What is the strange-looking engineering 'train' that's parked next to the platform in Pitsea station used for?

Question

It is big, white, industrial looking and has 'Balfour Beatty' plastered along the side.

Answer 1

It is a Civil Engineering Department train of some kind used for track maintenance, etc.

Trains like this are built for specialised jobs such as examining and repairing track, cleaning and renewing ballast, and so forth.

They often belong to privatised firms since British Rail was done away with, hence 'Balfour Beatty' who have obviously got a contract for some kind of rail maintenance work.

Answer 2

Could be a choice of

Plain Line Tamper

S&C Tamper

DTS Machine  

Answer 3

I would need more information.  These machines should have a number on them (usually a long one with letters included).  If you can quote this, it will be easy to find out.

Answer 4

Is it like any of the machines on these pictures?

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Catego...

It's most likely to be a ballast tamper

Answer 5

It's possibly a Tamper. This sort of machine is used to correct track geometry (making the track smooth to drive trains over). They do this by lifting and lining the track, then packing ballast under neatthe sleepers to hold the track inplace to a design created by track engineers.

Answer 6

It sounds like a ballast tamper.

have a look at http://asalat.50megs.com/photo_gallery-e... at the bottom. This is a ballast tamper, and though on an european site, the UK equivalent is pretty much the same.

Answer 7

Without seeing a picture, I couldn't positively identify it. It could be a Tamper, Ballast Cleaner or anything.

Answer 8

Probably a track layer or ballast compacting machine.

Answer 9

You could look for plates on the underside, if so then it is an ultrasonic test machine, for detecting, hairline fractures in rails,