Drain Train 20s & Track Machine - a Balfour Beatty Double at Manningtree! 16th February 2025

A couple of passes at Manningtree gates just after 07:00 on the chilly Sunday morning of 16th February 2025. It was cold and cloudy though without any wind the sound of the trains approaching carried well.

The first train was the Balfour Beatty "Drain Train" operating on behalf of Network Rail returning to Marks Tey as 6J09, 07:15 Ipswich to Marks Tey S&T Siding, running eighteen minutes early. Leading locomotive was 20905 with 20901 at the rear. The Drain Train had been working overnight in the Ipswich area flushing trackside drainage systems.

20901 was part of the third batch of "EE Type 1s" (D8050-D8127) being delivered to British Railways in November 1961 as D8101, becoming 20101 in 1974 and finally being modified to class 20/9 standard in 1989.

20905 was one of the last batch of class 20s delivered to British Rail (as it had become by then) in late 1967 as D8325 then 20225 in 1974 and finally modified to class 20/9 standard in 1989.

The second train was a Balfour Beatty Tamper again operating on bahalf of Network Rail returning to Colchester as 6J24, 07:15 Bentley (Suffolk) to Colchester Reception Line, running fifteen minutes early. The Tamper was DR73943, a Plasser & Theurer model 08/16 4x4C100RT, delivered in 2004. The Tamper had been working overnight between Bentley and Ipswich.

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00:00 20905+20901
01:20 DR73943
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#train #trainspotting #trains #ee #diesel #manningtree