WAGON REPORT
FREIGHTLINER’S new fleet of Greenbrier Europe-built FFA-G flats have started to enter traffic.
Assembled in Poland by Wagony-Swidnica, they are
Nos. 81 70 4846 000-7 to 230-0 and European wagon type Sggrrss. They are formed into twin-sets; each wagon weighs 18.45 tonnes with a maximum payload of 53 tonnes; deck height is 990mm. Wabtec Axiom Rail LN20 low noise bogies allow a maximum speed of 75mph and the flats have clearance for movement of hi-cube containers over W10 gauge lines. Livery is grey and length over buffers per twinset 27.0 metres.
DB Cargo has modified a batch of FCA container flats into triple sets. Recoded FQA are Nos. 610039/040/124/155158/203/204/ 249/250/271/ 272/275/276/315/316/340342/365/366/ 373/374/389/ 390/399/400. Unlike the Freightliner FFA-G design, which is used exclusively for the movement of deep-sea boxes to and from ports, the DB Cargo wagons carry a variety of loadings – including chemical and powder ‘tanktainers’, compacted domestic waste, powdered limestone, and gypsum. An example is the transport of ‘Bulkhaul’ units containing the toxic and corrosive herbicide paraquat dichloride.
VTG Rail UK has received a further batch of JNA box opens from Astra Rail, Romania, Nos. 81 70 5500 958-0 to 999-4. GB Railfreight is hiring them to carry spoil from the HS2 logistics hub at Willesden to landfill sites at Barrington, Cambridgeshire and Cliffe in Kent. DB Cargo UK’s wagon workshops at Stoke has carried out general repairs to Erwema SA owned IHA hooded steel coil carriers Nos. 33 87 4667 0060/049-0/055-7/060-7/065-6/ 068-0/082-1. Brodie Rail, Kilmarnock has completed refurbishment of eight Beilhack ZZA type PB 600 ‘Snow Patrol’ ploughs for Network Rail, Nos. ADB 965576581 to design code ZZ 503A, and Nos. ADB 966098-099 to design code ZZ 504A. Attached to bogies recovered from scrapped Class 40 locomotives, the ploughs are allocated to lines equipped with overhead line electrification, providing greater clearance than drift snowploughs. Unusual sightings in Bescot Yard on October 14 were BVA slab coil flats Nos. 952005/020/030. Thirty-one wagons were built for EWS in 2001, by Swedish firm Kockums as Nos. 952001-031, design code BV002A. Tare weight is 19.45 tonnes and maximum payload 82.15 tonnes. They are used to carry ‘kasettes’ for Avesta Polarit from Tinsley to Immingham loaded with steel slab. Imported coil is transported on the return journey, and the wagons are rarely seen outside of this circuit. Awaiting repair at the DB Cargo’s Bescot depot was JXA scrap open No. VTG 3156. In the GB Railfreight sidings, KFA container flats Nos. VTG 95378380 were stabled. EVN identities are Nos. 99709395 003-5/0019/002-7. They form the consist of the Bayer eco-friendly weedspraying set. Recent disposals to scrapyards have been: PGA aggregate hoppers Nos. REDA 14768/781, JGA hoppers Nos. RMC 17210/220/227/236/240/248, OBA ‘Bass’ opens Nos. 110088/102/383/697, OCA open No. 112077, ZCA ‘Sea Urchin’ spoil open No. DC 200448, VGA ‘Speedlink’ vans Nos. 210531/595, MFA spoil opens Nos. 391146/364, SPA plate flats Nos. 460273/938, YLA ‘Mullet’ sleeper carrier No. DC 967595.