Wagon News
LU abandons Chinese wagon project
The much-delayed £11.5 million project to provide new infrastructure wagons for London Underground has been abandoned more than six years after the order was placed with Chinese manufacturer CRRC Shandong. Only five of the 71-stong fleet ever made it to the UK for testing, these being ballast opens BW001/002/007 and flats FW001/002.
However, after initial testing, serious ride issues were identified relating to the bogie design, where the small diameter wheels necessary to achieve a low deck height, coupled with planned axle loads and the required maximum speed to allow operation over Network Rail infrastructure, pushed the limits of physics. Despite modifications and further extensive tests, no solution could be found, so mid-january saw all five wagons delivered to Booth’s Rotherham yard from store at Gascoigne Wood, where they were scrapped within a week.
Intelligent boxes
Six JNA box wagons owned by Ermewa and leased to Tarmac have been fitted with monitoring equipment to report faults and loading issues in real time. The experimental project, sponsored by Network Rail, has seen sensors added to the bogies, axles and bodies, with power to the system supplied by a module mounted on the hauling locomotive and connected via jumper cables. Following trials at Barrow Hill, 81 70 5500 001/002/009/010/012/048 were hauled to Mountsorrel by 47727 on February 14 for further testing.
New deliveries
A further 10 FEA-G twinsets arrived through the Channel Tunnel in early February, the intermodal wagons once again destined for GB Railfreight. On February 5, 66304 was provided to power 4Z92 03.45 Dollands Moor-peterborough Yard with 81 70 4663 301 to 320.
Hawk conversions
For its first working in Loram colours, 37418 was tasked with transferring JNA ballast wagons 81 70 5831 218-224 from Derby to Toton on January 25 before returning with MRA set 501307/327/359361 for rebuilding. The workings were repeated on February 7, this time with 81 70 5831 225-228 and 501320/340/398-400.
Flat transfers
The 22 IXA Mega 3 flats, which can carry both containers and piggyback trailers, were extracted from store at York on February 17, 37800 hauling 37 80 4905 001-022 to Gascoigne Wood to await developments. Back on February 9, 43468 and 43480 had also visited the former coal loading facility to haul French-registered IFA intermodal twins 33 87 4909 301/312/ 315/318/339/358/387/390/395/396/ 398 to Wembley.
Preservation news
The Churnet Valley Railway has secured a second PAA sand hopper for preservation, WBB30006 joining already secured sister wagon WBB30025 at the line during January. These are the only two survivors of the type and were used to work over the line from Oakamoor during the 1980s. The newcomer will need considerable work, having been stripped of all its brake equipment and door apparatus.
The sole-surviving PCV Cemflo APCM8501 departed the care of the Darlington Railway Preservation Society in late January, having been sold along with PCV Presflo APCM8717. Both have initially gone to Wishaw to await onward movement.
Latest disposals
The 10 CDA clay hoppers at St Blazey that survived into 2024, 375074/075/087/093/099 and 375107/112/116/118/121, were all scrapped on site in late January. Last to go on January 26 were 375075 and 375112.
Between January 17 and February 16, DB Cargo dispatched no less than 11 trains of wagons for scrap from Toton, Doncaster, and Scunthorpe, these exclusively featuring two-axle ballast opens or steel carriers. The four trains sent to EMR Kingsbury contained BBA 910002/033/064, 910181, 910204/215/245, 910352/358/ 376/383/391, 910412, 910515/556, MFA 391138/145, 319258, 391405/447, 391613 and MHA/MPA 394037/040/ 049, 394100/178/180, 394250/284, 394305/ 311/319/336/340/343/363, 394400, 394512/517/552/572/578/ 591, 394710/714/729/734/750/774, 394817/854/869/879, 394918/977/ 980, 396004/014/047/066. Meanwhile, EMR’S Attercliffe yard in Sheffield received BBA 910039/ 061/062, 910117/199, 910240/256/ 284, 910306/342, 910456/470/477, 910563/585, MFA 391302/316, 391412/418/420, 391510 and MHA/ MPA 394005/019/029/036/070/090, 394139/144/159, 394204/206/230/ 261/285/286, 394334/372/385, 394514/ 527/530/576,394626-628/ 634/666/697, 394719, 394803/818/ 852, 394952/974 and 396015/033/ 039/048/069. Finally, Booth’s took in three trains containing BAA 900135/161/174/ 193, 900244, BBA 910098, 910205/ 267, 910341, 910498, 910570/581, BDA 951112, BEA 951155, MFA 391368, 391508/562 and MHA/ MPA 394010/031/034/048/072/096, 394113/145/170/172/194, 394262, 394314/315/358, 394501/ 515/ 565/ 590, 394605/609-611/660/ 677, 394713/ 731/749,394823/ 830/846/882/884, 394921/ 928/953/997/ 998, 396006/ 029/043/064/073.