Rail Freight: Yorkshire and North East England

In the early 1980s, freight-only lines criss-crossed Yorkshire and the North East, serving heavy industries. Classes 25 and 40 were retired, while Class 76s and Class 13 shunters lasted until 1981 and 1985. Class 37s still had plenty of life left in them, and Class 08 shunters were busy in marshalling yards. Today, rail freight haulage is dominated by the Class 66, but the uniformity is relieved by numerous livery styles. The wagon fleet is more standardised but more colourful than ever before.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 96 pages
Publication date: 08 November 2022
Publisher: Key Publishing Ltd

Forty years ago, vast stretches of Yorkshire and the North East were crisscrossed by freight-only lines, many of which served the heavy industries that had brought prosperity to the railways decades earlier. In the early 1980s, Classes 25 and 40 were enjoying their final years of service, while the unique Class 76s on the Woodhead route and Class 13 master and slave shunters at Tinsley lasted until 1981 and 1985, respectively. The Class 37s still had plenty of life left in them, especially in the North East, where they worked most coal trains and a share of other traffic. Often overlooked were the humble Class 08 shunters, busy themselves not just in marshalling yards but also sometimes on short main-line trips. Today's rail freight scene may be less varied, but it still thrives where there are large tonnages to be moved regularly from A to B. As in most parts of Britain, rail freight haulage these days is dominated by the Class 66, but the uniformity is relieved by numerous livery styles, reflecting not only the different freight operators but also some of the customers that they serve. Also, the Class 60s have made a comeback in some surprising areas, notably the GB Railfreight biomass trains out of Tyne Dock. Classes 70, 56, and, very occasionally, 68 all bring added interest. The wagon fleet, likewise, is more standardized, but arguably more colorful than it ever has been. Illustrated with over 160 photographs, this book looks at Yorkshire and the North East's varied freight scene over the last 40 years.

Weight: 290g
Dimension: 172 x 242 x 13 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781802823073