The Classic Machinery Network

I would like to start this section off with a seasonal machine,the leaf busting train known as the RHTT,RAIL HEAD TREATMENT TRAIN.
This train blasts the rail with a very high pressure water jet,its pressure is so high it can cut steel if kept in one place.This cleans the track which is then sprayed with a sticky goo caled sandite.This helps adhession of trains as they have metal wheel to rail head contact.Preventing wheelslip.
These trains operate throughout the UK and are operated by DBS railways.Our train runs from Bristol and does all the Cardiff lines and up to Abergavenny.Its out from 1000 till 18 00 every day.Then back out for the same route again at 2000
Its power unit is a Volvo Penta 6 cyl engine and two Hatz generators to supply the electricity for lights and sandite pumps. And has 3 huge water tanks.
Its hauled by two 3300 hp diesel locomotives.
Martyn

Passed the one on the north Wales coast line this afternoon - 66101 & 105 in charge.

Thanks for posting Martyn but I must confess that famous quote about leaves on the line and the other one about the "wrong type of snow" will only ever serve to put a smile on my face.
Good old British Rail always guarenteed genuine entertainment even if the train was late due to leaves on the line

Jeremy

I have been working at princes risborough on the works to speed up the chiltern line and was in a meeting on Tuesday for the briefing on the works needed to be complete on Friday 5th November through the weekend and saw the track head cleaning train go past.

Steve

I originally put these on the Dozer thread................







I'm probably going to look an idiot but how does this line up with the rail tracks without damaging them ??

Steve

Hi Steve,

In most instances the machines are put on at a suitable access point like level crossings etc, failing that they are put on at a point where a temporary ramp has been put in place.

I have also seem them use rubber mats for protection on some of the jobs I worked on when I was doing the rail stuff.

Nick

I was watching a Komatsu 41 on a job.The tracks are not in contact with the rail head.the machine is propelled by hydraulic motors on a "ripper" type frame ar the rear of the machine. the front have un drivern wheels by the dozer bladeI have seen one doing over 5 mph.Rubber mats,sleepers/packing and also ballast protects the rail when mounting the track.

As you can see from this picture there is a special rail wheel attachment then is put on the dozer blade when transported

Blimey times have changed since i worked on the railways when it came to replacing track, removing spoil and laying new sections of track you normally got 3 x Hymac 580c loading what we called os wagons the we would take them away on Lowmac wagons. Our Sandite trains were old converted 2 car electric units that we towed around with either class 33 or class73 EDL'S Leaves on the line may sound funny but believe me when you go to put the brakes on a train and the wheels picked up you had no option but to take the brakes back of and try again and again and hope you could stop in the station and when it came to climing gradients you could soon burn out traction motors the drivers of some of the new trains don't know that they have been born!! I look at some of the new trains now and they don't interest me like the stuff from 15-20 years ago.