ews ran a new freight train on wednesday 3rd august a aggregate train frrom 
carnforth to kelbits(ashton-in-makerfield),first train to run down this line 
since the bitumin traffic moved to preston docks at the beginning of the 
year..

andrew wrote:

> ews ran a new freight train on wednesday 3rd august a aggregate train frrom
> carnforth to kelbits(ashton-in-makerfield),first train to run down this line
> since the bitumin traffic moved to preston docks at the beginning of the
> year..


I thought the transfer of bitumen was suffering more delay but having
passed over the Preston Dock branch on Wednesday I saw that the rails
were very shiny.  Do you know if the aggregate traffic was revenue or
ballast by any chance?
George

furnessvale wrote:

> 
> andrew wrote:
> > ...first train to run down this line since the bitumin traffic
> > moved to preston docks at the beginning of the year..
> 
> I thought the transfer of bitumen was suffering more delay but having
> passed over the Preston Dock branch on Wednesday I saw that the rails
> were very shiny. 


The Preston Docks train normally runs three times a week [MWFO],
with internal movements being handled by RSR's own locos.


> Do you know if the aggregate traffic was revenue or
> ballast by any chance?
> George


I'm not sure what you mean - ballast trains are just as 
'revenue-earning' as any other stone traffic nowadays!!

The stone actually originates from Shap, not Carnforth,
but the train is staged overnight in Bottom End sidings
at Carnforth...  



~ MARK ~
http://freightmaster.net/
(the National RailFreight Timetable, updated weekly!)

Mark Rawlinson wrote:

> furnessvale wrote:
> >
> > andrew wrote:
> > > ...first train to run down this line since the bitumin traffic
> > > moved to preston docks at the beginning of the year..
> >
> > I thought the transfer of bitumen was suffering more delay but having
> > passed over the Preston Dock branch on Wednesday I saw that the rails
> > were very shiny.
>
> The Preston Docks train normally runs three times a week [MWFO],
> with internal movements being handled by RSR's own locos.
>
> > Do you know if the aggregate traffic was revenue or
> > ballast by any chance?
> > George
>
> I'm not sure what you mean - ballast trains are just as
> 'revenue-earning' as any other stone traffic nowadays!!
>
> The stone actually originates from Shap, not Carnforth,
> but the train is staged overnight in Bottom End sidings
> at Carnforth...
>
> ~ MARK ~
> http://freightmaster.net/
> (the National RailFreight Timetable, updated weekly!)


Thanks for the above.  Agreed that all trains run by the private
freight companies, even for Network Rail, are "revenue" in that sense.
However, there would be something far more interesting (for me at
least) in a trial loading of, say, Holme Park Lime, which is currently
100% road traffic, than a rescheduling of existing ballast trains from
Shap, which appears to be the case here.
George

On 15 Aug 2005 12:37:55 -0700, "furnessvale" 
wrote:



>However, there would be something far more interesting (for me at
>least) in a trial loading of, say, Holme Park Lime, which is currently
>100% road traffic, 


Hey, George, I've heard of hell freezing over and hen's teeth, but
Holme Park Lime by Rail, now that really would be something!