Wagon Report
LANGWITH Junction near Mansfield is the base for WH Davis, the last active domestic wagon builder. Recent deliveries have been IIA-D (Tafoos) bogie biomass hoppers to Drax Ltd. An additional 30 wagons have been built, Nos. 83 70 0688 226-3 to 255-2. Arrivals at the site for attention have been MLA-A gondola opens Nos. 50 3028/029/049/060/067/068/ 075/081.
For a short period, Powell Duffryn Standard built wagons at a factory at St Denis in France. This followed the closure of its UK manufacturing sites at Cardiff and Heywood. Domestic orders completed were for 30 JGA 90 tonne covered hoppers for Nacco/ Tilcon, Nos. NACO 19170-199 (to design code JG014A), and 21 JHA 102 tonne hoppers for National Power, Nos. NP 19400420 (design code JH 022C).
Both types entered service in 1994 carrying limestone from quarries at Swinden (North Yorkshire) and Tunstead respectively.
A recent development has seen some of the JGAs reinstated from long-term store at Long Marston. They are now at work in Cornwall carrying china clay for
Imerys Minerals, Nos. NACO 19177/188/ 192/194/196.
Interestingly Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon (BRC&W) opened a French factory near La Rochelle after the First World War. Unfortunately, most French wagon needs of the period were met by war reparations. However, the firm did gain several sizeable contracts from the Compagnie International des Wagon Lits organisation for Pullman sleeping dining and parlour cars for use in Europe, Turkey and Egypt.
NEW stock for GB Railfreight are FEA-G container flats Nos. 81 70 4663 221-9 to 241-7 from Greenbrier Europe, Poland. Additional JNA-Y gondola conversions for Network
Rail from Loram UK are Nos. 81705831172-8 to 181-9.
Further MRA side-tippers sent to Derby RTC for rebuilding have been Nos. 501004/053/ 064/113/130/ 131/135/ 277-279.
LONDON Underground wagons at Arlington Fleet Services, Eastleigh for evaluation and overhaul in recent months have included Jubilee Line Extension general purpose wagon No. JLE 7, 40-ton high-deck wagons Nos. HD 875/876, cement mixer wagons Nos. CM 952/953, and cement mixer match wagons Nos. MW 956/959-961.
Other wagons at Eastleigh for overhauls include Groupe Cat IPA car transporters Nos. 43 87 4333 024-5/050-0, Nos. 23 87 4375 001-6/015-6, No. 23 87 008-0, and Nos. 23 87 4385 000-6/ 001-4/002-2/0044. Also on-site are IFA twin container flats fitted with vehicle carrying modules Nos. 33 87 4908 075-4/ 605-8/624-9.
DB Cargo UK still rosters a significant number of two-axle wagons for revenue traffic. Still active are box opens of types MEA (168) and SSA (68), mostly engaged in steel scrap traffic in the North East, Yorkshire and South Wales.
Additionally four-wheel
VGA/VKA‘Speedlink’sliding wall vans (157) are in use carrying Ministry of Defence Army (MODA) stores, plus there is a weekly service transporting steel from Celsa at Cardiff Tidal yard to Burton-on-Trent, with the vans having replaced open wagons.
TEN redundant CDA china clay hoppers have been saved by preservation groups; Nos. 375030/050/ 061/063/067/ 090/091/102/ 113/117. Other surplus stock has been less fortunate. Now scrapped are OBA ‘Bass’ dropside opens
Nos. 110026/182/ 298/618, OCA opens Nos. 112008/012/ 035/056/057/ 074/097/102/ 106/122/123/ 133/172/242/ 262/320/ 321/377, MFA spoil and ballast open No. 391001, SPA steel plate carriers Nos. 460025/088/ 129/272/469, YSA ‘Salmon’ railflat No. DB 996411.