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.
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