European Railroad Discussion > RHTTs a go go

From 2006 until 2013 all the Railhead Treatment Trains roaming the rails of what once was the London Brighton and South Coast Railway were made up of Network Rail's fleet of Windhoff Multi Purpose Vehicles (MPV) a sort of freight DMU. They are based at the junction town of Horsham where there's a refueling and maintenance facility. But last year, for the first time since I've been working in West Sussex (2006), one of the Horsham circuits was operated by a pair of GBRf owned class 73 electro-diesels, a classic Southern locomotive. This year the MPVs are still busy working from Horsham, but they are supported by two loco hauled sets based at Tonbridge in Kent - a pair of 73s on the 3W90 circuit, which generally operates every day and a pair of English Electric class 20s on an as required 3W91. Seeing a pair of Choppers (railfan nickname for the 20s) alive and well on Southern metals in 2015 is rather extraordinary.

So here are some pictures of this year's activities

Last Monday the 3W90 approaching Three Bridges at 08:35 on its northbound run up the Brighton mainline, 73136 Mairi leads 73141 Charlotte (GBRf name their 73s and other locos after staff). The bridge and buildings in the background are all part of the new Three Bridges depot where Siemens new class 700 Thamelink EMUs are arriving from Germany. They should soon be out on test.

The same train on Tuesday, passing 59203 in Crawley New Yard on a stone train unloading in the Days Aggregate siding. This time 73136 Mairi was leading plain grey 73128. 3W90 leaves Tonbridge at 03:30 and visits Seaford, Brighton, Willesden,Tulse Hill, Streatham, East Grinstead, Uckfield, Streatham (again), Dorking, Horsham and Redhill before arriving back at Tonbridge at 20:44

Later in the day one of the Horsham based RHTTs arriving back at base. Unfortunately the Southern Railway art deco style signal box (known as Queen Marys), which has been unused since control was transferred to Three Bridges IECC, is disappearing behind a forest of vegetation.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/19/15 23:50 by 86235.

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And this is the base, an RHTT is being serviced. The tanker in the forground is pumping sandtite, the gloop which the RHTT trains lay on the track, into the holding tanks from where it is pumped into the MPV's tanks. In the background are two Colas 66s on a ballast train, new carriage sidings are being built for the Thameslink upgrade which will see cross London trains reaching Horsham for the first time.

Here's today 3W91 behind 20901 and 20905 passing Redhill on the original Brighton mainline, the former is a 56 year old veteran whilst the latter is a bit of a spring chicken having been in service for a mere 47 years!

And finally an MPV bound for Horsham approaching Redhill from the north. The hills in the background are the North Downs, through which the railway burrows in the mile long Merstham Tunnel, opened in 1840.

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Very interesting photos.
ALLEN

I had to do a second look at these pictures. Do my eyes deceive me and see a third rail that is acting as an electrical pickup for the locomotives? I'm surprised to see such a system on exposed right of way where MOW workers can come in contact with the power supply. I know that subway systems use this method for power supply. Also reminds me of the real old days when our "O" gauge locomotives used this system for their power pickup. Now I have seen everything.

Jim
Hatboro, PA​

Yes, the third rail network in the south of England is very extensive, it's the largest in the world (4000+ kms track miles). Today it handles thousands of trains and hundreds of thousands of passengers every day. The four track section in shot two, the Brighton mainline, sees some 14 trains in each direction every hour, all multiple units.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/20/15 02:15 by 86235.

Chooch Wrote:
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> I had to do a second look at these pictures. Do my
> eyes deceive me and see a third rail that is
> acting as an electrical pickup for the
> locomotives?

The Class 73s in the first two images can operate off the third rail or off their diesel engines when away from third-rail territory.