Rail Freight Flows and News UK

[Gaz67]

Thurs night /Fri morn on the CLC through Altrincham this week was ridiculously busy for freight, from 9pm to 9am there were 19 movements I think. The train I am after info on is the Liverpool emr to Aftercliffe, not a regular runner along with the Tinsley to seaforth. I assume it's scrap metal but any info on wagons , customer and indeed the metals workings still running in the Sheffield/Rotherham area would be appreciated .Thanks in advance.

 

[WessexEclectic]

Port Talbot coal and coke:

Although coal mining at Cwmbargoed ceased at the end of November, trains continued to run into January to clear coal stocks. The most recent departure of 6C83 was on 19th January, which may well be the final train. Replacing this traffic, a flow of coke from Immingham Bulk Terminal to Port Talbot started on 19th January, running as 6V66. Another coke flow has started running from Cardiff Docks to Port Talbot today (25th January) as 6Z36, both services hauled by DB using HTA hoppers.

Was coal 'coked' on-site at P'Talbot?

6V66's origin appears to be split in the near term future between Immingham and Scunthorpe - Charlwood House.

P.S. Thanks for the 'flow' of freight gen btw!

 

[Snow1964]

DP World has increased subsidy for every container moved by rail instead of road within 140 miles from Southampton to £100

Should benefit lots of potential shorter container flows, everything from Exeter, Cardiff, Cheltenham, Coventry, Bedford, Chelmsford, Maidstone etc

DP World offers UK shippers £100 per box as modal shift incentive - The Loadstar

DP World Southampton is offering £100 per container to UK shippers who switch their inland transport leg from road to rail

theloadstar.com

 

[atillathehunn]

DP World has increased subsidy for every container moved by rail instead of road within 140 miles from Southampton to £100

Should benefit lots of potential shorter container flows, everything from Exeter, Cardiff, Cheltenham, Coventry, Bedford, Chelmsford, Maidstone etc

DP World offers UK shippers £100 per box as modal shift incentive - The Loadstar

DP World Southampton is offering £100 per container to UK shippers who switch their inland transport leg from road to rail

theloadstar.com

While that's encouraging, I can't see a subsidy of $100 per box being sufficient to build container ports in those towns/cities that (with the exception of Cardiff) do not have container ports. It might encourage trains to Bristol, though?

 

[zwk500]

DP World has increased subsidy for every container moved by rail instead of road within 140 miles from Southampton to £100

Should benefit lots of potential shorter container flows, everything from Exeter, Cardiff, Cheltenham, Coventry, Bedford, Chelmsford, Maidstone etc

DP World offers UK shippers £100 per box as modal shift incentive - The Loadstar

DP World Southampton is offering £100 per container to UK shippers who switch their inland transport leg from road to rail

theloadstar.com

There's still gauge clearance to consider (towns in bold not easily accessible to W10/12 traffic)

While that's encouraging, I can't see a subsidy of $100 per box being sufficient to build container ports in those towns/cities that (with the exception of Cardiff) do not have container ports. It might encourage trains to Bristol, though?

All you need is a long, modest width concrete pad and a reach stacker, so as long as there's some old siding somewhere that could be leased out handling infrastructure shouldn't be too much of a sticking point. Gauge clearance (or well wagon availability) and just general demand for things that might be in the containers are likely to be bigger issues.

 

[jfowkes]

I don't really know how the economics of rail freight works, but there must be a minimum size of train (in containers) before it's worth sending it compared to road, and that seems like it would be larger than the demand for containerised freight in a lot of places? Unless you were only sending a train every few weeks or something?

I am completely ignorant of the realities here though.

 

[Snow1964]

While that's encouraging, I can't see a subsidy of $100 per box being sufficient to build container ports in those towns/cities that (with the exception of Cardiff) do not have container ports. It might encourage trains to Bristol, though?

I was aiming more at an approx semi-circle within 140 miles of Southampton. Too short and Road will win over rail, too far and no subsidy.

Bristol did have a terminal, although has been resited
I think Coventry had one, although just for car parts to Linwood, so must have been Rootes Group (Hillman), later Chrysler, think it was Gosford Green
Used to be terminals at Park Royal, York Way (Maiden Lane), now built on, and Kings Cross (site now partly under HS1), and Stratford in London. Was Barking too.

The 140 miles is not that far short of some other closed terminals, Plymouth, Swansea, Dudley, Harwich etc.

I don't really know how the economics of rail freight works, but there must be a minimum size of train (in containers) before it's worth sending it compared to road, and that seems like it would be larger than the demand for containerised freight in a lot of places? Unless you were only sending a train every few weeks or something?

I am completely ignorant of the realities here though.

It is not unusual to see container trains with only some of the wagons loaded, so to some extent if there is free capacity the marginal cost of extra boxes carried is very low.

The second point is if can quickly load at a terminal being passed anyway then economics might be better, not really something normally considered stopping for few extra boxes to load/unload. It has to be said there are some places where trains wait anyway for staffing or pathing reasons, so could be no effect on journey times.

There's still gauge clearance to consider (towns in bold not easily accessible to W10/12 traffic)

All you need is a long, modest width concrete pad and a reach stacker, so as long as there's some old siding somewhere that could be leased out handling infrastructure shouldn't be too much of a sticking point. Gauge clearance (or well wagon availability) and just general demand for things that might be in the containers are likely to be bigger issues.

There are container trains that run on routes not cleared, we have them locally to me via Bath. Seems to be formed of mix of wagons, some with wells, others standard. Might need more low wagons, but not a showstopper.

 

[atillathehunn]

There's still gauge clearance to consider (towns in bold not easily accessible to W10/12 traffic)

All you need is a long, modest width concrete pad and a reach stacker, so as long as there's some old siding somewhere that could be leased out handling infrastructure shouldn't be too much of a sticking point. Gauge clearance (or well wagon availability) and just general demand for things that might be in the containers are likely to be bigger issues.

The critical things you're missing from your list of 'what you need' is planning permission, willingness/budget from NR to reinstate the connection to sidings including all the signalling gubbins, and then also paths to be found. Also a concentration of customers, as someone else pointed out.

Planning permission is most likely to be the sticking point.

The Highland Spring water terminal is an example of how long it can take to connect even a basic terminal.

 

[Meerkat]

The critical things you're missing from your list of 'what you need' is planning permission, willingness/budget from NR to reinstate the connection to sidings including all the signalling gubbins, and then also paths to be found. Also a concentration of customers, as someone else pointed out.

Planning permission is most likely to be the sticking point.

The Highland Spring water terminal is an example of how long it can take to connect even a basic terminal.

If it’s already railway land do you need planning permission?
There are loads of sidings and loops about that look like they have potential.
The DP subsidy is only going to work for existing trains though surely - if they want new services wouldnt they be better off guaranteeing the cost of new trial services so the freight companies don’t lose money (and they have much shallower pockets than DP World!)?

 

[BRX]

They list the relevant railheads here:

https://www.dpworld.com/southampton/-/media/project/dpwg/dpwg-tenant/europe/southampton/media-files/tariffs-and-charges/1-30nov23-q124-modal-shift-programme-incentive-customer-advisory.pdf?rev=ac09cbd489e64bf09d6f756ed4d3a90c&hash=E0C3D6C32CF516057A51673E3B042A78

 

[Oxfordblues]

I saw a train today running-round at Pengam Sidings (not Courtybella as booked): https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:R24037/2024-02-01/detailed

It appeared to be a loaded coal train (HTAs). Can someone confirm this please?

 

[Freightmaster]

I saw a train today running-round at Pengam Sidings (not Courtybella as booked): https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:R24037/2024-02-01/detailed

It appeared to be a loaded coal train (HTAs). Can someone confirm this please?

Imported coke - mentioned in the first paragraph of this recent post:

Rail Freight Flows and News UK

That's my 21 year old son's bedroom! The abiding memory was the "sweaty cheese smell"

www.railforums.co.uk

MARK

 

[rick pike]

Has Freightliner stopped running loaded jumbo trains to Acton Yard for splitting and forwarding to the London terminals now? I have been looking on RTT for 6/7A09 and can only find the empty jumbos from Wembley heading back to the Mendips.

 

[Chingy]

Has Freightliner stopped running loaded jumbo trains to Acton Yard for splitting and forwarding to the London terminals now? I have been looking on RTT for 6/7A09 and can only find the empty jumbos from Wembley heading back to the Mendips.

There has been a massive recast. Majority of headcodes have changed, along with many of the paths. 7A09 has gone and essentially been replaced with 7A40 (I think it is).

FL now no longer go into Acton with jumbo’s. Splitting etc is all done at either Hanwell Bridge or Southall TC.

 

[rick pike]

There has been a massive recast. Majority of headcodes have changed, along with many of the paths. 7A09 has gone and essentially been replaced with 7A40 (I think it is).

FL now no longer go into Acton with jumbo’s. Splitting etc is all done at either Hanwell Bridge or Southall TC.

Thank you. Just had a look myself for future planning purposes. Something to think about...

 

[Gaz67]

60095 into Arcow quarry today, is this a first?

And 60047 to Ribblehead, wow.

 

[Adrian Barr]

Are the transfesa services not currently operating then? If they stop then I wonder if it could mean the ford traffic from Dagenham would revert to the "classic" route (through south london) to Dollands Moor. Am I right to think that's what uses the wagons branded as "channel tunnel express" (or used to) which are normal UK loading gauge.

The HS1 Transfesa services are still operating, but they only serve Dagenham now. Since Barking intermodal terminal closed, the import service (trains run as two separate portions on HS1 due to weight limits) usually runs from Dollands Moor to Ripple Lane Exchange on Monday morning (as 6L25 & 6L27) and then the export runs on a Friday evening back to Dollands Moor (as 6O20 & 6O28). These used to run 2 or 3 times a week but now reduced to a weekly service.

The 92s off 6L25 and 6L27 work light engine back to Dollands on Monday (0O27) and arrive light engine on Friday as 0L22 to work 6O20 and 6O28.
Rare shot of 6O28 in Ripple Lane Exchange Sidings: https://www.flickr.com/photos/35502189@N03/52757833990/

A few years back, there was a brief period where one of the portions ran via HS1, with the taller swapbodies and containers, and the other ran on the classic route on its traditional (pre-HS1) 7O81 headcode with the familiar lower height "channel tunnel express" swapbodies. This picture is from 2019 showing 7O81 passing West Hampstead: https://www.flickr.com/photos/rob50037/49573880582/

This wouldn't be a viable option now as Transfesa are using a lot more newer "high cube" swapbodies and containers on the Fords traffic, and there are often only a handful of the older type on a train.
This picture of 6O20 is fairly typical: https://www.flickr.com/photos/193160736@N05/52991232009/
The 7O81 path survives in the working timetable though!

The Transfesa wagons have a relatively high deck, so any 9 foot 6 boxes on the classic lines to Dollands Moor need to be on megafrets such as IKAs, as seen in this shot of the "China Train" trial from Barking -
https://www.flickr.com/photos/151904976@N08/35368616636/

AFAIK the coke trains from Immingham and Cardiff to Port Talbot are only temporary, to cover for unloading issues from ships at Port Talbot… Port

Ah, that wouldn't surprise me. There were a few coke trains from Newport Docks to Port Talbot a couple of years ago but those fizzled out after a few runs. I assumed they were supplementing the coke produced on site with smaller quantities of a different grade or size, but it makes sense for the bulk of coal or coke imports to be coming through Port Talbot docks normally.

Was coal 'coked' on-site at P'Talbot?

6V66's origin appears to be split in the near term future between Immingham and Scunthorpe

As far as I know, the Morfa coke ovens at Port Talbot are still operational. A Financial Times article from Jan 19th refers to closure of the blast furnaces and coke ovens "over the next 18 months."

Tata said it expected the electric arc furnace to be operational by 2027. In the near-term, the company plans to import semi-finished steel from its bases in the Netherlands and India.

https://www.ft.com/content/421f4cf7-9174-4623-a822-77344e561b61

This Tata newsletter from 2021 has a picture of the Morfa coke ovens and mentions they produce 800,000 tons of coke per year: https://www.tatasteeleurope.com/sites/default/files/Steel Matters Issue 8 (Feb 2021).pdf
Google says a ton of coke takes about 1.5 tons of coking coal to produce, so the works would be using roughly 1.2m tons per year. Each train from Cwmbargoed was carrying roughly 1500 tons, maybe 5 times a week on average, so with a rough bit of maths, it appears that more than two-thirds of the coal used was already being imported through the dock at Port Talbot.

Considering that most of the raw materials (iron ore and coal) arrive via ship, the closure of the blast furnaces won't necessarily have a huge impact on rail freight, but it's hard to predict and depends on the overall volume of coils being produced compared to current levels. One railfreight casualty of the blast furnaces closing will be the lime traffic from Hardendale, another will be the "tar tanks" to Middlesbrough. The largely self-contained "hot metal" part of the internal rail system would also cease operations. There is more detail on the steelworks processes and internal rail system in this thread for anyone who hasn't already seen it:
https://www.railforums.co.uk/thread...reight-flows-and-internal-rail-system.257742/

Looking at Google Maps, apart from a small inner dock, the "dock" used by Tata at Port Talbot is more of a jetty connected by conveyor to stocking areas at the Sinter Plant and Coke ovens. This means that during the transition phase (between closure of the blast furnaces and commissioning of the new electric arc furnaces) imported slab will probably be railed via Newport or Cardiff Docks for rolling into coils at Llanwern and Port Talbot. Llanwern doesn't currently roll slab (they process coils arriving from Port Talbot) but they have the capacity to do it. If that processing line is reopened, one possible effect could be a reduction of Port Talbot - Llanwern interworks traffic, balanced by the need for a large volume of new slab movements. On the other hand, the current high volumes of coil railed to Newport Docks for export may drop; unless there is a need to import slab, roll it and send it to Europe (which is possible depending on the balance of production capacity at different Tata plants). There were trains of export slab in 2023 (via Newport and Cardiff Docks) but they tended to run daily for a while and then stop again, and no slab trains have run so far this year.

The 6V66 paths from Scunthorpe are probably a hangover in the WTT from when there were slab trains from Scunthorpe to Margam.
I dug up a selection of 6V66 photos with a variety of traffic using the same path over recent years:

6V66 Scunthorpe - Margam slab
https://www.flickr.com/photos/dbs60100/49350942836/

6V66 Redcar - Margam (coke)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/37001/6320222502/

6V66 Redcar - Margam (iron ore - I think they were clearing stocks after Redcar blast furnaces had closed)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/42802953@N03/33819627136/

6V66 Scunthorpe - Birdport slab
https://www.flickr.com/photos/70710639@N05/49490997208/

Speaking of coke ovens, I think the coke ovens at Scunthorpe may have already closed:
https://britishsteel.co.uk/news/bri...cted-by-closure-of-its-scunthorpe-coke-ovens/
If that's correct, then the current "Scunny Coal" operation (from Immingham Bulk Terminal to Scunthorpe Coal Handling Plant) is presumably delivering imported coke?
I think there is only usually one coal / coke train a day now to Scunthorpe, which is a far cry from the days of 56s and 3 sets of HAAs in continuous operation, back when the Locomaster "Black and Blue" cab ride was filmed.

 

[ABB125]

The HS1 Transfesa services are still operating, but they only serve Dagenham now. Since Barking intermodal terminal closed, the import service (trains run as two separate portions on HS1 due to weight limits) usually runs from Dollands Moor to Ripple Lane Exchange on Monday morning (as 6L25 & 6L27) and then the export runs on a Friday evening back to Dollands Moor (as 6O20 & 6O28). These used to run 2 or 3 times a week but now reduced to a weekly service.

What are the weight limits on HS1? Presumably this is for performance reasons, rather than and structural issues?
Given that running two separate trains presumably means two different locomotives are used, could they not just double-head the combined train to overcome performance issues? A class 374 draws up to 16MW, so power supply for a pair of class 92s shouldn't be a problem.

 

[Malaxa]

I'm not sure what is so "new" about this reported [31/1/2024] intermodal service between London Gateway and Doncaster iPort

New freight train service to link London and Yorkshire - taking 129 HGVs off the road each time

GB Railfreight has begun operating a new intermodal service this week, connecting London Gateway with iPort in Doncaster.

www.railadvent.co.uk

It was running in 2023. Was it not daily last year? [The comments there seems to have been hi-jacked by the roads lobby]
One service which will not be restarting, with the clearance of Barking, is the short-lived TX Logistik service from Cologne

Cologne-Barking rail freight service suspended shortly after inauguration

The recently inaugurated direct rail freight service connecting the city of Cologne, in the industrial heart of Germany, to the international commercial trading terminal of Barking in Greater London has been suspended just a few weeks after its much-applauded inauguration. The service, operated...

www.railfreight.com

 

[Adrian Barr]

What are the weight limits on HS1? Presumably this is for performance reasons, rather than and structural issues?
Given that running two separate trains presumably means two different locomotives are used, could they not just double-head the combined train to overcome performance issues? A class 374 draws up to 16MW, so power supply for a pair of class 92s shouldn't be a problem.

The timing load in either direction for 6O20 / 6O28 / 6L25 / 6L27 over HS1 is 1300 tons trailing, which is quite low, but the gradients on the route are not designed with freight in mind.

I found an HS1 Network Statement online which mentions the gradients:

The maximum gradient is 2.50% (1 in 40). Due to this maximum gradient, trains composed of vehicles fitted with standard UIC 850KN couplings will be limited to a maximum trailing load of 1,100 tonnes.

https://highspeed1.co.uk/media/0tmll3d5/hs1-network-statement-2019-published.pdf

Max loadings can be affected by coupling strength in addition to loco power. The traditional UK loads books have columns for 23 ton, 34 ton and 56 ton coupling strengths. 23 ton couplings are obsolete (think traditional vacuum braked wagons). 34 ton couplings would be the typical kind of thing you find on wagons built in the 1960s and 70s, such as HAAs, PGAs, OCAs, BDAs and so on. 56 ton couplings are now the standard on modern UK bulk freight wagons. The Tranfesa wagons used on HS1 have 34 ton couplings, presumably equivalent to the 850KN mentioned, which limits the trains to 1100 tons.

I don't know much about different coupling types, but I remember watching MGR trains accelerating out of Warrington bank Quay. I think these had instanter couplings which don't have the rigidity of modern types. The "slack" in the couplings meant that the front wagons of the train would be moving while the ones at the rear were still stationary, and by the time the rear wagons started moving, it was with a bit of a jolt and a sudden lurch forward!

A google search says the max gradient in the channel tunnel is 1-in-90 which is a bit more forgiving - I think that's similar to the Severn Tunnel, whereas 1-in-40 on HS1 is more like the Lickey Incline. The heaviest trains (such as the water trains to Daventry) are double-headed through the tunnel, perhaps partly for performance reasons, but I don't think coupling strength is an issue.

I'm not sure what is so "new" about this reported [31/1/2024] intermodal service between London Gateway and Doncaster iPort
It was running in 2023. Was it not daily last year?

Yes, I think it was a regular runner last year, I can find pictures or observations that show it running in May, July, September and December.
For example here at Spalding in July: https://www.flickr.com/photos/73574431@N06/53028266578/

This 4L00 / 4E00 London Gateway service was a Rotherham Masborough working back at the beginning of 2021. This is a rather nice shot of 4E00 with a selection of "Bulkhaul" tanktainers:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/50963614@N03/51016814803/

Then it switched to serving Doncaster Railport (the Freightliner container terminal on the Up side of the ECML behind the Hitachi depot and Wood Yard, not to be confused with the Iport), as seen in this colourful Aug 2021 photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/simmons163/51355018083/

Also in 2021, 4E00 is seen arriving at Doncaster Railport, via the reversible Up Slow off the Lincoln line: https://www.flickr.com/photos/alanpadley/51687987547/
For anyone unfamiliar with the location, to access the Iport (instead of the Railport) means it would approach Doncaster using the Lincoln flyover lines on the extreme right, avoid Doncaster station by taking the curve from Bridge Jn to run round at Hexthorpe, then pass the same location in the opposite direction to access the curve from Decoy South Jn to St Catherines Jn and the Iport, adjacent to the South Yorkshire Joint line to Worksop.

My guess is that a contract renewal has been "creatively interpreted" in the press release...

 

[stantheman]

Last Tuesday there was a Colas 70 working a Carlisle to Dewsbury via S@C headcode 6E97 . On RTT again today but no movement yet . What is this service ?

 

[WessexEclectic]

Last Tuesday there was a Colas 70 working a Carlisle to Dewsbury via S@C headcode 6E97 . On RTT again today but no movement yet . What is this service ?

According to Charlwood House, the train ran today as 6E41, albeit a little late.

Can't seem to find a similar working for last Tuesday here.

Headcode 6E97 appears to be used for trains heading to Teeside.

 

[Freightmaster]

Last Tuesday there was a Colas 70 working a Carlisle to Dewsbury via S@C headcode 6E97 . On RTT again today but no movement yet . What is this service ?

Trial loads of recycled ballast to be used in the TRU project.


MARK

 

[high camera]

Dore blockade March

I read somewhere that there will be a blockade for 8-9 days mid march.

How will this affect the stone traffic out of Derbyshire ?

Stockport busy ??

 

[Freightmaster]

Dore blockade March

I read somewhere that there will be a blockade for 8-9 days mid march.

How will this affect the stone traffic out of Derbyshire ?

Stockport busy ??

Everything that would normally pass through Totley tunnel is diverted via New Mills South that week;
most via Stockport, plus a few running to/from Crewe via Northenden and Altrincham.



MARK

 

[Adrian Barr]

I noticed there is a new flow stone flow from Machen to Uskmouth, which appears to have started on 12th Feb. It's been running twice a day (Freightliner 66s top & tailing MWA box wagons). Given the short distance and high volumes, I assume it's for some construction project down there, maybe someone knows more.

Monday's timings at Machen (6B45 - 6B46 - 6B54 - 6B44)
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/se...24-02-19/0000-2359?stp=WVS&show=all&order=wtt

The train I am after info on is the Liverpool emr to Aftercliffe, not a regular runner along with the Tinsley to seaforth. I assume it's scrap metal but any info on wagons , customer and indeed the metals workings still running in the Sheffield/Rotherham area would be appreciated .

The GBRF Attercliffe to Liverpool EMR scrap uses a set of JNA box wagons that also work to Liverpool from Swindon, Saltley and Kingsbury. It's booked to run on Mondays but doesn't run every week. The only part likely to be seen in daylight (at least in Spring / Summer) is the Attercliffe - Doncaster leg of 6M61 (it recesses in Down Decoy until 23:12). It ran on 12th Feb (arrived into Attercliffe in a later path as a 6E80) but not on the 19th. These are the WTT timings for next Monday (just as an example):

6E61 21:50 SUN Small Heath Caledonia Yard - Attercliffe (via Birmingham New Street, Soho, Bescot, Walsall, Burton, Toton, Sheffield)
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:H33345/2024-02-25/detailed

6M61 18:25 MO Attercliffe - Liverpool EMR (via Doncaster Down Decoy, Wakefield Kirkgate, Hebden Bridge, Manchester Victoria)
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:H00409/2024-02-26/detailed

This photo on flickr shows 6M61 near Rotherham last summer: https://www.flickr.com/photos/marcus_45111/53154479919/

The Tinsley - Seaforth slabs haven't run for a couple of years. Here is a rare daylight shot of the loaded working, which normally ran overnight from Tinsley once a week: https://www.flickr.com/photos/8arail/9972452884/
There were also a few occasional Tinsley - Hull slab movements using the regular Rotherham - Hull trip, but those ceased around the same time.

For other Sheffield steel traffic, regular Railfreight at Aldwarke ceased with the end of the Deepcar trips, towards the end of 2022. There had been some very occasional ad hoc, small volume local movements of slab from Tinsley to Aldwarke (for Thrybergh I seem to remember) but those stopped around the same time as the Deepcar trips.

The Tinsley to Immingham slab flow still runs (6D03 / 6J03). If the Saturday working is running, it has a lunchtime departure which gives more scope for photography than the evening departure during the week.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/marcus_45111/53009692699/

Trains of coalfish and other 2-axle infrastructure wagons for scrapping have been running fairly regularly, as required, to both Attercliffe and Booths at Rotherham during the last couple of years.
67005 on a 6Z83 Toton - Attercliffe: https://www.flickr.com/photos/resilient741/52991486683/
66050 on a 6Z55 Doncaster Belmont - Rotherham Booths: https://www.flickr.com/photos/marcus_45111/52997946243/

Rotherham Masborough still functions as a modest hub for metals traffic. 6V81 (18:15 scrap in MBAs to Cardiff Tidal) runs once or twice a week, Friday seems to be a regular day.

The overnight Immingham - Wolverhampton steel coil train (runs 2 or 3 times a week) calls at Rotherham to pick up more wagons of coil which have arrived earlier in the day on the 6J94 Hull trip.

In the opposite direction (maybe once a week on average) there is a coil flow from Port Talbot and Llanwern to Immingham and Hull, often running overnight as a 6Z20 Margam - Immingham and detaching Hull traffic at Rotherham for the same 6D94 / 6J94 trip.

 

[Gaz67]

Thanks for that, detailed as ever, slim pickings indeed , went past booths on the train last weekend and surprised to see plenty of 80/90s era freightliner containers still in existence.

 

[Oxfordblues]

Thank you for that very detailed report. My dissertation at Salford University in 1974 was on "The Importance of Wagonload Rail Freight" in which I argued for the retention of certain less-than-trainload flows as part of a package for customers seeking more frequent deliveries. Despite the ruthless culling of Speedlink 30-plus years ago it's good to see that some "wagonload" flows survive, such as those handled at Masborough (mentioned above).

 

[Gaz67]

Thank you for that very detailed report. My dissertation at Salford University in 1974 was on "The Importance of Wagonload Rail Freight" in which I argued for the retention of certain less-than-trainload flows as part of a package for customers seeking more frequent deliveries. Despite the ruthless culling of Speedlink 30-plus years ago it's good to see that some "wagonload" flows survive, such as those handled at Masborough (mentioned above).

I miss the days of the good old mixed freight , but looking at it logically it is alive and well. Every train out of Felixtowe will be carrying anything from white goods to toys and training shoes, when these goods were manufactured in the UK it would have involved rakes of vans at factories all over the uk, now it is all mainly manufactured in the far east [ not everything granted] and carried in shipping containers all over the uk in enormous length mixed goods trains. Would definately prefer a rake of VDAs personally but time moves on. Surprised containers aren,t used more for small scale domestic flows , maybe with curtainside for ease of handling . Colas with its short trains of silver bullets proves that not every freight train needs to be a mile long.

 

[The exile]

I miss the days of the good old mixed freight , but looking at it logically it is alive and well. Every train out of Felixtowe will be carrying anything from white goods to toys and training shoes, when these goods were manufactured in the UK it would have involved rakes of vans at factories all over the uk, now it is all mainly manufactured in the far east [ not everything granted] and carried in shipping containers all over the uk in enormous length mixed goods trains. Would definately prefer a rake of VDAs personally but time moves on. Surprised containers aren,t used more for small scale domestic flows , maybe with curtainside for ease of handling . Colas with its short trains of silver bullets proves that not every freight train needs to be a mile long.

Guess the problem with curtain sides is the potential for loads shifting and going out of gauge (however fractionally). Some metallic arrangement might be possible though.