Engineering Elegance
37609 has been detached from the head of the train (6X23, the 0625 Sellafield – Barrow Marine Terminal) and run into the spur to allow the tail locomotive (37218) to propel the flask train into the Barrow Marine terminal.
This picture - taken on 6 October 2016 - offers a good opportunity to marvel at the beautiful engineering on display, particularly the graceful curves of the W H Davis built KXA-C wagon, both longitudinally and in its cross sections. One can see that the wagon has a narrow bed (broadened only in the centre to support the flask) allowing it to meet the network loading gauge despite its length. It has a tare weight of 53.5t and is capable of carrying a 126.5t payload, (I make that 180t gross without the use of a calculator!) and its eight axles maintain the 22.5t axle loading.
Mounted on the wagon is a Castor HAW 28M type flask weighing in around 102te (116t fully loaded) though its shock absorbers and frame would increase the payload almost to the the maximum 126.5te.
Engineering Elegance
37609 has been detached from the head of the train (6X23, the 0625 Sellafield – Barrow Marine Terminal) and run into the spur to allow the tail locomotive (37218) to propel the flask train into the Barrow Marine terminal.
This picture - taken on 6 October 2016 - offers a good opportunity to marvel at the beautiful engineering on display, particularly the graceful curves of the W H Davis built KXA-C wagon, both longitudinally and in its cross sections. One can see that the wagon has a narrow bed (broadened only in the centre to support the flask) allowing it to meet the network loading gauge despite its length. It has a tare weight of 53.5t and is capable of carrying a 126.5t payload, (I make that 180t gross without the use of a calculator!) and its eight axles maintain the 22.5t axle loading.
Mounted on the wagon is a Castor HAW 28M type flask weighing in around 102te (116t fully loaded) though its shock absorbers and frame would increase the payload almost to the the maximum 126.5te.