Class 37 Country

[kevsmiththai]

After what seems an eternity of rotten weather here in the North West of U.K (Storms, Floods, snow etc) and massive disruption to parts of the rail network things are now starting to slowly improve. Last weekend was the first decent day to get out and do some filming on the Cumbrian Coast for ages.This line has become the go-to spot for catching the venerable Class 37s in action some of which date back to the early 1960s.

 

Now light enough in the morning to catch the first Carlisle to Barrow train running in the usual formation of Class 37/4 locomotive with three Mk II coaches and a DBSO driving van.

 

With the sunlight just starting to break through DBSO lights stand out as it approaches Sowerby Lodge on the single line section between Park South and Barrow.

 

Returning half an hour later 37 409 'Lord Hinton' eases off as it approaches Park South junction at Thwaites Flats

 

 

The sunny picture does not give a hint of how cold it was here!

 

Following close behind was the Saturday 6K73 Crewe to Sellafield Flask train lead by 37 069 leading 37 609

 

 

 

[kevsmiththai]

Later that morning the Carlisle to Barrow working, the other Northern set had freight Class 37/0 37 259 substituting for the DBSO. This had attracted the attention of 'Bashers' who had come to get rare haulage behind freight only locos and also get 37 423 on the return working. Seen here rounding the curve at Kirkby in Furness station 

 

Earlier in the week an even rarer chance was possible with 'heavyweight 37/7 37 716 rostered on to the south end of the set in place of the DBSO.

 

These regeared locos have an additional 14 tonnes of ballast added hence the nickname

 

 

Saturday afternoon sees the Carlisle to Lancaster through working with the DBSo at one end and 37 409 on the rear

 

 

Seen here at Roose the line is flat until the attack on the grades through Dalton and Lindal challenges Eastbound trains

 

[kevsmiththai]

Needless to say there is a video. taken at various locations including Kirkby, Askam, Sowerby lodge

Thwaites flats and Roose we see the following

Clas37/0s 37 059, 37 069, 37 259

Class 37/4s 37 409 and 37 423

Class 37/6s 37 609 and 37 610

 

with a bonus section of 37 609 on a Barrow to Sellafield working.

 

 

Video at https://youtu.be/QgsqCrc6T1c

 

cheers

 

Kev

[velotrain]

Two questions -

 

What is in the flask of the Flask train?

 

What is the cargo in the last photo?

 

I watched the video, but that didn't help.

 

thanks

[kevsmiththai]

Both flask trains are carrying Nuclear material. DRS are a highly specialised freight company owned by the Nuclear Decommisioning Agency

[railsquid]

Interesting, I didn't know that; also "one of only two remaining publicly owned railway companies in the United Kingdom (the other being NI Railways)". Mind you I pretty much lost track of British railway companies after BR went awaty.

[Robert46]

Both flask trains are carrying Nuclear material. DRS are a highly specialised freight company owned by the Nuclear Decommisioning Agency

 

Seeing this thread makes me think, is there also such service for Japanese freight train carrying nuclear material? As they are also using nuclear power plant to feed their electricity needs..

[railsquid]

Not so much over the last 4~5 years. No idea about trains, I've never heard of any but that doesn't rule out their existence.

 

On the other hand pretty much all nuclear power stations are located right next to the sea, convenient not only for incoming tsunamis but potentially also seaborne transportation.

[kvp]

Accoring to this site, Japan moves everything by sea:

http://www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/nuclear-fuel-cycle/transport-of-nuclear-materials/transport-of-radioactive-materials.aspx

(not that the few reactors that have a valid license and are still online in Japan would generate too much waste)

[Welshbloke]

They've been through a few variants of the nuclear flask wagons. There are even photos of the very first type being hauled by a steam engine!

 

Up until the 1990s the flasks would have a barrier wagon on either end, to keep the loco crew outside the danger area (while you could safely walk past a loaded flask, you wouldn't want to sit there for hours at a time on consecutive days as a driver would). As Class 37s and/or pairs of Class 20s are long enough that the leading cab is at a safe distance from the flask these have since been abandoned. All sorts were used at first, but by the end it was mostly old hopper wagons, some of which had the hopper cut down for improved visibility.

 

The very first wagons had six wheeled bogies, these were later rebuilt with four wheeled bogies, both types carried the code "Flatrol MJ". These were replaced with the Flatrol MJJ or XKB, which were in turn rebuilt into the FNAs with the addition of a sliding cover for the flask. If you have a look here there are photos of all types.

 

I built one of the Genesis Kits FNAs in OO a few years ago and have one of the XKBs awaiting construction, unfortunately it suffers from being made from lumps of whitemetal which vaguely resemble a wagon so is rather depressing to work with. The FNA took many, many months of taking it out, doing a bit, then putting it away before I got fed up! I still need to go back and repaint the wagon body as it came out metallic brown, rather than the grubby beige colour they're supposed to be. The wagons are actually stainless steel under the muck, in order to make them easier to decontaminate in the very unlikely event of a leak.

[kvp]

The hungarian version:

http://iho.hu/img/vasut/1111/111117_atom/41.jpg

http://iho.hu/img/vasut/1112/111213_paks/40.jpg

No special cars, just old soviet gauge convertible baggage coaches that carry the forklift loadable flasks and two safety flatcars/buffer converters. The locomotive is a hungarian bobo diesel electric that belongs to the operator of the nuclear reactor.

[kevsmiththai]

Things have just got a lot more interesting here on the Cumbrian Coast line. The atrocious weather here over the last few months had a massive disrupting effect on the U.K network with the West Coast main line closed at Lamington Viaduct in Scotland where the river bed beneath the piers was washed away, a 35,000 tonne land slip closing the Newcastle to Carlisle near Hexham and recently the imposition of single line working on the famous Settle & Carlisle line due to a landslip at Appleby However, a lot more movement has now blockaded the line completely between Appleby and Carlisle.

 

This has resulted in the Steam hauled excursions being diverted down the Coast line past my office and my house!

 

Today saw the 'Pendle Dalesman' hauled by Jubilee class 4-6-0 45699 'Galatea' in fine form running just six minutes down as it storms through Askam in Furness getting a run at the bank up to Park South Junction

 

 

As the train goes around the Dalton loop there is just enough time, traffic permitting to get to Dalton or Lindal to catch it again

 

Seen here in the cutting at Crooklands working hard

 

 

I've shot video but as there is another train scheduled for Saturday (Galatea again) the following Saturday (Double headed Black V 4-6-0s) and both main line registered Royal Scots on the slate for the next few weeks I'll hold off uploading to youtube until I've got them in the can.

 

Going back to the Nuclear traffic in earlier days this shot of a pair of Class 31s hauling a long train of FNAs with barrier wagons going through Askam illustrated a typical formation.

 

 

Kev

[kevsmiththai]

They've been through a few variants of the nuclear flask wagons. There are even photos of the very first type being hauled by a steam engine!

 

Up until the 1990s the flasks would have a barrier wagon on either end, to keep the loco crew outside the danger area (while you could safely walk past a loaded flask, you wouldn't want to sit there for hours at a time on consecutive days as a driver would). As Class 37s and/or pairs of Class 20s are long enough that the leading cab is at a safe distance from the flask these have since been abandoned. All sorts were used at first, but by the end it was mostly old hopper wagons, some of which had the hopper cut down for improved visibility.

 

The very first wagons had six wheeled bogies, these were later rebuilt with four wheeled bogies, both types carried the code "Flatrol MJ". These were replaced with the Flatrol MJJ or XKB, which were in turn rebuilt into the FNAs with the addition of a sliding cover for the flask. If you have a look here there are photos of all types.

 

I built one of the Genesis Kits FNAs in OO a few years ago and have one of the XKBs awaiting construction, unfortunately it suffers from being made from lumps of whitemetal which vaguely resemble a wagon so is rather depressing to work with. The FNA took many, many months of taking it out, doing a bit, then putting it away before I got fed up! I still need to go back and repaint the wagon body as it came out metallic brown, rather than the grubby beige colour they're supposed to be. The wagons are actually stainless steel under the muck, in order to make them easier to decontaminate in the very unlikely event of a leak.

Knew I has this somewhere!

 

BR Std IV 2-6-0 on a Hunterston to Sellafield flask train at Barrasie Junction in Ayrshire

 

 

Kev

[kvp]

 

BR Std IV 2-6-0 on a Hunterston to Sellafield flask train at Barrasie Junction in Ayrshire

That's quite a unique picture! (Actually a water cooled nuclear reactor is still just an advanced way to make steam, so the two technologies aren't that far from each other.)

[railsquid]

They've been through a few variants of the nuclear flask wagons. There are even photos of the very first type being hauled by a steam engine!

 

Up until the 1990s the flasks would have a barrier wagon on either end, to keep the loco crew outside the danger area (while you could safely walk past a loaded flask, you wouldn't want to sit there for hours at a time on consecutive days as a driver would). As Class 37s and/or pairs of Class 20s are long enough that the leading cab is at a safe distance from the flask these have since been abandoned.

 

I guess they're not using Class 46s any more ;)

 

[Welshbloke]

Nope!

 

One interesting working was that to the Trawsfynydd nuclear plant in north Wales. Due to the curvature of the line an ex-Southern Region "Queen Mary" bogie brake van was used for a while. This route was kept open exclusively for the power station, and needed a short section of new railway in Blaenau Ffestiniog to link it back to the national network after the original line was flooded by Llyn Celyn.

 

My flask train is vaguely based on those workings, with a BR blue Class 25, cut-down hopper barrier, two FNAs (and eventually an XKB), a full height hopper barrier and a Queen Mary on the rear.

[Robert46]

Not so much over the last 4~5 years. No idea about trains, I've never heard of any but that doesn't rule out their existence.

 

On the other hand pretty much all nuclear power stations are located right next to the sea, convenient not only for incoming tsunamis but potentially also seaborne transportation.

 

Accoring to this site, Japan moves everything by sea:

http://www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/nuclear-fuel-cycle/transport-of-nuclear-materials/transport-of-radioactive-materials.aspx

(not that the few reactors that have a valid license and are still online in Japan would generate too much waste)

 

Thanks railsquid & kvp for the clarification.. :)