Freightliner’s Jumbo train

FREIGHTLINER TOOK advantage of the reduced passenger demand by running a jumbo aggregates working along the West Coast Main Line on March 16-17. The run was designed to show the practicalities of such trains by combining two workings. The train originated at Tunstead Quarry south of Buxton in the Peak District and ran to Wembley Yard in London on behalf of Tarmac. It comprised 39 wagons weighing 3,840 tonnes, compared to the more normal 2,400 tonnes, and was 590m long. Power was provided by a Class 70, with a Class 66 dead in train as a back-up. After arriving at Wembley the train was divided into two, with 20 wagons continuing to Battersea and the remaining 19 to Paddington. Once back at Wembley they were reconnected and proceeded back to Tunstead empty.