Description

A cab ride on a DRS Class 57 on water cannon duties, ‘leafbusting’ the rails! The DRS operated depot at Stowmarket in East Anglia is busiest during leaf-fall, keeping the all-important Norwich to London line clean, plus other routes. Travel from Stowmarket, the through Ipswich, changing ends at Shenfield and then on to Colchester, Ipswich and Stowmarket. Bonus Cromer-Norwich footage!

Full description from the producer:

A cab ride on a DRS Class 57 on water cannon duties! Every year during the autumn a series of trains operate around the UK aimed at combating the effect of wet leaves on the rail head. Often referred to as ‘water cannon’ trains or ‘leafbusters’, various loco-hauled sets and MPVs have the task of keeping the rails clear by spraying them with a high pressure blast of water or a layer of adhesion modifier. The DRS operated depot at Stowmarket in East Anglia is one of the most important on the system during the leaf-fall season and is the base of four loco-hauled sets, running on a 24-hour basis. As well as keeping the all-important Norwich to London Liverpool Street main line clean, nearly all the secondary and branch lines in Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk are also treated. For 2012, Class 57s were based at Stowmarket with six DRS Class 57/0s supplemented by three Network Rail 57/3s.

This is a cab ride on what is known as the Great Eastern rail head treatment train, filmed on a fine autumn day in October 2012. Running in top and tail mode, DRS Class 57s, 57007 and 57011 provide the power on a circular out-and-back journey. From Stowmarket, the train heads to Ipswich and forward to Marks Tey, Colchester, Witham and Shenfield. After changing ends, we run back to Colchester and onto Clacton returning back to Colchester and back to Ipswich and finally Stowmarket. Also includes the final part of our first Anglia RHTT journey, from Cromer to Norwich and on to Stowmarket, filmed from 57306 and 57310. Filmed in 16:9 widescreen with the full assistance of DRS, the view from the front cab is supplemented by a special ‘thrash’ cam in the back cab, recording the loco hard at work. Includes maps, part-narration and on-screen captions pointing out open and closed stations, signal boxes, junctions and other lineside buildings and features.

Additional information