Freight traffic, flows and customers Covering Speedlink (Wagonload) and Bulk (Trainload) traffic (late 1970s - late 1980s) Version 2.3 Updates from 1st Feb onwards 2.3 Updated several flows, a number of unknown traffics or queries have come about. 2.2 Updated several flows, agricultural, household coal, food, unidentified Added Chemical and Aggregate flows. Many notes added regarding UKF Fertiliser traffic 2.1 Added Automotive flows around Severn Tunnel Junction Yard Added Coke flows to Hallen Marsh, and Military Traffic heading Freight traffic, flows and customers Covering Speedlink (Wagonload) and Bulk (Trainload) traffic (late 1970s - late 1980s) Version 2.3 Notes Each of the traffic flows is set out in the same way, as follows: Origin to Destination, Traffic type for Customer (Bulk, Wagonload/Speedlink, Wagon Types) - followed by any notes of dates, method of operation, related information, motive power. Any unknown pieces of information are marked with ????. Sources are varied and too numerous to name individual, but include personal recollections or knowledge, web sources, web forums, books. Automotive Traffic • Dagenham Dock to Severn Tunnel Jnc Yard, Cars for Ford (Bulk, Cartics/Carflats) Services conveyed Escort and Cortina vehicles. The loaded working from Dagenham would sometimes have a portion for Exeter Riverside included, which went forward as wagonload traffic on an Exeter or Plymouth bound train. The former steam shed was a distribution point. • Dagenham Dock to Exeter Riverside, Cars for Ford (Speedlink, Cartics) See Dagenham Dock to Severn Tunnel Jnc Yard for details. Agricultural Related Traffic • Immingham to Avonmouth, Fertilizer for Norsk Hydro (Bulk, Cargowaggons) • Immingham to Carmarthen Junction, ???? for ???? (????, ????) • ???? to Braintree, Fertiliser for UKF (Wagonload, UKF Bogie Vans) Traffic was unloaded in the old station goods yard at Braintree. Sometimes International VTG CargoWagons were used. The wagons were tripped to/from Whitemoor Yard, presumably either joining Speedlink services back to Ince, or connecting with other vehicles to form a bulk train back to the North West. 6H78 15:10 Braintree to Whitemoor was the return working in the mid-1980s. • ???? to Dereham, Fertiliser for UKF (Wagonload, UKF Bogie Vans) Still running in 1985. • Ince to ????, Fertiliser for UKF (Bulk, UKF Bogie Vans) Routed via Crewe from Ince, near Ellesmere Port. • ???? to Kirkcaldy, Fertisier for UKF (Wagonload, UKF Bogie Vans) • ???? to Akeman Street, near Calvert, Fertiliser for UKF (Wagonload, UKF Bogie Vans) Train operated from Aylesbury to Calvert to run-round, then down the former Grendon Underwood to Ashedon Junction line, to the terminal at Akeman Street. • ???? to Gillingham, Fertiliser for UKF (Wagonload, UKF Bogie Vans) Traffic travelled via Eastleigh Yard. • ???? to Chichester, Fertiliser for UKF (Wagonload, UKF Bogie Vans) Traffic travelled via Eastleigh Yard. • ???? to Fratton, Fertiliser for UKF (Wagonload, UKF Bogie Vans) Traffic travelled via Eastleigh Yard. • Ince & Elton to Horsham, Fertiliser for UKF (Bulk, UKF Bogie Vans) Electrically hauled from Crewe to Mitre Bridge Junction, from where a 33 would take the train onto Horsham. • Ince & Elton to Truro, Fertiliser for UKF (Bulk, UKF Bogie Vans - PWAs) Service operated in the early 1980s as a Mondays Only northbound with empty PWA Palvans, following the delivery of bagged fertiliser to Truro. Aggregate Traffic • Rylstone to Hull Dairycotes, Limestone for Tilcon (Bulk, 2-Axle Hoppers) Traffic was later conveyed in purpose-built bogie hoppers leased from NACCO, Tilcon later sold to Tarmac. • Redmire to Redcar, Limestone for British Steel (Bulk, Private Owner 2-Axle Hoppers) Bitumen/Tar Traffic • ???? to Glazebrook, Manchester. Tar for British Tar Products (????, ????) • Thameshaven to Kilnhurst, Rotherham, Bitumen for Yorkshire Tar Distillers (Bulk, TEAs). Traffic ceased around 1999. Located later became Croda Rotherham. Operated by Class 31s (singly or paired) in the early-mid 1980s. Usually a Ripple Lane Class 37 working in the late 1980s, although Toton allocated 58s were common in the latter days. • ???? to Skipton, Bitumen for ???? (Bulk, Two-Axle Tanks) Was worked by pairs of Class 31s in later years. Still running late 1980s. • Humber, Immingham to Ashton-in-Makerfield, Bitumen for ??? (Bulk, Two-Axle Tanks) Believed to have originated at Humber, Immingham, but may have been different. • ???? to Cranmore, Bitumen for ???? (????,????) Service last operated in 1985. Terminal now part of the East Somerset Railway. Possibly originated at Ellesmere Port Cement Traffic • Cliffe to Uddingston, Cement for Blue Circle (Bulk, Cemflows) • Earles Sidings to Widnes, Cement for Blue Circle (Bulk, Cemflows) • Earles Sidings to Dewsbury, Cement for Blue Circle (Bulk, Cemflows, PCAs) • Eastgate, Weardale, to South Dock, Cement for ???? (Bulk, ????) • Eastgate, Weardale, to Heaton, Cement for ???? (Bulk, ????) • Eastgate, Weardale, to Scunthorpe, Cement for ???? (Bulk, ????) • Eastgate, Weardale, to Leeds, Cement for ???? (Bulk, ????) • Northfleet to Uddingston, Bagged cement for Blue Circle (Wagonload, VDA) Chemical Traffic • Saltend to Mostyn Dock, Acetic Acid for ???? (Wagonload, 2 Axle Tanks) Traffic conveyed from the BP Chemical works at Saltend, via Healey Mills and Warrington. During the 1990s, was often tripped from Warrington to Mostyn in the accompaniment of steel from Scunthorpe for export. Latter years, was run as a direct train in both directions, with the empties working 6E39 Mostyn Dock - Saltend, and loaded being 6M62 1727 Saltend to Mostyn Dock. • Salted to Spondon, Acetic Acid for ???? (????, 2 Axle Tanks) In the late 1990s, ran as a dedicated train, 6M88 1424 Saltend to Spondon, but may have been wagonload during Speedlink days. • Saltend to Baglan Bay, Acetic Acid for ???? (Bulk, 2 Axle Tanks) During 1998, operated as 6V14 south to Baglan Bay, and 6E33 2015 Baglan Bay to Saltend on the return, arriving just under 12 hours later. • ??? to Melton, near Hull, Calcium Carbonate Slurry for Croxton & Garry (Wagonload, Bogie Tanks) Conveyed on Doncaster to Hull Speedlink and Enterprise trains. Any traffic for the C&G Works at Melton had to travel through the Hull first, and then be deposited at the Works on the return, as there was no rail access from the west to east line. • Corkickle to Ince, Phosphoric Acid for UK Fertilizers (Bulk, small two-axle TUA tanks) View of the train in operation: https://www.flickr.com/photos/blue-diesels/4562717600 • Duxford to Barnstaple/Taunton/Bridgewater, Resin for ???? (Wagonload, TTB tanks) Loaded at Duxford by Ciba Geigy for a firm near South Molton. At various wagons the train operated to Barnstaple, Taunton or Bridgewater for unloading. • Ditton to Willesden, Oxygen for Distiller MG (Wagonload, TTA) Coal - Power Station/Industrial Traffic • Immingham-Scunthorpe, Coal for British Steel (Bulk, HAA) • Mansfield to Northwich, Coal for ICI (Bulk, MCV/HTV) • Nantgarw to Hallen Marsh, Coke for Commonwealth Smelting (Wagonload, HTVs) HCO 20-ton coke hoppers were used on this flow until the early 1980s. Flow could also originate from Cam or Coed Ely coke ovens, north of Llantrisant. In later years, the flow originated from BSC Grange at Port Talbot. • Hull Docks to Rugby Cement Works, Imported Coal for Rugby Cement (Bulk, MEAs) A flow that operated 1998/1999, using EWS two-axle MEA wagons, conveying imported coal for industrial use. Operated fortnightly on average, usually with a Class 37. The wagons would arrive empty from Washwood Health (6Z83), be loaded and then depart to Rugby. After discharge, they were returned to Washwood Health. • Pontycymer to Jersey Marine, Reclaimed coal for ???? (Bulk, MEAs) The cold from Pontycymer, in the Garw Valley, was blended at Jersey Marine Steel Supply, before being reloaded and sent to Aberthaw Power Station for supplying electricity. • Thornton Yard, Fife, to Cockenzie Power Station, Coal for Scottish Power (Bulk, HAAs) Traffic was loaded from two pads around the yard, and then moved, usually via Dunfermline and the Forth Bridge, to Millerhill at Edinburgh, where it was staged, before onward movement to the power station. Restrictions on the Forth Bridge resulted in shorter than normal sets (24HAA), so three Thornton to Millerhill trains were reformed into two standard length (36HAA) Millerhill to Cockenzie workings. Coal - Household / Other Mineral Traffic • Cardiff Valleys to Exeter Exmouth Jn, Household Coal for ???? (Wagonload, HEA) • Cardiff Valleys to Preston Bootle Road, Household Coal for ???? (Wagonload, HEAs) • Gascoigne Wood to Mersey Docks, Household Coal for Cawoods (Wagonload, Containers) Moved in 20ft open topped containers, conveyed household coal for export to Ireland. Pre- privatisation flow • Rossington/Gascogine Wood to Aberdeen, Household Coal for British Fuels (Speedlink, Containers) British Fuels took over the Cawoods containers and used them for household coal distribution in Scotland. Several loading points, specifically Rossington and Gascoigne Wood. Moved on Translink Rail Enterprise Network. (post-Privatisation flow) • Swansea Burrows to ????, Containerised coal for Celtic Energy (????, ????) • Linby Colliery, Nottinghamshire, to Aldermaston, Coal for ???? (Wagonload, MCV/HTV) • Deep Navigation Pit, South Wales, to Aldermaston, Coal for ???? (Wagonload, MCV/HTV) • ???? to Princes Risborough, Coal for ???? (Wagonload, HTV/HEA) Flyash Traffic • West Burton to Fletton, Flyash for CEGB Little Barton (Bulk, Presflows) Food & Drink Traffic • Foss Island, York to Various, Chocolate/Biscuits For Rowntrees