Dating back to 1965, Freightliner is still going strong today; a great
success for rail freight. It started life moving shipping containers
from ports to inland terminals, where specialised cranes were used to
tranship from rail to road. These trains serve no fewer than nineteen
intermodal terminals across the UK. With the privatisation of British
Rail in 1996, Freightliner's assets were transferred to a new company
called Freightliner 1995 Ltd, in readiness for sale. Then in 1999
Freightliner set up the Heavyhaul side of the business as a direct
competitor to the bulk rail freight company English Welsh & Scottish
Railway (EWS). Today there are major maintenance depots at Crewe Basford
Hall, and Leeds Midland Road, while the main marshalling yard and
stabling point is at Crewe Cheshire. With a stunning collection of
full-colour photography taken around the country, Dave Smith offers up a
fantastic pictorial tribute to this icon of Britain's railways.