Report - The Abandoned Royal Mail Train - Hellifield, North Yorkshire - March 2020

[LostPlacesForgottenFaces]

The Abandoned Royal Mail Train
Hellifield, North Yorkshire
March 2020

HISTORY
Anyone who has been to Hellifield in North Yorkshire may have seen an abandoned train not too far away from the train station. The train is a diesel powered Class 44 Royal Mail goods engine freight train consisting of five locomotives, each with two to three carriages. Three Royal Mail and two England Scotland and Wales railway service trains make up the large abandoned freight.
The train will have been used as a Parcels Van under the RES (Rail Express Systems). This sector of British Rail was responsible for the transport of mail and parcels, mainly for the Royal Mail.
As part of the privatisation of British Rail in the mid-90s, RES was the first freight company put up for sale. In 1996, it was integrated into English Welsh & Scottish Railway (EWS) and a number of trains were decommissioned.
This train has been sitting disused near Hellifield train station for over 10 years, with evidence onboard suggesting it was abandoned in 2002. There have been numerous attempts to sell it that have all failed to come to fruition.

EXPLORE
The subject in question is very much in the open so I was already content in the probability of being spotted, and just got on with it. The train is located directly next to a live railway line with regular activity, so anyone wanting to check it out, be extremely careful.
It's badly trashed, with plenty of evidence that it has become a local hangout for youths to get drunk off cheap larger and smoke weed in.
Most of the carriages are scrawled in graffiti both inside and out, and the drivers cabins have all been, unfortunately, quite severely damaged.
A fair bit of wildlife has taken over the train, as there were quite afew nests throughout the carriages, and a large swarm gnats have commandeered the engine area at the front cabin. Lots of wild rabbits and hares also populate the area, many of which seemed to be playfully chasing eachother and messing around. I was also being mischievous as I continued on Track of my goal to explore the abandoned train of Hellifield.
I got spotted by a couple of walkers and decided to use that Signal as my Ticket out of the area, and made my Departure. No puns.

Thanks for looking.

 

[westernsultan]

I think your description of what they are is wrong. They are mainly propelling control vehicles converted from class 307 EMU driving trailers - see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propelling_Control_Vehicle and some storage vans including 94527 which was a high security brake van, the Royal Mail vehicles at Hellifield were purchased to provide spares for WCRC's mk1 fleet - they will presumably be broken up in due course, either where they are or at Carnforth. Regarding the building WCRC got it built for stabling steam locos for use on the Settle-Carlisle route, but for some reason never used it once complete. No idea why, but I'd suspect some kind of financial disagreement somewhere between WCRC / Railtrack / the contractors

 

[LostPlacesForgottenFaces]

I think your description of what they are is wrong. They are mainly propelling control vehicles converted from class 307 EMU driving trailers - see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propelling_Control_Vehicle and some storage vans including 94527 which was a high security brake van, the Royal Mail vehicles at Hellifield were purchased to provide spares for WCRC's mk1 fleet - they will presumably be broken up in due course, either where they are or at Carnforth. Regarding the building WCRC got it built for stabling steam locos for use on the Settle-Carlisle route, but for some reason never used it once complete. No idea why, but I'd suspect some kind of financial disagreement somewhere between WCRC / Railtrack / the contractors

Ahhh nice one mate, thanks for that!
I don't know the first thing about trains but tried to get the research as accurate as possible ahah, I need to do better!

 

[slobberchops]

I had to make a quick exit when I visited here in 2018, a van drove up as I was leaving. As it the railway system, you need to be extra covert.

 

[LostPlacesForgottenFaces]

I had to make a quick exit when I visited here in 2018, a van drove up as I was leaving. As it the railway system, you need to be extra covert.

I loved your report on Steemit mate

 

[slobberchops]

I loved your report on Steemit mate

Thanks!, I had no idea anyone saw those, it's a little insular in there!

 

[mikecawood]

The Abandoned Royal Mail Train
Hellifield, North Yorkshire
March 2020

HISTORY
Anyone who has been to Hellifield in North Yorkshire may have seen an abandoned train not too far away from the train station. The train is a diesel powered Class 44 Royal Mail goods engine freight train consisting of five locomotives, each with two to three carriages. Three Royal Mail and two England Scotland and Wales railway service trains make up the large abandoned freight.
The train will have been used as a Parcels Van under the RES (Rail Express Systems). This sector of British Rail was responsible for the transport of mail and parcels, mainly for the Royal Mail.
As part of the privatisation of British Rail in the mid-90s, RES was the first freight company put up for sale. In 1996, it was integrated into English Welsh & Scottish Railway (EWS) and a number of trains were decommissioned.
This train has been sitting disused near Hellifield train station for over 10 years, with evidence onboard suggesting it was abandoned in 2002. There have been numerous attempts to sell it that have all failed to come to fruition.

EXPLORE
The subject in question is very much in the open so I was already content in the probability of being spotted, and just got on with it. The train is located directly next to a live railway line with regular activity, so anyone wanting to check it out, be extremely careful.
It's badly trashed, with plenty of evidence that it has become a local hangout for youths to get drunk off cheap larger and smoke weed in.
Most of the carriages are scrawled in graffiti both inside and out, and the drivers cabins have all been, unfortunately, quite severely damaged.
A fair bit of wildlife has taken over the train, as there were quite afew nests throughout the carriages, and a large swarm gnats have commandeered the engine area at the front cabin. Lots of wild rabbits and hares also populate the area, many of which seemed to be playfully chasing eachother and messing around. I was also being mischievous as I continued on Track of my goal to explore the abandoned train of Hellifield.
I got spotted by a couple of walkers and decided to use that Signal as my Ticket out of the area, and made my Departure. No puns.

Thanks for looking.

It's criminal that it should have been left to get in that state.

 

[ElizabethPullman]

Those places look great! They are sharing some fantastic feelings.