The Testing Section under Serco

Here are a number of pictures of the various activities undertaken by the Testing Section between 1997 and 2000, mainly to do with freight and on-track plant, about the time the author joined them again after a break of 25 years!

Look here for slip & brake testing

Click on the picture for a bigger image - photos are from the author's collection unless otherwise indicated

Test Car 2

Re-painted into Serco livery, Test Car 2 sits in the yard at RTC in 1998 - now scrapped Sunday overtime A Sunday morning in the EDU sees a bogie steel carrier being loaded with test weights. Test Car 6 in the background

Carnforth

A test train of train of Eurospine piggyback wagons waits in the loop at Carnforth ready to return to Derby, probably around 1999 Somewhere on WCML A test train of Eurospine piggyback wagons with trailer loads somewhere near the WCML probably around 1999

Tamper

A Plasser & Theurer 08-16/4x4C100-RT Tamper No:73919 being unloaded outside the RTC prior to its acceptance testing Carefully does it Another view of the operation

Winsford

A Geismar VMT 860 PL/UM Nos: DR 98306 & DR 98305 pictured in the loop at Winsford after a test run from Derby in 1999.

Author

Geismar No:DR 98305 with a weedkilling coach in the RTC yard

MPV

MPV DR 98903 outside the EDU in November 1999 Tamper Matisa B41 UE tamper No: DR75301 outside the EDU

Matisa

Matisa R24 S Ballast regulator No: DR77801 in the RTC yard Stoke A DX 98300 series Geismar GP-TRAMM pictured on the middle road at Stoke-on-Trent on a test run to Crewe

57601

Pioneer class 57 No: 57601 leaves Derby for Crewe hauling the first MPV on a ride test in 1999.

Graeme Donald

TC6 test train Test Car 6 ADB975290 with COV-AB van 201055 and a couple of rail-carrying wagons stands in the yard prior to venturing onto the main line in 1999

Test train

Serco testing was still going in 2006.

66509 on the S&C with TC2 and a Freightliner open box wagon. These days Serco use Freightliner's RSC for the odd test work that comes their way.

Terry O'Connor

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