Speedlink was launched in 1977 as an attempt to arrest the decline in British Rail’s wagonload freight business. One of the things that distinguished Speedlink workings from almost all of the freight services that had preceded it, was that all the wagons used were air braked. At its peak in the mid 1980s, it carried over 8 million tonnes annually. However, despite this, Speedlink was never profitable and in the run up to railway privatisation, the service was abandoned in 1991. This is the third and final book in this short series, each one complete in itself, which provides a comprehensive survey of the whole Speedlink wagon fleet.
This volume examines the crucial role played by the internationally registered wagons that operated on Speedlink services. Such vehicles had been seen on Britain’s rail network since the 1920s and, with all the types entering the country being air braked, they were ideal for Speedlink. By the 1980s, many new designs had appeared, especially bogie vans, and formed an important part of the stock to be seen on Speedlink services across the country.
Before the opening of the Channel Tunnel, international vehicles came into the UK via the train ferries to Dover and Harwich, and a wide variety of these European wagons from countries as diverse Belgium, France, Germany, Spain and the then Yugoslavia could be seen on Speedlink services. Wagons used included vans, flats and tankers; the latter for commodities ranging from chemicals to china clay.
Written by wagon expert David Larkin and heavily illustrated throughout, this series is an invaluable source of reference for all those interested in the post steam era on Britain’s railways. Those modelling the railway scene from the 1970s to the 1990s will also find these books essential reading. Hardback. 152 pages.