Wagon News
New tanks for Prestwick
The use of the former BP two-axle TTA tankers on the aviation fuel workings between Grangemouth and Prestwick looked to be coming to an end in May with the emergence of a rake of refurbished bogie tankers from Long Marston on the 4th. Powered by 56094, the 6Z64 1240 working to Carlisle Yard was formed of 12 TDAs, VTG86912/14/15/20/24 /26/27/28/64/65/67/69 all riding on refurbished bogies and lettered up for carrying aviation fuel. The Prestwick working is the last to be formed of the increasingly elderly TTAs.
Shirebrook latest
Further FWA container triple-sets for GBRf were released from WH Davis on April 19, 66738 heading for Doncaster Decoy with 83 70 4520 232-7, 83 70 4521 052-8 and 83 70 4520 233-5 followed by 252-5/0627/253-3, 254-1/063-5/255-8, 2566/064-3/257-4, 258-2/065-0/259-0, 260-8/066-8/261-6, 262-4/067-6/2632, 264-0/068-4/265-7 and 266-5/0692/267-3. The following day, 66751 repeated the trip with two further sets, 248-3/060-1/249-1 and 2509/061-9/251-7. Earlier on April 20, the GM had arrived from Barrow Hill with nine former IIA coal hoppers for another round of shortening conversions, these being 37 70 6791 017/22/23/29/49/62/84/87/91.
Track machine news
Newly arrived from the continent, Plasser & Theurer Unimat 09-4x4/4S dynamic tamper DR75015 was transferred from Dollands Moor to West Ealing by 67021 and 67024 early on May 11. Now undergoing commissioning by Plasser, it is owned by SB Rail. Owned by the same company, 09-3X tamper/liner DR73110 and USP5000RT ballast regulator DR77908 were hauled from Guide Bridge to Dollands Moor by 56302 on April 16. Bound for export to Austria, the two machines were still residing in the Kent yard a month later due to post-Brexit paperwork issues. One tamper to successfully leave the UK is Balfour Beatty’s 08-16/4x4C100-RT DR73926 which was moved by road from Hither Green to Southampton Docks in mid-April, from where it was shipped to Italy for overhaul and ultimately bound for the Middle East.
On April 23, Balfour Beatty’s Matisa B41UE tamper DR75410 was extensively damaged after catching fire at Dunton Green, to the north of Sevenoaks. Recovered to Tonbridge West Yard by 66752 once made safe, a repair decision is awaited. At Eastleigh Works, the trailer section of similar machine DR75403 was scrapped by Raxstar on May 6, this Volker Rail tamper having suffered a similar inferno five years ago. The main and badly damaged section of the machine had returned to Matisa in France back in 2019.
Latest disposals
Further disposals at Toton during May have seen the following scrapped on site in the yard: OAA 100042, OBAs 110029/201/202/232, SPA 460378, YKA Osprey DB996375, YLA Mullet DC967544/45 and YQA Parr DC967519/67. From
Wellingborough Yard, eight accident damaged FEA container flats, 630029/30/33/34/43/44 and 640674/85, were disposed of to the Sims Metals yard at Alfreton on May 6. Finally, the two TEA tankers that have resided in the remains of Ponsandane yard, near Penzance Long Rock depot, since the 1980s have been scrapped on site. Once used as static fuel storage tanks for a dairy following withdrawal, SUKO83300 and SUKO87520 were dealt with on May 3/4.