John Dedman continues his description of a visit to the major freight hub of Mossend Yard near Motherwell in June 1989. The events of the morning were covered in TRACTION 269.
About 12:15 26011 arrived from the north with a departmental working followed by yet another Class 37, 37373 in the attractive red stripe Railfreight grey livery with MDV loaded scrap wagons. Next up was 86439 which arrived from the south with limestone hoppers from Hardendale Quarry which was destined for Ravenscraig steelworks; the ‘86’ was replaced by a blue Class 26, which was probably 26042 but was too far away to confirm.
Then came yet another northbound Freightliner, this time diesel hauled by 37358 ‘P&O Containers’ and 37077; 37358 was sporting its one off livery of BR blue but with large bodyside double arrows. In the opposite direction was our first MGR working behind 37092 and 37010 with 45 HAA hoppers. By now it had clouded over and started to rain as the only Class 20s of the day appeared with more BP 45 ton tanks; the locos were 20066 and 20185.
Once the rain had cleared 47008 returned, this time with a short rake of flat wagons carrying open containers. There were a few more Class 37 moves with 37029, 37097, 37311, 37320, 37080 and 37170 before we decided to move location as the sun, when it was out, was now moving to the other side of the tracks.
So by early afternoon we had moved back to the south end of the yard where we stayed until the early evening. We started off here with three Class 85 moves including 85016 arriving with empty steel coil wagons, the others were 85010, 85018, and 85107 with light engine movements. Then 86506 departed south from the yard with a train of I.C.I. PCA sodium carbonate tanks which we had seen earlier arriving from the north behind 37311.
Next were a couple of lengthy Speedlink workings, one departing south from the yard behind 85010 and a double header arriving from the south behind 86503 and 85110, the latter with its pantograph down. We then get another working with 26008 arriving with loaded steel coil, probably from Ravenscraig. This was followed by 37373 arriving with three air braked vans and then departing southwards 35 minutes later with a short rake of five limestone hoppers. We then had three southbound freights, 37137 with tippler wagons, 26008 with empty steel coil wagons and 47004 wit
