Wagon News
NR orders new wagons
Network Rail is to expand its infrastructure fleet following an order for 570 new wagons from Greenbrier Europe, which will be leased from Swiss company Wascosa under a ten-year deal. Announced on October 29, maintenance of the fleet will be undertaken by GB Railfreight. The order covers the provision of three distinct wagon types, including further Falcon box wagons for use in possessions on ballast and spoil duties along with JNAs to transport fresh bulk ballast to the virtual quarries.
More interesting is the provision of a number of modular 60ft wagons under Wascosa’s ‘Flex Freight System’, which consists of a flat wagon that can be fitted with different modules to carry track panels, sleepers, rails and ballast/ spoil. Such a concept is not new in the UK of course, with selected
FEAs and other types having carried similar modules over the years but it is a notable expansion of the system. Deliveries are due to commence from the autumn.
Freightliner RHTTs deployed
The first of the newly modified and renumbered Freightliner FRA flats for Rail Head Treatment Trains were recorded in use towards the end of October 2020. On the 23rd, 66068 was at the head of a 6D06 York-Doncaster Decoy transfer, it including 613101/05/06/08 following the fitting of their jetting modules and water tanks at Leeman Road. Six days later, 613101 and 613105 were in the formation of the 3J89 0500 Stapleford & Sandiacre-Toton with 66116 and 66199 for power and, rather than replacing the existing wagons, they were working alongside FEAs 642023 and 642026 to give a four-wagon formation.
Midlands moves
Another transfer of redundant wagons took place between Worksop and Neville Hill on November 5, 2020. However, rather than a further rake of HTA hoppers, 66206 had a more interesting collection in tow, namely SPA opens 460193/247/262/295/425/459/53 9/559/785 and 461016, along with the ZCA Sea Urchin pair of M110251 and DC200662. Completing the line-up were MTA ballast opens 395086/141/149.
Having been returned during October for repairs, cut-down HTA 370267 was once more released to traffic from WH Davis on November 9, 2020 66701 being provided for the transfer from Shirebrook to Doncaster Decoy.
Tamper exchange
Newly arrived in the UK is Plasser & Theurer 08-4x4/4S-RT switch and crossing tamper DR73950, which is destined for Balfour Beatty. The small hours of October 27, 2020 saw the machine transferred from Dollands Moor to the Plasser workshops at West Ealing between 66170 and 66110 for commissioning. Meanwhile, identical sister DR73949 was hauled from West London to East Grinstead by 66713 as the 6Q60 0217 departure on October 26, the tamper then spending several weeks undergoing testing and crew training on the Bluebell Railway.
In contrast, DR73804 has become the latest machine to depart the UK for pastures new. Built in 1997, the Plasser & Theurer 08-16U RT plain line tamper was previously owned by Swietelsky Babcock Rail (SB Rail) and was delivered to Southampton Docks in the second week of November.