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Mainline Steam Freight Demonstrations 1988

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Iskra

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I was watching the below Youtube video, looking for some information on Stanier Jubilee Locomotives and was interested to discover mainline steam demonstration freights were run in 1988 in the Salisbury area using an 8F. I was unable to find any further information on these services on the internet, so can anyone explain who was behind these services and why they were run please? Have there ever been any other mainline examples of steam/preserved freight demonstrations? It certainly stood out as a little unusual, although I am aware of them occurring on preserved railways.


The relevant clip is at around 34 minutes :)
 
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Bertie the bus

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It wasn't on the mainline as such but 6M32/6E32 Lindsey - Preston Docks and return were steam hauled on 14/09/15. I can't remember why they used steam instead of their usual Sentinel shunters but steam hauled revenue earning freight in the 21st Century was pretty rare, even if the haulage was over what is a heritage railway. A couple of pics here:
 

Iskra

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At a guess, 150th Anniversary of LSWR.
23-24 July 1988 there were specials from Sarum, but I can't find anything about the 8F. https://www.nsers.org/1988.html
Thank you very much, I suspect you could well be right. Just seemed a bit strange using an 8F down there.

It wasn't on the mainline as such but 6M32/6E32 Lindsey - Preston Docks and return were steam hauled on 14/09/15. I can't remember why they used steam instead of their usual Sentinel shunters but steam hauled revenue earning freight in the 21st Century was pretty rare, even if the haulage was over what is a heritage railway. A couple of pics here:
Very interesting, amazing that that happened. Reminds me of these instances of Deltics on freights post-privatisation;


However, are there any more examples of mainline preserved freight, just for the spectacle rather than as interesting traction substitutes?
 
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Irascible

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Not quite main line, but Foster Yeoman have had a fascination with seeing if 9Fs can pull their stone trains - several yt vids around, example here
 

ChiefPlanner

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There was a fine GWR 150 demonstration freight from Ebbw Junction to East Usk via Newport High St (with a 2-8-0) as part of the celebrations. 1985

From distant memory - the Salisbury event came about as part of the Blackmore Vale / Yeovil Jct steam runs , I think the 8F was part of this and did some in-fill turns on "freight operations" - typical of the added value that the Area Manager of the time did !
 

Iskra

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Not quite main line, but Foster Yeoman have had a fascination with seeing if 9Fs can pull their stone trains - several yt vids around, example here
Most interesting, thank you!

There was a fine GWR 150 demonstration freight from Ebbw Junction to East Usk via Newport High St (with a 2-8-0) as part of the celebrations. 1985

From distant memory - the Salisbury event came about as part of the Blackmore Vale / Yeovil Jct steam runs , I think the 8F was part of this and did some in-fill turns on "freight operations" - typical of the added value that the Area Manager of the time did !
Thanks for the additional information :)

It would be good to see something like this repeated in the future, although I think it fairly unlikely.
 

Irascible

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It would be good to see something like this repeated in the future, although I think it fairly unlikely.
Not sure what the rules are these days, are loose-coupled formations allowed on the main line? seems unlikely.
 

gg1

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Not sure what the rules are these days, are loose-coupled formations allowed on the main line? seems unlikely.
60163 has air brakes so would be a viable option, although the only reason it would ever happen is as a publicity stunt.
 

Irascible

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60163 has air brakes so would be a viable option, although the only reason it would ever happen is as a publicity stunt.
Yes that was a brain fade moment - was thinking of demo freights using vintage freight stock on the main line, rather than demo runs substituting for modern traction. Maybe hauling the mail would be something unless the mail trains have gone away again.
 

packermac

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There was a Network Rail (or it may still have been Railtrack at the time) freight on the S&C which was a celebration of completing some major track upgrade. I think that was hauled by Davis Smith's 8F. Cannot remember the year now.
 

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!985 - steam on the Andover - Ludgershall line , route refreshing and familiarisation taking place with "Hagley Hall" and a single bogie BSK - the branch trip from Eastleigh had been and gone, - the line was "ours".A Friday.

Turned up a special from Eastleigh with a 33 conveying one loaded PFB MOD vehicle - (it has missed the trip but the yard organised a special ) so after a moments thought , we attached the PFB to the test train and ran it as a mixed train to L/shall. I had the rare honour of both coupling it up and doing the shunting. I was reminded by the very experienced Salisbury driver to change the lamps on the "Hall" to part fitted train , not class 2 passenger. Luckily the BSK was dual braked so no issues bar bleeding the air off the PFB and using the vacuum brake. Wonderful experience and good customer service !

Could this have been a genuine , steam hauled , revenue contributing , mixed train in the 1980's - I think so. As a working day , regrettably no-one had a camera to record the run.
 

alistairlees

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I'm fairly sure there was a Liverpool-bound TransPennine service (so passenger, not freight) that packed up in Leeds or York in the early 1980s, and was rescued by a steam locomotive (which I assume was replaced by a diesel further down the line). It was all over the local papers at the time.
 

Irascible

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There was a Network Rail (or it may still have been Railtrack at the time) freight on the S&C which was a celebration of completing some major track upgrade. I think that was hauled by Davis Smith's 8F. Cannot remember the year now.

Vaguely remember a picture of an 8F hauling some ballast hoppers ( older ones, not the current huge things ), sometime in 2000s?
 

Strathclyder

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Sticking with the Foster Yeoman theme, this vid (from the Mike Wilcock YT channel) dates from a 1998 open event (in connection with the site's 75th anniversary I think) and includes 9Fs and a S160 at the head of various demonstration trains (with the bonus of a few double-headers).


Very interesting, amazing that that happened. Reminds me of these instances of Deltics on freights post-privatisation;


However, are there any more examples of mainline preserved freight, just for the spectacle rather than as interesting traction substitutes?

Managed to catch 55022 multiple times in her latter spell on hire to GB Railfreight hauling various ScotRail EMUs across Glasgow and to/from Kilmarnock for refurbishment (in the case of the 334s). This is about the best image I have of her on such work:

 
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Cowley

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Sticking with the Foster Yeoman theme, this vid (from the Mike Wilcock YT channel) dates from a 1998 open event (in connection with the site's 75th anniversary I think) and includes 9Fs and a S160 at the head of various demonstration trains (with the bonus of a few double-headers).




Managed to catch 55022 multiple times in her latter spell on hire to GB Railfreight hauling various ScotRail EMUs across Glasgow and to/from Kilmarnock for refurbishment (in the case of the 334s). This is about the best image I have of her on such work:


You’re a bit harsh on yourself in the notes on your photo. I think it’s a great image.
 

D6130

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There was a Network Rail (or it may still have been Railtrack at the time) freight on the S&C which was a celebration of completing some major track upgrade. I think that was hauled by Davis Smith's 8F. Cannot remember the year now.
IIRC this happened in 2002 to celebrate the centenary of the Yorkshire Dales Railway from Skipton (Embsay Junction) to Grassington (now truncated at Swinden/Rylstone Quarry) plus Railtrack's completion of the CWR relaying on the S&C. Standard class 4 4-6-0 no. 75014 - now on the Torbay & Dartmouth Railway - was repainted as ex-Skipton loco 75019 and worked a short train of vacuum-braked 'Dogfish' ballast hoppers tender-first from Carnforth to Swinden Quarry via Skipton and then back to Skipton. On the following day (I think) it worked Skipton to Ribblehead Quarry, before running round at Blea Moor and again at Hellifield, then returning to Carnforth. Unfortunately, I missed the action as I was away in Italy at the time, so I'm open to correction by anyone with more detailed memories or information.
 

Iskra

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IIRC this happened in 2002 to celebrate the centenary of the Yorkshire Dales Railway from Skipton (Embsay Junction) to Grassington (now truncated at Swinden/Rylstone Quarry) plus Railtrack's completion of the CWR relaying on the S&C. Standard class 4 4-6-0 no. 75014 - now on the Torbay & Dartmouth Railway - was repainted as ex-Skipton loco 75019 and worked a short train of vacuum-braked 'Dogfish' ballast hoppers tender-first from Carnforth to Swinden Quarry via Skipton and then back to Skipton. On the following day (I think) it worked Skipton to Ribblehead Quarry, before running round at Blea Moor and again at Hellifield, then returning to Carnforth. Unfortunately, I missed the action as I was away in Italy at the time, so I'm open to correction by anyone with more detailed memories or information.
Excellent information, thank you!
 

Strathclyder

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You’re a bit harsh on yourself in the notes on your photo. I think it’s a great image.
Thank you. :) Applying my current standards to images I took over 5 years ago is a bad habit of mine, one I've struggled to knock on the head. Can't go back and edit the image caption either way, as that is my old Flickr account lol

Main line steam revenue freight nowadays? Nothing will beat this :

UP Challenger #3985 + 143 Freight Cars - YouTube
From the same YT channel, albeit with a much shorter consist in tow. Not only do we get a clearer sample of #3985's ex-Illinois Central whistle here, we also have a clear view of her running gear as the camera car paces her:


The 143 wagon record would be shattered if UP ever decide to unleash #4014 in the same way as @Spamcan81 notes.
 

Iskra

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Thank you :)

Over the weekend I came across the below example, which I thought was worth sharing and quite interesting:


AN extremely rare event occurred last weekend as a working steam locomotive returned to Radcliffe.

Preserved East Lancashire Railway engine, Swiftsure, was helping with engineering works between Radcliffe and Whitefield during the early hours of Sunday morning, September 27.

The engine was photographed during a quick stop at Radcliffe Metrolink Station by Nigel Valentine.
East Lancs Railway spokesman Richard Barnett said: “We often provide engineering assistance on the Bury to Manchester line and normally we provide a diesel for this duty.

“However due to ongoing maintenance work with the diesel that 'fits' on the line we needed to provide an alternative solution in the form of steam. Hence this very rare event taking place.
“The ELR often provide support to engineering operations through the provision of a locomotive and ballast wagons. We are pleased as a local tourist attraction to be able to support such works.”

The Bury line, converted for Metrolink use in 1991, was previously electrified in 1916.


Richard added that the last known steam hauled service operating through Radcliffe was withdrawn in 1953, meaning its possibly the first time in 62 years that a steam engine has visited the station.

About Swiftsure:-

Number 75008 Swiftsure was originally built for the war department in 1943 by Hunslet Engine Company of Hunslet, Leeds.

It was one of many of the Hunslet Austerity 0-6-0ST class - designed for shunting and which became the standard British shunting locomotive during the Second World War.
 

Strathclyder

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Steam rescued a failed freight on the S&C sometime in the 80s (I think),
That was with Leander and a failed Class 40.
40179 with 7V00 12:20 Carlisle-Severn Tunnel Jn - failed between Ais Gill and Garsdale - on 21st August 1980. Linked images (both copyright of Flickr's Peter Smith) showing the ensemble approaching Garsdale and Leander backing the Whistler and it's train into the refuge sidings at the latter respectively.


 
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