66109 Drags 4 MPV Convoy - 11th December 2024

DB Cargo 66109 has been liveried in a dark blue PD Ports livery has been named Teesport Express Is seen on a drag move arriving into the Network Rail/Northern Trains Springs Branch Depot located just south of Wigan on the west coast main line on the very cold afternoon of Wednesday 11th December 2024.

The smart class 66 locomotive was dragging four
Multiple-purpose Vehicle or MPV is a purpose-built departmental derivative of a diesel multiple unit used on RHTT or Railhead Treatment Trains. The MPV units today were being dragged from Mossend Down Yard to Wigan LIP aka here at the Branch where they are based.

With the 2024 RHTT season drawing to a close, the Network Rail MPVs are returning from Mossend back to base. I have never filmed a move like this before and getting 66109 again which is a rare one for these parts always a good bonus.

We enjoy a long movie type video of the locomotive moving onto the old Bickershaw shunt line before the MPVs across 2 moves were detached and moved back into the depot.

66109 would then shunt around before heading off to Arpley Depot just south of Warrington Bank Quey. The shunting was done at a snails pace meaning the light engine left late. The bloke on the points wasn't pleased by the pace as standing in cold ain't fun and he wanted to go home.

Fellow spotter and Youtuber Phil caught a similar move at Wigan a few years ago which I have linked below.
https://youtu.be/ZwPuj9oiPrM?si=ok4GmexLeKI_242n

I have seen 66109 at Hindley linked below.
https://youtu.be/ZIUihN2X1Vo

More information about the MPVs
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_MPV

The official working today
66109 leading 4 MPvs I believe they have 2 numbers on each which are listed below
Dr98961
Dr98911
Dr98956
Dr98906
Dr98960
Dr98910
Dr98957
Dr98907

6Z91 0720 Mossend Down Yard to Wigan L.I.P.

Passed 1408
Running 4 late

66109
0Z92 1445 Wigan L.I.P. to Arpley Sidings

Passed 1516
Running 22 late on final departure

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Filmed at Springs Branch
Filmed Wednesday 11th December 2024

#class66 #RailConvoy #wcml #MPV
#RHTT #railheadtreatmenttrain #freighttrain #66109
#springsbranch