Mendip Rail traffic.

800002 · 19 Jul 2019

Not too shabby.
Maintained its early running rather well.
From the rough RTT timings:
+8 Lavington - Woodborough -- 21 early
+6 Woodborough - Bedwyn -- 27 early
-3 Theale - Southcote Jn -- 25 early
-1 Southcote Jn - Reading #11 (v #15 booked) -- 24 early
Then maintained its 23/24 early running to Acton West.

(copied from RTT)
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/H17398/2019/07/18/advanced

WTT Realtime
Location Pl Arr Dep Arr Dep Dly
Merehead Quarry 2250 2311 21L
Whites Crossing Sdg 2256 2304 No report
Merehead Quarry pass 2310½ No report
Merehead Quarry Jn pass 2313 pass 2331¼ 18L
East Somerset Jn UGL pass 2321 pass 2342 21L
Blatchbridge Jn pass 2329 pass 2349¼ 20L
Clink Road Jn pass 2333 pass 2351½ 18L
Fairwood Jn pass 2340 pass 2356¾ 16L
Westbury [WSB] UR 2345 0008 No report
Heywood Road Jn pass 0013 pass 0000½ 12E
Lavington pass 0024 pass 0010¼ 13E
Woodborough pass 0050 pass 0028¼ 21E
Pewsey [PEW] 2 pass 0057½ pass 0034½ 23E
Savernake pass 0109 pass 0042 27E
Bedwyn [BDW] 2 pass 0117 pass 0049¼ 27E
Hungerford [HGD] 1 pass 0124 pass 0057¼ 26E
Hungerford Loop pass 0126 No report
Kintbury [KIT] 2 pass 0128½ pass 0101½ 26E
Newbury [NBY] pass 0136 pass 0108¾ 27E
Newbury Racecourse [NRC] 2 pass 0137 pass 0110 26E
Thatcham [THA] 2 pass 0141 pass 0113½ 27E
Midgham [MDG] 2 pass 0145 pass 0117½ 27E
Aldermaston [AMT] 1 pass 0148 pass 0120 27E
Theale [THE] 1 pass 0153 pass 0124¾ 28E
Southcote Jn pass 0158 pass 0132½ 25E
Reading West [RDW] 2 pass 0200 pass 0135¾ 24E
Oxford Road Jn pass 0200 pass 0136 23E
Reading Main Line West pass 0202 pass 0137½ 24E
Reading [RDG] 11 pass 0203 pass 0138¼ 24E
Reading Main Line East pass 0203½ pass 0138¾ 24E
Kennet Bridge Jn pass 0204½ pass 0139½ 24E
Twyford [TWY] 2 pass 0210 pass 0146¼ 23E
Maidenhead [MAI] 2 pass 0219 pass 0155½ 23E
Maidenhead East pass 0219½ pass 0155¾ 23E
Taplow [TAP] 2 pass 0221½ pass 0157¾ 23E
Burnham [BNM] pass 0223½ pass 0159¾ 23E
Slough West pass 0226 pass 0202 23E
Slough [SLO] 3 pass 0227 pass 0203½ 23E
Dolphin Jn pass 0228½ pass 0205 23E
Langley [LNY] 4 pass 0230 pass 0206¾ 23E
Iver [IVR] 4 pass 0232 pass 0209 22E
West Drayton Jcn pass 0234 pass 0210¾ 23E
West Drayton [WDT] 4 pass 0234 pass 0211 22E
West Drayton East pass 0234½ pass 0211¼ 23E
Stockley Junction pass 0235½ pass 0212½ 23E
Heathrow Airport Jn pass 0237 pass 0213¾ 23E
Hayes & Harlington [HAY] 4 pass 0237½ pass 0214½ 23E
Southall West Jn pass 0239½ pass 0215¼ 24E
Southall [STL] 4 pass 0241 pass 0217 23E
Southall East Jn pass 0241½ pass 0217¾ 23E
Hanwell Bridge Loop pass 0242½ pass 0218 24E
Hanwell [HAN] 3 pass 0244 pass 0219¼ 24E
West Ealing Junction pass 0245 pass 0219¾ 24E
West Ealing [WEA] 4 pass 0245 pass 0220¼ 24E
Ealing Broadway [EAL] 4 pass 0248 pass 0222 25E
Acton West pass 0250 pass

RailUK Forums

cossie4i · 19 Jul 2019

You normally always make up time to Bedwyn.
It's basically down hill from Bedwyn to Southcote Junction so you maintain 45mph so don't make up any extra time.
Pulling away from Southcote Junction is hard work, you don't even get back to 30mph by Reading West which is down hill.
You climb up out of Reading to Twyford West Junction, small climb from Slough to Iver.
If you get stopped at Airport Junction it's hard to get going again.

Paddy O'Doors · 20 Jul 2019

I would have thought that they'd have been better doing the trial out of Whatley with a stop at Spring Gardens, not much chance of getting stuck coming out of Merehead.

cossie4i · 20 Jul 2019

Paddy O'Doors said:
I would have thought that they'd have been better doing the trial out of Whatley with a stop at Spring Gardens, not much chance of getting stuck coming out of Merehead.

Also needed to stop going up towards Woodborough and near the top of Savernake.

tiptoptaff · 20 Jul 2019

You need to show it can haul the train before you try stopping and restarting it in awkward locations

ac6000cw · 20 Jul 2019

Tom Quinne said:
70003 with 46 wagons weighing in at 4500t !!!

Doing pretty well timing wise by the look of it.

Given that the 70's have about 10% more power and a much more modern traction system (individual axle-control AC-drives), it would be surprising if *couldn't* do better than a 59.

The 59's are excellent locos of their period, derived from one of the best all-round - and best selling - freight diesels ever built (the SD40-2), but time moves on and (in particular) the 645 engine is a bit on the thirsty side and they don't have dynamic (electric) braking capability.

I guess that FL are experimenting with increasing the load on the 'jumbo' trains as well as potentially reducing the fuel cost and wagon brake wear (by making use of the dynamic braking on the 70's).

cossie4i · 20 Jul 2019

ac6000cw said:
Given that the 70's have about 10% more power and a much more modern traction system (individual axle-control AC-drives), it would be surprising if *couldn't* do better than a 59.

The 59's are excellent locos of their period, derived from one of the best all-round - and best selling - freight diesels ever built (the SD40-2), but time moves on and (in particular) the 645 engine is a bit on the thirsty side and they don't have dynamic (electric) braking capability.

I guess that FL are experimenting with increasing the load on the 'jumbo' trains as well as potentially reducing the fuel cost and wagon brake wear (by making use of the dynamic braking on the 70's).

The Jumbo trains are limited by length.

800002 · 20 Jul 2019

ac6000cw said:
I guess that FL are experimenting with increasing the load on the 'jumbo' trains as well as potentially reducing the fuel cost and wagon brake wear (by making use of the dynamic braking on the 70's).

Would it not have been a case of simply confirming that the 70 is capable of hauling a full load of 4400 ton, with an additional wagon just to make sure (if it's ever required)?

I appreciate it's overnight traffic, so not much else about, but even then there is a max weight can be allowed onto the rails - I'm not certain what that is, but I wouldn't have thought it is much more than 4400 ton.

800002 · 20 Jul 2019

cossie4i said:
The Jumbo trains are limited by length.

Posted at the same time, and was going to say but forgot.
What is the length limitation at merehead / whatley and Acton (TC)

cossie4i · 20 Jul 2019

800002 said:
Would it not have been a case of simply confirming that the 70 is capable of hauling a full load of 4400 ton, with an additional wagon just to make sure (if it's ever required)?

I appreciate it's overnight traffic, so not much else about, but even then there is a max weight can be allowed onto the rails - I'm not certain what that is, but I wouldn't have thought it is much more than 4400 ton.

Network Rail don't normally allow you to run when over length even during the night.

cossie4i · 20 Jul 2019

800002 said:
Posted at the same time, and was going to say but forgot.
What is the length limitation at merehead / whatley and Acton (TC)

I think it's 112slu out of White's crossing at Merehead

800002 · 20 Jul 2019

cossie4i said:
I think it's 112slu out of White's crossing at Merehead

Yeah, that's what I was meaning.

They'll let you run overlength, so long as your not booked into any restrictive infrastructure (ie, loops) that you no longer fit. It depends a lot on the schedule planned.
But it can severly affect following traffic if it goes wrong / doesn't work out well.

800002 · 20 Jul 2019

cossie4i said:
I think it's 112slu out of White's crossing at Merehead

Also - so about 2352 feet; 107 chains; but I'm not sure how many wagons is it, plus single loco.

cossie4i · 20 Jul 2019

800002 said:
Also - so about 2352 feet; 107 chains; but I'm not sure how many wagons is it, plus single loco.

Length limit is 107slu. It depends what wagons you have as to how many you can get on the train. Various box wagons are shorter than hopper wagons. Normally have a mix of wagons on the train and you get 44 on just inside the max slu

swt_passenger · 20 Jul 2019

800002 said:
Also - so about 2352 feet; 107 chains; but I'm not sure how many wagons is it, plus single loco.

Er, I think you’ve a feet/yards error there. A chain is 22 yards/66ft...

800002 · 20 Jul 2019

swt_passenger said:
Er, I think you’ve a feet/yards error there. A chain is 22 yards/66ft...

Brain fart moment.
In the words of capt. Mainwaring: I was wondering who was going to spot that.

swt_passenger · 20 Jul 2019

800002 said:
Brain fart moment.
In the words of capt. Mainwaring: I was wondering who was going to spot that.

Don’t tell him...

ExRes · 11 Sep 2019

Interesting comments on traction this evening from WNXX, Freightliner are currently training staff on Class 70s which are to take over the Tunstead workings to allow 66/6s to be redeployed to the Mendips work, several 70s in the Leeds reserve fleet will be returning to traffic to allow the transfers to take place

BRX · 11 Sep 2019

I had also seen something suggesting that FL were going to subcontract the Grain/Colnbrook aviation fuel trains to Colas (using Colas 70s) so as to free up the 66/6s currently used on those. I've no idea if that's true?

800002 · 12 Sep 2019

BRX said:
I had also seen something suggesting that FL were going to subcontract the Grain/Colnbrook aviation fuel trains to Colas (using Colas 70s) so as to free up the 66/6s currently used on those. I've no idea if that's true?

There was a Freightliner cl. 70 (70003, if my eyes focused correctly thru the stationary train I was looking through) on the North Kent line last Friday (6th Sept) - however, I failed to notice the consist of wagons behind it.

ExRes · 12 Sep 2019

70003 was certainly seen on an 0Z70 Grain to Grain circular trainer last week

Freightmaster · 12 Sep 2019

BRX said:
I had also seen something suggesting that FL were going to subcontract the Grain/Colnbrook aviation fuel trains to Colas (using Colas 70s) so as to free up the 66/6s currently used on those. I've no idea if that's true?

70813 is working one of the two Colnbrook diagrams today.

MARK

800002 · 12 Sep 2019

ExRes said:
70003 was certainly seen on an 0Z70 Grain to Grain circular trainer last week

That's why icant recall what was behind it!
It was a VSTP 0Z70 Grain - Southampton at the tail end of the AM peak.
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/O37877/2019/09/06/advanced

It didn't occur to me that a freightliner 70 is a tad out of place.

Freightmaster said:
70813 is working one of the two Colnbrook diagrams today.

MARK

70813 is a Colas (Green'ish Livery) right?

I'll have a look out for that...

800002 · 12 Sep 2019

70813 pressent on the 1255 Colnbroke - Grain Avaiation fuel empties, followed at a brisk pace by 66610 going light on the 1535 Willsden SWS - Grain.

cossie4i · 13 Sep 2019

FL have told us that they will be using the 66/6s to supplement the 59s on the Mendip contract.

cossie4i · 3 Nov 2019

Freightliner take over the Mendip contract today.
Apparently they have also purchased the 59/2s.
Also 59003 is at Merehead.

Grannyjoans · 3 Nov 2019

ExRes said:
Interesting comments on traction this evening from WNXX, Freightliner are currently training staff on Class 70s which are to take over the Tunstead workings to allow 66/6s to be redeployed to the Mendips work, several 70s in the Leeds reserve fleet will be returning to traffic to allow the transfers to take place

what are the main stations to observe the Tunstead traffic ?

Bevan Price · 3 Nov 2019

Grannyjoans said:
what are the main stations to observe the Tunstead traffic ?

Apart from trips to Briggs Sidings or Dowlow (both south of Buxton), all trains to/from Tunstead pass through either Chinley, or Edale & Hope Valley stations - but expect some very long waits between trains.

BRX · 5 Nov 2019

Will freightliner still be using Acton?

furnessvale · 5 Nov 2019

Bevan Price said:
Apart from trips to Briggs Sidings or Dowlow (both south of Buxton), all trains to/from Tunstead pass through either Chinley, or Edale & Hope Valley stations - but expect some very long waits between trains.

All trains from the quarries, apart from shuttles between Tunstead and Briggs siding, pass Peak Forest Signal Box. The 199 bus passes the box every hour if the OP hasn't a car.

I was down there yesterday evening from 7pm to 9.30pm (A good place to calm the dog upset by fireworks!)

In that time I saw 3 departing and 1 arriving freight train. There were also 3 trains moving about being loaded.

With tonight's fireworks, I will no doubt be back again!

Mendip Rail traffic.

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