The last coal train?

[richieb1971]

Immingham seems fairly well stocked of imported coal. Not full, but not shabby either. Picture taken in 2024, not sure when.

 

[crosscity]

The Ratcliffe train (6M61) didn't run today, and looks like it's only scheduled for tomorrow (Wed) and Friday, so only three times this week.

 

[Dan G]

Have all 30 booked trains run now?

 

[crosscity]

Have all 30 booked trains run now?

The 30 coal trains were mentioned by a Flickr poster, before they started up at the end of April. The 30th train ran on Fri 14th June, and three more ran this week so we are at 33.
I was in touch with the poster who says he has no inside information but said his contact gave an end date of Fri 28Jun, so some may still run next week.

I see there is an STP schedule which has appeared for both Mon and Tue next week for 4E63 BARNETBY DOWN RECP GBRF to Immingham Humber International Terminal which has been a good indicator that 6M61/4E87 to/from Ratcliffe would run later in the day.

There is no STP schedule for Wed, Thu or Fri as yet, so perhaps Tue will be the last one (pure speculation on my part).

 

[Freightmaster]

There is no STP schedule for Wed, Thu or Fri as yet, so perhaps Tue will be the last one (pure speculation on my part).

The final train is booked to run next Friday (June 28th) as an STP working from Doncaster, I'm told.



MARK

 

[class 9]

View attachment 160341
Immingham seems fairly well stocked of imported coal. Not full, but not shabby either. Picture taken in 2024, not sure when.

Non of this is Ratcliffe coal, the top stocks are British Steel, where it says Oxbow is CPL brickette plant, next to that is the old NCB/ reception coal loading pads, I don't know where this coal is destined.
The Ratcliffe coal is loaded at the HIT, which is to the right of the photo.

 

[Adrian Barr]

richieb1971: Immingham seems fairly well stocked of imported coal. Not full, but not shabby either. Picture taken in 2024, not sure when.

Non of this is Ratcliffe coal, the top stocks are British Steel

Hard to make out on the screenshot, but a 66 and a rake of HTAs are visible on Google maps at Immingham Bulk Terminal Coal Pad 2, above where it says "Hargreaves Mobile Plant Workshop," with Coal Pad 1 just below that. Meanwhile there are two iron ore trains visible in the adjacent Ore Terminal. The coal (or maybe coke) stockpile where it says "Maxi haulage" also appears to be connected by conveyor to the Coal loading pads in the Bulk Terminal.

As discussed in the freight news thread, coal trains to Scunthorpe Steelworks Coal Handling Plant are not currently running (apparently ran out of coal stocks to load, but should resume at some point). However, trains of coke have been running from Immingham Bulk Terminal to a new discharge point at the steelworks near Anchor Sidings, currently 2 or 3 trains a day.

Although the imminent end of the Ratcliffe trains spells the end for power station coal trains, as mentioned in previous posts there will still be some coal trains from the HIT supplying Hope cement works (seems to be running twice at week at the moment).

 

[Killingworth]

Hard to make out on the screenshot, but a 66 and a rake of HTAs are visible on Google maps at Immingham Bulk Terminal Coal Pad 2, above where it says "Hargreaves Mobile Plant Workshop," with Coal Pad 1 just below that. Meanwhile there are two iron ore trains visible in the adjacent Ore Terminal. The coal (or maybe coke) stockpile where it says "Maxi haulage" also appears to be connected by conveyor to the Coal loading pads in the Bulk Terminal.

As discussed in the freight news thread, coal trains to Scunthorpe Steelworks Coal Handling Plant are not currently running (apparently ran out of coal stocks to load, but should resume at some point). However, trains of coke have been running from Immingham Bulk Terminal to a new discharge point at the steelworks near Anchor Sidings, currently 2 or 3 trains a day.

Although the imminent end of the Ratcliffe trains spells the end for power station coal trains, as mentioned in previous posts there will still be some coal trains from the HIT supplying Hope cement works (seems to be running twice at week at the moment).

The Hope cement works is due to close by 2042. That could mean a lot more coal trains.

 

[furnessvale]

The Hope cement works is due to close by 2042. That could mean a lot more coal trains.

The planning permission expires in 2042. IF the UK has insufficient cement manufacturing capacity on the date I would hope (no pun intended) that the government of the day lean heavily on the Peak District National Park to extend that permission.

 

[Killingworth]

The planning permission expires in 2042. IF the UK has insufficient cement manufacturing capacity on the date I would hope (no pun intended) that the government of the day lean heavily on the Peak District National Park to extend that permission.

The company already has a run down plan and has had a first consultation about uses for the sites. Although I'd agree, anything can happen over the intervening18 years.

 

[Sun Chariot]

Today the 30th train ran to Ratcliffe since they started up again at the end of April. Does anyone know if any more are planned, or is this the end of them?

Answer is: 6M61 is on it's way to Ratcliffe today (Mon 17Jun) behind 66784.

I follow this thread with a tinge of regret, as I never got to photograph any workings into, or out from, Ratcliffe PS.
2017-19, my job took me from the south coast to Nottingham once per week. The A453 (new-ish road passing the PS) gave me occasional glimpses of trains on the loop.

 

[trainswitheddy]

I follow this thread with a tinge of regret, as I never got to photograph any workings into, or out from, Ratcliffe PS.
2017-19, my job took me from the south coast to Nottingham once per week. The A453 (new-ish road passing the PS) gave me occasional glimpses of trains on the loop.

You and me the same. I had coal trains to West Burton and Cottam on my doorstep but only got interested in MGR a week after West Burton stopped having MGR deliveries

 

[joshTikeeti]

I am happy that Britain io

The first railway was not built to haul SRF! Until recently coal was still a large proportion of rail freight. I am glad that Britain is close to stopping using coal on a commercial scale but its very understandable that people will want to mark the end of an era.

Same here. I am really happy

 

[mac]

Why?

 

[DBS92042]

The final train is booked to run next Friday (June 28th) as an STP working from Doncaster, I'm told.



MARK

Do you know if there will also be a train on the 25th and/or 26th June please?

 

[crosscity]

Do you know if there will also be a train on the 25th and/or 26th June please?

There are STP schedules associated with it for tomorrow (25th) but not the 26th.

The final train is booked to run next Friday (June 28th) as an STP working from Doncaster, I'm told.



MARK

I will keep my eyes peeled for the STP/VAR schedules associated with this as I can't see anything yet. The train must be loaded at Immingham beforehand, unless there's a loaded train already at Doncaster.

 

[DBS92042]

There are STP schedules associated with it for tomorrow (25th) but not the 26th.

I will keep my eyes peeled for the STP/VAR schedules associated with this as I can't see anything yet. The train must be loaded at Immingham beforehand, unless there's a loaded train already at Doncaster.

Thank you. I assume then if there's no STP in then it's unlikely to run?

 

[Adrian Barr]

The train must be loaded at Immingham beforehand, unless there's a loaded train already at Doncaster.

There's only one set of wagons doing the Ratcliffe coal, appropriately featuring the lowest-numbered of the production HTA batch 310001 (the detailed caption to Adrian Nicholl's photo of 310001 linked below mentions a prototype 310000, which I think is stored at Worksop). https://www.flickr.com/photos/36034969@N08/44591271664/

I remember a while back GBRF were using a second set on the Ratcliffe coal, featuring IIA hoppers which have since gone back onto stone workings from Arcow (which must be one of the few or maybe only aggregate workings to still use full-length former coal hoppers, i.e. ~60 feet instead of the cut and shut ~50ft conversions such as the HYAs hoppers used from Peak Forest).

Back on topic, there's an ominous schedule for a 4L79 18:25 Barnetby - March Up Yard on Tuesday, which is a likely place for the wagons to be sent for storage when the service ends.
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:R17137/2024-06-25/detailed

It's quite possible that plans have changed since that schedule was created, so keep an eye out to see if it runs or not, or if STP schedules are created for another loaded run after tomorrow's 6M61.

 

[Killingworth]

Coal train 6M63 0648 Scunthorpe Trent T.C. to Hope (Earles Sidings) Dbs ran today seen here at Dore.

 

[trainswitheddy]

With the wagons going potentially for storage is it likely the Doncaster run on Friday isn't happening now?

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

And as if by magic Ratcliffe has unit two online today at full power since 0930 probably because wind output is very low and they've probably paid for the coal so might as well use it.

 

[mac]

You'd like to think that someone in power would notice that in the hottest week this year we are using coal because wind and solar isn't working

 

[Bald Rick]

You'd like to think that someone in power would notice that in the hottest week this year we are using coal because wind and solar isn't working

Corrected for you. Solar is working fine: over 8GW of fine today.

 

[mac]

Corrected for you, tonight at 2225 solar was producing nothing and wind only 10.4% how will this work in winter without coal

Don't know why that was underlined

 

[Bald Rick]

Corrected for you, tonight at 2225 solar was producing nothing and wind only 10.4% how will this work in winter without coal

Don't know why that was underlined

and coal was producing…. nothing.

for the whole of last winter (21 Dec to 21 March), coal generated 1.28% of our electricity. Solar 1.93%. Wind 35.8%.

It will ‘work’ just fine without coal.

 

[mac]

But in winter when we need more power coal can be turned on how do we make the sun shine at night or the wind blow

 

[trainswitheddy]

But in winter when we need more power coal can be turned on how do we make the sun shine at night or the wind blow

Not to get too off topic but isnt this the point of energy storage programs? And building more Nuclear plants etc to act as baseload? Coal was certainly king once but times change, and if we can switch to more efficient forms of generation we absolutely should.

Anyhow... I wonder if anymore HTAs are likely to be preserved, I'd be surprised...which is a shame as I'm quite fond of them

Realtime Trains | 6M61 0825 Doncaster Down Decoy Gbrf to Ratcliffe Ps Gbrf | 28/06/2024

Real-time train running information for 6M61 0825 departure from Doncaster Down Decoy Gbrf to Ratcliffe Ps Gbrf on 28/06/2024. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Realtime Trains | 4E87 1457 Ratcliffe Ps Gbrf to Barnetby Down Recp Gbrf | 28/06/2024

Real-time train running information for 4E87 1457 departure from Ratcliffe Ps Gbrf to Barnetby Down Recp Gbrf on 28/06/2024. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Looks like the final run is scheduled now.

 

[crosscity]

The final train is booked to run next Friday (June 28th) as an STP working from Doncaster, I'm told.



MARK

Whoever you've got your information from has been spot on. Thanks for sharing it here, I found it really useful as it inspired me to go and get some photos.

With the wagons going potentially for storage is it likely the Doncaster run on Friday isn't happening now?

There must have been another rake at Barnetby. The train to March ran last night with the loco that worked yesterday's Ratcliffe.

Looks like the final run is scheduled now.

Here's the flesh on the bones for the last coal train to Ratcliffe. The schedules are on RTT, Railcam etc.
I wonder if it's been done like this for the rail and other workers to mark and lament the end of power station coal trains.

Thu 27/6 STP 0R61 02:29 Doncaster Down Decoy-Barnetby Down Reception 03:39. Light engine.
Thu 27/6 STP 4E63 05:12 Barnetby Down Reception-Immingham HIT 05:46. Empty rake.
Thu 27/6 STP 6M61 08:00 Immingham HIT-Doncaster Down Decoy 10:15. Loaded coal.
Fri 28/6 STP 6M61 08:25 Doncaster Down Decoy-Ratcliffe Power Station 11:17. Loaded coal.
Fri 28/6 STP 4E87 14:57 Ratcliffe Power Station-Barnetby Down Reception 17:44. Empty rake.
Fri 28/6 STP 0D87 18:24 Barnetby Down Reception-Doncaster Down Decoy 20:19. Light engine.

 

[Trainbike46]

You'd like to think that someone in power would notice that in the hottest week this year we are using coal because wind and solar isn't working

Corrected for you, tonight at 2225 solar was producing nothing and wind only 10.4% how will this work in winter without coal

Don't know why that was underlined

and coal was producing…. nothing.

for the whole of last winter (21 Dec to 21 March), coal generated 1.28% of our electricity. Solar 1.93%. Wind 35.8%.

It will ‘work’ just fine without coal.

exactly - the UK has a wide mix of electricity producing sources, including solar, wind, nuclear, hydro, and gas, as well as the option to import (and export) electricity, combined with an increasing range of energy storage options. With the new facilities coming online between last winter and next winter, coal isn't necessary anymore. And that's why this final coal power station is closing this year.

 

[rick pike]

Whoever you've got your information from has been spot on. Thanks for sharing it here, I found it really useful as it inspired me to go and get some photos.

There must have been another rake at Barnetby. The train to March ran last night with the loco that worked yesterday's Ratcliffe.

Here's the flesh on the bones for the last coal train to Ratcliffe. The schedules are on RTT, Railcam etc.
I wonder if it's been done like this for the rail and other workers to mark and lament the end of power station coal trains.

Thu 27/6 STP 0R61 02:29 Doncaster Down Decoy-Barnetby Down Reception 03:39. Light engine.
Thu 27/6 STP 4E63 05:12 Barnetby Down Reception-Immingham HIT 05:46. Empty rake.
Thu 27/6 STP 6M61 08:00 Immingham HIT-Doncaster Down Decoy 10:15. Loaded coal.
Fri 28/6 STP 6M61 08:25 Doncaster Down Decoy-Ratcliffe Power Station 11:17. Loaded coal.
Fri 28/6 STP 4E87 14:57 Ratcliffe Power Station-Barnetby Down Reception 17:44. Empty rake.
Fri 28/6 STP 0D87 18:24 Barnetby Down Reception-Doncaster Down Decoy 20:19. Light engine.

The working to March was only one HTA.