Silver bullet's routing

[TravisM]

I recently purchased a Kato/Dapol "Silver Bullet's" set as I really liked it (we've all been there) but wondered what it's routing was/is?  I seem to recall it started in Cornwall and ended up in Scotland.  Can I ask what it's usual number of wagons was as I'm sure I'd need more than the number supplied in the set.

 

Julian Sprott

[ColinK]

I've seen it twice recently near Lancaster, from my photos it looks like about 15 wagons with a 66 and 92 on the front.

[Fat Controller]

I've seen it twice recently near Lancaster, from my photos it looks like about 15 wagons with a 66 and 92 on the front.

Though they look similar,these are the third generation of slurry tanks for the Irvine flow, and were introduced when the flow moved from Cornish clay to Brazilian clay imported via Antwerpen. The Dapol ones represent the first type; then came a second type that grossed 100t. The original and the most recent type both had a gross weight of 90t.

Given the gradients the Cornish train would have encountered, I would suggest eight or nine wagons west of Exeter, and ten to fifteen from there onwards. The additional wagons would have arrived at Exeter on another train.

[rob D2]

Burngullow- Irvine, for coating paper IIrc.

 

2x37/5 originally, and 11-15 tanks. Deffo went via Hereford......

[brianusa]

Imerys are debating the future of rail -V- road transport.  It would be sad to see rail freight operations disappear altogether from Cornwall and more lorries on narrow Cornish roads.

 

Brian.

[TravisM]

As the train is now run by GBRf and routed via the WCML to Scotland.  When it was with EWS and later DBS, was it regularly routed over the S&C?

 

Julian Sprott

[rob D2]

Imerys are debating the future of rail -V- road transport.  It would be sad to see rail freight operations disappear altogether from Cornwall and more lorries on narrow Cornish roads.

 

Brian.

That would be a disaster !

 

But then again Imerys can be rearranged to make misery...

[Rivercider]

From the 1993 Freight Train Loads Book

 

Burngullow to Irvine,  Route Availability 8,  Length Limit 45 standard length units,   Timing Load 60/2.

 

Load limit To Exeter,   Class 37/4  660 tonnes,  2 x Class 37/4 1205 tonnes

Load limit from Exeter   Class 37/4 810 tonnes,   2 x Class 37/4  1565 tonnes

 

cheers    

[andybuttterworth1962]

Hi Julian

 

To be honest it is whatever takes your fancy

 

Here's 66086 with two in tow at Perth on the 30th June this year at about 9am making its way towards Aberdeen.

 

Regards

Andy

 

 

 

[rob D2]

Hi Julian

 

To be honest it is whatever takes your fancy

 

Here's 66086 with two in tow at Perth on the 30th June this year at about 9am making its way towards Aberdeen.

 

Regards

Andy

 

 

 

 

 

 

DSC_0280.JPG

DSC_0281.JPG

 

I don't think that train is anything to do with the train the OP is talking about. It comes from Belgium now and runs with GBRF !

 

Is this not something like Aberdeen - Workington

[TravisM]

I don't think that train is anything to do with the train the OP is talking about. It comes from Belgium now and runs with GBRF !

 

Is this not something like Aberdeen - Workington

 

Are they the same or similar style of wagons that in the Silver Bullets set?

 

Julian Sprott

[Jamie]

Within Scotland, the Irvine flow used to come up the GSW from Carlisle (it was a spark of interest between the endless sprinters and coal trains), but now runs via WCML to Glasgow and down the Ayrshire coast. When coming up the GSW I think it ran to Irvine via Kilmarnock, rather than via Annbank...  Certainly used to return south via Kilmarnock, as I used to see it regularly from the A76 around Barleith.

[Andy Kirkham]

I once caught it passing through Annan in 2008, although this was unusual by that date

Silver Bullets at Annan. Jan 3, 2008. by Andy Kirkham, on Flickr

[newbryford]

As the train is now run by GBRf and routed via the WCML to Scotland.  When it was with EWS and later DBS, was it regularly routed over the S&C?

 

Julian Sprott

 

It's been a very rare event going S&C (unless it's come up the MML or ECML and then via the Aire Valley and Skipton). There were a few planned diversions during engineering work.

 

There is a path in the system via the S&C for the current GBRf flow but has not run that way yet.

 

Cheers,

Mick

Edited September 3, 2017 by newbryford

[Fat Controller]

Are they the same or similar style of wagons that in the Silver Bullets set?

 

Julian Sprott

They're similar, but not identical. The load is calcium carbonate slurry, used in the same manner as china clay as a filler/coating for board and paper. Presumably, it's brought in by sea to Aberdeen.

[Jack374]

IIRC, the tanks in post #13 are TEA wagons, which have been around longer than the ICAs which are the typical 'Silver Bullets' (with depressed centre). The flow to Irvine up the WCML is 6S94, which runs on Wednesdays only (and not all of them) from either Dollands Moor or Wembley EFOC more recently, as the train originates in Antwerp, Belgium and travels through the 'Chunnel'. I think the train from Workington is also to the Irvine paper plant, and I've seen loads of one wagon up to loads of 8, which (around 2011) was tagged onto the back of an intermodal service until Carlisle New Yard.

 

Hope this helps,

Jack.

[drjcontroller]

Unless it's changed in the 3 months since I retired from DBC, the flow to/from Workington is loaded at Aberdeen with calcium carbonate slurry and comes south on Wednesdays to Mossend, tripped to Carlisle overnight and then to Workington on a Thursday, where the previous weeks empties are collected and returned to Aberdeen on Fridays (also via Mossend). On Saturdays, loaded tanks from Aberdeen come south to Mossend and tripped to Irvine on Mondays.

 

In my time at DB, the slurry from Antwerp always ran via the WCML to Mossend with a 92, then swapped with a 66 for the final leg to Irvine. This changed in January 2016 with the closure of Lamington Viaduct due to flood damage when the train was temporarily routed via the G&SW. It was permanently changed to this new routing when it became apparent that the train could be delivered earlier to the customer and use less traincrew, Carlisle based drivers quickly learning the route between Falkland and the paper mill.

In the latter days of DB's operation of 6S94, once the 92 fleet had been limited to working on HS1 or the Channel Tunnel only, it was worked by a 66 from Dollands Moor to Wembley, a pair of Class 90s from Wembley to Carlisle and a 66 to Irvine.