Produced in association with Freightmaster, your six-monthly instalment of freight action from around the UK can be found on Big Freight 29! Once again - and it never seems to stop - there's a feast of action with new locations, terminals and old favourites, with an incredible selection of locos; from humble 08s and 20s, right through to the brand new Class 69s and even a Class 56 hauling Biomass trains! Sit back and enjoy another action-packed three-hour programme.
Durham Coast and Middlesbrough: Sunderland to Hartlepool and Stockton is just under 30-miles in distance and along this railway are five freight terminals. Following years of decline, all five now see semi-regular flows with DB 66s working steel and scrap trains to Sunderland docks; Colas 70s working cement to Seaham; DRS 68s working flasks to Seaton Nook; DB 66s with steel trains to Hartlepool Pipe Mill and Colas 56s and 70s working oil trains to the recently reopened Haverton Hill, plus GB 60s on Biomass trains passing along the main line. All five terminals are featured. Plus: A look at freight around Middlesbrough and South Bank with the Class 08 and the Potash trains from Tees Dock to Boulby plus a feature on the (almost) freight-only lines at Northallerton where most freight to/from this area joins and leaves the ECML.
Peak Forest 20s and 60s: Our cameras return to this very popular Freightmaster hotspot, but this time in search of two specific loco classes: 20s and 60s. Both were found, working side by side, with one of the last DB Class 60 flows in the country and a weekly DCR 60. We filmed a typical day with no less than TEN different loco liveries including a BR Green Class 47!
North Wales Freight: North Wales has also seen an increase in freight in the past few years with the regular steel trains to Dee Marsh now hauled by GB 66s, joined by a regular flow of cement to the reopened Penyffordd terminal and along the coast, GB 66s working slate trains from Llandudno Junction and Colas 70s with stone trains from Penmaenmawr.
East Midlands Gateway: The freight-only East Midlands Gateway branch, off the freight-only Stenson branch has featured before on this series. We return with a look at moves to/from the container terminal. Various trains and light engine moves are featured.
56098: One of the freight highlights of 2023 has been the use of Large Logo 'Tinsley' 56098 on the biomass trains from Liverpool docks. Often described as a 'draw-back' loco or a 'banking' loco, it's neither - as the 56 usually hauls the train from the docks to Tuebrook sidings with the train loco banking on the rear. We tracked down this beast and filmed it on full power scream up the gradient! A large logo Grid hauling Biomass wagons in the year 2023 - wow!
Plus: Class 69 weedkilling trains; 69s and 73s on Engineers trains, RHTT action from autumn 2023 and much more.
• All sections are introduced with full commentary and maps.
• Includes aerial footage.
• So much more than just train after train running past the camera!
• This is all brand new footage, filmed in 2021-23 – GUARANTEED.
Produced by - Train Crazy
Running time - 187 minutes
Format - 16:9 widescreen
DVD and Blu-ray
Released - December 2023