Big Freight 27

From the newly rebuilt Class 69s to Class 20s and 37s and some of the oldest locos currently operating, Big Freight 27 provides a detailed look at the post-pandemic rail freight scene in Britain. Filmed countrywide, from the lineside and the sky, along obscure freight-only lines and main lines, once again a great variety of locos and trains are featured in another action-packed three-hour programme.
The Class 69s: By the autumn of 2022, the much delayed Class 56 rebuild programme had reached six locos in traffic - 69001 to 69006. Normally based at, and working off Tonbridge, the only regular Class 69 hauled train so far has been a weekday out and back service to Mountfield, then Southampton Docks, then loaded gypsum back to Tonbridge. All six locos are featured here, working this train and RHTTs plus 73s and other freight action from around Tonbridge West Yard.
Peterborough - Ely: Part One: Across the Fenlands of Cambridgeshire, in an area where traditional signalling, signal boxes and manual level crossings still exist, there has been an explosion in freight trains in recent years, working mostly on the east/west axis from Felixstowe. Add the rejuvenated Whitemoor Yard and this is a busy 30-mile stretch of railway. Various flows are shown with a feature on Whitemoor Yard itself. This first part looks at the Peterborough - Whitemoor section.

Yate: Located between Bristol and Gloucester the tiny station at Yate is probably off the radar of most people. At one end is the junction for the freight-only branch to Westerleigh oil terminal and at the other, the junction for the much longer freight-only branch to Tytherington quarry! A typical day is featured with Class 60 and 66-hauled oil and stone trains.

South Yorkshire: A look at the freight scene around Sheffield and Doncaster with trains around Swinton, including the obscure freight-only Roundwood Chord and the freight-only Rotherham Masborough to Chesterfield line. Flows include containers, steel, stone and cement - plus colourful GBRf Class 66s hauling coal. Plus, a visit to the new look Tinsley Yard, freight-train meets Tram-train at Rotherham and - possibly - the greatest three-freight-train run past ever filmed, at Treeton!

Plus: Class 70-hauled oil trains; Merseyrail unit moves; stone train run-round move at Woodley and much more.