Remembering the BOC trains by David J. Hayes

David J. Hayes concludes his detailed look back at the trains operated on behalf of the British Oxygen Company.

Continuing from where we left off in Part One (TRACTION 261), it was not unknown for some British Oxygen Company (BOC) block train specials from Ditton to convey traffi c for two locations, such as on Sunday 27th October 1991 when 90134 powered 6Z80, the 21:40 to Ipswich, which was formed of ten TEA tanks; six contained nitrogen, the remainder oxygen. Three TEAs (each laden with oxygen) were for detachment at Willesden for forwarding to Sheerness Steelworks using the then recently introduced ‘Tiger Freightways’ service operated by wagon leasing company Tiger Rail (see later), the Sheerness business being ‘add on’ traffi c previously dealt with by Speedlink, which was abolished in July 1991.

Another example from Ditton ran on Saturday 23rd January 1993 when 47355 worked 6Z46, the 11:00 departure to Cowley, was formed of just four TEA wagons containing oxygen. The service was routed via London to, again, facilitate the detachment of two wagons at Willesden for Sheerness (trains for Oxfordshire could also be of full trainload length proportions).

Expansion of the Speedlink wagonload network (launched in September 1977), with its nationwide coverage, provided a useful alternative means of supplying less than trainload consignments of BOC gases to certain customers, some of which may not have been rail connected or did not have the capacity or necessary infrastructure in place to receive trainload volumes. In the case of non rail connected customers, loaded BOC tanks could be discharged into road tankers or intermodal tanktainers at the nearest convenient railhead. Although I’m more than happy to be corrected, I believe such an arrangement existed at Norwich for the Bernard Matthews and Birds Eye food processing companies (see image on page 41 in TRACTION 261).

The busy PD Stirling freight facility at Mossend was another Speedlink destination for BOC traffi c as was Ipswich (Lower Yard), although the latter would later be served by block trains. Although confirmation would be welcome, it is thought that Ipswich may have acted as an alternative railhead to Norwich in later years and may have equally replaced North Wembley in the 1990s.

Although Ditton was the main production site and source of rail borne BOC business, traffi c to PD Stirling and the aforementioned Cowley terminal in Oxford was also received from BOC’s satellite sites at times, with examples of loaded consignments of nitrogen and oxygen reaching PD Stirling from Middlesbrough in 1987, and deliveries of nitrogen to Cowley from Scunthorpe in 1990. A short lived BOC destination was Southampton Docks in 1990, which also received nitrogen as did the Imatex railhead at Willesden.

The Willesden facility later became a receiving terminal for Speedlink deliveries of carbon dioxide in the early 1990s. Carbon dioxide was a long standing pressurised rail traffi c that survived until 1998, the last

fl ows being from Scotland to Coleshill and Willesden, which by that time were handled by the Enterprise wagonload network launched by Transrail in September 1994.

Sheerness Steelworks also took less than trainload BOC deliveries, which were either Speedlink hauled or catered for by special arrangements as mentioned earlier. It is believed similar delivery arrangements were also put into place for other steel plants, some of which continued into the early 1990s and survived well beyond the demise of Speedlink. Such workings during the post Speedlink era were a familiar sight on the North & West (N&W) ‘Welsh Marches’ line axis, as mentioned later.

There were also wagonload deliveries to destinations normally served by regular block trains, such as Wolverhampton Monmore Green, which was known to sometimes receive BOC tanks tripped from Bescot. On a couple of occasions in May 1989, the evening Class 31 hauled 6T43 Speedlink trip from Wolverhampton Steel Terminal to Bescot was noted with discharged BOC tankers included amongst the usual consist of steel wagons. The first observation was that of large logo 31147 with three TEA tanks at 6:32pm on Thursday 4th followed by the sighting of Corporate Blue 31123 with four BOC tanks at 6:13pm the following week (Wednesday 10th).

Further Speedlink deliveries of liquid oxygen from Ditton to BOC Monmore Green in the late 1980s included intermodal tanktainers (branded ‘Cryo-tainer’ and also handled at North Wembley), which were possibly transhipped from rail to road at the adjacent steel terminal, but these were relatively short lived arrangements and ended in early 1991.

The final years

By 1990, the only BOC terminals still shown in the Baker Rail Atlas were Ipswich, North Wembley and Polmadie. However, it is believed that Wolverhampton Monmore Green was still generating rail traffi c at this time as well. Precisely how active these BOC facilities were with regards rail traffi c is unclear, but Monmore Green was certainly still taking rail deliveries as of 1989 and possibly into the early 1990s. It is thought rail traffi c to here may have ceased circa 1992/93, although confirmation would, again, be welcome.

The last BOC working I recall seeing heading for Monmore Green took place on Saturday 13th May 1989 when 47356 was observed between Bescot and Hamstead at 07:56 (and again at Smethwick Rolfe Street at 08:13) atop four TEA tanks; such loadings to Monmore Green used to be at least ten TEAs. The service is presumed to have been a special from Ditton. A similar short formation of just four tanks was also noted a few months later arriving at Bescot at 15:35 behind Corporate Blue 31292 on Thursday 31st August 1989 (see image on page 42 in TRACTION 261).

Short BOC formations from Ditton by now appeared to be the norm rather than the exception. Similar consists of between four and six TEA tanks were also to be seen traversing the N&W ‘Marches’ line during the early 1990s. These are believed to have been specials from Ditton to Margam/Port Talbot Steelworks.

Interestingly, BOC specials from Ditton to and from South Wales around this time were known to run part loaded each way. For example, 6Z47, the 12:00 Ditton to Margam, was formed of a trainload of ten TEA tanks on Saturday 9th May 1992, but only fi ve of these were actually loaded and contained oxygen. The fi ve empties in the consist were for loading with nitrogen from BOC Margam and these returned north, loaded as planned, to Cheshire the next day as part of 6Z48, the 22:00 Sunday departure from Margam to Ditton, which also included the fi ve now discharged TEA oxygen tanks.

Sheerness Steelworks continued to receive BOC traffi c from Ditton for several years after the demise of Speedlink in summer 1991 and was to be one of the last BOC fl ows to remain on rail, the other being that to Ipswich (see

below). Deliveries to Sheerness were dealt with for a while by the short lived ‘Tiger Freightways’ operation, which was launched by Tiger Rail in the immediate aftermath of Speedlink.

Despite the collapse of Tiger Rail in February 1992, the BOC business to Sheerness managed to carry on until the mid 1990s, being handled by Transrail for a short while, but, sadly, wasn’t to survive into the English, Welsh & Scottish Railway (EWS) era. During its final years of operation, the traffi c was often railed to North Kent from Willesden along with other former Speedlink fl ows of calcium carbonate from Aberdeen and Quidhampton, clay slurry from Burngullow and starch from Trafford Park (Cerestar), all of which were transhipped at Sittingbourne freight depot for road delivery to the local paper manufacturing industries.

The only regularly scheduled BOC block train running at that time was that between Ditton and Ipswich, which operated as an electric hauled Railfreight Distribution ‘Contract’ train via the West Coast Main Line and London. As with the Sheerness fl ow, it, too, survived until the mid 1990s and was briefl y handled by Transrail towards the end with Class 56 haulage, but, again, didn’t quite make it into the EWS era.

And finally...

This concludes our look back at the BOC trains, which I hope has rekindled some fond memories of these interesting workings. The BOC traffi c was rail borne for around 25 years and has now been a sorely missed sight on the railway network for even longer. However, such trains can easily be replicated in model form, and with some of the classic traction and motive power combinations as seen in the images accompanying this article, would certainly make for an eye catching addition to any ‘modern era’ layout spanning the 1970s to the mid 1990s.

Although various sources have been used to research this feature, as author, I take full responsibility for any errors contained in it and thus welcome any corrections or other related comments via the TRACTION ‘letters’ section.

Acknowledgements

My sincere thanks are extended to the various photographers, all of whom have very kindly allowed the use of their material with this article and all of whom have further splendid material available to view on Flickr. I would also like to thank Andy Williams for his continued support and assistance, and to Don Gatehouse and Hywel Thomas for their valued input. Finally, I offer my gratitude once more to David Ratcliffe for his valuable contributions and willingness to share his wealth of expert knowledge.

Saturday 6th June 1992: By the early 1990s, the sight of short BOC formations from Ditton appear to have been the norm rather than the exception, although the scheduled block train to Ipswich still loaded to full trainload proportions. It also appears that the North & West ‘Welsh Marches’ axis was frequently traversed by these short formations. On a glorious summer’s day 47156 takes four TEA tanks southwards, south of Leominster. The working is believed to be 6Z47, the 12:00 special from Ditton to Margam (possibly for Port Talbot Steelworks). PHIL BALDWIN (COURTESY OF ANDY BALDWIN).

Thursday 11th June 1992: Although not a Trainload Petroleum sector duty, Petroleum branded 47196 (by now devoid of its ‘Haliotidae’ nameplates) passes Ebbw Junction and Newport Alexandra Dock Junction Yard with what is again believed to be the 6Z47 BOC special from Ditton to Margam, which has most likely reached South Wales via the ‘Welsh Marches’ line. The yard in the background later became an important wagonload hub on the Enterprise network, especially during the EWS era when wagonload freight made a much welcome (albeit short lived) nationwide revival. DON GATEHOUSE.

Tuesday 28th July 1992: The 6L76 BOC trunk haul from Ditton to Ipswich traverses the North London Line at Caledonian Road & Barnsbury behind 90131. This was an RfD Contract Train at the time, but would end its days in the mid 1990s as the last regular BOC block train on the network, by which time it would have been operating with Class 56 haulage under the aegis of pre privatisation company Transrail. ANTHONY KAY.

ednesday th arch he last regular ows on the network were from itton to pswich lock train and to heerness teelworks wagonload , the latter eing worked to orth ent from illesden where the traffic had een detached either from an pswich train or from specials running to ford owley . oal sector randed shunts a mi ture of traffics at itting ourne, which, in addition to the heerness tanks, includes wagons used for deliveries of calcium car onate from erdeen and uidhampton, clay slurry from urngullow and starch from rafford ark erestar to itting ourne freight terminal visi le ehind the gru y rid for the edway paper industries. R . aturday th ugust nother short formation, ut this time seen heading south along the est oast ain ine at adeley ehind . uch workings of ust four tanks in previous years had een noted running to onmore reen, ut it is thought that olverhampton had already ceased receiving rail deliveries y this date. more likely candidate is that this is , an special from itton to ford owley , which was known to convey traffic for heerness teelworks detached at illesden . R .