Broken Bodysnatcher retrieval (1) 20230613--030
66424 Driver Paul Scrivens approaches Welney Road level crossing at Manea, at the head of 8Z57 15.40 Stowmarket DGL - Worksop Up Yard. [Pole, 2.5/6 sections (~3.4m)
This was taking 57002 Rail Express away from Stowmarket, it having been dumped there since developing a severe wheelflat (or wheelflats) while operating railhead treatment trains the previous autumn. In the consist, for brakeforce since the 57 has its brakes isolated, are PFA four-wheel flat wagon DRSL92740, and mark 2e BSO coaches 9508 and 9506; the two coaches are escort vehicles, officially classified RMA, and usually used on flask trains conveying waste from nuclear submarines, where they are staffed by armed personnel - the coaches have been modified by removing their gangway connections. DRS was vacating the sidings at Stowmarket, GBRf being the new operator of the East Anglia RHTTs from autumn 2023, and this was the last item of DRS rolling stock to leave.
The train was timed to run at a maximum of 35mph, and was therefore booked to be looped at several locations to allow other trains to overtake. The first pathing stop (of 22 minutes) should have been at Bury St. Edmunds, but the loop and yard there are out of use so the train sailed straight past! It then should have stood at Ely for a further 13 minutes, but paused at platform 3 for only a minute or so before being sent on its way - ahead of 2E80 from Ipswich to Peterborough, which should have overtaken it at at Bury. By Manea, 8Z57 was 36 minutes early, with 2E80 right behind it... 8Z57 was then booked to go in at March for an hour and a half, which it did - allowing a second shot further west.
I was only able to use the pole by a limited degree today as a result of the cable fault having returned (a new cable was by now on order) - the extension for my cable release comes in two sections, so I was able to continue to use just the lower section, but not extend the pole by more than this.
Visit Brian Carter's Non-Transport Pics to see my photos of landscapes, buildings, bridges, sunsets, rainbows and more.
Broken Bodysnatcher retrieval (1) 20230613--030
66424 Driver Paul Scrivens approaches Welney Road level crossing at Manea, at the head of 8Z57 15.40 Stowmarket DGL - Worksop Up Yard. [Pole, 2.5/6 sections (~3.4m)
This was taking 57002 Rail Express away from Stowmarket, it having been dumped there since developing a severe wheelflat (or wheelflats) while operating railhead treatment trains the previous autumn. In the consist, for brakeforce since the 57 has its brakes isolated, are PFA four-wheel flat wagon DRSL92740, and mark 2e BSO coaches 9508 and 9506; the two coaches are escort vehicles, officially classified RMA, and usually used on flask trains conveying waste from nuclear submarines, where they are staffed by armed personnel - the coaches have been modified by removing their gangway connections. DRS was vacating the sidings at Stowmarket, GBRf being the new operator of the East Anglia RHTTs from autumn 2023, and this was the last item of DRS rolling stock to leave.
The train was timed to run at a maximum of 35mph, and was therefore booked to be looped at several locations to allow other trains to overtake. The first pathing stop (of 22 minutes) should have been at Bury St. Edmunds, but the loop and yard there are out of use so the train sailed straight past! It then should have stood at Ely for a further 13 minutes, but paused at platform 3 for only a minute or so before being sent on its way - ahead of 2E80 from Ipswich to Peterborough, which should have overtaken it at at Bury. By Manea, 8Z57 was 36 minutes early, with 2E80 right behind it... 8Z57 was then booked to go in at March for an hour and a half, which it did - allowing a second shot further west.
I was only able to use the pole by a limited degree today as a result of the cable fault having returned (a new cable was by now on order) - the extension for my cable release comes in two sections, so I was able to continue to use just the lower section, but not extend the pole by more than this.
Visit Brian Carter's Non-Transport Pics to see my photos of landscapes, buildings, bridges, sunsets, rainbows and more.