History of Freightliner wagons

[MarkWi72]

I'm not that clued up on this topic, but I have been wondering about how many types of Freightliner wagons there are in service, and are th=some of these from the 70/8/90s still in use? Does this depend on braking capacity/methodology etc.?

 

[507020]

The largest collection of Freightliner wagons I’ve seen was at the Freightliner Guide Bridge depot, visible from the line from Guide Bridge to Stalybridge, either on TPE Manchester - Hull services or the Stockport - Stalybridge shuttle.

Many of them were disassembled, with separate piles of bogies and axles which all appeared to be of a standard type, but not brand new, having developed many wheel flats across their wagon fleet necessitating swappable axles. I believed earlier wagons from the 70s were based on the 4 wheeled HSFV1 wagon, which once obsolete formed the basis of the Pacer following the mounting of the also obsolete National bus onto redundant freight wagons, rather than having bogies, hence the ones at Guide Bridge are not of this type.

Newer wagons have smaller diameter wheels to allow taller shipping containers to be carried with smaller loading gauges. Sorry if this seems vague, I may be talking nonsense, but I saw that this had no replies and this is the sum total my reasoning regarding shipping containers. I hope it was useful.

 

[MarkWi72]

Ok, cheers! I always thought there's not a lot of difference (except the lower intermodel/TESCO/Stobart wagons) between them and I expected some would still be used if upgraded. I have no idea though !

 

[talltim]

Not sure there were any 4 wheeled freightline ISO container wagons.

 

[ac6000cw]

There is a lot of information on various UK intermodal wagons (from the 1960s onwards) here - https://www.ltsv.com/w_profiles_intermodal.php

The only 2-axle container flats listed are the FPA Container Flats, which were conversions of SAA steel carriers, primarily used to carry coal traffic in special 30 foot containers.

 

[3973EXL]

Not sure there were any 4 wheeled freightline ISO container wagons.

The MoD had some twin axle PFA wagons for 20' boxes.

 

[Ploughman]

What was used for the Gypsum traffic to Kirkby Thore?
Boxes of some description I think.

 

[pdeaves]

The largest collection of Freightliner wagons I’ve seen was at the Freightliner Guide Bridge depot, visible from the line from Guide Bridge to Stalybridge

Something like this: https://www.flickr.com/photos/pdeaves/35695934872/

 

[swt_passenger]

…Newer wagons have smaller diameter wheels to allow taller shipping containers to be carried with smaller loading gauges. Sorry if this seems vague, I may be talking nonsense, but I saw that this had no replies and this is the sum total my reasoning regarding shipping containers. I hope it was useful.

Some newer wagons, but not all, have small wheels. They aren’t so track friendly so they are limited in use. I’m sure the long term preference is proper gauge clearance, and towards normal sized wheels.

 

[507020]

Some newer wagons, but not all, have small wheels. They aren’t so track friendly so they are limited in use. I’m sure the long term preference is proper gauge clearance, and towards normal sized wheels.

What’s the purpose of the mixed consists where some wagons with small wheels are sandwiched between wagons with normal sized wheels? I’ve seen HGVs on the road with small wheels as well and I think they look completely stupid and should probably be banned.

 

[3973EXL]

What’s the purpose of the mixed consists where some wagons with small wheels are sandwiched between wagons with normal sized wheels? I’ve seen HGVs on the road with small wheels as well and I think they look completely stupid and should probably be banned.

If a route has not been cleared for 9'6" boxes on standard height wagons, it may be possible to move them on low height wagons.

Consists may have mixed wagons as you can still move 8'6" boxes on the standard height wagons.

 

[CW2]

What’s the purpose of the mixed consists where some wagons with small wheels are sandwiched between wagons with normal sized wheels? I’ve seen HGVs on the road with small wheels as well and I think they look completely stupid and should probably be banned.

By using smaller wheels, the loading platform is lower, and therefore higher (both physically and capacity) containers or swapbodies can be carried than would otherwise be the case.

 

[swt_passenger]

What’s the purpose of the mixed consists where some wagons with small wheels are sandwiched between wagons with normal sized wheels? I’ve seen HGVs on the road with small wheels as well and I think they look completely stupid and should probably be banned.

I guess it will vary route by route, or by port, depending on the height of the containers they generally see. The thing is on a W10 gauge route you can use both types of wagon with any container. So a train of both types of wagon isn’t a problem. If half your containers are always expected to be low height, then again both types of wagon can be used on the same train on a smaller W8 route.

But IIRC the proportion of the highest 9 ft 6” containers is gradually increasing year by year on deep sea routes, hence I’d expect the sight of mixed traffic to also reduce.

 

[3973EXL]

It is also the case that not all low platform height wagons have smaller wheels (well or pocket wagons).

What you do find is that the ratio of wagon length to payload length increases because there is no room below the sole bar for equipment which has to go on the wagon ends.

New shorter wagons have been introduced to cover for the greater proportion of 40' to 20' boxes which can waste 20' on the 60' platform wagons.

 

[507020]

All these variations of wagons exist with good reason, but I’ve definitely seen 8’6” containers on small wheeled wagons in between normal sized ones, short containers on long wagons and even empty wagons in the middle of a consist! Is there a reason why they don’t always use the most logical wagon for a particular container?

 

[pdeaves]

All these variations of wagons exist with good reason, but I’ve definitely seen 8’6” containers on small wheeled wagons in between normal sized ones, short containers on long wagons and even empty wagons in the middle of a consist! Is there a reason why they don’t always use the most logical wagon for a particular container?

What's available nearest to the loading crane position if it's not needed for other (taller/longer) containers.

 

[3973EXL]

All these variations of wagons exist with good reason, but I’ve definitely seen 8’6” containers on small wheeled wagons in between normal sized ones, short containers on long wagons and even empty wagons in the middle of a consist! Is there a reason why they don’t always use the most logical wagon for a particular container?

Terminals can basically load to suit working practice at the location, provided -

Gauge restrictions are complied with. High boxes on some routes have to be loaded to low floor wagons.

Loading Pattern is complied with. Dictates position of a box/boxes on a wagon by wagon type/weight of box/size of box (length).
EG. 3 x heavy 20' boxes may exceed GLW for a wagon, so, loading pattern may indicate only two are loaded, one at each end.
Weight combinations of a 20' & 40' boxes on a 60' platform wagon.

Should also add -

Any Dangerous Goods (DG) requirements.

 

[mpthomson]

What’s the purpose of the mixed consists where some wagons with small wheels are sandwiched between wagons with normal sized wheels? I’ve seen HGVs on the road with small wheels as well and I think they look completely stupid and should probably be banned.

Why should they be banned?

 

[MarkWi72]

There is a lot of information on various UK intermodal wagons (from the 1960s onwards) here - https://www.ltsv.com/w_profiles_intermodal.php

The only 2-axle container flats listed are the FPA Container Flats, which were conversions of SAA steel carriers, primarily used to carry coal traffic in special 30 foot containers.

Cheers! And thanks all for chipping in.