Wembley to Irvine clay via S&C

[feldom76]

This used to be a regular working over the Settle/Carlisle on a Wednesday but I notice the path has been removed from the Working timetable.
I believe the clay was shipped from Brazil to Antwerp and then taken through the tunnel to Wembley.
What has happened to the working?
Thanks Mike

 

[Freightmaster]

This used to be a regular working over the Settle/Carlisle on a Wednesday but I notice the path has been removed from the Working timetable.

For clarification, the 6S94 path definitely still exists:

Realtime Trains | 6S94 0428 Wembley Receptions 1-7 to Irvine Caledonian Paper Gb | 24/05/2023

Real-time train running information for 6S94 0428 departure from Wembley Receptions 1-7 to Irvine Caledonian Paper Gb on 24/05/2023. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

I believe the clay was shipped from Brazil to Antwerp and then taken through the tunnel to Wembley.
What has happened to the working?

From what I heard, the Port of Antwerp no longer wanted to handle the traffic as
it didn't fit in with their business plan.



MARK

 

[BRX]

Is this definitely dead, then?
I last filmed this in south london back in february but feel like I have seen it at least once or twice since then. May be wrong though.

 

[Bill57p9]

The china clay appears to be coming in via Aberdeen Harbour these days.
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:H09559/2023-09-01/detailed

 

[wokspotter]

Is this definitely dead, then?
I last filmed this in south london back in february but feel like I have seen it at least once or twice since then. May be wrong though.

On 10 August,whilst visiting Tonbridge yard,I logged 8 of the 807898 wagons that are/were used on this working.They appeared to be stored and were 043/045/050/055/057/074/117/118.

 

[TRXsouth]

On 10 August,whilst visiting Tonbridge yard,I logged 8 of the 807898 wagons that are/were used on this working.They appeared to be stored and were 043/045/050/055/057/074/117/118.

Please could you clarify what type of wagons these are? Thanks.

 

[Freightmaster]

Please could you clarify what type of wagons these are? Thanks.

Here you go:

Google Search

MARK

 

[TRXsouth]

Here you go:

Google Search

MARK

Thank you Mark -
So the wagons used are the ICA/Zafns ‘silver bullets’ albeit rather weathered!

 

[Adrian Barr]

Is this definitely dead, then?
I last filmed this in south london back in february but feel like I have seen it at least once or twice since then. May be wrong though.

The Antwerp - Irvine trains appear to have ceased permanently, although it took a while for all the wagons used on this flow to leave the UK, explaining more recent sightings of them. There are still some of the same ICA tanks used on Aberdeen flows, but these are French registered as 877898xxxx numbers compared to the German registered 807898xxxx wagons used on the Antwerp flow. All these wagons appear to be from the same original batch of "silver bullet" wagons, with the country code changing from 87 to 80 at some point.

The last northbound 6S94 was on 25th January. This appears to be the only time it ran this year, with the previous working a month earlier on 21st December.
Here is the final 6S94 at Appleby: https://www.flickr.com/photos/paulberry59/52648833995/

Most of the wagons returned south on the final 6M74 to Wembley on the evening of 23rd February, and went forward to Dollands Moor as 6B57 the next day.
6B57 is pictured somewhere in the London suburbs (Bickley?) behind 92044 and 66740: https://www.flickr.com/photos/99279135@N05/52708469672/

Half a dozen defective wagons remained at Irvine, which were eventually made fit to travel and sent as a 6E74 to Doncaster (Down Decoy Yard) on 24th April, via the Tyne Valley.
6E74 is seen here at Haydon Bridge: https://www.flickr.com/photos/147545292@N02/52845106270/

The following day these six wagons headed to Tonbridge West Yard as 6O57, seen here at St Neots behind 66718: https://www.flickr.com/photos/d1015/52858625976/

On 10 August, whilst visiting Tonbridge yard, I logged 8 of the 807898 wagons that are/were used on this working. They appeared to be stored and were 043/045/050/055/057/074/117/118.

In addition to the six wagons off 6O57, there were 2 more defective wagons already at Tonbridge, giving a total of 8 as listed above. The tanks left for Dollands Moor as 6R71 on 5th June but then returned to Tonbridge as 6Z65 on 8th June for reasons unknown. After receiving whatever attention they were at Tonbridge for, they finally left the UK yesterday, travelling to Dollands Moor as a 6B58 21:01 departure (13th September) then through the tunnel.

VTG liveried 807898074-5 at Tonbridge West Yard on 30th April: https://www.flickr.com/photos/richardajones/52881042368/
NACCO liveried 807898055-4 at Tonbridge West Yard on 17th June: https://www.flickr.com/photos/58806173@N08/52983062587/

If there was any plan for these workings to resume in the near future, it seems unlikely that these special workings would have been organised to return the remaining wagons to Europe.

The china clay appears to be coming in via Aberdeen Harbour these days.
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:H09559/2023-09-01/detailed

The Antwerp and Aberdeen to Irvine flows ran simultaneously with slightly different products. Apparently the Antwerp service conveyed Kaolin slurry, while the Aberdeen service conveys calcium carbonate slurry.
A link in the description of this drone shot of Irvine sidings explains the difference, with kaolin being a form of aluminium silicate:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/scottdarg/52253069617/

A selection of photos of the sidings at Irvine: https://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/caledonianpapermill

Blogpost focusing on electric power of these clay tanks on the West Coast Mainline in recent years: https://leightonlists.com/the-irvine-dollands-moor-china-clays/

 

[BRX]

Thanks for the info @Adrian Barr .

I filmed this on the 24th February (in south london, on the route between wembley & dollands moor), so it seems this was the final trip south although I wasn't aware of that at the time.

 

[Bevan Price]

The Antwerp - Irvine trains appear to have ceased permanently, although it took a while for all the wagons used on this flow to leave the UK, explaining more recent sightings of them. There are still some of the same ICA tanks used on Aberdeen flows, but these are French registered as 877898xxxx numbers compared to the German registered 807898xxxx wagons used on the Antwerp flow. All these wagons appear to be from the same original batch of "silver bullet" wagons, with the country code changing from 87 to 80 at some point.

The last northbound 6S94 was on 25th January. This appears to be the only time it ran this year, with the previous working a month earlier on 21st December.
Here is the final 6S94 at Appleby: https://www.flickr.com/photos/paulberry59/52648833995/

Most of the wagons returned south on the final 6M74 to Wembley on the evening of 23rd February, and went forward to Dollands Moor as 6B57 the next day.
6B57 is pictured somewhere in the London suburbs (Bickley?) behind 92044 and 66740: https://www.flickr.com/photos/99279135@N05/52708469672/

Half a dozen defective wagons remained at Irvine, which were eventually made fit to travel and sent as a 6E74 to Doncaster (Down Decoy Yard) on 24th April, via the Tyne Valley.
6E74 is seen here at Haydon Bridge: https://www.flickr.com/photos/147545292@N02/52845106270/

The following day these six wagons headed to Tonbridge West Yard as 6O57, seen here at St Neots behind 66718: https://www.flickr.com/photos/d1015/52858625976/



In addition to the six wagons off 6O57, there were 2 more defective wagons already at Tonbridge, giving a total of 8 as listed above. The tanks left for Dollands Moor as 6R71 on 5th June but then returned to Tonbridge as 6Z65 on 8th June for reasons unknown. After receiving whatever attention they were at Tonbridge for, they finally left the UK yesterday, travelling to Dollands Moor as a 6B58 21:01 departure (13th September) then through the tunnel.

VTG liveried 807898074-5 at Tonbridge West Yard on 30th April: https://www.flickr.com/photos/richardajones/52881042368/
NACCO liveried 807898055-4 at Tonbridge West Yard on 17th June: https://www.flickr.com/photos/58806173@N08/52983062587/

If there was any plan for these workings to resume in the near future, it seems unlikely that these special workings would have been organised to return the remaining wagons to Europe.



The Antwerp and Aberdeen to Irvine flows ran simultaneously with slightly different products. Apparently the Antwerp service conveyed Kaolin slurry, while the Aberdeen service conveys calcium carbonate slurry.
A link in the description of this drone shot of Irvine sidings explains the difference, with kaolin being a form of aluminium silicate:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/scottdarg/52253069617/

A selection of photos of the sidings at Irvine: https://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/caledonianpapermill

Blogpost focusing on electric power of these clay tanks on the West Coast Mainline in recent years: https://leightonlists.com/the-irvine-dollands-moor-china-clays/

I understand that kaolin was used to help make the paper colour look "white", and that the factory is now using calcium carbonate (limestone) instead.

 

[Adrian Barr]

I filmed this on the 24th February (in south london, on the route between wembley & dollands moor), so it seems this was the final trip south although I wasn't aware of that at the time.

That's a nice view of 6B57 among the London rooftops, I'm glad it was captured for posterity!

Meanwhile Class 37 hauled not-so-silver bullets have made a brief reappearance on the West Coast Main Line (albeit in the form of 3 wagons returning to Workington to pick up the Aberdeen flow after overhaul at Stoke)!

Video: 37405 ' 6z37 Arpley Sidings - Workington Docks & 0z38 Return ' 4th September 2023
Channel: Class 37 fan