Mystery train

[ettingtonliam]

Back in the golden days of railways, GWR operated what they called The North Warwickshire Line, which ran from Birmingham to Cheltenham via Stratford on Avon. The GWR station had 3 platforms with the usual (for the time) facilities, and there was a substantial goods yard. Time rolled on, and in 1969 passenger services were withdrawn south of Stratford, followed by freight service withdrawal in the late 1970s.
The situation today is that Stratford is still the southern terminus of the line from Leamington Spa, served by Chiltern Trains, and by West Midland services to Birmingham. The station retains its traditional appearance and still has 3 platforms, 2 in regular use, and one, at the far side, is little used certainly not by the regular passenger services.

Anyway, I was at the station this evening, waiting to meet someone off a train, when a filthy dirty Freightliner locomotive appeared, followed by a match wagon, 6 2 axle tank wagons, another match wagon and yet another Freightliner locomotive, equally filthy dirty, numbered 66522. This lot took up residence in the far platform. The tank wagons were so dirty I couldn't read the wording on the tanks, but the spillage down the sides looked oily. What were they dping there? To the best of my knowledge there are no freight handling facilities between Leamington and Stratford, the train couldn't go any further because the rails stop about 100 yards beyond the platforms, so it would have to go back to Leamington.

What was it carrying? Why the apparently pointless journey?

Any suggestions gratefull received.

[don9f]

Sounds like it might be a railhead treatment train (Sandite). To try and stop what happened at Salisbury recently!

Don

[ettingtonliam]

Having looked up a few images of sandite trains on line, yes I think you've got it. Thanks for clearing up the mystery for me.

[andrewtoplis]

The Railhead treatment trains or RHTTs are fitted with water jetting equipment which blasts all of the leaf residue and rubbish from the railhead (most of which seems to end up on the train itself) before another part of the train puts sandite (a 'friction modifier') on to the rails behind. They are double ended so they can cover routes without needing to run round.

It isn't long now before they start converting them into SITTs - snow and ice treatment trains which drop de-icing fluid on the conductor rail, you can spot those by the mini snow ploughs on the front ends. You know it's a really bad day when they get the proper big snowploughs out.

[lesstoneuk]

When I was at Oxford, there were regular turns with the Speno rail grinder. Maybe once or twice a year it would turn up and we supplied a driver and guard to act as local knowledge. Amazing bunch of guys far from their homes in Italy. They never went without though as the train had everything, even down to a washing machine.