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TRL POA & PNA wagons - what, when, where?


Alex TM
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Hi everyone,

 

As per the topic line, can anyone tell me what use was made of the TRL leased POA/PNA wagons?

 

More specifically I am interested in the POAs as painted a pale grey/off white colour, and the PNAs painted in ARC 'mustard'.  Just in case there are multiple types of wagons, it's the same type as modelled in 00 by Bachmann.

 

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

Regards,

 

Alex.

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some notes on POA wagons

 

  TRL 5170 - TRL 5181  worked from BSC Shotton to BSC Ravenscraig / BSC Port Talbot with baled scrap

  TRL 5181 was in yellow livery and i think TRL 5175 was in light blue and originally fitted with some sort of roof / tarpaulin The other batch was TRL 5254 - TRL 5266 again working out of Shotton,

  The ARC POA of which i think there were 29 of , worked with granite chippings from Penmaenmawr to Ashburys https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/uploads/monthly_12_2011/post-6680-0-29905300-1322843557.jpg

  Others worked from Merehead quarry to various destinations with stone

  Calcified seaweed from Drinnick Mill

  Machen quarry to various - stone ,noted in this traffic were trl 5155,56,69,74,75,83.trl 5388,91,94,96.trl 5457,58,61,65,66,71,75,81,85,87,88,89.

  Leicester to ASW Cardiff with frag scrap noted were trl 5143,82,84,90. Trl 5345,51,79,89. Trl 5406,12,13,48,50,55,63,70,73,79,82,84

  Maryport to Padiham power station - coal , this used a mixture of grey and ARC POA  https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwja3-nNyrHfAhUDfxoKHRTrD_4Qjhx6BAgBEAM&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fmick_page%2F7425874518&psig=AOvVaw2sflMV_OsU2jI0b5odJgD5&ust=1545504374478679

 

 

 i will see what else i can come up with

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They also worked some of the early spoil trains from Shakespeare Cliff.

 

As Brian mentioned the were used for 'dirty ballast' and sleepers from the renewals for the Channel Tunnel.  A lot of CWR from the main line was re-used in Dollands Moor, so these wagons took away loose sleepers.  The loading was a bit iffy and trains had to be load examined before leaving site (after a concrete sleeper fell off and dropped over Foord Viaduct....

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Further to the information provided above by Brian and Ernie, the grey POA's were used to convey spoil from major track renewals in Kent associated with the Channel Tunnel construction and a photo of one such working is appended below (apologies for the poor quality).

 

post-31664-0-32585700-1545498147_thumb.jpg

On 11th January 1992 and running almost two hours early, 47975 'Institution of Civil Engineers' approaches Gillingham (Kent) with the 1105 (6Z80) Folkestone West to Hoo Junction conveying POA's loaded with spoil.

 

 

 

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They also worked some of the early spoil trains from Shakespeare Cliff.

 

As Brian mentioned the were used for 'dirty ballast' and sleepers from the renewals for the Channel Tunnel.  A lot of CWR from the main line was re-used in Dollands Moor, so these wagons took away loose sleepers.  The loading was a bit iffy and trains had to be load examined before leaving site (after a concrete sleeper fell off and dropped over Foord Viaduct....

 

Ernie. 

Do you remember the collection that were  'red-carded' at the site of the former goods depot by Folkestone East? Most had broken springs after rough loading. There was one, I recollect, with an underframe from a Ferry tank of some sort. The end platform was still in situ, giving an odd, asymmetric, appearance., 

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Around 1990/91 the pale grey POAs were used on a flow of limestone from Whitwell quarry in NE Derbyshire to Witton, Birmingham. Often hauled by a large logo or Railfreight Construction liveried Class 56.

 

Regards

 

Phil

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They were bought in the early 90s by BR as it accelerated the switch of its engineering fleets from Vac to Air brakes. They had been replaced in commercial flows by higher capacity bogies boxes.

 

Once in BR ownership, some had the holes cut in the side as ZKA Limpet to prevent overloading by spoil. Some unmodified ones, as shown above, were recorded as MKA by the shadow FOCs and used for revenue freight again including coal.

 

In the end under EWS, I think most had sides cut down to work along side the MFA and MHA conversions on ballast & spoil traffic with NR

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I have a flickr album of ZKA pictures https://www.flickr.com/photos/55938574@N03/albums/72157636011528054 with numerous pictures, mostly 2003.

 

I'd been asked to report on weld failures noted at maintenance, at the bottom of the side stanchions

 

post-2484-0-21042500-1545557827_thumb.jpg

 

post-2484-0-42125200-1545557496_thumb.jpg

 

post-2484-0-47777000-1545558369_thumb.jpg

 

When running as MKA's see https://www.flickr.com/photos/55938574@N03/albums/72157641131566313

 

This is a good weld on MKA DC 390241.  The ones on what looked like ex UK Tank Wagon underframes had various body configurations.  I suspect that the requirement was quite vague.  In these the side stanchions were supported by gussets below each stanchion. The one with the UIC double link, had them missing each other.  You need to check the pictures.

 

post-2484-0-08574700-1545558842.jpg

 

 

 

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They were bought in the early 90s by BR as it accelerated the switch of its engineering fleets from Vac to Air brakes. They had been replaced in commercial flows by higher capacity bogies boxes.

 

Once in BR ownership, some had the holes cut in the side as ZKA Limpet to prevent overloading by spoil. Some unmodified ones, as shown above, were recorded as MKA by the shadow FOCs and used for revenue freight again including coal.

 

In the end under EWS, I think most had sides cut down to work along side the MFA and MHA conversions on ballast & spoil traffic with NR

 

These were purchased by BR when APG the parent company of Tiger Rai went into receivership initial ones were converted at Currock and were for Intercity, York also converted some and then did the first 13 Doorands but others were simply recoded MKA as they were wanted for revenue traffic.

 

Mark Saunders

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Their use in revenue-earning traffic didn't finish when they had the 'letter boxes' cut in the side. I encountered a couple at Margam, formed in a short train with a couple of MEAs and some other wagons, loaded with fine coal. Every time the suspension hit the bump stops, yet more of the load would trickle out...

It was apparently a trial flow to Scotland- I wonder how much got there?

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Didn't Cleveland potash use some for a period in the mid 90s on rock salt traffic from boulby

 

These replaced the MTV's and came from the wagons that had been used after the Maryport to Padiham traffic finished and some staff  at Boulby got free coal as they needed cleaning out for salt. These were replaced by the Tiger Procor built bogie boxes.

 

Mark Saunders

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Ernie. 

Do you remember the collection that were  'red-carded' at the site of the former goods depot by Folkestone East? Most had broken springs after rough loading. There was one, I recollect, with an underframe from a Ferry tank of some sort. The end platform was still in situ, giving an odd, asymmetric, appearance., 

 

Brian,

Do you mean this one?

 

post-1373-0-94013500-1545566500_thumb.jpg

 

There were several wagons that day in Folkestone East.

Cheers.

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These were purchased by BR when APG the parent company of Tiger Rai went into receivership initial ones were converted at Currock and were for Intercity, York also converted some and then did the first 13 Doorands but others were simply recoded MKA as they were wanted for revenue traffic.

 

Mark Saunders

BR also bought the PGA hoppers and created the Gunnell conversions plus the rebodying of countless OBA/ OCA /VAA etc into ZCA Sea Urchins at the same period in time.

 

A very fluid time, not just wagons but locos etc as sectorisation then shadow privatisation kept moving fleets. As you say, Intercity & Network Southeast invested heavily in air brake engineers stock (and that small pool of engineers 56s). Regional Railways, certainly in Scotland was a lot slower, running an eclectic mix of wagons, class 26s, 37s & 47s.

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Brian,

Do you mean this one?

 

attachicon.gifL-263 FE 11-10-92 POA TRL 5186.jpg

 

There were several wagons that day in Folkestone East.

Cheers.

 

There was an earlier build that were used by Allied Steel & Wire for scrap and Mendip Quarries for stone; these had the side stanchions reversed revealing the U section but they were only short lived!

 

Mark Saunders

 

https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/poapo15a/e21234dc1

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Hi everyone,

 

Thanks for all your input on this.  I was not aware of the variety of variations on these, and on their varied uses.  This latter variety gives me some other options for their use, especially as I have now found a reference to them being used in some traffic to the former Methil Power Station (coal slurry?).

 

MTVs have also been mentioned - does anyone have a dimensioned or scale drawing of one of these?

 

Thanks again.

 

Regards,

 

Alex.

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