Witness the reversing operation at Leek Brook Junction where a sand train from British Industrial Sand, Oakamoor to Pilkington Glass, St Helens reverses direction to take the line to Stoke. The complex process takes place in the Leek Brook yard where the locomotive and brake van swap ends before carrying on their journey. This process involves loose shunting the brake van. I used to think this process was called fly shunting but was corrected by a subscriber to my channel.
The main footage is filmed from the cab of 24057 and in the Leek Brook yard. The single locomotive was hauling four hundred tonnes of sand. There is a separate clip of 24035 & 24082 leading a sand train towards Stoke taken from the signal box at Leek Brook Junction on a bright summer day. Signalman Ken Faulkner is exchanging the token with the driver.
This vintage footage captures a typical British Rail freight operation transporting sand hoppers from Oakamoor Sidings to the Pilkington Glass Works in St. Helens. Filmed in super 8 cine film without sound I’ve added a sound recording made from the cab of 24057 on a different journey from Oakamoor to Leek Brook. Sorry the sound is not in sync with the video but it hopefully gives a feel for the atmosphere in the cab and outside the engine.
Leek Brook Junction is an historic North Staffordshire Railway site now owned and being developed by the Churnet Valley Railway.
Journey Details:
• Locomotive: BR Class 24 Sulzer diesel-electric, No. 24057 cab and shunting & final clip is 24035 & 24082.
• Place : Leek Brook Junction on Stoke to Caldon Low / Oakamoor line via Fenton, Bucknall, Milton Junction, Endon and Wall Grange.
• Date: Spring / summer 1977.
• Cargo: Sand hoppers
• Destination: Pilkington Glass, St Helens
• Filmed from: Locomotive cab / Leek Brook yard / signal box.
Perfect for fans of railway history, diesel traction, and vintage British Rail operations.
Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more classic railway footage!
#Class24 #CabRide #BritishRail #FreightTrain #RailwayHistory #DieselLocomotive #NorthStaffordshireRailway #Trainspotting #VintageRailway #UKTrains #Milton #Endon #MiltonJunction #BaddeleyGreen #StokeonTrent #staffordshire #ChurnetValley #Cheddleton #CaldonLow #sulzer #Oakamoor #CVR #trainspotter #gricer #NSR. #LMS #Leek #cheddleton #looseshunting #flyshunting #limestone #BIS #vintagerail