Concrete Block traffic to London from Melbur Blockworks

[treggyman]

Hi

 

I wonder if there is such a flow?

 

The reason I ask is that on two separate occasions I have been told that there is a regular train loaded with concrete blocks from Melbur blockworks to London but I've never heard it mentioned elsewhere unless the blocks are loaded at Treviscoe or Parkindillack & shipped out with the clay train.

 

The only reason I doubt this is that both people implied the train ran at night.

 

One of the people who mentioned it was a driver who delivers our bagged aggregates a while back, & the other is my Boss who mentioned it in passing last Saturday at work.......He has no interest in the railways so it is odd that he should mention it unless he thought the information be correct.

 

Fact or fiction? Any info welcome

 

Cheers Bill

 

 

[Stoker]

I doubt the validity of this. Wouldn't really be a great deal of point taking the blocks by rail in dribs and drabs, it's cheaper to transport it by road. Once it's on the lorry, it can go all the way to it's final destination. The actual rail transport itself isn't the issue, it's all the transfer costs. Unloading the lorries onto the train, and unloading the train onto the lorries. By the time you've set all that up and orchestrated it, you'll find it will be 2 or 3 times more expensive than just shipping direct by road. The only time rail really shines is where it can go from point to point with a minimum of loading and unloading.

[The Stationmaster]

So far as I know - unless things have changed, and they do of course - the only concrete block traffic on the GWML is that from Celcon at Westbury to Acton, assuming it is still passing.  It originated as 'tail traffic', for want of a better name, on a Mendip quarry stone train and consisted of Celcon blocks on pallets loaded to various types of wagon and always marshalled rear (which it would have to be for coupling strength reasons as well as marshalling convenience.  I don't know if it is still passing.

[Captain Kernow]

I was originally not aware of this traffic.....

 

 

Edited on 18/10/13......

[treggyman]

Hi All

 

Thanks for all the above replies.

 

I have to admit that I am not surprised that there is no such flow, but it was two comments close together from unrailway sources that made me wonder.

 

Perhaps it was a mix up with the then Olympic & new flows from Methrose siding that were being referred to ?

 

As I say both people who mentioned the block flow have no interest in railways or their operation so who knows!!!!

 

We can always dream.

 

Cheers Bill