Railhead Treatment Train Season 2015

The Railhead Treatment Train (RHTT) Season is now well underway around the country. The RHTT's usually consist of top and tail locomotives hauling blue water cannons which blast water on to the track in an effort to remove leaves from the railhead, hence why it runs in the Autumn. In East Anglia there are two bases for the RHTT sets: Broxbourne on the West Anglia Line and Stowmarket on the Great Eastern Mainline.




Four GBRF Class 66's for two RHTT sets are based at Broxbourne. So far this season I have seen 66726 & 66727. From Broxbourne, one set covers Hertford East, Cheshunt, Seven Sisters, Barking, Leigh-on-Sea, Southend Central, Sheoburyness, Grays, Ockendon and then goes back to Broxbourne. The other set covers Cheshunt, London Fields, Stoke Newington,
Enfield Town, Hackney Downs, Chingford, Bethnal Green, London Liverpool Street, Harlow Town, Stansted Mountfitchet, Bishops Stortford, Cambridge, Stansted Airport and then back down to Broxbourne.


At Stowmarket, Direct Rail Services provide the motive power for the RHTT's. This comes in the form of Class 57's but two 47's have been provided to cover just in case. From Stowmarket, there are also two sets for two routes. One set covers Bury St Edmunds, Ely, Kings Lynn, Thetford, Norwich, Brundall and Acle. The second set covers Wymondham, Ipswich, Colchester, Witham, Shenfield, Southend Victoria, Hythe, Clacton-on-Sea and back to Stowmarket.




The image at the top of the page shows the very first working from Stowmarket via Southend Victoria. DRS 57009 is seen passing through Hockley on Thursday 15th October 2015.

To the left is GBRF 66727 at Sheoburyness with the very first RHTT working from Broxbourne via the c2c network. It is seen here waiting to depart back towards London on Saturday 17th October 2015.


The second image at the top of the page show GBRF 66726 on the London end of the same train preparing to depart.

To the right shows the RHTT water cannons in actions blasting water on to the tracks to clear the railhead of leaves. It won't take long for the loco to get grubby!

The third image from the top shows DRS Class 477, 47828 passing Hockley from Stowmarket in some welcome Autumn sunshine. This was the first RHTT working for the Class 47's this season. It is believed they were covering for 57009 which had derailed at Wymondham the previous day.

^Lewis




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