Jump to content
 

IFA Car Carriers


Recommended Posts

It was only a throwaway comment from someone more knowledgeable than I about car carriers  a while back that led us to the idea that they were conversions. All I knew was something continental.

It's a shame the Portbury train hasn't run since last year, otherwise I'd be out for some close up pics!

 

Jo

  • Thanks 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

The STVA wagons were conversions, which first appeared in the late 1990s. The vans virtually disappeared with the opening of the Channel Tunnel, apart from a small pool used as match wagons with Eurostar movements and Pendeliino deliveries. The flats hung around for a while longer, their last workings being loads of Engineer's Bar to Wolverhampton and Wakefield.

These are the vans:-

https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/frenchferryvan

The low-sided opens that Mark refers to used the same chassis; neither had the trussing. I suspect that had been added post-conversion to introduce more rigidity to the structure, to avoid twist, which might give ride problems.

Edited by Fat Controller
  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

The first wagon is as built, and is in use as a spacer wagon on trains of sections from Shelton Bar. The wagon to the right will be a Cargowaggon bogie flat- some of the section that Shelton exported was too long for even the longest of these, which was about 75' long, and so runner/spacer wagons were required to accommodate the overhang.

The second wagon has been modified to act as a coupler adaptor between a train fitted with Scharfenberg couplings, and a loco equipped with UIC ones. Looking at the photo, a gloss black protuberance , between the buffers, holds the coupling head, whilst the air-pipes have been specially extended. I haven't seen any of these wagons for a while; most recent deliveries have used modified VTG Ferrywaggons.

One thing the second photo does show is that the trussing wa p resent before the wagons were converted to vehicle carriers.

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...