Wagon News
Box wagons unveiled
WH Davis is to construct a new fleet of 46 bogie box wagons for Beacon Rail Leasing using parts recovered from redundant HHA hopper wagons. These new wagons will have a capacity of 75 cubic metres, making them larger than the current preferred JNA type, and leading to them being marketed as ‘MegaBox’, a term more commonly associated with the EWS/DB MBAs. Designed by WH Davis, the wagons will re-use the bogies and brake equipment from the HHAs with the bodies being scrapped, in much the same way as Freightliner’s MWA fleet did five years ago. The wagons are due to be delivered later this year.
On February 18, 66955 moved 18 HHAs from York to Long Marston in the form of 370005/12/49/50/60/82/95, 370101/09/27/29/31/45/64/97 and 370225/29/44. A second batch of 18 followed from Hunslet Yard, Leeds, on March 11 behind 66502, these being 370011/20/27/34/38/46/85, 370100/16/35/48/61/90 and 370202/17/39/41/45, although it remains to be seen if these wagons are to be amongst the donors. Meanwhile, the latest batch of HHAs to be shortened for aggregates use were collected from Shirebrook on March 13, 60055 taking 370256/60/61/66/79/81/84/86/95 to Gascoigne Wood.
Plant on the move
Newly delivered to the UK, SB Rail’s DR75014 was hauled away from Dollands Moor by 66025 as the 6X69 2005 departure to Acton Yard on March 12, from where the Plasser & Theurer Unimat 09-4x4/4S dynamic tamper was forwarded to West Ealing to be commissioned. An earlier delivery attempt that afternoon had been aborted while in progress due to paperwork issues over gauging, the formation being routed back to Dollands Moor from Redhill via Clapham Junction and Maidstone East!
Late on February 22, Balfour Beatty’s new Plasser & Theurer 08-4x4/4S-RT switch and crossing tamper DR73950 was delivered to East Grinstead by 20118 and 20132 for trials on the Bluebell Railway. The Class 20s then returned to London overnight with DR73949 in tow following its own testing programme. No longer in the UK is Cowans Sheldon 75-tonne breakdown crane ADRC96710, it being exported from Southampton Docks at the beginning of March following road transfer from the Nemesis Rail depot at Burton.
Colas collections
The TDA tankers used on the Grangemouth-Sinfin flow were released from maintenance at Eastleigh Works on February 24, 56090 being provided to haul TIPH78211/63/6567/69/72/75/77 to Gloucester Yard on the first stage of their journey to Scotland. They were back on the Sinfin duty by March 14. The same Colas Class 56 was dispatched to Hackney Yard, Newton Abbot, on February 25 in order to collect six IWA timber wagons after 11 months in store. Again destined for Gloucester and routed via Castle Cary, the wagons were 83 84 3523 03235/44/46.
FKA modifications
Now underway is a modification programme on DB Cargo’s FKA intermodal twins, this seeing alterations made to the container locating spigots. Modified wagons are being re-coded as FOA, with known examples including 81 70 4908 000/15/24/ 26/28/44/55/61/63/68/77/97 and 81 70 4908 100/14/22/32/35.
Latest disposals
Booth’s received two trains of redundant JGA hoppers from Neville Hill on March 3 and 10, the former RMC wagons arriving at Rotherham in the small hours behind 67016. On the first occasion, RMC13706, RMC17203/05/07/16/18/19/23/44 and RMC19224/32/35/40 were delivered, with the second working featuring RMC13705, RMC17202/34/43/47 and RMC19229/39. Meanwhile, Ron Hull moved MEA box wagons 391314/50/55, 391438/40/61/71, 391507/46/84 and 391601 from Dee Marsh to its Rotherham yard at the end of February.
At the long closed Toton wagon repair depot, partial clearance of the forest has taken place to allow the wagons and parcels vans buried within to be scrapped on site. Early casualties in March included OBA 110082, OCA 112138, BDA bolster 950333, YVA cable drum carrier KDC950082, YWA Salmon DB996604 and Italian IMA ferry van 31 83 2795 047-9.