WAGON REPORT
GREENBRIER Europe’s JNA-T (Ealnos) bogie box open is the most numerous wagon type in use on Britain’s railways today. Over a thousand are in service, with hundreds more on order, all built in Romania by Astra Rail Industries.
The design is not totally homogenous, with variations in the number of side stanchions, either nine or eleven per side, provision of cleaning out hatches, and the placement of handbrake wheels that can be either body or bogie-mounted. Axiom LF25 or TF25 low track force bogies are fitted as required.
Numerous liveries are carried, while certain owners or operators – such as Cappagh, GB Railfreight and Touax favour ‘billboard’ style lettering. Cappagh-branded wagons also carry two sets of safety information stickers. The latest variation, given TOPS Carkind JNA-X, consists of 50 wagons for Porterbrook Leasing. Due for delivery this autumn they are Nos. 81 70 5932 757-4 to 806-9.
Land Recovery Ltd is another firm to embrace ‘billboard’ signage. It is taking delivery of 30 new JNA-U (Ealnos) 101.6-tonne high-side box wagons Nos. 81 70 5932
697-2 to 726-9 from WH Davis, Langwith Junction. Colas Railfreight is operating the fleet, carrying used ballast from various sites to Longport, North Staffordshire for recycling. ■ INNOVATION in wagon design is rare and few new types enjoy any longevity. One outstanding success in the modern era has been the IKA-J ‘Megafret’ twinset intermodal flat, type Sffggmrrss. The unique feature of this design is its ability to carry both ISO containers and swapbodies up to 45-feet long, including the hi-cube 9ft 6in tall variants on routes that have not received gauge enhancement. Use of longer 45-foot containers has not grown to the extent once anticipated for deep-sea traffic. However, it is now the standard size for domestic movements, both of containers and swapbodies, neither of which can be carried on the more numerous 40/60foot platforms. Originally owned by Zurich (Switzerland)-based private operator Ahaus Alstatter Eisenbahn (AAE), the fleet is now part of the VTG group, with nearly four hundred sets available to work within the UK. DRS, Freightliner and GB Railfreight hire the wagons for their operations. DB Cargo has its own FKA variant, built by Thrall Europa at York. Recent modifications to these flats, involving the fitment of additional container locating spigots, have led to a new sub-type of FOA being listed. Converted wagons to date are Nos. 81 70 4908 000-2/009-3/015-0/024-2/0257/028-3/037-4/044-0/0481/055-6/061-4/063-0/0689/077-0/090-3/094-5/0978/100-0/114-1/122-4/1323/135-6/140-6/148-9. ■ BREAKER’S yards continue to be busy. DB Cargo has delivered more British Rail-era stock for disposal. Recent disposals have been to the South Yorkshire scrapyards of CF Booth (Rotherham) and European Metals Recycling at Attercliffe (Sheffield). All are two-axle spoil and ballast opens: MFA Nos. 391396/402; MHA/MPA* ‘Coalfish’ Nos. 394018/394030*/ 059/133/157/158/165/184/210 /247/252/254/310/326/387/630 /635/711/738/775/925/951/954 /963/989; MTA Nos. 395022/030 /062/067/133/139/180/183/20 2; and MHA/MPA* Nos. 396002/ 005/030/052/055/076/079/096 /127/158*.