Thursday, 14 November 2013

The Half Mile Train

Freight trains can sometimes be very long; and this one measures around half a mile in length – 2,526 feet, or 770 metres – with some 46 (count 'em) wagons and a Class 66 diesel locomotive at each end. These are highly-reputed locos by the way, and can operate in France as well as the UK.

The wagons are interesting, with an end-to-end-slanted design to most of them and a few custom vehicles also in the mix.

Here it all is pausing at, and presumably well beyond, York station for a change of the train crew, and then it sets off again with a fair amount of 'thrash' to get that huge mass moving. It takes quite a lot of effort, even for two Class 66s which have a combined traction of more than four and a half Megawatts.

The video creator poses the question: Is this the UK's longest train? The answer is no – there are longer MRL stone trains, and the 'Octopus' that passes through Leicester is around the same length, for a couple of examples – but it is certainly among the longest...

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