UK freight speed limits?

[LeapingRodent]

Hello everyone.
I want to create some freight scenarios, but I'm a little confused on speed limits in the UK. I have done some googling and I understand that intermodal freight trains may go up to a maximum of 75MPH (Line speed permitting of course), but what about other types of freight? And what determines these speed limitations? One more question: What were the speed limits for freight in the BR steam era? Were they the same? Thank you to anyone taking the time to answer.

[Chicken Balti]

Hello. General average speeds for goods trains in UK steam days were around 30-45mph. Some were a little faster if routed mainline, but still not as fast as the modern rail network.
Best.

[Darloman]

I used to have some notes on this, but at the moment I can’t find them. Anyway; back in the steam days freight wagons were divided into different categories according to their brakes (or lack of them), the length and type of their wheelbases and their particular purpose.

The slowest speed limits were for short-wheelbase “unfitted” wagons (typically, mineral traffic). “Unfitted” meant they had no air or vacuum brakes operated from the locomotive. Then came long-wheelbase “unfitted” wagons, up through various "fitted" braked and covered vans, fish vans and bogie stock. Fish was packed in ice for transportation at that time; there was no modern refrigeration available then, and it had to be delivered before the ice melted. Fish trains were sometimes even given priority over passenger traffic between the North East fish ports and London.

With mineral traffic, it wasn’t just the small unbraked wagons that was a problem, but also the overall very heavy weight of the trains that had to be controlled by only the locomotive's braking and a braked guards van at the rear. However the individual wagons were usually fitted with a hand-operated lever brake and it was quite common for mineral trains to halt at the top of a steep bank while the guard or fireman jumped down and ran to each wagon to peg down its brake lever for the descent, then unpeg the brake lever again at the foot of the bank.

Max speeds; generally 25 - 35mph for short wheel base unfitted mineral traffic (less than 10 ft). Up through 45mpg to 60mpg for other categories depending on the wheelbase, bogie type and brakes. The rules changed at different periods of course, and before nationalisation I think there may have been some variation between companies.

However, until the 1950s steam locos weren’t normally fitted with a speedometer, so the exact speeds in practice depended on the skill of the driver.

As for modern limits, I have also read that intermodals can go up to 75mph, but I haven't researched it.

[Darloman]

P.S. I've found this posted by a driver in 2007, so it may not be entirely up to date:

"The full classification of trains in the UK is.......

Class 0 - Light engine, 60mph max unless linespeed 90mph or more, in which case 75mph.

Class 1 - Express Passenger or Postal.

Class 2 - Local Passenger.

Class 3 - Parcels train.

Class 4 - Fully fitted Freight train permitted to run at up to 75mph.

Class 5 - Empty coaching stock.

Class 6 - Fully fitted Freight Train permitted to run at up to 60mph.

Class 7 - Fully fitted Freight Train permitted to run at up to 45mph.

Class 8 - Fully fitted Freight Train permitted to run at up to 35mph.

Class 9a - Partially fitted Freight Train permitted to run at up to 35mph.

Class 9b - Unfitted Freight Train permitted to run at up to 25mph.

Class 9 trains do not run anymore, and with very few, if any vacuum braked wagons around, class 8's may only exist in the history books now (Anyone know more than me on this?)"

[LeapingRodent]

Wow. Thanks for such a detailed response, Darloman. There's a lot of useful information here that I can use, for sure. The part about fish fans is quite interesting as that's not really something I had considered before.

[Darloman]

Revised class list from 13 December 2017:


1. Express passenger train; nominated postal or parcels train; breakdown or overhead line equipment train going to clear the line (headcode 1Z99); traction unit going to assist a failed train (1Z99); snow plough going to clear the line (1Z99).

2. Ordinary passenger train; Officers’ special train (2Z01).

3. Freight train if specially authorised; a parcels train; autumn-railhead treatment train; empty coaching stock train if specially authorised.

4, Freight train which can run up to 75 mph (120 km/h).

5. Empty coaching stock train.

6. Freight train which can run up to 60 mph (95 km/h).

7. Freight train which can run up to 45 mph (70 km/h).

8. Freight train which can run up to 35 mph (55 km/h).

9. Class 373 train; other passenger train if specially authorised.

0. Light locomotive or locomotives.

[Broomwagon]

Originally posted by LeapingRodent:

Wow. Thanks for such a detailed response, Darloman. There's a lot of useful information here that I can use, for sure. The part about fish fans is quite interesting as that's not really something I had considered before.

+1 - hard to get one's head around in those times that locos generally weren't fitted with speedos, it seems a rather important thing not to have right into BR days.

[Chicken Balti]

Originally posted by broomwagon:

Originally posted by LeapingRodent:

Wow. Thanks for such a detailed response, Darloman. There's a lot of useful information here that I can use, for sure. The part about fish fans is quite interesting as that's not really something I had considered before.

+1 - hard to get one's head around in those times that locos generally weren't fitted with speedos, it seems a rather important thing not to have right into BR days.

Hello broomwagon, many ex-GWR engines did have speedo's as did many BR Standards in BR days. Other engines from other regions sometimes had them too. They were not quite as rare as some imagine. In addition, drivers with many years experience, can always 6th sense tell what speed they are travelling at, with quite a high degree of accuracy.
Tested that many times with fellow drivers, by covering the speedo for a while. Some of them almost spot on at high speeds and low speeds.
Best.