Another quick round up of recent news.

Disposals

Sleeper Squarer 94600 was sent to Ron Hulls of Rotherham from Preston. Network Rail was apparently unwilling to deal with preservationists, so this unique machine went directly for scrap, with an "imminent scrapping" order on it. A shame :(

Meanwhile it was established that tracgopher 76005 was also scrapped at Three Bridges in February.

More exported...

76313 was exported to Saudi Arabia in the middle of April, joining several machines already over there. It was hauled from Bristol to Southampton docks by 'Western' D1015 on 8th April.

OTP naming

73114 was named "Ron Henderson" at Woking on April 16th, after Network Rail's retiring finance director.

Tyne & Wear Metro

One of VolkerRail's Plasser USP403ZW ballast regulators (No. 638 of 1996) is currently being used on the Tyne & Wear Metro. It has come over from Poland via Germany. It should be in use here for a couple more weeks and is reported to be doing sterling work! Unusually this Plasser machine has works plates on both sides. The Volker Rail Beaver tamper that was previously here is now apparently working on the Manchester Metro.

Mishaps...

Finally, it hasn't been a good period of time for OTP mishaps!

On 28th March the Matisa Track Renewal Train 78801/11/21/31 became derailed while coming out of the yard at Taunton Fairwater. All three breakdown cranes 96713,4 & 5 attended in the aftermath and one (96715) was involved in a separate incident when its jib touched a high voltage power line. No one was reported to have been hurt in this incident.

Some nice photos here including the three cranes together (a very rare sight!) and some good action shots at night, plus some video clips.

96715 remains at Taunton and may have to be removed by road.

On 12th April a Balfour Beatty Plasser crane's jib demolished a signal gantry near Bermondsey in south London. We are not certain yet which machine was involved.