Westerleigh Oil terminal

[Donkey]

Passing Westerleigh oil terminal on the M4 this morning and saw an EWS 60 waiting at the north end and a track machine in a siding, couldn't tell which one while trying to also keep an eye on the road!

Made me wonder, I presume the tanks come south in to the site then the loco runs round to the north before leaving with the tanks again or is my assumption wrong?

[tonyperks]

Trains come in from the north under the south wales- london line, on whats left of the yate to mangotsfield line, there is an oil terminal and a training centre with a small yard of last count 5 sidings, hard to see now very weedy in places, there is also a waste transfer compound but his has been disconected for some years, the whole site sits on the site of westerleigh mashalling yard closed i belive in 1966 or 68.

The oil terminal is very busy at the moment with at least 2 trains a day, trains coming in from the north then being run round split into two then shunted into the oil terminal proper the loco then moves away to await unloading. When the site first opened some trains were run round at yate then departed south via the reversable up line in the direction of wales, now they all run north via gloucester then down the other side of the severn estury, as the trains are now too long to fit the Yate run round loop on the tytherington branch.

Timings of in and out going trains are very well planned as there is no room for two trains at westerleigh, they seem to pass at charfield or very close as i see two trains one full the other empty within around 10 mins of each other here. I must admit though it is nice to hear the EE class 60's back on these trains as a pair of 66's cant be economical can it and the 59's just dont have the deep rumble of the 60.

[Donkey]

Thanks Tony.

I've been passing there around 7:15 in the morning and there is a rake of tanks and loco there most days. Over the last couple of weeks it does seem that it is hauled by a 60 although I've seen a 66 or two on it.

[g4mby]

I might me wrong but I think that the train that arrives from the north east around 0600 has been hauled by a class 60 most of the time. This leaves around midday and another train arrives shortly after from South Wales. It is on this train that a class 66 and a class 59 or two class 66s has recently been trialled. This train then leaves around 1800.

The latest information that I've been able to get hold of suggests that both trains are currently scheduled to be hauled by class 60s again.

[stopblock]

The morning train from Lindsey is scheduled to arrive around 05:10 but is often retimed due to ocupations. It leaves at 11:40 but can be earlier or later depending on the discharge of the train. The second train from Robeston is scheduled to arrive 12:20 this is usually on time. But the departure time although scheduled for 17:41 can vary greatly again due to discharge of the train. This one has been late for a number of weeks now due to slow discharging.
There was talk of a third train running and on very rare ocasions does arriving at around 18:00 and leaving around 22:30
1 tank on the train can hold around 96'000 ltrs of fuel with the big road tankers only carrying 30'000 ltrs average outgoing from the depot is around 1 million liters a day.Amoung the supermarkets they deliver too are ASDA. TESCO, SAINSBURYS. with other customers including BP AND SHELL AND TEXACO. Along with DHL as a haulier.

[Rich_Eason]

I might me wrong but I think that the train that arrives from the north east around 0600 has been hauled by a class 60 most of the time. This leaves around midday and another train arrives shortly after from South Wales. It is on this train that a class 66 and a class 59 or two class 66s has recently been trialled. This train then leaves around 1800.

The latest information that I've been able to get hold of suggests that both trains are currently scheduled to be hauled by class 60s again.

For details on what beholds the future of the 60's see here...

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index. ... -the-tugs/

I think its safe to say to say that for some services even two 66's don't have the pure slugging capability of one 60...

[tonyperks]

I am sure the main reason for the falling reliability for the tugs is the lack of expenditure and maintainance By EWS/DB whatever they are now, with 66's now in need of rebuilds the tugs ar surely going to fall further down the order of things, though i cant for the life of me see them being sold, db seem to have this passive fear of some-body getting good use out of "worn out" assets and makiong money from them, lack of any 58's being sold yet the prime case for this.

[crewseruk]

Can confirm 60071 worked 6E41 Westerleigh-Lindsey on Friday 7th May & Saturday 8th May.
60074 has been working the Robeston diagram for the last fortnight.

Workings in & out of the terminal as follows:

6V98 22:33 Lindsey-Westerleigh
6E41 11:41 Westerleigh-Lindsey
6B13 05:05 Robeston-Westerleigh
6B47 17:22 Westerleigh-Robeston

(Arrival times as per previous post).

6E41 booked departure time is 10:13 on Saturdays.

Hope that helps.

Regards

Mike.

[Donkey]

Thanks for the info chaps.

[stopblock]

There is a third train running this week on Monday and Wednesday into Westerleigh due in at 17:55 and booked away at 23:59. Good chance at catching 2 trains there at the same time this week if your intreasted.

[Donkey]

Does seem a fairly busy site when to look at it, it doesn't seem particularly special.
But a change of job means no more trundling up the M5/M4 for me any more so no more wondering what will be there or if anything will be passing over the M4 by the M32 junction or will there be anything on a low-loader? (Still new job closer to home and a heck of a lot cheaper to get to!)

[stumpytrain]

Yep, as stopblock said there is a third train running this week. (I believe, if I recognise voices correctly, you had to deal with that train on Monday night due to sickness?).

It is possible to have two down at Westerleigh and this often happens in the afternoon when 6B13 comes down on time and 6B47 is late (again!) leaving the yard.

Alex

[tonyperks]

Yep, as stopblock said there is a third train running this week. (I believe, if I recognise voices correctly, you had to deal with that train on Monday night due to sickness?).

It is possible to have two down at Westerleigh and this often happens in the afternoon when 6B13 comes down on time and 6B47 is late (again!) leaving the yard.

Alex

I didnt think there was space down there for two at once

As another aside, I am suprised Tesco or Sainsburys dont use the old refuse yard and crane, with the big depot just down the road they could cut lods of lorry journys using the facility.

[stopblock]

Just to clear up any confusion 6B13 AND 6B47 are the same train! There is space for 2 trains at the same time at westerleigh but only room for 1 in the terminal. There is an inside road and outside in the sidings at westerleigh with a point leading to the training school sidings that is clipped and locked.
Its a right pain in the bottom if the trains are delayed at westerleigh as we have to wait for the C2 line to be clear of the departing train before we can shunt the arriving train in to the sidings.
Alex the driver on mondays 6e42 paases his gratitude on to the night panel for a clear run at yate.

[tonyperks]

Ask alex to give us a blast on the 2 tones sas he passes the loops at charfield, as long as he's not on nthe early run that is