MFA/MTA open wagons (also MEA)

[norfolkchinaclay]

Can anyone confirm if these types of wagons are in current use, please, and what for? Are they used for ballast and if so, how are they unloaded on site (I'm assuming with some sort of tracked excavator or bucket machine)?

 

I have seen a number of MTA or MFA type alongside the ECML, particularly the black EWS-branded (presumably ex-Loadhaul) variety but not actually in moving trains.

 

Also, were the EWS liveried MEA wagons (as per Bachmann model) used for ballast or some other purpose?

 

Are there any small "virtual quarries" in yards or locations which might be suitable as the basis for a compact layout?

 

[40044]

MFA / MHA / MTA all still in regular use for carrying ballast and spoil.

 

Not too many MEAs in traffic these days but they are still used for carrying coal to cement works, they have also been used for carrying aggregate.

[norfolkchinaclay]

Thanks for the info.

[rob D2]

Meas also carried industrial spoil to Calvert earlier on in their career,

And what was the traffic from Falmouth ? Contaminated shot blast debris a couple of years back I think

[Glorious NSE]

Can anyone confirm if these types of wagons are in current use, please, and what for? Are they used for ballast and if so, how are they unloaded on site (I'm assuming with some sort of tracked excavator or bucket machine)?

 

As others have said, MFA and MTA are still in use, you really should add some MHA (Hornby) if you are modelling a rake, as there are more MHA than MFA and MTA! If you fancy more modelling then S-Kits will sell you a resin body to model the later built MHA's (more again!) 

 

Are they used for ballast and if so, how are they unloaded on site (I'm assuming with some sort of tracked excavator or bucket machine)?

 

 

Yep, usually roadrailer excavators these days.

 

 

I've plenty of photo's of these types if it helps - the following types are all used together, the fleet size numbers are rough off the top of my head, but if you are building a train then should give you an idea of how many of each type to buy:

MFA (Fleet of circa 135 wagons - Bachmann model)

http://ukrailwaypics.smugmug.com/UKRailRollingstock/M-Tops-codes/MFA-ballast-box-opens/

MHA early body (Fleet of 400 wagons - Hornby model)

http://ukrailwaypics.smugmug.com/UKRailRollingstock/M-Tops-codes/MHA-Coalfish-wagons/MHA-394001-394400-Early-build/

MHA converted from MAA (Fleet of 5 wagons - no model)

http://ukrailwaypics.smugmug.com/UKRailRollingstock/M-Tops-codes/MHA-Coalfish-wagons/MHA-394401-394408-Coalfish-ex

MHA late body (Fleet of 665 wagons - S-Kits body kit for Hornby chassis)

http://ukrailwaypics.smugmug.com/UKRailRollingstock/M-Tops-codes/MHA-Coalfish-wagons/MHA-394500-394999-and-396000

MTA (fleet i'm guessing circa 300, of 3 different ancestries - Bachmann make the EWS red ones RTR, some of the others can be converted from Bachmann POA/MKA/ZKA box wagons)

http://ukrailwaypics.smugmug.com/UKRailRollingstock/M-Tops-codes/MTA-ballast-box-wagons/

[newbryford]

 

 

 

MTA (fleet i'm guessing circa 300, of 3 different ancestries - Bachmann make the EWS red ones RTR, some of the others can be converted from Bachmann POA/MKA/ZKA box wagons)

http://ukrailwaypics.smugmug.com/UKRailRollingstock/M-Tops-codes/MTA-ballast-box-wagons/

 

Here's a MTA cut down from a Bachmann POA/MKA - there really were some yard brush paint jobs on these modified wagons, which I've tried to represent. I used triangular profile styrene for the top edges.

 

 

Just looked at the date stamp for the pic and it's over 6 years since I di this one! If I was doing some more, I would cut off the incorrect springs and replace them with S-Kits castings (as I did with my TTA project)

 

Cheers,

Mick

[pitbull1845]

In 2011 Salt for gritting roads was transported from Southampton docks to Teeside in the EWS MEA's..  These were loaded by a front loader. (if that's the correct term)

 

There are a couple of pictures on Flickr..

 

Cheers

 

Scott 

Edited October 11, 2014 by pitbull1845

[Fat Controller]

I believe that MEAs are still used on a flow of coal from Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen to Banwen Disposal Point (usually referred to as 'Onllwyn'); though the two locations are probably only ten or fifteen miles apart, the loaded trains work via the lower end of the Central Wales Line and the Swansea District line to Burrow's Sidings, Swansea Dock, then the loco runs round to take them up the Neath and Brecon. A guess would suggest this is probably close to 50 miles..

[bigdaveadams1]

MEAs are still in use. I took a rake over the Settle and Carlisle the other week. They were in use on a New Cumnock to Penyfford Cement works coal train that returns via Doncaster.

[bigdaveadams1]

On a different note, when did MEAs first appear in Mainline livery? Was it 1994?

[Mark Saunders]

On a different note, when did MEAs first appear in Mainline livery? Was it 1994?

 

The Mainline Blue ones were built in blue when rebodied from HEA's.

[HullCityB17]

As others have said, MFA and MTA are still in use, you really should add some MHA (Hornby) if you are modelling a rake, as there are more MHA than MFA and MTA! If you fancy more modelling then S-Kits will sell you a resin body to model the later built MHA's (more again!) 

 

 

 

Yep, usually roadrailer excavators these days.

 

 

I've plenty of photo's of these types if it helps - the following types are all used together, the fleet size numbers are rough off the top of my head, but if you are building a train then should give you an idea of how many of each type to buy:

 

MFA (Fleet of circa 135 wagons - Bachmann model)

http://ukrailwaypics.smugmug.com/UKRailRollingstock/M-Tops-codes/MFA-ballast-box-opens/

MHA early body (Fleet of 400 wagons - Hornby model)

http://ukrailwaypics.smugmug.com/UKRailRollingstock/M-Tops-codes/MHA-Coalfish-wagons/MHA-394001-394400-Early-build/

MHA converted from MAA (Fleet of 5 wagons - no model)

http://ukrailwaypics.smugmug.com/UKRailRollingstock/M-Tops-codes/MHA-Coalfish-wagons/MHA-394401-394408-Coalfish-ex

MHA late body (Fleet of 665 wagons - S-Kits body kit for Hornby chassis)

http://ukrailwaypics.smugmug.com/UKRailRollingstock/M-Tops-codes/MHA-Coalfish-wagons/MHA-394500-394999-and-396000

MTA (fleet i'm guessing circa 300, of 3 different ancestries - Bachmann make the EWS red ones RTR, some of the others can be converted from Bachmann POA/MKA/ZKA box wagons)

http://ukrailwaypics.smugmug.com/UKRailRollingstock/M-Tops-codes/MTA-ballast-box-wagons/

If you model in 7mm the MHA & MFA are available from Buzz Models as a resin body.

[Ncarter2]

Last MEA rake I was lucky enough to see was when Rugby Cement had coal delivered by Train to Rugby sidings and road transported the last few miles by lorry.

 

Down at Eastleigh, there normally a rake or two of wagons, mixed mainly of MTA and MHA although there has been the odd MFA. Being such short wheel base wagons, they don’t like poor track, one ended up on its side in Eastleigh yard this year alone.