WAGON REPORT
VICTA Railfreight’s recently registered IXA ‘Mega3’ multipurpose wagons have an interesting backstory. They were built in 2002 by Babcock Rail, Rosyth and initially coded KAA, Nos. BCC 11501-522. Funding was provided by the short-lived Strategic Rail Authority.
Able to carry containers, piggyback road trailers, or swapbodies they are mounted on Y33 bogies and have a top speed of 75mph. Maximum payload is 38.2 tonnes and tare 17.8 tonnes. Current identities are Nos. 37 80 4905 001-6 to 022-2, design code IXE 935.
Working for Blue Circle
Cement, they entered use in 2003, running from Hope to Selby and Westbury to Southampton.
Specialized road tankers were built by Feldbinder and curtain-side trailers for bagged cement came from Boalloy. Unfortunately, the nonstandard nature of the trailers made their use uneconomic and the wagons were quickly stored until moving to the continent in 2008.
■ GB Railfreight is hiring a batch of French registered
IFA ‘Multifret’ intermodal flats for the transportation of hi-cube containers, Nos. 33 87 4906 001-2/0079/009-5/011-1 to 013-7/0152/017-8/020-2/025-1 to 029-3/035-0/040-0/041-8/0483/113-5/127-5/128-3/1309/131-7/135-8/137-4/1614/170-5. More of these wagons are also in use with Eurotunnel carrying a variety of Socofer engineering and maintenance modules, Nos. 33 87 4906 024-4/030-1/050-9/059-0/1028/108-5/116-8/120-0/1291/142-4/157-2/168-9. ■ Further Ecofret2 container flats completed by WH Davis at Langwith Junction are FWA-C outers Nos. 83 70 4520 270-7 to 285-5 and FWA-D inners Nos. 83 70 4521 071-8 to 078-3. ■ Touax Rail HYA coal hoppers due for rebuilding to carry aggregates are Nos. 83 70 6791 000-2/002-8/008-5/012-7/0143/016-8/017-6/019-2/0226/023-4/026-7 to 029-1/031-7 to 033-3/037-4/038-2/041-6 to 051-5/054-9/056-4 to 0580/060-6/062-2/063-0/-66-3 to 069-7/084-6 to 088-7/090-3/ 091-1. ■ DB Cargo’s wagon works at Stoke is converting 29 BYA triple-hooded flats into open format to carry hot rolled coils for Tata Steel. This follows successful trials undertaken with prototype conversion No. 966050. More BLA box cradle coil carriers fitted with new cast steel three-piece bogies are Nos. 910270/459/488/490/516. Also ongoing is the repair and repaint of Touax KFA container flats. Seen ex-works in Bescot yard on August 29 were Nos. TIPH 93371/382/394/450/470/486. ■ Newly-delivered to Swietelsky Babcock Rail are Plasser & Theurer Unimat 09-4x4/4S dynamic tampers Nos. DR 75014/015. ■ Network Rail has modified MPVs Nos. DR 76901/903/905 with new raised work platforms replacing the former Palfinger PRK 800 cranes. Recently arrived from Austria is Linsinger SF06-UK high speed rail milling set Nos. 79104/105. Two YRX 14 ton scenery vans, Nos. 083644/664 have been sold from Eastleigh T&RSMD to the Mid-Hants Railway. Other recent disposals have been OAA ‘Squid’ open No. 100050, OBA ‘Bass’ open No. 110481, VKA ‘Speedlink’ vans Nos. 210431/583/620, MFA opens Nos. 391102/111/444, MTA spoil and ballast open No. 395090, MHA ‘Coalfish’ opens No. 394588, No. 396001, SPA plate flats Nos. 460476/885, FDA ‘Salmon’ paired railflats Nos. 621454/521, FEA twinset intermodal container flats Nos. 640067/068 and YLA ‘Mullet’ concrete sleeper carriers Nos. DC 967513/578.