Is this the UK's LONGEST Train...? 

Non-UK viewers in particular should note that the maximum length of a train in the UK is determined by the spacing of signals and junctions not the pulling power of the locomotives. The spacing of junctions can be quite small for reasons of history and geography. The signals also tend to be closely spaced, allowing for minimum headway, i.e. many trains running at high speeds. As always with railways it is a case of 'horses for courses'.

I love it. Its such a massive snake of complex machinery in the classic Network Rail yellow!

I would think it has to be a contender. The longest train I ever saw was in the mid 70s when the M42 was being built near Solihull, WMids. A new bridge was built along side the main line, and the the lines were slewed side ways onto the new bridge. A train of empty rail wagons 2*47s, a train of loaded rail wagons, and then the associated spoil wagons two locos up front and one at the rear. I believe it was 3/4 mile long in total. Certainly the longest I've ever seen, and happened on two consecutive weekends. Saturday nights have never been the same since, lol 🤣🤣

Station announcement at Crewe “stand back at platform 4 this train does not stop here” whilst simultaneously at Stafford the same message plays…

This monster passes my house on occasions, heading for High Marnham on the test track. It takes it ages to pass as its on a gradient. The 66s are on full power everytime. There's definately some weight to haul there.

Freight trains are amazing. The sheer power.

"Er - excuse me, is that Harry at the back? Could you push a bit harder, please mate?"

Thats got to be the longest and long wagons too what a catch cheers for sharing great vid love 66s

These came down by my house last year, was really quite awesome to see them working up close.

What an absolute monster of a train 😎

Well that's a long train!

Thanks for uploading great video 👍

An an ex Pat living in Aus now there are some decent trains here and not only freight trains. It's common for coal trains to be over a hundred wagons long. Iron ore trains in the Kimberleys in WA can reach 3 kilometres long. The Ghan a passenger train from Adelaide to Darwin is 1100 metres long. Of course you need to see the Canadian freight trains that you get to see on the Rockie mountaineer, they haul 180 wagons. As for me, I'd rather see an A4 with 13 behind any day.

excellent video!

Nice video, thanks. Worth getting up early for!

Fantastic love it great work 👌

It is certainly up there as a contender. I have seen long coal trains as they used to deliver coal to the power stations of Egg borough, Drax, and Ferrybridge. Just a case of monitoring Real Time trains website to see what's on the move, The ones to watch are the Anglo-Scottish container trains going up the WCML.

A train identical to this ran north from Tyne Yard for a few nights recently. 2600 tons according to RTT.

Very impressive! I saw one of these at Leicester Station

There’s a railcam at Fort Madison in the US…….. Amazing freight trains pass all the time and there’s a swing bridge for passing river traffic…… Worth a look…….

excellent video 🚂🚂🚂🚂👌👌

It says something about the power of a Shed that it only takes two of them to move this behemoth.

Got to be a contender, either that or the water train.

Compared to Australia, Brazil, orNorth America a 40 car MOW train is nothing. Nice to hear the EMD power at both ends.

excellent catch 👍the longest train I've seen is the H O B C I've seen at minster thanet and Ashford International

pure power

Now that's what I call a train!😊😊

Watching this reminded me of the video for Windowlicker by Aphex Twin with the limousine that goes on forever

For sure its up there for a strong contender.

My old weekend job out of Tyne yard. Some of the Corby car trains I used to work up to Rugby must have come pretty close to the HOBC though.

Who knows, but that growth from the track at 3:50 must rank as one of the biggest weeds on the mainline network hahahaha

When I was at Leicester someone told me the Big One! was coming

Here in Canada some of the stacked container trains are anywhere from 10 to 12 thousand feet long.

Some of the Westbury trains are heavier and longer and use 1 loco. Its also the UK record holder at 10000t I think or enough that. Its rare to see long trains in the UK because somewhere there needs to be a siding it can park. We don't have half mile sidings in many places.

According to Network Rail themselves this train comes in at half a mile in length!

Freightliner class 59 pulls 44 loaded at 75t each into an aggregate yard each week.. Think that comes in at 4400t altogether

Second longest but only slight. Intermodal/Containers are currently the longest. At 775m which is roughly the same lenght as 6 class 444 plus 1 class 450 all coupled together

Yes it is

Yikes, that is long! I just hope that nothing that long ever travels between the North London Line and Tilbury via Stratford and the Great Eastern Mainline during the rush hour!

It is I believe the leading longest when it is maxed out with MFS' (20 or 22 per side). Recently we've had the Toton - Dollands Moor car train that is staggeringly long (40 odd wagons) plus the Freightliner trial freight they've done with 2 trains of about 20 wagons each coupled together to move as one down to London where they then split - was it for HS2 workflow? I can't remember fully. As I have worked with the 3 HOBCs regularly over the last 3-4 years I can confirm that it can span over half a mile in total (with either 20 or 22 MFS wagons max?), then you take into account the barrier wagon, 2x power cars, the RM and its own 2x powercars in the middle and as per this BCS4 & BCS5 they have a CM which also adds an extra bit of length (BCS3 is the only one that doesn't have a CM - it's the oldest one of the bunch). One half of the train can reach about 400m or more, so in full length it's definitely over 800m. It's a big old beast when the site layout can accommodate a full BCS, otherwise you'll notice considerably less MFS' in the consist (for example 16 or 18 max wagons either side around Wallsall-Cannock or 11 max wagons either side down near Ivybridge-Totnes). I hope this info helps unless you already knew of this then I apologise lol

Looks like all Network Rails stock was allon that train!

Only the TRT/TRS, Track Relaying Train/System is bigger (up to half a mile long) but the HOBC comes in at a close second. It is however the heaviest engineering Train on the network

I want to see one of these things actually working !

Bloody hell I've never seen one as long as that, I wonder what all the rolling stock was for

Great video, thank you. Longest in UK possibly, but USA freights I've counted at 166+.

What do these wagons do, is it track laying ballasts? -no need to reply just read the description!!!

This must be a track maintenance vehicle.

Think it could be

yes it is a long one

What is all that equipment for? What does it do?

I counted 39.

Wow I think they would have to loop passenger trains to avoid that monster train.

3:19 I was wondering if it was one locomotive doing the work

Did I see that right, all those cars hauled by only 2 locos 😮😮😮

Hope I never I have to wait at a level crossing for it to pass

I love the class 66. I know little about trains but it seems to me they punch aboe their weight when it comes to pulling power. And they look good too!

The longest train is the Freightliner junbo train that consists of 39 wagons

I may be wrong, but is that entire monster of a train hauled souly by 2 class 66s?

Inb4 Americans comment "hurr durr our trains are 4x that length"

No, the merehead jumbo trains are the longest and heaviest. There is a video on here of 2x 56's drawing one back after the 59 failed, very long.

Ballast wagons ?

About 700m long I think? Think I've seen Network Rail claim the ballast cleaner is the UK longest train.

The longest train would be the euro tunnel

Must be at least two miles long

Apologies if this is an SBO question but with a train such as this is the control gear of the two loco's electrically connected through the length of the train so both respond as one or is it the skill of the rear driver mimicking what the front loco is doing?

no i've seen longer through Cardiff

Is that real?

I hope this isn't a stupid question, but how do you get two locos to exert the same tractive force so that one isn't pushing or pulling the other to some degree?

Good heavens… where is that going to fit?

max 750m

Yes and no

Well if the yanks/Aussies can do it well I suppose we can too

Bro these are like average indian loads 45 cars Australia has biggest trains

Oi

What are the Wagons for?

Those wagons seem to each have their own conveyor. I have not a clue what this rolling stock actually does