How does Crewe Basford Hall operate?

[markymark2000]

I'm interested to know exactly what goes on in Crewe Basford Hall. I know it's a big part of UK rail freight and it acts as a bypass to save freight crossing the WCML towards Manchester but what actually happens in there.

Does it work like American yards whereby multiple trains arrive at similar times and then freight is shunted between them all before they head off to their respective destinations and if not (and freight works so it has to run end to end). Or, is Basford Hall more for just storing trailers between normal duties.

Can someone shed some light on the goings on there.

Thanks in advance.

 

[4F89]

A bit of everything.

 

[4F89]

A bit of everything.

To be more elaborately, IM trains have few adjustments to loads, mainly used as a stopping place or for driver relief.

HH trains shunted about to customer spec. Small amount of wagon holding.

Also loco swaps, repairs, inspections etc.

Independent relief lines do indeed mean freight traffic can bypass Crewe station, the first purpose build bypass tunnels in the world for freight.

 

[markymark2000]

To be more elaborately, IM trains have few adjustments to loads, mainly used as a stopping place or for driver relief.

HH trains shunted about to customer spec. Small amount of wagon holding.

Also loco swaps, repairs, inspections etc.

Independent relief lines do indeed mean freight traffic can bypass Crewe station, the first purpose build bypass tunnels in the world for freight.

Interesting.... I wonder if the future of rail freight could use it for IM shunting. Felixstowe and London Gateway trains arrive and Mossend and Manchester trains depart with freight just mixing between it to provide the fastest way of getting freight around the country even if it doesn't follow the normal freight routes.

The relief lines are very interesting. I know they are quite busy but I knew there was more to the area than just a few Crewe Station avoider lines.

 

[pdeaves]

IM

Infrastructure maintenance? Or something else?

 

[markymark2000]

Infrastructure maintenance? Or something else?

InterModal. At least that is what I thought jimathy meant.

 

[ElectroSoldier]

IM in this case is intermodal, but as with most acronyms on here, its subjective.

 

[DarloRich]

do NR trains use that yard?

 

[pdeaves]

Thanks both.

 

[ElectroSoldier]

Yes, they load up ballast there. They also use it to bypass Crewe station and to access Shrewsbury from the south

 

[4F89]

Interesting.... I wonder if the future of rail freight could use it for IM shunting. Felixstowe and London Gateway trains arrive and Mossend and Manchester trains depart with freight just mixing between it to provide the fastest way of getting freight around the country even if it doesn't follow the normal freight routes.

The relief lines are very interesting. I know they are quite busy but I knew there was more to the area than just a few Crewe Station avoider lines.

No need to mix the trains. It's more efficient to send whole train from port to destination rather than shunting about, even if a few empty wagons involved.

 

[gordonthemoron]

When I worked in BR IS&T in the 80s, Rail House Crewe was extremely popular with my train spotting colleagues as our floors provided good views of the freight avoiding lines

 

[hwl]

No need to mix the trains. It's more efficient to send whole train from port to destination rather than shunting about, even if a few empty wagons involved.

Agreed.
There are a few IM train where there are Diesel - Electric Loco swaps at Basford Hall and a few where longer FL trains from the ports (700m) split into 2 portions for smaller NW destinations at Basford Hall
Most larger NW IM destinations already have several daily port to destination trains per operator e.g. Felixstowe to Trafford Park, So'ton - Trafford Park

 

[Joseph_Locke]

Badly, as it doesn't have many (any?) 800m through lines that aren't the Independents. Also, AN other freight operator has some secluded sidings dealing with special cargo.

Some NR high output plant (HOBC / TRT) is based there too.

 

[ElectroSoldier]

Freightliner use it to
Among other things, crew change. stable. change motive power from diesel to electric or electric to diesel, loco maintenance.
splitting
A train from say Garston would come in, be split into two trains, one down south, the other end goes up north so you would split and retraction then maybe a crew change along the way too.
Or you could get it the other way around, you join up two trains, retraction if needed and continue.
Stabling, and moves into the Network Rail sidings to hook up their departmental trains like the ballast train.
Like Ive already said, its used as a through line to the independents... Chester or Shrewsbury line. The only line you cant access from the south via Basford is the Trent valley line, but if you want that then you took a wrong turn at Norton bridge
basford and the indy lines
Instead of having to go through the station, which can mean sitting on the slow lines for an age, which they dont really want, you can path directly into Basford hall, down the indy and over to either the Liverpool down line or down Manchester.

I suppose to the outsider it all looks undercover as its not very visible, but its all rather mundane really.

 

[ElectroSoldier]

A good case of its use it here.
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/H19884/2019-10-18/detailed
633V is given a 1½ minute path allowance, in that time you are looking at a crew change rather than removing some wagons from the back so they can be moved somewhere else while the rest of the train carries on to Foundry lane

 

[Elecman]

Badly, as it doesn't have many (any?) 800m through lines that aren't the Independents. Also, AN other freight operator has some secluded sidings dealing with special cargo.

Some NR high output plant (HOBC / TRT) is based there too.

And the new government Owned ROSCO uses it to store the class 365’s that they now own.

The AN other operator gets very twitchy when people in walk down the side of their compound

 

[ElectroSoldier]

And the new government Owned ROSCO uses it to store the class 365’s that they now own.

The AN other operator gets very twitchy when people in walk down the side of their compound

Im not surprised the amout of spray cans that can be found down there...

 

[The Snap]

do NR trains use that yard?

Yes, a lot of engineering trains for the central and southern patches of the LNW route originate from Basford Hall. Others also use Bescot.

 

[The Planner]

A good case of its use it here.
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/H19884/2019-10-18/detailed
633V is given a 1½ minute path allowance, in that time you are looking at a crew change rather than removing some wagons from the back so they can be moved somewhere else while the rest of the train carries on to Foundry lane

You are misunderstanding the allowance, that is there to keep it away from another train. It does have a 2 minute dwell for a crew change as you state though.

 

[ElectroSoldier]

You are misunderstanding the allowance, that is there to keep it away from another train. It does have a 2 minute dwell for a crew change as you state though.

Im not misunderstanding anything. I think you misunderstood me and you didnt bother to look at the link, if you had you would have see this

Crewe Salop Goods Jn
1½
Service passes another service here, stops for staffing reasons, loses and gains coaches here

Knowing the area as I do a 1½ minute "stop" comes from a crew change at best... It doesnt lose and gain coaches here. Does it!

 

[30907]

Im not misunderstanding anything. I think you misunderstood me and you didnt bother to look at the link, if you had you would have see this

Crewe Salop Goods Jn
1½
Service passes another service here, stops for staffing reasons, loses and gains coaches here

Knowing the area as I do a 1½ minute "stop" comes from a crew change at best... It doesnt lose and gain coaches here. Does it!

Looks like a quirk on the new RTT. But there is a 3min booked stop shown as well as the pathing.

 

[jfowkes]

What is this AN other thing? MoD? Nuclear waste trains?

I'm assuming people are just being coy for the fun of it, not because they actually can't say.

 

[4F89]

What is this AN other thing? MoD? Nuclear waste trains?

I'm assuming people are just being coy for the fun of it, not because they actually can't say.

We could tell you, but would have to kill you.

 

[4F89]

The AN other operator gets very twitchy when people in walk down the side of their compound

Hard to avoid when it's the authorised walking route to the station..

 

[causton]

Looks like a quirk on the new RTT. But there is a 3min booked stop shown as well as the pathing.

Actually an error in the NR Data Feed - I noted the same when the Sleeper services only showed Inverness and Fort William OR Inverness and Aberdeen, not all 3! But was still on the old and (beta) new RTT sites at the time - found out to be a data issue so don't rely 100% on those just right now

 

[Joseph_Locke]

We could tell you, but would have to kill you.

Hmm, day-to-day is just the usual glow-in-the-dark stuff, but there may be others ...

 

[TheEdge]

Hmm, day-to-day is just the usual glow-in-the-dark stuff, but there may be others ...

By others are we on about the once or twice a year affair carrying extra glowy naval material?

 

[dgl]

By others are we on about the once or twice a year affair carrying extra glowy naval material?

I thought that went to just off Craggy Island!

 

[ElectroSoldier]

I thought that went to just off Craggy Island!

Well there you go.
An explanation is always there, its just a matter of waiting for it.