Rail Treatment

Eastsidepilot

Western Thunderer
Having recently moved " Up Norf ":D to Suffolk , about 7 miles north of Stowemarket this Essex boy has, to his delight discovered there oil burners about, having been fed a daily supply of boring modern electrics on the Southend Vic. - Liverpool St. line.

There is a rail treament depot at Stowemarket, news to me as I've not took much notice of what and where is going on in todays railways.

Dropped a visiting mate off at Stowemarket station and this came in wrong line to gain entry into the depot.
Topped and tailed with 37's, great stuff.

Poor shot with my iphone.

IMG_E0051.JPG

Col.
 

Ressaldar

Western Thunderer
Coincidently, I saw my first RHTT On Sunday afternoon whilst waiting at the Brampton Fell level crossing, again, two 37’s providing the power, heading in the direction of Carlisle. Not very impressed with the lingering smell, I pity passengers waiting at stations when it goes through!

Regards

Mike
 

mickoo

Western Thunderer
Welcome to the wilds of Suffolk lol. This year it's 37s but we've had 66 and good old 20s in the past.

It's a seasonal thing and once the campaign is over the engines and stock depart from Stowmarket. I think there's six diagrams from Stowmarket and the main lines run daily and secondaries...East Suffolk Line no daily. Area of cover is Norwich to Liverpool Street and I think Southend and out to at least Bury St Edmunds maybe Ely. Been a few years since I chased RHTT trains :D no chance since coming off shift work.
 

richard carr

Western Thunderer
We have one based at Broxbourne, it passes through Harlow Town at about 7:45 each morning, if it runs, it is not guaranteed to run every day.

It is top and tailed GBRf 66s, it has been the same two locos for a while and they are now both filthy.

Richard
 

richard carr

Western Thunderer
No this the Rail Head Treatment Train and it washes off the leaf residue off the to of the rail head.

The sandite train puts down a sticky paste, a bit like wallpaper paste, on to the rail head.
 

mickoo

Western Thunderer
Good point I was just thinking that as I seem to recall the unit did both, leading high pressure jets to clean and trailing low pressure to apply a treatment..
..but not sandite. Not had a chance to check up as yet. Generally speaking by the end of the campaign the engines are caked in filth, some so much that you cannot even see the TOC livery underneath. Ill have a dig back through my collection for some shots. They also make a terrific row when operating, and, I'd forgotten that one year Stowmarket hosted DRS 57s.
 

Eastsidepilot

Western Thunderer
Good point I was just thinking that as I seem to recall the unit did both, leading high pressure jets to clean and trailing low pressure to apply a treatment..
..but not sandite. Not had a chance to check up as yet. Generally speaking by the end of the campaign the engines are caked in filth, some so much that you cannot even see the TOC livery underneath. Ill have a dig back through my collection for some shots. They also make a terrific row when operating, and, I'd forgotten that one year Stowmarket hosted DRS 57s.

You could hardley make out the livery on these 37's, I have also noted that there has been a 57 in the depot sidings seen from a nearby road.
I will have to get down and get some shots of the depot which is easy to look down on from an overbridge.

Col.
 

fenman

Active Member
Colin,
Why don`t you scrap some of the rail head and we can try it on Love Lane, must be cheaper than Rail- Zip.
Peter.
 

Paul Cambridge

Western Thunderer
3rd December 2018. 66200 leads with unidentified 66 trailing, runs southbound through Exeter St David’s. Hastily taken on my iPhone as it turned up unexpectedly.

211E973E-30D3-4166-B684-CE96F987C276.jpeg
 

mickoo

Western Thunderer
It's an out and back turn and to save running round they always trail another loco. Since it all went private there's charges here and there everywhere. Each path costs money, an extra path to run round is extra cost.

There used to be a freigthliner run from Ipswich to Tilbury with a change of direction near Forest Gate. It always had a 66 on the rear to save a run around manoeuvre for the short run to Tilbury.
 

richard carr

Western Thunderer
Ours didn't run today it was parked up in the siding at Broxbourne, it did run yesterday though just a my train arrived in the platform at Harlow so no chance of photo.

Richard
 

Dan Randall

Western Thunderer
Why 2 x locomotives? Must be heavy water in those tanks.

I worked the train seen in Paul Cambridge's picture on 12/11/18 and 08/12/18 - Relieve a St. Blazey driver, then work Exeter to Westbury, change ends, then on to Salisbury, change ends, back to Westbury (have a break), change ends, then back to Exeter and relieved by another St. Blazey driver. You certainly wouldn't want to be doing all that with one loco!

The locos are also in multiple, joined by a (very long!), jumper cable, so both are powered - you could switch out the leading loco if you fancied a quieter ride, but may then struggle to keep to time!


Regards

Dan
 

Paul Cambridge

Western Thunderer

I worked the train seen in Paul Cambridge's picture on 12/11/18 and 08/12/18 - Relieve a St. Blazey driver, then work Exeter to Westbury, change ends, then on to Salisbury, change ends, back to Westbury (have a break), change ends, then back to Exeter and relieved by another St. Blazey driver. You certainly wouldn't want to be doing all that with one loco!

The locos are also in multiple, joined by a (very long!), jumper cable, so both are powered - you could switch out the leading loco if you fancied a quieter ride, but may then struggle to keep to time!


Regards

Dan

Dan. Where is Exeter does the crew change occur? On the 3/12/2018 it ran through Exeter St Davids non stop at about 25mph and disappeared south in a cloud of dust/mist.
 

Eastsidepilot

Western Thunderer

The locos are also in multiple, joined by a (very long!), jumper cable, so both are powered - you could switch out the leading loco if you fancied a quieter ride, but may then struggle to keep to time!


Regards

Dan
Seems hard to believe with the amount of HP available just in one loco ?

Col.
 
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