The haulage companies don't use police escorts anymore except in extreme circumstances.

If an escort is needed for a difficult section of the journey the companies supply their own.

On this particular move they would have used one on the approach to Llangollen, and to help negotiate the unit into the yard as the trailer needs to be reversed down Abbey Road for the final quarter of a mile.

Cheers John

John, as you mention reversing the last quarter of a mile, is it normal practice to come along the A5 and then cross the river in the town. I always thought they would use the road through Trevor to avoid the bridge. I'd have thought negotiating a right turn at the lights to get to the bridge from the A5 would be too tight for something that big

It's always amazed me how they get things in and out of Llangollen, there doesn't seem to be enough room to swing a cat never mind a ginormous low loader with 80 tons on the back

I thought it was just me that has problems with the press getting things wrong, or simply altering news items or letters to read how THEY want it to.
:mad:

You might be surprised at how manouverable they are.
With the rear steer and radio link between the man on the back and the driver.
On the NYMR we have a similar reversing situation on the lane to the PW yard at Newbridge but a bit shorter at about 200 yards but the road through Pickering and then by the station can be a headache.

Rear wheel steer as Bryan states is the secret Ken, one day I will video a movement and send it to you.

Ken you are correct the road through Trevor is the usual route into Llan, the problems arise with access into the actual yard, the main problem is the churchyard wall this prevents a truck doing a left turn into the access road.
You can get the driver to drive past the entrance, reverse into the yard and onto the unloading line with no problems, but then if you drop the trailer and unload the loco there is not enough room between the shed wall and the track to get the tractor unit back on the trailer.

So what they do is approach Llan from Trevor then stop the traffic, swing left onto the bridge get the rear wheel steering kit out and reverse to the right down Abbey Road and drive into the yard.
Then there is enough space to drop the trailer, set up the ramp get the loco off and moved up the yard before putting the ramp back on the trailer coupling up the tractor unit and then reverse back out onto the road job done, invoice in the post, and see you next time you want something moving.

Cheers John

Thanks for that John, I hadn't thought about drawing onto the bridge and reversing off it to turn the truck when thinking about how they could reverse up Abbey Road.

The most painfull bit is no doubt the invoice in the post part of the operation

Not my video, but this is a good one showing the move of a class 14 diesel by the company we use to move 45337, when the unit is backed out of the lane after loading is interesting to watch, also 4.10 in shows the unit on the A1, the driver is doing a fair few knots!!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qBnjbybjbo

Cheers John

Thanks for the link John, pretty amazing what can be done with these rear wheel steering trailers.