Jump to content
 

BR diesel locomotive haul steel, scrap, ore iron train


Recommended Posts

Certainly some 47s allocated to the metals sector in sectorisation days. 58s were concentrated on MGR coal traffic until the final years of BR when sub-sectors gave way to the 3 regional operators, when they started appearing on more varied trafiic.

 

Don't know about 31s, but none of them ever carried Metals subsector livery.

Link to post
Share on other sites

In my 1991 combine there are a few 20s allocated to Railfreight Metals sector at Thornaby.

 

Presumably they must have been used in pairs on steel or scrap trains for a time?

Link to post
Share on other sites

31's did sometimes make it onto metals services around the North West area. There is a clip on youtube of a 31/4 heading a short steel coil service out of the loop at Warrington Bank Quay. 31's (aswell as class 20's) were also used on the scrap metals traffic up to Ashton in Makerfield, this service then returned to Warrington Arpley.

 

Cheers

 

Simon

Link to post
Share on other sites

Back to the 1980s I would imagine you could find any class of loco hauling scrap at times.

Here is a pair of 20s heading north at Chesterfield with scrap in 16t mins,

post-7081-0-28331200-1433017323.jpg

20188 and 20186 head through Chesterfield with scrap for Deepcar, 16/9/81

 

cheers 

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

My home town of Scunthorpe has the largest steelworks in the UK.

 

I have seen classes 20 in pairs, 31, 37, 40, 45, 46, 47 and 56 on steel trains in this area, both finished products and scrap or ore, plus empties.

 

Ore trains run from the ore terminal at Immingham and were two class 37's, then one class 56, now one class 66. VERY heavy train, wagons only ever 1/4 full.

 

When ore came from the UK, it often came with two class 31's on it, and was worked in from the east via Wrawby Junction, since the western approach to the town, the so called Gun House bank, is fearsome.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Excellent shots. Unfinished ingots in the second one.

 

I've shots somewhere of double-headed class 87's at Carlisle with southbound steel flat coils.....10,000hp.

Found it:

 

post-13196-0-66727500-1433099658_thumb.jpg

Edited by JeffP
  • Like 3
Link to post
Share on other sites

Much of the metals traffic in South Wales was worked by classes 37, 47, and 56 in the early 1980s

but other classes of loco also worked steel traffic as seen here

 

post-7081-0-84159200-1433102263.jpg

Passing East Usk Junction heading west is 31304 with three wagons of coil loaded 'eye to sky', going in the other way are two light engines,

on the up main 47283 is for the Severn Tunnel Junction direction, and 37162 is on the up relief going to Llanwern, 10/2/82

 

cheers

  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

Much of the metals traffic in South Wales was worked by classes 37, 47, and 56 in the early 1980s

but other classes of loco also worked steel traffic as seen here

 

attachicon.gifscan0178a.jpg

Passing East Usk Junction heading west is 31304 with three wagons of coil loaded 'eye to sky', going in the other way are two light engines,

on the up main 47283 is for the Severn Tunnel Junction direction, and 37162 is on the up relief going to Llanwern, 10/2/82

 

cheers

Thanks find the photo of steel train

And please get more photo go on rmweb

Link to post
Share on other sites

Re the Immingham to Saton Ore trains.

 

When the then new tippler wagons went onto the flow moving the imported ore pairs of 37s was used on the trains, In 1991/2 these gave way to single class 60s and the length of the trains raised from 21 to 24 tippler wagons in around 2010 66's started to be diagrammed on the ore trains but with the last 4 wagons empty!

 

Class 56s have never been used on the trains they trial a 56 in around 1980 but the loco was out of gauge for the unloader at Santon and 3 56's have worked the empties back when incidents have occurred.

Link to post
Share on other sites

You're right, of course, and I have loads of photos of 60's on that working.

 

Sorry for the mistake.

 

Not that our friend who started the topic seems remotely interested..........

Link to post
Share on other sites

Re the Immingham to Saton Ore trains.

 

When the then new tippler wagons went onto the flow moving the imported ore pairs of 37s was used on the trains, In 1991/2 these gave way to single class 60s and the length of the trains raised from 21 to 24 tippler wagons in around 2010 66's started to be diagrammed on the ore trains but with the last 4 wagons empty!

 

Class 56s have never been used on the trains they trial a 56 in around 1980 but the loco was out of gauge for the unloader at Santon and 3 56's have worked the empties back when incidents have occurred.

 

Why did they haul 4 wagons around empty? If the 66s weren't man enough for the full rake could they not have removed 4 wagons somewhere and left them?

Link to post
Share on other sites

Why did they haul 4 wagons around empty? If the 66s weren't man enough for the full rake could they not have removed 4 wagons somewhere and left them?

I would suspect that if they were short of a class 60 for one or two round trips it was easier to leave the set of 24 intact.

The sets are formed of inner wagons with a rotary coupler at each end and two outer wagons each with normal drawgear at one end.

So to reduce a set by four you have to cut them out of the middle of the set,  not off the end.

You then have four spare wagons stood without normal buffers at each end, which are difficult to move without an adapter wagon, until they are added back into the set.

 

cheers

Link to post
Share on other sites

Much of the metals traffic in South Wales was worked by classes 37, 47, and 56 in the early 1980s

but other classes of loco also worked steel traffic as seen here

 

attachicon.gifscan0178a.jpg

Passing East Usk Junction heading west is 31304 with three wagons of coil loaded 'eye to sky', going in the other way are two light engines,

on the up main 47283 is for the Severn Tunnel Junction direction, and 37162 is on the up relief going to Llanwern, 10/2/82

 

cheers

 

 

Wow. I don't think I have ever seen a 31 on a steel train in S Wales before. Not that I can remember, anyway.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Wow. I don't think I have ever seen a 31 on a steel train in S Wales before. Not that I can remember, anyway.

I don't remember 31s on steel in South Wales much, I think is the only one I photograped. 

 

My notes don't say so but I can now guess it was coil for the BSC Tinplate Works at Ebbw Vale.

I took this next photo, at the end of the film, later the same day,

post-7081-0-36791900-1433258153.jpg

37233 is held on the Up Relief at Llanwern West waiting acceptance into the BSC steel works

31304 passes by now heading east towards Severn Tunnel Junction with what may be the return working, 10/2/82

If they are VCAs they will be loaded with tinplate for Metal Box at Worcester or Wisbeach,  with empty coil carriers on the rear.

 

cheers 

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...