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Revolution to produce PFA/KFA container flat in N


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Revolution Trains - the company bringing crowd-funded models to market primarily aimed at N gauge enthusiasts - is producing the Tiphook PFA/KFA container flat in N.

 

The model was announced today at the York Model Railway show and follows their well-received TEA tanker wagons.

 

The model will be in two versions - either with GPS bogies as per the first 40, or with Sambre & Meuse Y25 bogies as per the remaining 200 - and in six livery variants.

 

CAD work is already underway and the model will feature a moulded plastic deck with Diecast underframe for weight and track-holding, with separately fitted detailing parts and pipe runs. NEM close couplers will also be fitted.

 

post-420-0-20403400-1458997240_thumb.jpeg

 

The wagons have been used on intermodal, gypsum, paper, MOD, RHTT and domestic waste traffics among others.

 

Liveries will include the original PFA versions with blue bogies, later repaints with yellow or black bogies and Tiphook, Network Rail and Freightliner numbers and markings.

 

Original Tiphook with GPS bogies:

 

post-420-0-18590000-1458997701_thumb.jpg

 

Tiphook with yellow GPS bogies and placard:

 

post-420-0-85748600-1458997841_thumb.jpg

 

Original PFA Tiphook blue with blue Y25 bogies:

 

post-420-0-92318400-1458997904_thumb.jpg

 

These are just three of the liveries - the others can be seen on our website.

 

The models will be £25 each, though there is a special EarlyBird rate of £22 until the end of June.

 

Cheers

 

Ben A.

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A fantastic choice of wagon, seen across the country on a wide variety of flows and operators. Not all the trains are massively long either and a good long lived prototype, so brilliant for the modeller!

 

Jo

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Mike / Ben,

 

As some have already said, an excellent choice in prototype. Appealing to modellers accross four decades, I'm sure these will again sell well. I dont think I'll be having as many of these as I did the TEAs but I will certainly put my name down for a few of each type. The NR ones will go especially well on "New Dalby" and will finally give me something to shunt!

 

Right, now to email the estate agents to tell them that I no longer have the deposit to buy that house!

 

Good show chaps!

 

Cheers, Andy.

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Excellent news! Had to check your website to see they were built in the late 80s - so fit in my modelling period :)

 

Will they come "naked" or with some containers? Would be a great opportunity to get some "bin liner" containers tooled, as someone said above, or even better, some high quality early containers (with earlier pattern ribbing etc).

 

Either way, will they have any provision for mounting holes/pips for containers? I seem to remember that Farish and Dapol containers have their mounting pips in different locations, which is annoying!

 

J

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Hi Justin

 

They will come without containers (we got a quote but thought they added too much to the cost and the real things have so many types of container on).

 

They are being designed for the Dapol containers which IIRC have the pips in the right place.

 

Cheers Mike

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D'oh!  If only you guys were doing a FFA/FGA 5car set - now that'd be a good'un.

 

I'm no wagon expert so I need some help here with the timeline.  I've had to strictly limit my modelling to the period 1988-1992.  AFAIK these were new in 1988 and coded PFA in Tiphook Blue, but what services were they used on back then?  Can I get away with a couple in an liner train for back then?

 

 

Cheers,

Paul

 

D'oh!  If only you guys were doing a FFA/FGA 5car set - now that'd be a good'un.

 

I'm no wagon expert so I need some help here with the timeline.  I've had to strictly limit my modelling to the period 1988-1992.  AFAIK these were new in 1988 and coded PFA in Tiphook Blue, but what services were they used on back then?  Can I get away with a couple in an liner train for back then?

 

 

Cheers,

Paul

'Freightliner-Life and Times' has a photo of one at Leeds in 1989.

Paul Bartlett's site has this one at Rugby:-  http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/tiphookfreightliner/h308405dc#h2fa7cbd1

and this one at Gloucester:- http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/tiphookfreightliner/h308405dc#h26865194

Some were used as bogie bolsters for a while:- http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/tiphookfreightliner/h28986c93#h28986c93

Others ran from Corpach to various destinations with reeled paper:- http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/tiphookfreightliner/h308405dc#h308405dc

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D'oh! If only you guys were doing a FFA/FGA 5car set - now that'd be a good'un.

 

I'm no wagon expert so I need some help here with the timeline. I've had to strictly limit my modelling to the period 1988-1992. AFAIK these were new in 1988 and coded PFA in Tiphook Blue, but what services were they used on back then? Can I get away with a couple in an liner train for back then?

 

 

Cheers,

Paul

'Freightliner-Life and Times' has a photo of one at Leeds in 1989.

Paul Bartlett's site has this one at Rugby:- http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/tiphookfreightliner/h308405dc#h2fa7cbd1

and this one at Gloucester:- http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/tiphookfreightliner/h308405dc#h26865194

Some were used as bogie bolsters for a while:- http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/tiphookfreightliner/h28986c93#h28986c93

Others ran from Corpach to various destinations with reeled paper:- http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/tiphookfreightliner/h308405dc#h308405dc

An excellent choice Mike and Ben. Sod's law dictates that after I brought some 3D printed PFA's from Vonzack (of this parish) that a rtr version would be announced!!

Nevertheless I intend to purchase a few. The 3D printed ones are destined for MOD traffic with some C-rail containers.

So I have been doing a bit of trawling through books to see when these were used in freightliner trains, to supplement my existing container flats.

My modelling era is similar to Big p but an extra couple of years either side 86-94.

My findings so far are that from 1989 BR hired some Tiphook PFA's for freightliner services and as Fat Controller points out a picture is in the Freightliner life and times book on page 96.

The change to KFA was in 1991 according to David Ratcliffe's Private Owner Wagons in colour from Ian Allan, page 33.

David Ratcliffe also notes in Freight Train Formations also Ian Allan on page 77,78 the consist of 4O67, Barton Dock to Southampton Maritime service (October 1992) with 4 Tiphook KFA's in the train.

Also from what I have seen the use of these on MOD trains was from around 1992, any conformation on this would be welcome.

I have yet to find any pictures of the GPS bogied version on Freightliner trains during this period.

 

Cheers,

 

Keith.

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Hello Keith,

 

Yes, I have some of Vonzack's too - and they're nice - but Mike and I felt that this was a wagon that really deserved to be available RTR...

 

In terms of useage I have prepared a map showing some of the flows since 2010 but I am not claiming for a second that this is exhaustive.

 

post-420-0-23926500-1459097688_thumb.jpg

 

Before 2000 it is harder to find definitive information; but I know they went to Fort William on paper traffic, and the both types appear to have been used soon after introduction on spoil from Chatham docks to Stewartby as well as with Freightliner.

 

The FFA is already available from Farish and can be improved (and an FGA produced) with the TPM detailing kit and ATM bogies.  Bachmann are also doing these from scratch in 4mm so I suspect an improved N gauge version make be on its way, though admittedly not for a few years yet.

 

We would be interested in doing containers as a stand-alone item depending on costs; due to the small production numbers we produce adding a container to this model would have had a disproportionate impact on the price. And it's difficult to choose; gypsum containers are in two or three different types, and many of the binliner containers seem to be specific to particular flows, though I haven't studied them closely.

 

cheers

 

Ben A.

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Bingo, I thought my luck was in, but on checking I am in need of the earlier variant, batch 92500-92588. These look like they may be a reasonable starting point however ?

Could do with a black one sitting on black Y25s though.

Is there a massive amount of difference between the earlier variants and these, initially the brake wheels and number panels are located differently from what I can see.

 

Regards

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Hi Scott,

 

There were some KFAs (70-odd, I think) built by Standard Wagon.  These have round=oval buffers and some other detail differences.  We chose the Tiphook variant as they are very similar but there were far more.

 

cheers

 

Ben A.

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Evening Ben,

Here's a few post 2010 flows not covered on your map at present but that may open up doors to other modellers.

First up, the MoD trips to Didcot travel to Bescot the via the WCML to Warrington and Mossend as 6X65 Didcot - Mossend (along with cars, containers, steel, oil in TTAs (now ceased) gravel in HEAs) and returns as 6O15 Mossend - Eastleigh. North of Warrington this is a good bet for electric haulage.

Moving west from Didcot to Cardiff, there's the MoD flow from Didcot to Wentloog, originally running as it's own as 6B24 before ceasing and being carried on the 6B14 wagonload to ADJ. This wagonload is poorly documented because it runs overnight, but conveys steel, cargowaggons, containers (including attractive Kingsmill branded ones) as well as the MoD traffic.

Here's the train in it's earlier days, running as 6B14 Didcot - Wentloog. This working could also produce a class 60, but I never managed to catch that.

Very modellable, 66, VGA, 3 x KFA, VGA.

post-6899-0-58785700-1459113272_thumb.jpg

post-6899-0-65809200-1459113273_thumb.jpg

4L32 from Bristol to Tilbury and 4L31 to Felixstowe are mainly formed of FEAs and pockets/low decks but feature KFAs to make up the rake, as can 4O51/4O70 Wentloog - Southampton. The first vehicle behind the loco on the picture of 66565 at Severn Tunnel is a TIPH93xxx KFA.

post-6899-0-70226600-1459113274_thumb.jpg

post-6899-0-68854200-1459113275_thumb.jpg

 

One final go anywhere option - a KFA fitted with a fan unit for engineering sites in tunnels to ventilate exhaust fumes. If you have an infrastructure train on your layout, you can run this! JZA NLU93465, complete with funky green bogies! I'll definitely be modelling this for my layout.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/williamhunt/14431684896

 

Jo

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Hi Jo,

 

That's fantastic, and exactly the sort of information that I was after!  Updated map now being added to our website and below!

 

post-420-0-84474500-1459196110_thumb.jpg

 

I assumed the Bristol-Tilbury working routes via the lower WCML and North London line - if that's different I can alter the map again.

 

The container with the green bogies is interesting.  Clearly one of the Tiphook ones as it's in the number range, but has at some point been fitted with square-oval buffers; which on occasion has been my sole "spotting point" for deciding whether a flat was Tiphook or Standard wagon...

 

cheers

 

Ben A.

Edited by Ben A
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Hi Ben,

Both the Bristols route east along the GWML from didcot to Acton then climb the bank and head onto the north London line.

I see you've got a Freightliner green line between Didcot and London so that covers things nicely.

A file should sort the buffers out on that Network Rail KFA, I'm not sure if the other KFAs that run in the welded rail sets have square ovals, but given 93465 is ex LWRT I would think so

 

Jo

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Hi Ben,

Both the Bristols route east along the GWML from didcot to Acton then climb the bank and head onto the north London line.

I see you've got a Freightliner green line between Didcot and London so that covers things nicely.

 

Jo

 

Hi Jo,

 

Yes, the map is somewhat representative and certainly not to scale!

 

I wasn't sure which way the Bristol-Tilbury ones travelled so I searched out the headcode on flickr and there were plenty of shots at Reading so I kind of assumed they looped round to the N London line.

 

EDIT - D'oh!  Just realised I had missed out Bristol.  Now added.  

 

cheers

 

Ben

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There's some good conversion/kitbash fodder opportunities with this batch if folk wanted to get creative, LWRT, the GWML electrification set, with a bit more work self discharge train conveyor wagon, or the RIV conversions on the Balfour Beatty drain train...

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The two i'm looking to recreate are Corpach-Mossend Paper (7D19?) & Ft William-Coatbridge Aluminium (7D54?) flows

 

samples here

 

https://whitemaskmk2.smugmug.com/Trains/West-Highland-Line/i-5k3kJr2/A

https://whitemaskmk2.smugmug.com/Trains/West-Highland-Line/i-hj3sT84/A

 

 

Plenty more at WhiteMaskmk2 on Smugmug, although I got a broken link on Bob Lumleys WHL smug mug pics

Edited by westie7
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