Revolution Announces More Nuclear Wagons
Revolution Trains have announced their next wagon project this week at the Model Rail Scotland exhibition. They are to add to their range of nuclear fuels traffic wagons with the new-build FNA-D nuclear flask carriers. This is to be their next wagon model in both N and 00 gauges.
CAD is underway on the 00 model with the N gauge version due to follow on soon afterwards. The featured image for this blog shows the main components taking shape nicely as this project goes on. However, a closer look will show that considerable work remains to be done. This includes adding the headstock details, flask cover locking bars and operating mechanism and making some minor corrections.
A fleet totalling 40 of these wagons were built by WH Davis at their Langley Mill facility in Nottinghamshire. The build took place between 2014 and 2016. These wagons were designed to replace the ageing 1970s-built fleet previously modelled by Graham Farish in N Gauge. It is understood that the last of these wagons were scrapped in 2020.
They are used across the pretty much the entirety of the UK railway network. Their work is to ferry spent fuel from nuclear power stations and facilities to Sellafield in Cumbria for reprocessing. The trains that they are part of are operated by DRS. These trains are almost always either top-and-tailed or double headed to insure against locomotive failure. A key control in their operation given the controversial and dangerous nature of their cargo.
