Wagon Report
DEUTSCHE Bahn acquired EWS from Canadian National Railway in June 2007, rebranding the company as DB Schenker. Historically, Schenker was a road-based logistics company and today, Schenker-branded lorries and containers are a common sight on British roads.
Only one fleet of new wagons was built during this period, HLA’s Nos. 82 70 6956 000-7 to 011-4, delivered by WH Davis in 2010 to design code HL 003A. Ordered to replace older stock carrying dredged aggregates from Angerstein Wharf, they were short-lived and scrapped by 2021.
Since March 2016, railfreight operations have been carried out under the DB Cargo UK banner. Notably, this company and its forerunners have taken over various private owner wagon fleets, including British Gypsum, Brunner Mond, Marcon, National Power and RMC Roadstone. Not all the wagons remain in use, but others with now-obsolete branding are still to be seen, especially in the Peak Forest and Warrington areas.
■ DELIVERIES from WH Davis to Drax Ltd have been IIA biomass hoppers Nos. 83 70 0698 226-3 to 239-6/ 241-2. Also new from Greenbrier Europe are FEA-G container flats Nos. 81 70 4663 201-6 to 220-6 for GB Railfreight and JNA-T box opens Nos. 81 70 5932 807-7 to 811-9.
■ RECENTLY given general repairs by Arlington Fleet Services at Eastleigh Works have been PFA container flats Nos. DRSL 92703/777/779/784/801. London Underground wagons overhauled have been hopper wagons Nos. HW 204/214/217/219/222, rail wagons Nos. RW 804/809/816, general purpose flats Nos. GP 902-904/911/913/934/938. Still on-site at Arlington are former Transplant FEA-S ‘Slinger’ rail handling flats Nos. 640931/933-943. The missing wagon is No. 640932, which also carried No. CM 932, for its role as a cement mixer for the B2F paved track project.
■ LORAM UK is currently rebuilding surplus Network Rail MRA side-tippers with low side box bodies as JNA-Ys at its Derby RTC site. The programme is around two-thirds complete, the latest conversions being Nos. 81705831162-9 to 171-0. More MRA’s arriving at Derby for rebuilding have been Nos. 501026/051/057/ 086/111/117/196-198/271273/289-291.
■ DISPOSALS of DB Cargo UK stock have been dominated by the scrapping of redundant CDA china clay hoppers in Cornwall. Wagons were cut into sections to facilitate onward movement by road to a local scrapyard. Elsewhere a variety of other wagons have also been delivered to breakers yards at Kingsbury, Rotherham and Sheffield.
Withdrawals have been OAA ‘Squid’ opens Nos. 100054/096, OBA’Bass’ dropside opens Nos. 110023/706, OCA opens Nos. 112003/086/120/137/156/ 192/218/221/270/375/379, CDA china clay hoppers Nos. 375000-003/005-012/ 015-020/022/023/025/030/ 032/033/035/037/038/040/ 041/043-046/049-052/054/ 055/057-061/063/064/066/ 067/069/071/072/074-078/ 082/083/085/087/090/091/ 093-095/097/099/102-108/ 112-114/116-118/120/121/ 125/135/137, MHA/MPA* ‘Coalfish’ spoil and ballast opens Nos. 394112*/394*/ 618/812, Nos. 396112*/123/ 157/165.