Sheffield Tram/Train traction failure holds up the R.H.T.T. at Rotherham Central - 4717+723+729+736

            * Rotherham Central
Once the failed Tram/Train unit had cleared away and with the platform-end signal, S0747, still at red, the thrumming of an approaching 66 could be heard in the distance to the north. With a few people gathering for the next DMU service and what they expected to be the 11:30 Tram/Train service to Sheffield, the much delayed, by around 2.5 hours, RHTT came into view looking as mucky as ever. The season is almost done, which was the main reason I ventured out on this day, the intention was to go east of Sheffield to Kiveton Bridge.. but as described in the last set of pictures, that quickly became academic when the RHTT appeared to be stuck behind a Sheffield-bound Tram/Train, EMU 399205, sat at the west end of Rotherham Central on platform 3. When I arrived a guy who was sat waiting for another service, a DMU which was due in around 15 minutes, all the other DMU services which normally came via Rotherham, got diverted along the main line from Swinton Interchange, he told me the EMU unit had had trouble with the OHL wire as it had been 'snagged', or so he had been told, with a consequent loss of traction current. This must have been rectified as the rescue unit, 399203 hauled this one, 399205, back along the line towards Tinsley, just before the RHTT came into the Station; all Network Rail personnel had left after the EMU was removed from the station. So, this is set of 4 shots showing the progress of the scruffy looking Colas Rail class 66s, 66849, 'Wylam Dilly' with 66847, 'Terry Baker' at the back, even dirtier than the leading loco, on today's RHTT, this the 3S12, Sheffield via Wakefield Kirkgate & Rotherham Central and back to Sheffield again; though it took a long time! The other workings for this day, Tuesday 5th December were-
3S11 York Thrall Europa via Penistone to Sheffield
3S12 Sheffield via Wakefield Kirkgate & Rotherham Central to Sheffield
3S13 Sheffield via Gainsborough Central to Woodburn Junction  (Cancelled due to delay at Rotherham Central)
3S14 Woodburn Junction via Sheffield to Masbrough S.S.Jn.
3S15 Masbrough S.S.Jn. via Normanton to York Thrall Europa.
Although it had been raining moderately on arrival,  by this time it was clearing up a bit and by mid-day, the sun was out and a portent of yet another cold night to come. In the lower left picture, the set has pulled up in front of the station exit signal S0747 and alongside platform 3, the Tram/Train platform, with the National services platforms, 1 & 2, on the left and right in the distance. On the left of 66849, the 'Electric Center' (not centre?) stands on the site which was the, slightly, elevated station sidings and in those times, the platforms were staggered, the north-bound one on the left was around here, but the south-bound one was a hundred yards or so behind the camera and under the station footbridge; have to say, from this angle with the subject matter shown, this doesn't look like Rotherham Central. Finally 66849 got the 'yellow' to proceed west along the Lower Don Valley line towards Woodburn Junction and into Sheffield, arriving over 2.5 hours late at 12:01. This meant the planned working, 3S13, out to Gainsborough in the east, the one I had intended to photograph at Kiveton, got cancelled, hardly surprising and after 10 minutes the working number changed to 3S14 and the set proceeded on the normal schedule for the rest of the day, arriving back in York, on 3S15, 6 minutes early, at 15:40. Once the 'leaf busters' had cleared the rails and, to some extent, me too as the camera was close to the action on the narrow Tram/Train platform, I had to divest a few folk of the notion they could get another service around 11:30, the Tram/Train service started running again in about an hour, with the 2A42 at 12:27 from Sheffield Cathedral. 
   

Taken on: December 5, 2023

Tags:

Rotherham Central

Forge Island

Network Rail

Colas Rail

Class 66

66849

Wylam Dilly

66847

Terry Baker

R.H.T.T.

Rail Head Treatment Train

3S11

York Thrall Europa via Penistone to Sheffield

3S12

Sheffield via Wakefield Kirkgate & Rotherham Central to Sheffield

3S13

Sheffield via Gainsborough Central to Woodburn Junction

3S14

Woodburn Junction via Sheffield to Masbrough S.S.Jn.

3S15

Masbrough S.S.Jn. via Normanton to York Thrall Europa

FEA-B RHTT A Tank Wagons

Sheffield Tram/train

Class 399 Emu

Electric Multiple Unit

399205

2A18

Sheffield Cathedral to Parkgate

2A19

Parkgate Via Tinsley Meadowhall to Sheffield Cathedral

399203

1Z99

Sheffield Nunnery Tram Depot to Rotherham Central

Northern Rail

Class 150

150271

2R24

Sheffield via Rotherham Central to Adwick

Class 158

158871

2N10

Leeds via Rotherham Central to Sheffield

Tinsley East Junction

OHL Equipment

M.S.L.R.

Manchester Sheffield & Lincolnshire Railway

G.C.R.

Great Central Railway

R.U.F.C.

Rotherham United Football Club

New York Stadium

Magna Science Adventure Centre

Firth-Rixon Metal

Howmet Aerospace Ltd

Sheffield & South Yorkshire Navigation

River Don

Tinsley Biomass Works « less

Sets appears in: • Rotherham

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