Avonmouth-Penyfford Cement Works Traffic

[sleepy_hollow]

Yesterday, 3 July, passing Avonmouth Hanson sidings about 0820, I saw a queue of about twenty road tipper wagons, generally articulated, generally sheeted, generally empty, stationary, with some of the drivers standing around. In front of them was a train of cement tankers with a class 66 at the head. I assume this was 6M42 which left for Penyfforth Cement Works at 0840.

Twenty minutes seems a very short time to transfer twenty wagon loads either way. This train appears regularly, what does it carry and how is it handled?

 

[8A Rail]

I always thought the train carried 'cement' to Avonmouth, usually either from Penyfordd or Clitheroe. So what you noted yesterday was the 09:06 empties returning to Penyffordd, see: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:H00609/2023-07-03/detailed#allox_id=0

The train itself arrived the previous evening at around 22.00hrs, again see: 6V41 14:14 Penyffordd to Avonmouth https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:H41728/2023-07-02/detailed#allox_id=0 So safely suggest the train was unloaded in the hours in between, clearly being overnight.

 

[Freightmaster]

a train of cement tankers...

...what does it carry?

I think you inadvertently answered your own question there!


As far as I am aware, the traffic is in connection with the new nuclear power station being built at Hinkley Point.




MARK

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

There's also a concreting plant at Avonmouth which is making tunnel segments and other structures for the West Midlands section of HS2.
However I don't know where its cement/aggregates come from.

 

[sleepy_hollow]

As pointed out above the simple explanation that the cement tankers had brought cement and were about to return empty is the most obvious. Presumably the tipper trucks were entirely unconnected, probably the morning queue for aggregates, and my connecting them with the train and wondering if cement tankers could be used to carry other products, was unnecessary speculation.

Shows what comes of taking the 0804 instead of the 0904 and seeing things that have normally happened earlier.

 

[childwallblues]

From what I can understand the GBRf locomotive is outbased at Penyfford from Tuebrook.

 

[8A Rail]

From what I can understand the GBRf locomotive is outbased at Penyfford from Tuebrook.

Theoretically speaking, that is correct as well as Clitheroe and Trafford Park but these days, it has been far less as loco's have been coming from other locations as far as I am aware. I think some drivers are certainly based at Tuebrook (or have been for Penyffordd).

 

[Snow1964]

There are 2 single paths today from Westbury
0Z01 and 0Z02 both visiting Avonmouth Bbht silos today twice

Is there a new flow and they are testing or driver training ?

 

[furnessvale]

As pointed out above the simple explanation that the cement tankers had brought cement and were about to return empty is the most obvious. Presumably the tipper trucks were entirely unconnected, probably the morning queue for aggregates, and my connecting them with the train and wondering if cement tankers could be used to carry other products, was unnecessary speculation.

Shows what comes of taking the 0804 instead of the 0904 and seeing things that have normally happened earlier.

In theory cement tankers could carry a whole variety of powdered products, depending on the flow and abrasive characteristics of that product.

So far as the HGVs are concerened. I would have thought carrying loose cement in an open top tipper, even if sheeted, would be a very risky process for such a reactive product.