Info required - Freight trains workings around Crewe 1977

[NeilH]

Hi

 

I was just wondering if anyone could help me with details relating to freight train workings through Crewe (the station or adjacent freight lines) in 1977 ?

 

Details relating to the workings and their associated locos and freight wagon types would be great.

 

Info required for model railway project !!

 

 

Any help/ guidance would be much appreciated,

 

Kind Regards,

 

N.

[Mr_Dreadful]

Loads and loads and loads is the short answer!

 

Amongst other traffic flows you have:

 

Oil trains to/from Stanlow (mainly with SP Class 40's)

Freightliners - Willesden-Holyhead/rtn, change engine in Basford Hall from 81-85 to Class 40 (again probably SP)

Freightliners - Dudley-Glasgow/rtn (Pair of 87's!)

Freightliners - Lawley St-Holyhead/rtn (Class 40)

Freightliners - Willesden-Speke (81-85)

Sand Traffic from Stoke/Leek (Class 24 or 25)

A processions of mixed freights heading towards Shrewsbury/Hereford/Severn Tunnel - almost all Class 47 (CF or CD)

 

On a weekday there would be a freight going through Crewe or on the avoiding lines about every 10 minutes!

 

Loads of class 24/25/40/47 diesels with electrics mainly 81-85 used for long distance stuff under the wires (they almost always used an electric if they could back then).

[roythebus]

The Redhill sand train, unfitted hoppers, usually electric hauled from Willesden, the Bletchley Brickliner with 2x25s to add a couple more. When I worked at Rugby, there were loads of part-fitted and unfitted trains from there to Crewe, too numerous to list!

 

Freightliners were by then being worked by 87s due to their extra HP, meaning longer trains, 1000tonnes being typical.

[newbryford]

A processions of mixed freights heading towards Shrewsbury/Hereford/Severn Tunnel - almost all Class 47 (CF or CD)

 

Northbound mixed freights would often be for Warrington Arpley/Walton Jn to other northwest destinations or Carlisle Kingmoor bound for onward movement to Scotland. The diesel hauled stuff for KM was often routed via the S&C and would often see ED or HA allocated 47's working back home or trains that originated at the likes of Severn Tunnel Junction could have BR or CF Duffs going for a few days out!

 

Cheers,

Mick

[roythebus]

Also car trains, covered vans from Dagenham to Halewood ford factories, cartics from Halewood to tilbury are a couple more that spring to mind.

[Fat Controller]

There was a Toton/Derby to Crewe working which included all sorts of wagons conveying CMEE spares- any thing from 6-wheel Enparts vans (see Roger Chivers' Fish Van) to ordinary opens and all sorts of well and flat wagons with things like complete bogies and power units going to/from overhaul. As the load was entirely for Crewe Works, I suspect it may have gone into the reception sidings there. It used to pass Alsager in the early afternoon.

[NeilH]

Thanks for the info on this - much appreciated,

 

Regards

 

Neil.

[StaffsOatcake]

Coal, coal and more coal from off the Stoke line to various locations using both the HAA wagons and various minerals wagons/hoppers with and with vacuum brakes. Coke wagons for Shelton Iron & Steel

 

 

China Clay wagons from cornwall. Ferry wagons from the continent.

[Fat Controller]

Coal, coal and more coal from off the Stoke line to various locations using both the HAA wagons and various minerals wagons/hoppers with and with vacuum brakes. Coke wagons for Shelton Iron & Steel

 

 

China Clay wagons from cornwall. Ferry wagons from the continent.

Iron ore from Bidston to Shelton Bar- what wagons did they use for this? In the opposite direction, trains of coking coal 'duff' from Chatterley-Whitfield to Shotton.

[davefreight]

Iron ore from Bidston to Shelton Bar- what wagons did they use for this? In the opposite direction, trains of coking coal 'duff' from Chatterley-Whitfield to Shotton.

 

Brian, have the following header: Pool 3119 (ex 3035) Various. Birkenhead (38101) to various. Iron Ore. 48 HIV 1973-75. Notes indicate diagram 1/163 Iron Ore hoppers. Had also been iron ore tfc from Bidston to Brymbo, Corby, and Stanton Grove back in the day. Workings to Shelton commenced in 1977; prior to then the furnaces there could not use imported ore and were supplied from Cast Thorpe Jnc. amongst other places.

 

David R

[Fat Controller]

Brian, have the following header: Pool 3119 (ex 3035) Various. Birkenhead (38101) to various. Iron Ore. 48 HIV 1973-75. Notes indicate diagram 1/163 Iron Ore hoppers. Had also been iron ore tfc from Bidston to Brymbo, Corby, and Stanton Grove back in the day. Workings to Shelton commenced in 1977; prior to then the furnaces there could not use imported ore and were supplied from Cast Thorpe Jnc. amongst other places.

 

David R

Thanks for that, David. The modified furnaces at Shelton Bar can't have seen much use, as they shut at the beginning of the 1980s.

Returning to traffic through Crewe; there were vans of small-arms ammunition from Radway Green, military vehicles on assorted flat wagons to Marchington (near Uttoxeter) and spoil wagons (a glorious mixture of purpose-built stock and ex-traffic wagons) to the CCE tip at Alsager. There were workings of FS ferry-vans to the Indesit warehouse at Alsager- next to the site of the old steam shed- these had just ceased when I worked there in 1979.

[davefreight]

Thanks for that, David. The modified furnaces at Shelton Bar can't have seen much use, as they shut at the beginning of the 1980s.

Returning to traffic through Crewe; there were vans of small-arms ammunition from Rodway Green, military vehicles on assorted flat wagons to Marchington (near Uttoxeter) and spoil wagons (a glorious mixture of purpose-built stock and ex-traffic wagons) to the CCE tip at Alsager. There were workings of FS ferry-vans to the Indesit warehouse at Alsager- next to the site of the old steam shed- these had just ceased when I worked there in 1979.

 

Brian, thanks for the info on the Indesit warehouse.

 

David R

[Guest Phil]

There was a whole panoply (love that word) of designs represented here.

 

Some of the less obvious but typical flows were ;

 

BOC oxygen tanks which operated out of Ditton. Two regular destinations were North Wembley and Wolverhampton.

 

Shellstar bogie fertilizer vans from Ince & Elton which visited loads of destinations on a timetabled basis.

 

Dangerous goods with barriers and brake from Ellesmere Port to Langley Green (can't remember commodity at the moment)

 

Anti-knock compound in the Associated octel tanks with barriers and brakevan, originated at Amlwch.

 

Nuclear flasks passing between Sellafield and a number of locations in the South. One northbound flow was included in 8M76 Gloucester-Warrington, which conveyed a flask marshalled in the forward Warrington portion - generally a class 40 in the very early 1980s.

 

 

 

Plenty of others - these of the top of my head.

 

HTH

[NeilH]

Hi

 

Could anyone help me please with what type of freight wagons would make up the mixed freight trains that passed Crewe at this time ? Details of consists would be great if anyone could help out.

 

Thanks again

 

Regards

 

Neil.