DEVELOPMENTS
■ DB CARGO: THE WIA (UIC code Seefoors) five-unit car carriers continue to visit DBC's Stoke wagon works for maintenance, the second such trip to the former Marcroft Engineering site for the majority of these Arbel Fauvet-built vehicles. On July 30, No. 85 70 4971 045-5 was inbound on the tripper from Arpley, swapping with outbound No. 85 70 4971 055-4. Both had last visited Stoke in May 2020. No. 85 70 4971 045-5 returned to Warrington on August 6. Finally, No. 85 70 4971 034-9 arrived on site on August 18. This had last made the trip to the Potteries for work in August 2019.
Only a single upgraded BLA departed Stoke during the period under review, No. 910551 on August 6, freshly shod with recycled NACO Axle Motion bogies removed from scrapped HTA hoppers.
BYA steel carriers have begun accumulating at Stoke, likely for conversion as part of the ‘Stegasaurus' production batch, as follows: July 30 – 966110/219/46, August 18 – 966003, and August 20 – 966004/9/11/7/171/233. Also new on site were Ermewa IHA (UIC code Sfhimmns-u) curtainsided coil carriers Nos. 33 87 4667 049/055/060/065/068/082.
■ GB RAILFREIGHT: GBRf's new Bayer ‘smart' weed control train completed its testing on the Severn Valley Railway in early July and has now moved onto main line trials.
The set, formed of KFA module flats Nos. VTG 95378, VTG 95379 and VTG 95380, was moved from Kidderminster on the 15th, around a week after it was originally planned, by Nos. 66771 and 66709 in top and tail formation powering a 6Z66 10.15 to Tonbridge West Yard.
■ NETWORK RAIL: THE second Linsinger SF06-UK rail milling train is now in the UK, formed of Carrier No. DR 79104 (99 70 9127 008-9) and Trailer No. DR 79105 (99 70 9327 002-0). Like the first unit, which was delivered from Germany in October 2020 (see December 2020 issue), this train has made its first stop at the East Lancashire Railway for commissioning work.
Six out of 10 Network Rail Beilhack PB600 plough refurbishments have now been completed, with the transfer of Nos. ADB 965576 and ADB 965577 south on August 10. DRS dispatched Nos. 57002 and 57003 to collect the two former Class 40 bogies, the pair bookending the Class 57s on a 7Z98 15.24 Kilmarnock-Crewe Basford
Hall working. These had been sent to Brodie Rail's facility in Kilmarnock by road from Doncaster earlier in the year. Also confirmed completed are Nos. ADB 965578-81.
■ DISPOSALS: CLASS 66 No. 66200 worked a 6Z32 trip from Bescot to Kingsbury on July 28 comprised of the following vehicles (all ex-Wembley) for scrap: JGA Nos. RMC 13711, RMC 17201/6/11/3/22/49 and RMC 19238.