Big developments with box wagon fleets

Land Recovery, Network Rail and GB Railfreight bogie boxes are all making headlines this month.

WITH just shy of 1200 of the now-ubiquitous JNA-T and MMA-A 60m3 high-sided ‘Ealnos’ in the UK or on order from Romania, GB Railfreight, Porterbrook and Greenbrier have revealed the first fruit of a partnership that introduces a new variation on the design. Christened the JNA-X, prototype No. 81 70 5932 757-4 was revealed to the media at the end of August (see Headline News, October issue), having successfully completed its audit and inspection process. Fifty have been ordered, numbered 81 70 5932 757-806, for delivery early in the fourth quarter of this year.

To complete the identity, the keeper code is GB-GBRf, only the second group of JNAs to carry this designation after Nos. 81 70 5500 454-503 delivered in 2017. Notably, the batch of Ermewa-leased vehicles that followed, Nos. 81 70 5500 504-603, were pictured in this magazine in Romania with the same keeper code, although this was altered to GB-ERSA before delivery to the UK.

While superficially almost identical to recent batches of JNA-T, the new ‘X’ variant sports an interesting spotting difference that will aid in identification once they – inevitably – get mixed up with earlier wagons, albeit not as dramatic as some of the body and chassis differences that have taken place since the first examples were constructed in 2016. This is the covering of the horizontal strengthening members at the ends. Otherwise, the chassis follows the standard bodymounted brake wheel configuration last seen on Network Rail/Wascosa’s batch of 50 delivered at the end of last year, as well as the earlier Touax and DB Cargo wagons.

NEW FOR NETWORK RAIL

Separately, the low-sided box wagon fleet has also received a boost with the arrival of the sixth shipment of NR/Wascosa MLA-W ‘Falcons’, numbered 81 70 5931 341-370. These arrived through the Chunnel in the first few days of September, being sent north on the 3rd as a 6Z92 03.45 Dollands Moor-Wembley behind No. 92032. This leaves 90 wagons to complete their journey to the UK.

NR has also been accumulating JNA-Y conversions from MRA side tippers at York Holgate Works, all having moved by road from Loram at Derby. By the third week of September the following had been observed on site: Nos. 81 70 5831 001/002/004010/012/014-016/042.

LR JNAS ENTER SERVICE

Fourteen members of the planned 30-strong Land Recovery JNA-U order departed WH Davis’ Langwith Junction workshops on September 21, Nos. 81 70 5931 697/698/700/703-706/708-713/719 heading into service behind No. 70817 in charge of a 4Z75 14.37 to Redcar Mineral Terminal, which later worked back south loaded as a 6Z76 21.17 to Longport. Of note was that Nos. 81 70 5931 706/711 were not branded for their owner on departure, a mystery that was resolved several days later when No. 56049 was noted in charge of the same rake working a 4Z75 11.20 Longport to Redcar BSC. The two silver boxes both carried the legend ‘If Carlsberg did recycling’ complete with official Carlsberg logo.