MRA wagons

[Bearwood West Yard]

11 hours ago, newbryford said:

 

The tipping gear has never been reliable and in most (all?) case now isolated,

Never knew that! Having seen them working, they seemed to work okay. I take it that it was a generator failure problem as opposed to the hydraulics? 

[rob D2]

2 hours ago, TomScrut said:

 

I don't need more yellow wagons having got JNA Falcons, MRAs and IOAs but I would probably be keen 

 

I although if a lot of MRAs are out of use maybe with my layout being based 2020-2021 that I should move my 10 on to replace with something else. I probably won't as they are awesome wagons!

 

 

I think the point is more that if somebody was tooling a modern 7mm wagon, why choose one that only runs in multiples of 5? Something like a JNA or IOA could be done so the cost (and space) for entry is for 1 upwards not 5 upwards. I do however know literally nothing about the 7mm market but it just sounds like common sense.

 

 

The article says "over 250", and 400 were made AFAIK. I wonder if that means all of them (are all of them actually still around? What happened to the Metronet ones?) or some are going to be left as is.

I'd agree .

no doubt the O gauge 66 will be popular - how many inglenook " warehouse sidings " will they generate ?Not particularly realistic - but 

is there a decent 7mm VDA, VAA , Or similar van to serve said warehouse ?

[Steadfast]

@Michael Hodgson @newbryford @TomScrut

Evening guys,

 

Yes there are still a large number of side tippers in use as side tippers (including the ex Metronet ones now in NR use, logos painted out). They tend to be used for bottom ballast on big relaying jobs. Those with generators isolated are used on bulk ballast flows, from quarry to virtual quarry, because there isn't enough Mussels for all the flows. These new Wascosa owned Mussels will presumably displace the side tippers for conversion. Mussels also have the benefit of being shorter so the same amount of stone can be carried on a shorter train length, vs side tippers.

 

By fitting a new body to the side tipper chassis, as well as making it lower if needed, you also gain the benefit of there only being one body on the wagon, not two smaller ones, so you gain capacity and capacity, as there's less steel work involved. The generator wagons also have the added weight of the generators and shorter bodies (to allow room for the generator) to consider, so removing all the tipping equipment will make all five wagons in the set have the same gross and tare weights.

 

The side tippers have horrible handbrakes, I must say. I doubt they'll get replaced.

 

Jo

[Steadfast]

Linked from Flickr:

 

 

Caption says they're RTC bound. The first set for conversion?

 

Jo

Edited November 19, 2021 by Steadfast

[69843]

On 17/11/2021 at 23:14, TomScrut said:

I although if a lot of MRAs are out of use maybe with my layout being based 2020-2021 that I should move my 10 on to replace with something else.

Well if you have a set of 859Bs you wouldn't mind parting with, I'm sure I could send them on a nice long sabbatical to Australia .

I really picked the wrong end of the decade to want MRAs and JJAs...