davefreight

Is it absolutely certain that loads never go north to Dounreay any more. At one time they certainly did since the RN had/have a testing facility there.

Sodium tripolyphosphate was loaded by Albright & Wilson at Corkickle, not discharged there. Davefreight

The Crewe BH to Runcorn Folly Lane trip is still a fairly regular runner and I believe ran today. Formerly operated by DB it is now a Freightliner job. The traffic, in tank containers, comprises caustic soda from Runcorn to customers in the Scottish Lowlands. The Castner-Kellner chemical complex at Runcorn has been producing caustic soda since the nineteenth century.

From old TOPS records known loading points for these grain vans when in main line use were Mistley and Ipswich, both RW Paul at Ipswich Docks and Ipswich Maltings at Ipswich Griffen Wharf, but there could have been other loading points in East Anglia. I have a notion that by 1976 they were lettered 'To Work Between Eastern Region and Burton-on-Trent'. In all these flows to Burton they worked alongside similar BR Grain Vans.

According to TOPS they were carrying "milk products" from the Continent to Buxton Freight Depot.

When working to the company's distribution depots the BOC block trains often featured mixed consists, some of the tanks loaded liquid oxygen and others liquid nitrogen. However, flows for a specific purpose would be confined to one or the other; eg. nitrogen to Falmouth for ship storage tank purging or to Inverness for fruit packaging, while Corby and Sheerness received oxygen.

A few additions to all the above. By the mid 1980's the Tarmac (ex Amasco) terminal at Pendleton was served by either the 'Super Train' formation (mixed Peakstone, ex Staveley, PGA's and Tarmac 149xx PGA's) or by a shorter rake comprising just TAMC 149xx's. Prior to that the earlier Tarmac 146xx PGA batch did the job before they left the Peak District for Cliff Hill. I'm not aware that the few 'Baby Salts' based at Dove Holes Quarry worked in the Salford Hope St. circuit but another type which did were the Cadoux built Tiger PBA's 135xx batch sans top covers. They would appear in mixed rakes with bogie Tiphook PIA and RMC PHA hoppers, although from memory such mixed rakes didn't last for long. The replacement PGA's mentioned as taking over from the ICI PHV's were those allocated to the Tunstead to Northwich circuit. As far as I'm aware they never troubled the Miles Platting to Dean Lane metals. David

I've no idea whether all had officially been transferred but a Class 50 appeared on the early afternoon Manchester Victoria to Preston portion of the Liverpool/Manchester to Glasgow working as late as May 1977. I recall being hauled by one on my way to an interview in Lancaster that month, and with just four coaches it was a sprightly run. Unfortunately though it was before I began taking photos.

Yes, VDA's were used for the Guinness traffic from Park Royal before being replaced by VGA's.

The scaffolding board photographed at Dallam had originated in Luxembourg but other originating point were available. The OP might also find my short article 'Cargowaggon's versatile flats', which appeared in Rail Express February 2018, of interest.

Yes, and also from Ince & Elton. From memory the yoghurt went to Young's at Glengarnock, one of the most under utilized private terminals I can think of, on a par with the Cory McGregor place at Warrington Dallam.

Mobile signal and excellent fish and chips all to be had in Hellifield !

Neville Hill still supplied on a Wednesday but in bogie tank wagons.

As the author of the Rail Express guide to Network Coal trains I can direct you to that article which you will find, complete with formations, in the July 2008 issue.