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Mystery Rail Grinder

1 May 2009

We have recently received this photograph of this mystery rail grinder but aren't too sure about it's origins.

It was found in a boat yard in Glasgow. It appears to be standard gauge, carries the name "The Vital Spark" and was apparently once owned by "Rail Maintenence Ltd".

If anyone has any information about this machine, please leave a comment below.

Thanks!

Your comments

All comments are the opinions of their respective authors, and do not reflect the opinions of ontrackplant.com

  • Midnight Cowboy

    1 May 2009, 18:40:39

    I'd hazard a guess that looking at it's profile, and the front door of the cab, that this machine was used inside tunnels. Also, no buffers or draw gear...Clockwork Orange maybe?

    What ever it was, it looks like the "Vital Spark" found it's way into the rear of the machine, as it appears to have some fire damage at that end.

  • Nick Tompkin

    1 May 2009, 18:53:31

    According to Companies House, Rail Maintenance Limited had a registered office at Kirkintilloch, Glasgow but was dissolved in 2005 so it may have been at this location for some years.

    It does correspond with the Glasgow Underground theory.

  • cdj

    2 May 2009, 11:05:02

    The Kirkintilloch address was previously the European HQ of Loram (its strange to think of Kirkintilloch as the epi centre of anyone's European operations having been until relatively recent times a "dry" town) then Schweerbau UKs HQ. Schweerbau certainly had "light rail" machines bearing at least a passing resemblance to this one. However the Glasgow subway (clockwork orange) connection may be a little tenuous given it's narrower than standard track gauge and severely restricted loading guage profile.

  • Míceál

    2 May 2009, 14:23:19

    I have sent an enquiry to SPT Subway complete with a copy of the photograph in the hope that they can confirm or deny. I had several official visits to the subway in the 1990s and although they had a small and interesting fleet of OTP I don't remember a grinder. I know it is hard to tell from a photo but it "looks" small enough to fit on the Clockwork Orange (which is now longer Orange sadly). 4' 0" is not that much smaller than 4' 8½" but as I say hard to tell. Does anyone think it is worth saving?

  • Dave Carson - Rail Audit Services Ltd

    2 May 2009, 15:58:17

    Loram UK did have a rail grinder working on the Glasgow Subway, but it was loco-hauled by one of the lines own battery locos and bore no resemblance to the above vehicle. A photo of the rail grinder in action at Cowcaddens station appears on page 203 of 'Circles under the Clyde' by John Wright & Ian MacLean (Capital Transport, 1997).

  • Míceál

    8 May 2009, 18:21:43

    Six days on from my enquiry to SPT in Glasgow I have had not response whatsoever regarding this machine. I will now pass on the photo to a former rail grinder operator who may know about it through his former employment.

  • Bob Darvill

    9 May 2009, 11:13:30

    The Traction & Rolling Stock Advertiser for April/May 2008 carried an advert from JML Consulting, Glasgow and this was offering quite a bit of equipment for sale from the Glasgow Underground following the completion of a contract.

    This included a 'Self Propelled Rail Grinder' with hydraulic transmission - weight 20 tons. Almost certainly this is the vehicle that has been photographed - I would guess it was acquired for its engine and other parts.

  • The Fishman

    12 June 2009, 22:01:35

    Seem to recall the name "The Vital Spark" being that of Para Handys boat!!

  • Midnight Cowboy

    13 June 2009, 10:43:54

    Obviously the cries for "More Shteeeeeeeam" were a little excessive!

  • filmstar76

    22 July 2009, 11:56:07

    Could it be a ex standard guage LUL machine?????? moved to Glasgow at some point to possibly work on the colckwork orange before Rail Maintainance went bust???

  • Dave Carson - Rail Audit Services Ltd

    22 July 2009, 21:36:11

    To the best of my knowledge that is certainly not an ex LUL machine, it would never have been allowed to get into that state if it was in London and besides, not only the 8.5 inches gauge difference between Glasgow and London, there is also a considerable tunnel diameter difference. Glasgow is 11 feet diameter and the smallest London diameter is 11 feet 8.25 inches.

    Sorry filmstar76, your theory doesn't work out!

  • Barry Cooper

    27 July 2009, 15:52:22

    As rail grinders seem to have an affinity with Kirkintilloch and this has a bit of a light rail Schwerbauesque (I thought of that word all by myself) appearance, has anybody

    got any contacts at Schwerbau U.K.? Might be someone there who'll say "Ah, yes"

  • Grinder Man

    7 September 2009, 19:12:22

    The machine you are all asking about ,was part of the schweerbau london underground grinder which had been left at kikintilloch office when schweerbau handed there two surface mahines over to serco and Pulled out of Scotland

    then only running one the small 8 stone grinder in london underground.

    Which as far as I hear is only in the country some months of the year.

    Seems somebody from the old company(schweerbau) tried to start up there own grinding buisiness but went bust soon after. Rumour was it was working glasgow underground for a while.

    There was rumour it was being stored.in Glasgow but bills werent being paid hense were it was being stored decided to scrap it.

    As Rumour goes it was one of management.Who started up own business.

    If any one can contact or have contacts in present railgrinding companies they will find some of the staff in these originaly started with Schweerbau .

    As to answear the other question Loram built some machines and crewed thm for a while but they where mainly used as consultants in the uk and never had an office or HQ in Scotland.

  • Dave Carson - Rail Audit Services Ltd

    7 September 2009, 20:25:51

    Correction!!! It looks nothing like RGU2000 which appears on this site (type RGU2000 in the search box), nor does it look anything like its 3-4-wheeled vehicles predecessor where the loco was a centre-cab 4wh diesel, hauling two 40wh, low bodied wagons with the grinding gear and the dust supression equipment. I know, because I saw this train being off-loaded at Upminster Depot in 2002 when it came to work on the east end of the District Line.

    We all got Schweerbau baseball caps as a 'freebie' for our hospitality and help we gave Schweerbau during that time!

  • Abroad

    11 September 2009, 11:12:03

    Here is the correct answers to all questions:

    Loram and in a later stage Schweerbau (after taking over Lorams European activities) had a subsidiary in Glasgow up untill a few years ago. From this base Loram/Schweerbau marketed and operated Loram grinding trains both for Mainline and also Light Rail. In 2002 Serco aquired Schweerbau's UK activities with the exception of the UK Light rail activities which from then on were managed directly from Schweerbaus headoffices in Germany.

    Simultanuosly with Sercos takeover of Schweerbaus subsidiary, (former) managment of Schweerbaus UK operations decided to start up their own business which resulted in a company called Railmaintenance Limited. This company fabricated the machine as pictured above by using old obsolete components and spares from former Loram grinders. The machine was never used. Railmaintenance Limited dissappeared.

    The machine used in Glasgow Underground (not the one shown in the picture) was an old prototype 4 stone grinder from Loram which was initially used on LUL and later modified to suit Glasgow Undergrounds loading profile and trackgauge. This 4 stone grinder prototype later returned to Schweerbaus headoffices in Germany.

    Schweerbau uses 2 metrogrinders RG8 and RGU and 1 Railmilling train SFU04 for railgrinding activities on LUL networks.

  • Lee Taylor

    15 September 2009, 12:40:17

    Has there been any mention of the Glasgow boatyard address where the grinder was pictured along with the date of the picture. Is the machine still there?

  • Ben Williams

    5 October 2009, 07:34:23

    Apparently it is at Rothsay dock, Dock St, West Dunbartonshire G81 1, UK and was still there 2 weeks ago apparently

  • abroad

    16 October 2009, 10:36:44

    Dear Ben,

    Please note my earlier comment on 11 september. My collegue mentioned that you are still looking for the background of this particular machine. As mentioned the machine was never used and was build from old scrap parts from other Loram grinders.

    Greets,

    Maurice

  • Ben Williams

    16 October 2009, 10:50:42

    Yes - apologies I didn't read the key sentence properly!

  • Jon Horswell

    16 October 2009, 17:18:58

    Made from old scrap parts and never used. It looks like nothing but scrap now. Someone should put it out of its misery once and for all.

  • Dave Carson - Rail Audit Services Ltd

    23 October 2009, 22:13:55

    According to a local photographer - Jonathan McGurk and SPT, they both have been examining this and a companion vehicle and has been identified as the Glasgow Underground Rail Grinder. SPT are looking for volunteers to take restoring this for either use on another railway or possible inclusion into the new Glasgow Transport Museum which is due to open either late 2010 or early 2011.

  • cdj

    24 October 2009, 14:24:38

    "According to a local photographer - Jonathan McGurk and SPT, they both have been examining this and a companion vehicle and has been identified as the Glasgow Underground Rail Grinder" Given the gentleman's assertion that the vehicle had a missing wheelset and that the adjacent vehicle (a small river tug) was a companion vehicle, I'm dubious, to say the least, as to this explaination: "abroad's" 11/909 answers seem a lot more likely. Can some one please check the track gauge which should settle any lingering doubt!

  • Midnight Cowboy

    24 October 2009, 20:09:03

    I mentioned else where that the "Navigation Lights" on the cabin roof of the accompanying vehicle were perhaps a give away that it was in actual fact "a boat", and not part of this "Grinder".

  • Ben Williams

    24 October 2009, 21:09:21

    I've seen the photos and the vehicle in front is definitely not a rail vehicle!

    http://jonathanmcgurk.fotopic.net/c1771537_1.html

  • Dave Carson - Rail Audit Services Ltd

    24 October 2009, 21:13:49

    Both vehicles can be seen on Jonathan McGurk's album

    http://jonathanmcgurk.fotopic.net/c1771537.html

    And for the benefit of the 'comedians' here, there is more than one vehicle and a boat!!!

  • Ben Williams

    24 October 2009, 21:21:00

    The yellow vehicle that has appeared in front of the grinder in the last few weeks (it wasn't there when we visited earlier this month) - named "The Witch" - is also a boat. You can see the T shaped metal brackets to attach ropes for mooring and the wooden fenders along the side and tyre at the back are also big clues!

    I should also mention that the comment from "Abroad" above comes from a Schweerbau employee...

  • Dave Shell - Northumbria Rail Ltd.

    25 October 2009, 09:30:54

    The yellow thing in front that some people are trying to pass off as a loco is a ruddy tug boat - I think some people are just throwing stuff into the mix to cloud the issue. Shame Jonathan was too bothered about taking arty shots of spade terminals of wires rather than lay on the ground and take a photo of the axles to show the rail gauge.

  • Barry John Cooper

    25 October 2009, 13:05:38

    I am sure there are other things OTP happening like changes of livery and RRs changing hands, even new acquisitions. At first I was hoping serious debate would establish the true origins of the vehicle but that's got out of hand. Maybe someone should put a bomb under it although by appearances that may have been done already. Can we change the subject? Please, gentlemen.

  • Ben Williams

    25 October 2009, 14:53:58

    We try to cover all aspects of OTP news, and this was an item we felt would create some interest (and it has certainly done that!) but is now getting out of hand as you say.

    Thanks to all who have contributed - issue closed!

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