RHTT Rail Head Treatment Train Profile and Models
56105 leads a RHTT set heading to Kings Norton in September 2015. ©Clagmaster
In 2003, Network Rail ordered 50 FEA-F container wagons to replace a small and increasingly unreliable fleet of Rail Head Treatment Trains (RHTT). They designed three types of module to be used during Autumn when leaf fall can cause trains to slip on the rails. They use a mixture of water jets and a paste called 'Sandite' (a mixture of sand, aluminium and a unique adhesive) to clear the rails and to aid adhesion. The three modules are; Water tanks, Sandite applicators and Pump platforms. Even though these are only seen for a few months a year, they remain one of the most photographed types of train in the UK. |
|
Type of Vehicle |
Flat Wagon with Specialised Modules |
Builder |
Marcroft & Greenbrier, Poland |
Build Dates |
2005 |
Total Built |
50 Single Wagons |
Wheel Configuration |
Bogies |
Operated By |
Network Rail |
Main Duties |
Rail Head Treatment |
In Service Until |
Present |
Surviving Examples |
All in Service |