One of the freight highlights of 2022 was a Colas operated Class 56 hauled train from the Ore terminal at Redcar to the Land Recovery site at Longport. Using a rake of blue JNA bogie boxes, the train was conveying imported spoil for recycling and reuse. The loaded train usually ran overnight.
This is a cab ride on board the empties, heading back from Longport to Redcar, filmed on board 56078 in June 2022. The route is as expected, via Stoke, Uttoxeter and Derby, to Chesterfield, Swinton, Milford Junction, Church Fenton and York, the ECML to Northallerton, Yarm and Thornaby, then Middlesbrough and Redcar.
It's a journey of contrasts: From traditional signalling on the Derby line, the four-track ECML and Yarm viaduct, then a slow weave around Middlesbrough and Grangetown to the industrial area of Redcar.
Running as a Class 4 train and timed at 75mph, for one reason or another, we departed Longport 28 minutes late and arrived at Redcar 43 minutes early, running at line-speed most of the way and missing out on almost all the booked pathing stops!
Passing a huge variety of locos and units, at York - instead of taking the freight avoider - we are routed via Platform 10 - a not-so-common place to see a Class 56 in the year 2022!
The entire 176-mile four-hour 15-minute journey is shown. Includes maps, on-screen captions and minimal narration. A thrash cam in the back cab records the loco at work and ambient sounds.
Produced by - Train Crazy
Duration - 258 minutes
Format - 16:9 widescreen
Blu-ray (2 discs) and DVD (2 discs)
Released - November 2022
