Just Trains Newcastle to Edinburgh - Now Available

[DaveDewhurst]

This photo from 2007 shows some of the 'spine' wagons that lie abandoned in the sidings at Seafield. Apparently they were never used for any revenue-earning service. They are still there to this day, rusting behind a fence that was erected after this photo was taken.

These were intended for an Anglo-Scottish intermodal trial/service conveying Royal Mail swopbody trailers. Alas, the service never started operations and the wagons have remained at Leith ever since.

Regards,

Richard

Have I seen a picture of these in use? (presumably testing if they never earned anything)

Dave

[almark]

The first "Chathill Flyer" of the day arrives at Cramlington in July 2014....

Mark
JT

[almark]

This photo from 2007 shows some of the 'spine' wagons that lie abandoned in the sidings at Seafield. Apparently they were never used for any revenue-earning service. They are still there to this day, rusting behind a fence that was erected after this photo was taken.

These were intended for an Anglo-Scottish intermodal trial/service conveying Royal Mail swopbody trailers. Alas, the service never started operations and the wagons have remained at Leith ever since.

Regards,

Richard

Have I seen a picture of these in use? (presumably testing if they never earned anything)

Dave

I do seem to remember them being tested at 75mph on the GCR,although I may well be wrong.

Cheers,
Mark

[749006]

The first "Chathill Flyer" of the day arrives at Cramlington in July 2014....

Mark
JT

Looks very good.

Peter

[250787]

The suburban line isn't included,at least in the initial route,we decided to focus all our attentions north of Newcastle and South of Edinburgh in all honesty,mainly because that is obviously new TS ground...

The branches to Leith Coal Reception sidings and the Powderhall line are both included.

The route is broadly set in the era 2000-2013.

Regards,
Mark

For the short distance, 4 miles of single track, the North Berwick branch might be of use.
We already have the 322(321) & 380 emus.

Peter

Plus somewhere else to run the class 90 (for scenarios set in 2004/2005)

Looking a good route from the screenshots posted so far

[Mr395008]

The first "Chathill Flyer" of the day arrives at Cramlington in July 2014....

Mark
JT

Wow. I'm assuming that July is the release date then?!

[almark]

I'd say a fair while before that.

No date set.

[winifred89]

I'd say a fair while before that.

No date set.

[08994]

These were intended for an Anglo-Scottish intermodal trial/service conveying Royal Mail swopbody trailers. Alas, the service never started operations and the wagons have remained at Leith ever since.

Regards,

Richard

That these wagons haven't been used on revenue service is a myth I'm afraid. The above quoted Royal Mail service ran for a few years and ceased in 2002/3. These "swapbody" wagons can actually carry standard containers - a useful design feature - and as such DBS put two sets into traffic in 2012 on intermodal services from Southampton Docks/Hams Hall to Mossend to cover for a shortage of serviceable standard container wagons.

[31160]

This photo from 2007 shows some of the 'spine' wagons that lie abandoned in the sidings at Seafield. Apparently they were never used for any revenue-earning service. They are still there to this day, rusting behind a fence that was erected after this photo was taken.

These were intended for an Anglo-Scottish intermodal trial/service conveying Royal Mail swopbody trailers. Alas, the service never started operations and the wagons have remained at Leith ever since.

Regards,

Richard

you sure they were never used.im sure i saw them at Crewe very early one saturday morning heading south behind an RES 86 with parcel force trailers on.of course i do realise it might be my mind

[DaveDewhurst]

you sure they were never used.im sure i saw them at Crewe very early one saturday morning heading south behind an RES 86 with parcel force trailers on.of course i do realise it might be my mind

aha, Chris found the pictures I was thinking of (although these are white and the ones on GE look red)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/irishswiss ... 485617070/

Dave

Edit, reading into it a bit more, these white ones may be the prototypes to the red ones

But here's the red ones also being used
http://www.flickr.com/photos/67206513@N00/9205064139
(Chris found this one too)

[rfletcher72]

you sure they were never used.im sure i saw them at Crewe very early one saturday morning heading south behind an RES 86 with parcel force trailers on.of course i do realise it might be my mind

Interesting that you mention the Porcel Farce trailers. Given the mention of the Royal Mail being involved, you could well have seen the service in operation then, so I may be wrong. A point to add was that the service in question ran Mossend to the capital, so a routing through Crewe seems more than likely.

What is known though is that the wagons (TOPS code FKA) have been resident at Leith since at least 2005 (the earliest mention of them I can find on scot-rail). Given the supposed cost adverse nature of today's railway, that is surely a monumental waste.

Cheers,

EDIT: Dave's post does show them in use, so I was jumping the gun a bit saying they were never used. For the second time tonight, I stand corrected !

[spellow3010]

During my time at Rugby Powerbox, I can confirm that there was use of a rake of spine wagons with Parcel Force trailers on them. They used to run Up to London (Royal Mail Terminal at Wembley I assume) normally with a RES Class 86 on. They used to pass Rugby on our early turn, so after 0600. I need to check back through my records to find out more information. My recollection dates back to the 1998/99 time frame for these. I cannot recall them running after that time, but I will check.

[31160]

you sure they were never used.im sure i saw them at Crewe very early one saturday morning heading south behind an RES 86 with parcel force trailers on.of course i do realise it might be my mind

Interesting that you mention the Porcel Farce trailers. Given the mention of the Royal Mail being involved, you could well have seen the service in operation then, so I may be wrong. A point to add was that the service in question ran Mossend to the capital, so a routing through Crewe seems more than likely.

What is known though is that the wagons (TOPS code FKA) have been resident at Leith since at least 2005 (the earliest mention of them I can find on scot-rail). Given the supposed cost adverse nature of today's railway, that is surely a monumental waste.

Cheers,

EDIT: Dave's post does show them in use, so I was jumping the gun a bit saying they were never used. For the second time tonight, I stand corrected !

Ohh now i hope i didnt come accross as being harsh, i only ever saw them once i had driven up to Crewe for a railtour and it was stood between plats 11 & 12 waiting a driver as it was a new flow i didnt make the effort to get a picture, with hindsight not one of my better decisions as i never saw them run again, so i couldnt have run for very long so given the timings and the shortness of the contract its no surprise you didnt know about it

[rfletcher72]

now i hope i didnt come accross as being harsh

No, not at all 31160.

We all get stuff wrong from time to time, in this case I had seen some stuff on the net and obviously not interpreted it correctly. I am more than happy for members to provide information that corrects any duff gen I may have floating around in my head and which occasionally spills over into a post on here .

That's one of the great things about this forum, the collective knowledge we all possess is an invaluable resource which all should be encouraged to share .

Cheers,

Rich