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1,154 views Published 6 Nov 2025 Open on YouTube đź‘Ť Log in to like

Castleton 1997: Freight, Factories & Forgotten Trains

Channel: John K Wells
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Description
Back in 1997, Castleton near Rochdale was still a busy spot for freight. Trains from EWS and Freightliner rumbled through, hauled by classic locos like Class 37s, 47s, 56s, and 60s, moving everything from containers and aggregates to engineering supplies. But Castleton was more than just a passing point — it was home to a static rail-welding plant, where long welded rails were produced for Britain’s railway network. In the years that followed, this operation was moved to a new, modern facility in Scunthorpe, part of a major shift in how Network Rail produced and maintained long-welded rails. It marked the end of an era for Castleton’s role in rail manufacturing and the start of a new chapter for the network’s infrastructure.
AI summary Generated from Fishplate metadata

In 1997, Castleton near Rochdale was a key location for freight operations, with trains from EWS and Freightliner passing through, hauled by classic locomotives. The area also housed a rail-welding plant that produced long welded rails for Britain’s railway network. This facility later moved to Scunthorpe as part of Network Rail's modernisation efforts, marking the end of Castleton’s role in rail manufacturing and the beginning of a new era for infrastructure development.

This summary is generated from structured Fishplate data and may need human review.
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  • Platform ID eh9dUIRkD4c
  • Views 1,154
  • Date published 6 Nov 2025 06:00
  • Date added 12 Jun 2026 17:22
  • Locomotives 0
  • Headcodes 0
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