A really interesting and well put together video. These trains and the ones from Arcow and Rylstone pass within 20 metres of my front door and its not often you see a 60 on duty. The impact these trains have had getting aggregate off the roads has been amazing.

@NorthumberlandSnapper

Жыл бұрын

Many thanks Paul. Class 60 seems to be the norm on this particular run, although I think a 66 would be more than equal to the job given the loads being hauled. I must say that my particular favourites are those workings on the Rylstone branch.

Interesting video...especially for myself. I worked at the receiving end of that train. After it arrives in Tuebrook (Liverpool) the train is again split in half & is taken in two separate operations to the Hanson railhead at Ashton-in-makerfield (near Wigan) to be unloaded. The reason the train is split is because the depot at Ashon cannot fit a whole train in. 12 carriages maximum. It takes around 3hrs to unload each train. It is unloaded by a large Liebherr 360 with grab bucket. The loading shovel at Ribblehead is a Liebherr 586, a great piece of kit. The same size Shovel is used at Ashton railhead. Depending on product it can pick up around 8-9 ton a bucket. Each carriage holds 75ton.

@hiscifi2986

Жыл бұрын

I wonder if the designer of the Ribblehead Viaduct ever thought it would be carrying an off centre load of a couple of thousand tons.

Yet again another cracking video of train workings. I've always found that Virtual Quarry quite interesting as I don't see much in there. It's only recently 6F69 has appeared as an STP. Well done for standing there for hours capturing that, you did an amazing job in our Dales weather! Have a great day.

@NorthumberlandSnapper

Жыл бұрын

Thank you for your kind words Edward. Glad you thought it was worthwhile.

Well done Tom, you haven't lost your ability to take great footage and then produce an excellent and informative video. Keep them coming mate. Best wishes. Andy Muff.

@NorthumberlandSnapper

Жыл бұрын

Very kind Andy. I hope you are well. I've been keeping an eye on your channel, but you seem to be taking a bit of a rest at the moment.

....plans are already in place to re-open/re-install a track going straight into Horton quarry. This will cancel the need for stone to be trucked in to Ribblehead VQ (over 60 artics per train) There's also plans to install a loop at Ashton railhead, so the full train can go direct into Ashton and therefore eliminate the need to go to Liverpool sidings for splitting. This will vastly lower the costs & turn-around times for the trains & Hanson.

@NorthumberlandSnapper

Жыл бұрын

Thanks very much for leaving such a detailed comment, explaining the other end of the process.

@cletus1875

Жыл бұрын

@@NorthumberlandSnapper No problem at all. It's nice to see where the stone originates from. I did offer my services to be involved in the loading of the train up at Ribblehead, as i live about halfway between both ends. No luck as of yet....but you never know.

Well-edited video. Glad you explained what a virtual quarry is, I thought it was going to be something computer-generated.

@NorthumberlandSnapper

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for dropping by. Glad you found the video worthwhile.

Thank you for this video. As a train enthousiast I stayed at Philpin Farm near Ribblehead viaduct this summer for a week. And had some great walks there. Regards from the Netherlands.

@NorthumberlandSnapper

Жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it and hope to see you back in the UK soon.

Great video. Some well orchestrated moves there. Those wagons look enormous until you see that loader fill them with just a few scoops of that bucket. This is where bulk loads belong on the rails. Imagine moving that tonnage to it's final destination by road, trucking carnage!

@NorthumberlandSnapper

Жыл бұрын

You're right, it's getting a lot of trucks off the road. Same at Arcow, where the road quarry traffic has been cut to a fraction of what it was since the introduction of the rail head. I'm a big fan of rail freight and we definitely need to see more of it. Thanks for taking the time to comment.

Cracking video ,really nicely filmed love the 60, i drove one of those Loading shovels for Tarmac a long time ago it great to start with after a while its so boring

@NorthumberlandSnapper

Жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for dropping by Jay.

Brilliant I wondered what the sequence was for the loading. Many thanks for making and sharing.

@NorthumberlandSnapper

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment

Hi Dave love the infirmities segments, never too long always enjoyable look forward to the next one. Best wishes Richard

@NorthumberlandSnapper

Жыл бұрын

Many thanks Richard. Who's Dave?

I have been there. Had the pleasure of delivering that liebherr loading shovel from biggleswade. It is definitely interesting to find when you have never been there before.

@NorthumberlandSnapper

Жыл бұрын

Rural, but beautiful.

@stevenmillin7063

Жыл бұрын

@@NorthumberlandSnapper the lad from Hanson's had to tell me which way to go into it but you still drive down the road thinking you have gone wrong.

Excellent story about working this pit. James.

Great video, really well shot, and a very interesting operation. Thanks for taking the time to do this - subscribed.

@NorthumberlandSnapper

Жыл бұрын

You're very welcome. Glad you found it worthwhile viewing.

Great video. There certainly is a bit of shunting with these trains at both here and at Tuebrook sidings and Ashton. Love the sound of the 8 cylinder Mirrlees engines in the class 60s.

@NorthumberlandSnapper

Жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it

Superb footage,well done sir.i absolutely Love this line

@NorthumberlandSnapper

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for your kind words Stephen. I am also very fond of the S&C. It's one of my favourite places to relax, unwind and enjoy the breathtaking scenery.

That class 60 looks very well detailed for N gauge. :baddum-tsh!:

I photographed this quarry and workings in the early 1980's when it was handled by class 25's 🙂

@NorthumberlandSnapper

Жыл бұрын

I'm not too familiar with 25s, so I'm going to read up on them now. Thanks for dropping by and commenting.

Thanks for this, I didn't even know RVQ existed! Interesting freight movements. Cheers.

@NorthumberlandSnapper

Жыл бұрын

It doesn't get a lot of use, so easy to overlook. Thanks for taking the time to comment.

Excellent, informative and interesting, hope the 🌞 comes out again, keep up the good work and have now subscribed 👍.

@NorthumberlandSnapper

Жыл бұрын

Thanks and welcome

Perfect video 👍

@NorthumberlandSnapper

2 ай бұрын

Glad you found it worthwhile viewing. Thanks for watching.

@Shelfandtabletoplayouts00gauge

2 ай бұрын

@@NorthumberlandSnapper I’ve never caught this end of the working. You absolutely nailed it, even the horn at the end 😃

@NorthumberlandSnapper

2 ай бұрын

@@Shelfandtabletoplayouts00gauge Very kind. Glad you found it worth watching all the way through.

Excellent video.

@NorthumberlandSnapper

Жыл бұрын

Glad you liked it!

Interesting video, thanks

@NorthumberlandSnapper

Жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it

a cracking working again lets have more keep up the good work

@NorthumberlandSnapper

Жыл бұрын

Thanks again for your kind words Denis.

Very good video cheers

@NorthumberlandSnapper

Жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it Ian. It has been a slow burner this one!

Many thanks for posting this video…it must have been quite an ordeal in that cold and misty weather! Indeed, I have watched and much enjoyed your beautifully presented videos from Garsdale Station…taken in much better weather! I’m a very frequent user of the excellently placed RailCam Internet camera that looks out over Ribblehead viaduct, providing superb views of the railway and beautiful scenery. However, apart from being able to see the trains reverse from the mainline, or pull out of the Virtual Quarry (VQ) what actually goes on in there is a mystery! I must be quite honest and mention that I seem to have been under the wrong impression in thinking that all trains delivered stone and the lorries (which I can glimpse approaching on the road leading to the VQ) were all empty, ready to be filled. Instead it seems the lorries are actually delivering stone to the quarry from ‘real quarries’ for collection and distribution by rail. How wrong can you be eh? Is any of the stone actually delivered by the railway? I’m really puzzled now! Many thanks again for taking the trouble to make the video…it just goes to show that you really can’t beat the dedicated videographer on the spot! Best wishes from Rob in freezing Bournemouth.

@NorthumberlandSnapper

Жыл бұрын

Hello Rob and thanks for commenting. It has been a while since you last did, so I hope you are well. As far as I'm aware no stone is delivered to Ribblehead VQ by rail. It all comes in on lorries.

If production increases then loading may require a hopper and conveyor system to speed loading. If positioned close to the station then loading could be done as the train passes under into (or out of) the siding(s). No need to split the train. (Needs to be a low profile buildings because its in the park)

@NorthumberlandSnapper

Жыл бұрын

You may well be right Brian, but at Arcow there is a lot more output - say 3 full trains a day - and they still do things the same way as here.

Seen this go through Skipton at speed and wondered where it was going.

@melissasmith5109

Жыл бұрын

Wonder why they don't have a shunter there, it would save on the cafuful of splitting the train and moving the entire train back and forth

@NorthumberlandSnapper

Жыл бұрын

It's a pretty irregular movement, so probably not deemed viable to have a shunter positioned there.

Great video…. Quick question please: did the loco run around the train at Blea Moor and then recross the Ribblehead heading south?

@NorthumberlandSnapper

Жыл бұрын

Yes, it did. Thanks for taking the time to comment.

Great video, nice captures! Well done! Thumbs Up & Subscribe Greetings from Dublin Andrew

@NorthumberlandSnapper

Жыл бұрын

Thanks and welcome. I'm heading straight across to your channel to reciprocate.

I found this video very interesting. Must look at more of your work. Where does the engine run round the train before coming back the other way ? (Hope thats not a silly question) The comments are helpful too. Thank you,

@NorthumberlandSnapper

Жыл бұрын

Not a silly question at all. There are passing loops at Blea Moor, which is a few hundred yards to the north of the viaduct. Loco runs around there. The Arcow Quarry stone trains do the same.

That was absolutely fascinating! Many's the time I've been at Ribblehead and wondered about the operations there. Thank you. Interesting that they had to foul the main to do a shunt. 2 Questions: The GF contains four levers. Two of them must be the FPL and the point lever combination for to access the siding. What are the other two for? One lever might be to enforce a signalling overlap to the rear but it's just a guess. As the driver finally exits the sidings he hands what appears to be a token to the GF crew. What function does this carry out?

@NorthumberlandSnapper

Жыл бұрын

Hello Derek and thanks for dropping by. I am glad you found the video worthwhile. I can answer some of your queries - when the train departs the driver hands back a two-way radio. As you said, there are four levers on the frame - from what I understand there is a lever for moving a set of points and a second lever for locking them into position. There is a set of points leading off the running line (accounting for the first two levers) and a set of trap points a little further down into the siding (accounting for the other two levers). As I understand it, black levers usually move points and blue levers lock points into position.

Not sure that ladder dismounting technique is in the Elf and Safety Manual.😉

@NorthumberlandSnapper

Жыл бұрын

I hadn't even noticed that! Hope his bosses aren't watching - the potential indignity of falling off a ladder two rungs from the bottom!

@stevenmoran4060

Жыл бұрын

H&S failings, insecure ladder as in able to move whilst on it. Also not sure H&S would be happy about the ladder leaning on the train that can move in either direction while someone is on the ladder. No fall arrest system in place as working over 2 metres high.

@NorthumberlandSnapper

Жыл бұрын

@@stevenmoran4060 Oh heck... didn't realise I'd opened such a can of worms!

@mrbluesky2050

Жыл бұрын

@@stevenmoran4060 have they tried a mirror, ( or camera) on a long pole, that's what i'd have rigged up if it was my job, no bloody up and down a ricketty ladder in the wind and rain ! no thinking outside the box these days.... anything to make the job easier, faster and SAFER !

@alanolley7286

Жыл бұрын

@@stevenmoran4060 suprised there is no camera on a gantry to save climbing it could then be looked from the ground via a monitor

When I was a Guard, it only needed one person to operate the frame, not 3.

@NorthumberlandSnapper

Жыл бұрын

It'll be health and safety no doubt.

@thomasshepard6030

Жыл бұрын

@@NorthumberlandSnapper that’s exactly what it is and that’s why nothing gets done in Britain on time

@michaelgray6963

Жыл бұрын

When you were a guard, did you not learn how to do new jobs ? Rather than make stupid comments about the good old days have a think about what might be going on. One person is teaching two others here.

@exb.r.buckeyeman845

Жыл бұрын

@@michaelgray6963 We learnt by observation, 15 years of mixed Shunting before becoming a Guard, “no class room training” we just looked and learnt with no problems.

@michaelgray6963

Жыл бұрын

That’s exactly what these guys were doing, learning by observing and doing. Pleased we agree.

It would be much easier and far quicker to employ a drone operated by an IPad to check the waggons surely, it must take a man with a ladder at least 30 minutes to check 21 trucks, maximum 2 minutes by drone, 28 minutes faster turnaround on the job, just a thought...

@NorthumberlandSnapper

Жыл бұрын

You're probably right Allen, but it does get very windy up there.

@mrbluesky2050

Жыл бұрын

see my suggestion above, mirror on a stick !

Why "virtual" and what is "decoy" about the working? Thanks.

@NorthumberlandSnapper

Жыл бұрын

Hello Ty Phoon. Thanks for commenting. It is a virtual quarry because no actually quarrying takes place there. Stone from nearby Horton Quarry is transported to Ribblehead by lorry, for onward conveyance by rail. Decoy is the name of the railway marshalling yard just to the south of Doncaster. There are two halves to the yard - "down" on the west side of the main line (e.g. the side usually running away from London); "up" on the east side of the main line (e.g. the side usually running towards London). On UK railways it is standard practice to refer to the main line to London as "up" and away from London as "down".

@typhoon2827

Жыл бұрын

@@NorthumberlandSnapper brilliant. Thank you! I'm enjoying your videos! 👍🏻

@NorthumberlandSnapper

Жыл бұрын

@@typhoon2827 I am very pleased to hear that. Best wishes of the season to you.

@wetcardie66

Жыл бұрын

@@NorthumberlandSnapper thought that was a masterpiece of explanation thanks

@NorthumberlandSnapper

Жыл бұрын

@@wetcardie66 Glad to hear! I think it has been asked previously, so I'd had a bit of practice!

This seems to be quite a time and diesel consuming way of loading the wagons. Surely, if they got rid of spur one, that would leave spur two only to back the train into, and then there would be enough room, at least it looks like there would be, for them to load all wagons without the need for the train to be shunted back and forth. In this way, the driver could shut down the engine to save fuel, and have a cuppa whilst waiting.

@NorthumberlandSnapper

Жыл бұрын

I'm sure there'll be some logic behind the arrangement - even if it doesn't appear totally logical!

Not a virtual quarry, but an actual quarry!

@NorthumberlandSnapper

Жыл бұрын

The stone is not quarried there, but comes in by road. The railway refers to it as a virtual quarry, which is why the term is used.

@22pcirish

Жыл бұрын

@@NorthumberlandSnapper Makes sense, thanks for the correction. I’m hoping I might get to learn the line and be hauling these trains myself!

Since when did wagons have a reversing alarm?🤣

@NorthumberlandSnapper

Жыл бұрын

First time I've seen one. Health and safety no doubt.

@IronHorseRailways

Жыл бұрын

@@NorthumberlandSnapper absolutely, I would have thought a 2000 tonn train would be quite noticeable! Incidentally thank you for the upload, I've been to Ribble head a few times but never managed to catch a working. So this is absolute gold!

Why does the man checking the the hoppers have to climb a ladder That’s not safe practice. The other methods could be as simple as a mirror on a long pole a camera on a long pole or even a drone.

@NorthumberlandSnapper

Жыл бұрын

I'm really not sure - both good suggestions.

What a waste of time and fuel, there was enough room to load the wagons just using one spur .... no wonder this country has gone to the dogs

@NorthumberlandSnapper

Жыл бұрын

I'm sure there must be some logic behind the move Paul. Thanks for commenting.

@dpallant

Жыл бұрын

Its quicker to split the train and shunt it than for the loading shovel to drive further and further and further down the train with buckets each time.