A stock running today

[pethadine82]

I saw an A stock, not in passenger service but coming into Harrow on the Hill at 9.50 AM.

It had purple stickers on it, but I could not read what it said.
It was on the fast lines, I think it was heading to Neasden depot.
Can anyone confirm what this A stock was doing?

Also on another note, I saw a class 67 pulling blue wagons that had "network rail" written on it carrying some sort of non hazardous liquid, pulling out of Harrow on the hill on the fast northbound platform at 14.15.
Where was this going.?

 

[fgwrich]

I saw an A stock, not in passenger service but coming into Harrow on the Hill at 9.50 AM.

It had purple stickers on it, but I could not read what it said.
It was on the fast lines, I think it was heading to Neasden depot.
Can anyone confirm what this A stock was doing?

Also on another note, I saw a class 67 pulling blue wagons that had "network rail" written on it carrying some sort of non hazardous liquid, pulling out of Harrow on the hill on the fast northbound platform at 14.15.
Where was this going.?

The 67s sound like the Chiltern Rail Head Treatment Train which should be just water jetting / blasting the rails of the Chiltern Lines, whilst the A Stock is probably the LUL Met Lines version - converted from standard A Stock with Water Jetting Tanks fitted. That's my guess anyway.

 

[Daniel]

67's would be Network Rails RHTT (RailHead Treatment Train), blasting water to clear contamination from the railhead, followed by the A stock RAT (Rail Adhesion Train), laying sandite, (a mix of sand, gluey substance and metal shot).

 

[RPM]

67's would be Network Rails RHTT (RailHead Treatment Train), blasting water to clear contamination from the railhead, followed by the A stock RAT (Rail Adhesion Train), laying sandite, (a mix of sand, gluey substance and metal shot).

That is correct. NR water jet the Met, LUL lay the Sandite. As I understand it LUL lay their own Sandite rather than using the NR RHTT Sandite because they require a different specification of Sandite without the metal shot.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

The A Stock RAT you saw will have been unit 5234 with converted trailer 6036 as the 5th ( centre ) carriage doing the actual spraying.

There is a second RAT, unit 5110, but it has not yet gained the 5th carriage. I've forgotten the number of the trailer carriage being converted for it!

 

[ATW Alex 101]

Quite interesting too see, has anybody got a pic?

 

[Julian G]

The A Stock RAT you saw will have been unit 5234 with converted trailer 6036 as the 5th ( centre ) carriage doing the actual spraying.

There is a second RAT, unit 5110, but it has not yet gained the 5th carriage. I've forgotten the number of the trailer carriage being converted for it!

6132 is the other Rail Adhension Carriage

 

[causton]

Quite interesting too see, has anybody got a pic?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/0causton0/8075199390/in/set-72157631740900742
http://www.flickr.com/photos/0causton0/8075227932/in/set-72157631740900742
http://www.flickr.com/photos/0causton0/8075228836/in/set-72157631740900742
http://www.flickr.com/photos/0causton0/8075235843/in/set-72157631740900742

 

[ATW Alex 101]

Cheers mate appreciated

What do they have inside do they have seats or tanks?

 

[causton]

Cheers mate appreciated

What do they have inside do they have seats or tanks?

Four cars AFAIK are normal A stock. The middle car appeared to have normal seats but tanks where the doorways are which contains the solution for depositing (all over the inside of the A stock windows, as far as I saw every time that car passed! You can see it on the penultimate picture I posted)

 

[Daniel]

That is correct. NR water jet the Met, LUL lay the Sandite. As I understand it LUL lay their own Sandite rather than using the NR RHTT Sandite because they require a different specification of Sandite without the metal shot.

LUL forumla sandite has a similar proportion of metal shot to NR's TrackGrip 60. However this is unlike normal Network Rail sandite where the proportion of metal shot was progressively reduced in Railtrack days to improve the flow. The difference between LUL Sandite and NR TrackGrip 60 is in the way the powder within the gel is formulated - it is more likely to stick to the railhead as it is laid. This is why it works at 60mph on the National Network, whereas traditional 'Sandite' would be unlikely to stay in place if laid at such a speed. The only limitation is that in addition to the gel being better at staying on the railhead, leaves seem to be marginally more likely to stick to the top - (but the metal shot ensures that the mulch is promptly broken up when the wheel set passes over it).

It is worth noting that if the Chiltern Water Jetter 'Green Goddess' is seen laying sandite, it will be free issue LUL sandite, as chiltern don't fill it - LU can request it if required.

 

[trentside]

Four cars AFAIK are normal A stock. The middle car appeared to have normal seats but tanks where the doorways are which contains the solution for depositing (all over the inside of the A stock windows, as far as I saw every time that car passed! You can see it on the penultimate picture I posted)

I believe 6036 has been the RAT car for quite a few years and thus retains some of the original interior features such as the maroon end walls and wooden floors. I've seen interior photographs in the past an it retains some seating mixed with the Sandite equipment.