DEVELOPMENTS

■ COLAS RAIL: The fourth member of Colas’ Plasser & Theurer Unimat 09-4x4/4S Dynamic Tamper fleet to arrive in the last year has nowpassed through the ‘Chunnel’, No. DR 75011

(99 70 9123 011-7) being recorded at Dollands Moor on February 15. It was moved north, likely to Plasser’s site at West Ealing, two days later by Nos. 66002 and 66206. It joins No. DR 75010 (99 70 9123 010-9), which arrived in November, No. DR 75009 (99 70 9123 009-1) in March and No. DR 75008 (99 70 9123 008-3) in February 2019.

■ DB CARGO: Another WIA (UIC code Sefoorss) five-unit car carrier has passed through the workshops of DB Cargo at Stoke-on-Trent, No. 85 70 4971 009-1 arriving on site on the trip working from Arpley on February 7 and departing after overhaul on February 21.

Other arrivals at the Potteries facility in the same month were FIA

(UIC code Sfggmrrss) No. 31 70 4938 144-3 for refurbishment, and converted FIA Sffgmss EMU translator vehicles

Nos. 83 70 4913 020-1 and 83 70 4913 007-8 (both split from twin sets and individually renumbered), all arriving by road from their long-term digs at Wigan. After rectification work and being re-united with their bogies, the latter will be reformed together as ‘Multifret’ pair No. 33 70 4938 204-5 (thanks to the indomitable team keeping an eye on Stoke’s wagonmoves for this information). Meanwhile, overhauled

FIAs Nos. 33 70 4938 720-0 and 33 70 4938 732-5, which arrived in mid-January (see last issue) have been renumbered Nos. 31 70 4938 163-3 and 31 70 4938 108-8 respectively, while Nos. 33 70 4938 507-9 and 31 70 4938 532-9 now carry the new identities

Nos. 31 70.4938 184-9 and 31 70.4938 031-2. One final change to note is that Nos. 610261+610262 are now classed as an FXA.

Also new on site are Ermewa IFA

(UIC code Sffgmss) EMU translator vehicles Nos. 33 87 4906 059/116/157 (January 31), while departing during the period under reviewwere two pairs of FCAwagons equipped with side cages, Nos. 610021+610022 (February 7) and 610253+610254 (February 14), and HTAs Nos. 311033/44.

Also on St Valentine’s Day,

No. 66061 worked a 6Z61 Neville Hill-Knottingley TMD with long-stored HKAs Nos. 300603/38/75/83/5, the second and third wagons still retaining their faded National Power livery.

■ NETWORK RAIL: The Perth-based Snow & Ice Treatment Train (SITT) returned to base on January 13 after preparation work at Wabtec, Kilmarnock ahead of the winter season. No. 66303 did the honours with YXA No. 99 70 9594 0141 and DB 977869, No. 66431 having moved the train south on December 16.

■ TOUAX RAIL: Illustrated in the last issue, the first examples of the strikingly-liveried Touax JNA Ealnos box wagon fleet have now arrived in the UK, Nos. 81 70 5500 804-828 making their way through the Channel Tunnel on February 17. By the end of February they had already moved to Merehead ready to take up work (and make for quite the colour clash!) with Freightliner on behalf of Mendip Rail. Meanwhile, as predicted, the newHOA-B (UIC code Fanpps) hoppers for FLHH/Mendip are currently being manufactured in Romania.

■ VTG RAIL: GBRf’s Belmond Royal Scotsman-liveried No. 66746 was in charge of a 6V84/04.01 Hexthorpe Yard-Long Marston on January 20 formed of 28 ex-Tarmac JGA hoppers off the Rylstone-Leeds/Hull flow. Nos. NACO 19170-95/7/9 reportedly headed to the Warwickshire site for maintenance.

VTG’s WH Davis-rebuilt JNA box wagons, previously JUA/JTA iron ore tipplers and numbered Nos. VTG 4073/5/98, 4100/2/3/7/9/15/6/20/2 /3/5/7/8/31/2/4/7, have finally been recorded in service working the Cliffe-Stewarts Lane sea-dredged aggregate service.

■ DISPOSALS: Wagons deleted during the period under review included the following vehicles:

CF Booth, Rotherham: PCA Nos.

BCC 10688, BCC 11014/26/38/72/83/ 4/90/1/115/34, OBA No. 110212,

OCA No. 112027, ZCA No. 210187,

MEA Nos. 391215/384/632/52, SPA Nos. 460281/93/345/619/738/854/63, FJA Nos. 621900/2/10/4, BNA

No. 965038.

Eastleigh Works (on site by Raxstar): OBA No. 110160 (ex-Westbury).

Ron Hull Jr, Rotherham: OCA

No. 112191 (ex-Peterborough).

Sims, Newport: HTA Nos. 310019/ 33/48/54/93/123/44/66/9/82/9/249/ 75/322/517/615/57/819/25.

Workington: FNA Nos. 550027/30/ 2/5/6/40-4/6/50/5/7/60.

Unknown: JHA No. OK 19318 (ex-DB Cargo, Stoke-on-Trent), WIA Nos. 85 70 4971 000/042/049/059.