WAGON REPORT
THE construction of 46 new ‘Megabox 75’ open wagons by WH Davis will utilise bogies, braking gear and other components recovered from scrapped Freightliner Heavy Haul HHA coal hoppers. Beacon Rail Leasing placed an order earlier this year with the company for the wagons, which will have a gross weight of 101.6 tonnes and a volume capacity of 75 cubic metres. They will be about 25% larger than the popular JNA design, which is optimised for the carriage of aggregates. Target commodities may include gypsum, timber, scrap metal and industrial coal. New all-welded box bodies are being fabricated at Langwith Junction workshops. Donor wagons are Nos. 370005/011/ 012/019/ 020/027/ 034/038/046/ 049/050/055/ 060/064/067/ 082/085/ 095/100/101/109/ 116/127-129/131/135/145/ 148/ 150/151/161/164/167/ 170/ 190/197/202/ 217/220/ 225/229/239/ 241/244/245. Arlington Fleet Services, Eastleigh has converted four Freightliner FRA-B flats for RHTT infrastructure duty, Nos. 613109-112, previously Nos. 613001/002/024/027. Repairs have been carried out on London Underground hoppers Nos. HW 202/207/211/218, with Nos. HW 205/208 scrapped on-site by Raxstar. MHA ‘Coalfish’ opens modified with integrated disc brakes and recoded MPA by the DB Cargo wagon works at Stoke are Nos. 394020/076/081 /084/097/112/214/311/360/ 964, Nos. 396124/125/158.
Underway is a programme to overhaul BBA steel flats, including fitting of replacement ABC Naco cast steel bogies, with Nos. 910330/459/488/512 seen at Bescot on June 23. Livery is black in place of the normal DB Cargo red.
Movements
Notable departures from Long Marston following bogie changes and refurbishment have been TDA bogie petroleum tanks Nos. VTG 86912/914/915/920/924/926928/964/965/967/969. They will be used to transport aviation spirit from Grangemouth refinery to Prestwick airport. Arrivals have included TEA condensate tanks Nos. VTG 88001-020 for tank cleaning and general repairs. The set consist for the first of the new Smart Weed System Trains, which headed to the Severn Valley Railway for testing on June 16 (see article above) is KFA container flats Nos. VTG 95378-380, carrying computerized spraying equipment mounted in containers and a water tank. Kings Norton OTPD sidings at Cotteridge is now the prime location for the stabling of track machines in Birmingham. Observed there in early June were Loram ZWA corrective rail grinder set Nos. DR 79401-404, plain line grinder set Nos. DR 79501-507 and Windhoff YXA/KFA* multipurpose vehicles Nos. DR 76906/919*/920/922/923 and No. DR 98003. Obsolete track machines continue to be deleted from stock and exported, including Swietelsky Babcock owned Plasser & Theurer ZWA tamper No. DR 73110 Peter White, Balfour Beatty Rail ZWA integrated twin section tamper No. DR 73926 Stephen Keith Blanchard and Swietelsky Babcock ZWA ballast regulator No. DR 77908. Disposals have been OAA ‘Squid’ opens No. 100042/082; OBA ‘Bass’ opens Nos. 110029/201/202/232; MTA spoil opens Nos. 395192/223/267; MPA ‘Coalfish’ open No. 394659; SPA steel coil carrier No. 460378; FDA ‘Salmon’ sleeper flats Nos. 621520/532; YLA/YQA ‘Mullet/ Parr’ sleeper carriers Nos. DC 967519/537/ 544/545/567; and FEA bogie container flats Nos. 630029/030/033/034/043/044, plus Nos. 640674/685.