsurprising, since at that time the train did not get to Sheffield via the Hope Valley. Rather it went via Arpley Jn (or Hartford Jn. & Northwich on Mondays), Northenden, Edgeley, Guide Bridge and Woodhead, with a diesel to electric loco change at Dewsnap Sidings.

 

[Gaz67]

By chance, I was just perusing some old Working Timetables - looking at the eclectic range of destinations served by petrochemical trains from the Stanlow / Ellesmere Port area in the 1970s & 80s. Back in the day, I loved seeing those lumbering oil trains, plus the (generally much cleaner stock on) chemical tanker trains of that era - Anhydrous ammonia, or chlorine anyone?

The same timetable books (1979-80) happened to include the various BOC trains from Ditton Jn - including 6E41 04:00 TWThO / 05:16 MO from Ditton BOC to Broughton Lane BOC Sdgs.

I've attached a couple of scans which track the progress of 6E41 through LMR territory to the ER border.

There is no mention of special haulage requirements, double-heading, or whatever. This is probably unsurprising, since at that time the train did not get to Sheffield via the Hope Valley. Rather it went via Arpley Jn (or Hartford Jn. & Northwich on Mondays), Northenden, Edgeley, Guide Bridge and Woodhead, with a diesel to electric loco change at Dewsnap Sidings.

View attachment 155229 View attachment 155230 View attachment 155231 View attachment 155232

Those timetables take me back, the BOC was a regular TTh runner in the mid 80s, anything up to 5 or 6 wagons would also pass through on the evening Arpley to Whitemoor yard speedlink , happy days.