Page 95 - Rail Express - September 2019

Gareth Bayer WAGONS

GB Railfreight and Mendip Rail

order newfleet of stone wagons

Ermewa and TouaxRail will be financing 195 newwagons foraggregate boxesand hoppers, all to be built by

Greenbrier-AstraRail at its workshops in Poland and Romania.

THE appetite fornew wagons forthe
aggregates business showsnosign of
abating, with both GB Railfreight and
MendipRailplacinglarge orders for
delivery over the next year.
The‘blue team’ has revealed
plans to acquire100 JNA-T Ealnos
101.6-tonne boxeswith LN25 low-
track forcebogiesfollowingatrip by
adelegation from GBRf that visited
Greenbrier at its Astra Rail Drobeta-
TurnuSeverin siteinRomania. The
wagons will be leasedfromErmewa
andthe first 25 wagons will be
completed by the end of July, with
delivery to the UK expected during
August.
The order will take GBRf’s fleet of
the AstraRail-built JNA Ealnos type
up to 150 vehicles. Its first 50 were
delivered in twobatches in late 2017
andwerenumbered Nos.81 70 5500
454-0 to 81 70 5500 503-4. This new
group will be numbered directlyafter, Pictured inside Greenbrier-AstraRail’s Drobeta-Turnu Severin workshops on July2,JNA-TEalnos boxwagon No. 81 70 5500 505-9
although theywillbeimmediately will probablybeinthe UK by the time this issue of Rail Express is published. While the first batch of 50 wagons delivered in 2017
obvious in atrain due to their wore no lessor branding, it is clear who is financing this batch of GBRf wagons! GB Railfreight
prominent Ermewa branding.
The existing JNAs were in thenews the former ThorneyMillsite (6V42 slated to arrive in thefirstquarterof The JNAs will be joined by 40 IIA
in mid-Julyhaving formed thefirst train from Wellingborough and6M12 return), 2020. Notably,this is the first order for Fabfnoos 101.6-tonne hoppers (with
of materials along with VTG’s ownblue each removing therequirement for60 newwagonsfor TouaxRailinthe UK, lowtrack-force bogies) next spring.
JNAs to thenew Ashville Aggregates lorry trips. the lessor having entered the market Also leased from TouaxRail, thesewill
West Drayton Distribution Centre, in this country via the purchase of be constructed at Greenbrier’s Wagony
which hasopened in anticipation of key MENDIP TRAFFIC GE Rail Services’fleetin2015. It will Swidnicafactory in Poland.
localinfrastructure projects such as MendipRailwillalso be acquiring similar take thenumber of JNA/MMA Ealnos The 95 newwagonswill
Heathrow expansion and HS2. JNA Ealnos-style wagons from Astra boxesinthe UK up to 654 examples, all supplement theexisting 636 vehicles
Three trains perweekwillrun to Rail’s workshopsinRomania, with 55 delivered since January 2016. in the Mendip Rail fleet. E

DEVELOPMENTS

■ FREIGHTLINER: Thelast outstanding BR blue Nos. 20189 and 20205 Llanwern-Eastleigh that hadNos. ownbrightblue Class 66sfor themove,
MWANo. 81705891530 hasarrived were in charge of a7Z20 test runfrom VTG4022/55/60/8/72/93,VTG No.66051 Maritime Intermodal –Four.
in the UK and wasrecorded at Leeds LoramDerby on June24formed of 4101/4/18/21/35intow. This worked a7Z20 to Toton North Yard
Midland Road in mid-July. ’ploughsNos. ADB965217 andADB Meanwhile at WH Davis, Langwith comprisedof18ofthe 20 rebuilds, Nos.
965240. On July8 they were then Junction, VTG’sbright blue JNAbox VTG4073/5/98,4100/2/3/7/9/20/2/
■ GB RAILFREIGHT: Forthe thirdyear deployedtotheir newhome, Nos. wagons have departed thesite and into 3/5/7/8/31/2/4/7. This leaves
running, GBRf has provided arakeof 37059 and37218providing power service. DB Cargoprovided oneofits Nos.VTG 4115/6still at WH Davis.
wagons forthe Severn ValleyRailway’s forthe 7Z06/10.54 LoramDerby-York
‘Goods Gala’ event in June– in this case Holgate Workstrip.
three NACCO-leased IIA-F sand wagons
from the Sibelcocontract. They were ■ VTGRAILUK: Having completed the
delivered on June 1bySVR-themed conversionof39JSA telescopic hood
Class 66/7No. 66763, the train steel carrierconversions into open
returningtoDoncaster RobertsRoad on steel coil wagons in 2018, Arlington
the 7th. FleetServices at EastleighWorks has
restarted the production line following
■ NETWORK RAIL: Therehavebeen the arrivalofafurther 24 examples,
moreoverhauled ZZA independent all from long-term storeinSouth
snowplough moves, such as on June 11 Wales.OnJune1,No. 66171worked a
whenDRS’Nos. 57003 and 57002 6O12/14.57 from Llanwern with Nos.
departedDerbysandwiched between VTG4024/31/8/48/70/91/2,VTG
ploughs Nos.ADB 965211 andADB 4111/3/24/30plus threeothers as
965237 as the 7Z37/09.34 Loram aload, andthese were well on their
Derby-Willesden Brent. Thequartetwas way to completion at theworksby The sceneinside WH Davis at Langwith Junction on June 26 as an unidentified HHA coal
on itsway againtwo days later on the the end of the same month. Then hopper is reduced in length by twohopperbaysready fora newlifecarrying aggregates.
13th under a7Z37/09.06 headcode to on July 20, Nos. 66079 and66093 The work is beingundertaken on behalf of owner VTGRailUKand the 100 planned
its final destination of TonbridgeYard. were in charge of a6O12/14.53 conversions will keep thevenerable British wagonbuilder busyinto 2020. WH Davis
September 2019 RAIL EXPRESS 95