Wagon News
New deliveries
Another 10 FEA-G twinsets for GB Railfreight reached the UK at the beginning of March. 66793 was entrusted to work them forward from Dollands Moor to Peterborough Yard early on March 4, with 69002 also in the consist. Included on this occasion were 81 70 4663 321 to 340. GBRF is also set to receive a further 50 JNA box wagons during this summer, which are being manufactured by Greenbrier and leased via Porterbrook.
Meanwhile, Colas Rail has received a new track machine. Plasser & Theurer Unimat 09-4x4/4s tamper DR75017 arrived at Plasser’s West Ealing workshops for commissioning on February 23, 66054 having provided the traction from Dollands Moor.
Hawk conversions
The rebuilding of MRA side-tippers into JNA ballast boxes continues to provide gainful employment for 37418. On February 18, the Type 3 took newly-finished JNAS 81 70 5831 229-232 from Derby to Toton before returning with MRAS 501310/30/6769 for rebuilding. The moves were repeated on February 27, this time with 81 70 5831 233-238 and 501308/328/362-364. On March 5, it was a one-way loaded trip for 37418, it venturing light engine to Toton to bring MRAS 501314/334/380-382 back to Derby.
Preservation
The National Wagon Preservation Group has added to its collection with the acquisition of the first MHA ballast wagon 394001. Purchased from CF Booth, the Coalfish was transferred from Rotherham to Wishaw on March 6 for initial storage but is set to move to the Telford Steam Railway as a more permanent home. The preservation of the MHA ensures that a representative of the EWS/DB Cargo two-axle ballast fleet will live on but also completes the story of the HAA merry-go-round wagons, of which the NWPG owns several, as the ballast wagons were built on the chassis of the coal hoppers.
Meanwhile, Freightliner has donated long-stored Lowmac DE230956 to the Great Western Society, the Lner-built wagon departing Crewe Basford Hall by road to Didcot on March 1. It owes its survival to use as an engine carrier at Crewe Works and then as a local permanent way wagon at Basford Hall but had been sidelined for a number of years.
Latest disposals
The ZUW Shark ballast plough abandoned alongside Shenfield station for almost 25 years finally met its end on February 24, with DB993733 being broken up on site. The previous weekend had seen the brake van winched along the siding it had occupied throughout this time to give access for cutting, previous attempts at preservation having been thwarted by this issue.
The working that conveyed MHA 394001 to Booth’s yard, as mentioned above, ran in the small hours of February 27 from Doncaster Belmont, 66130 also delivering further MHA/MPA in the form of 394043/062/094, 394140, 394201/278/292/296, 394386/395, 394519/558, 394604/673/684, 394780, 394867, 394964 and 396071, as well as MFA 391143, 391357 and 391593. On March 5, 66131 made the short trip across Newport from Alexandra Dock Junction to the docks with HTA coal hoppers 310349/685/756/822/ 904/911/925/988 and 311097/120 for processing by Sims Metals, while a short but mixed working from Toton to EMR, Attercliffe, on March 15 saw 66128 in charge of MFA 391252, MHA 394838, MPA 394668, MXA Lobster 950421 and YKA Osprey DB996632