Class 68 Route Learner & class 70 Dewsbury Cement at Brightside - 1234
With passage of the T.P.E. E.C.S. move out of the way, it was in the time-table again for Sunday but was cancelled and again for today, Monday 14th, 'Valentines Day', and it has run on the 5Z18 and 5Z19 diagrams; it is currently heading towards Scunthorpe. Just 7 minutes later and the next non-passenger working was in the area, this time of the 'Heavy Haul' type, a Freightliner class 70, the 1st of its class, 700001, on another regular schedule, this one 6M89, the Dewsbury Blue Circle works and along the Hope Valley to Earles Sidings at Hope. This working was once again slowed due to a restrictive aspect on the signal, S0168, in the Brightside Sidings/Mill Race area ahead along the line towards Sheffield. The slowing of the loco, as it approached the station under-bridge from Meadowhall, caused it to emit a hug pall of smoke once the aspect changed to green and on this picture, the result of 'stepping on the gas' can be seen, and what a noise! Although this is designated as a 'Heavy Haul' move, the 70 had only 20, empty PCA cement tanks on, with a timing load of 600 tonnes so can't see what all the 'fuss' was about.. The class 70s fell out of use a while back around these parts but they were brought out once more a while ago for freight use, but you don't see many of them.. Cement is produced in the Hope Valley at the Castleton Cement Works in Edale and there is a very lively trade to and from there to all points of the compass and the same can be said of the Peak Forest operation further west towards Buxton; it looks as if these lines will be well used for the foreseeable future...
Class 68 Route Learner & class 70 Dewsbury Cement at Brightside - 1234
With passage of the T.P.E. E.C.S. move out of the way, it was in the time-table again for Sunday but was cancelled and again for today, Monday 14th, 'Valentines Day', and it has run on the 5Z18 and 5Z19 diagrams; it is currently heading towards Scunthorpe. Just 7 minutes later and the next non-passenger working was in the area, this time of the 'Heavy Haul' type, a Freightliner class 70, the 1st of its class, 700001, on another regular schedule, this one 6M89, the Dewsbury Blue Circle works and along the Hope Valley to Earles Sidings at Hope. This working was once again slowed due to a restrictive aspect on the signal, S0168, in the Brightside Sidings/Mill Race area ahead along the line towards Sheffield. The slowing of the loco, as it approached the station under-bridge from Meadowhall, caused it to emit a hug pall of smoke once the aspect changed to green and on this picture, the result of 'stepping on the gas' can be seen, and what a noise! Although this is designated as a 'Heavy Haul' move, the 70 had only 20, empty PCA cement tanks on, with a timing load of 600 tonnes so can't see what all the 'fuss' was about.. The class 70s fell out of use a while back around these parts but they were brought out once more a while ago for freight use, but you don't see many of them.. Cement is produced in the Hope Valley at the Castleton Cement Works in Edale and there is a very lively trade to and from there to all points of the compass and the same can be said of the Peak Forest operation further west towards Buxton; it looks as if these lines will be well used for the foreseeable future...