Were these test trains actually loaded/weighted? It's all good saying they achieved an average of X Y or Z speed... but without knowing the consist weight, we don't know if the speed they mention is any good.
Edit: I am aware the wagons had containers on them, but were they fully laden
Extract from a
post I made on 15th June in this thread:
3Q05, 22:54 EMG to Mossend, hauled by 93004 was 622 tons trailing including the DIT 93008 on the back (16 FFAs, each with a 15 ton container)
As far as I know, the tests were all done with the same set of wagons and containers which were initially loaded at Garston (although the number of wagons used on each test could vary). The TOPS consist mentioned above indicated that all containers weighed 15 tons (which is a moderate load when compared to an empty weight of around 4 tons, and a max gross laden weight of around 32 tons, for a typical 40ft container).
I assume the containers carried test weights intended to simulate the proposed traffic - when I looked at the GoExpress website at the time, it seemed clear they were aiming at the "express logistics" sector for the movement of parcels or possibly retail logistics and things like that. The timings I looked at for one of the Mossend - EMG runs required sustained periods of 80mph running on the WCML.
A comparison would be the overnight express parcels train which ran for Securicor / DHL in the early 2000s from Walsall Tasker Street to Mossend (parcels platform) and continuing to Aberdeen. As far as I know, this service was reasonably successful while it operated; I heard the main reason for its demise was because of company changes at the customer (a takeover or something like that) which brought in new owners / managers who were focused on road logistics and less enthusiastic about rail. These trains used class 67s and mail vans but were essentially similar in concept to the ill-fated Varamis venture - overnight movement of express parcels.
In this photo, 67002 works 1S03 00:47 Walsall - Aberdeen, seen in the morning of 20/06/05 at Newtonhill:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/wulfruna_kid/50062701111/ (Photo: John Whitehouse)
Compared with regular container trains, the lower weight of this sort of traffic gives the potential for higher speeds (similar to how mail trains are traditionally faster than regular freight). I think if they wanted to run fully laden container trains at 90mph it would be more of a problem - I wouldn't be surprised if the permission to run at 90mph is limited to a maximum route availability / axle weight below the usual limit, to avoid excessive track wear.
It will be interesting to see how this idea of containerised express freight works out and whether they can get contracts for sufficient traffic to make trainload movements worthwhile and give the 93s some more work.
