Longest Wagon in the UK?

[popeter45]

reading the specs for one of the proposed HS2 rolling socks the Velaro Novo its car length is really long at 28.75m and that got me thinking what is the longest carriage/wagon in common use in the UK and where can they go?

 

[pdeaves]

WIAs are pretty long, albeit articulated in five sections. https://ukrailwaypics.smugmug.com/UKRailRollingstock/W-Tops-codes/WIA/

 

[hexagon789]

reading the specs for one of the proposed HS2 rolling socks the Velaro Novo its car length is really long at 28.75m and that got me thinking what is the longest carriage/wagon in common use in the UK and where can they go?

Probably the 80x IET trains with their nominal 26m long cars, Mk3s are only nominally 23m by comparison

 

[hwl]

reading the specs for one of the proposed HS2 rolling stocks the Velaro Novo its car length is really long at 28.75m and that got me thinking what is the longest carriage/wagon in common use in the UK and where can they go?

A requirement of HS2 is 25.0m intermediate vehicles. The Siemens bid is based on Velaro Turkey (25.0m) not Velaro Novo...

The longest wagon by your criteria is the MOD's KUA flask wagon at 24.7m

Longest carriage IET at just smidge under 26m

 

[themiller]

There's a 12-axle nuclear flask wagon that travels between Sellafield and Thurso where the rail bogies are removed and road bogies attached for the last few miles to Dounreay. It was made by Head Wrightson. I've seen it a few times but can't find it by a web search.

 

[hexagon789]

There's a 12-axle nuclear flask wagon that travels between Sellafield and Thurso where the rail bogies are removed and road bogies attached for the last few miles to Dounreay. It was made by Head Wrightson. I've seen it a few times but can't find it by a web search.

Do you know roughly when it was built? A quick Google turned up a 12-axle wagon but built in the 1950s, so I took it not to be the right one

 

[DarloRich]

There's a 12-axle nuclear flask wagon that travels between Sellafield and Thurso where the rail bogies are removed and road bogies attached for the last few miles to Dounreay. It was made by Head Wrightson. I've seen it a few times but can't find it by a web search.

Are you sure? That sounds very intresting

 

[themiller]

That sounds about right. Last time I saw it the colour scheme was very light blue and white. It has a cast plate in the centre of the wagon with the builders name. The flask is carried upright rather than on its side.

 

[themiller]

MODA 95780 may be the one. https://cutandshut.weebly.com/uploads/1/5/6/3/15633402/3402278_orig.jpg shows a scratch built model. https://www.flickr.com/photos/75784...h-WzjTFk-22EqwnF-XU8uQz-9tAuhg-apdiBE-2hszgfo shows the real one underway and gives a bit of information.

 

[themiller]

If you include industrial internal wagons, you'd have to go a long way to get a bigger wagon than the molten-slag torpedo wagons which, if the brain cells are still working, weighed in at something like 250 - 350 tons. Many years ago I saw a couple underway on Teesside on the British Steel internal system.

 

[furnessvale]

If you include industrial internal wagons, you'd have to go a long way to get a bigger wagon than the molten-slag torpedo wagons which, if the brain cells are still working, weighed in at something like 250 - 350 tons. Many years ago I saw a couple underway on Teesside on the British Steel internal system.

There was a time that such wagons made regular trips on BR metals so, unless we are restricted to present day operations, they can also be counted.

ps. Its wasn't molten slag they carried but liquid metal (not sure if iron or steel).

 

[wallan]

Torpedo Wagons used to run between Teeside & Consett Iron Works , hauled by 2 Class 37,s

 

[themiller]

There was a time that such wagons made regular trips on BR metals so, unless we are restricted to present day operations, they can also be counted.

ps. Its wasn't molten slag they carried but liquid metal (not sure if iron or steel).

When I saw them they were on their way towards where the slag was tipped leaving the steelworks behind them. I suppose they could have been carrying some ‘out of spec’ steel.

 

[alexl92]

How long are the Drax biomass wagons? I thought they were about as big as could be used on UK loading gauge but they may not be that long - can't imagine them being 25m?

 

[edwin_m]

How long is the KUA flask wagon? The only quote I can find in a quick search is "over 80ft"

 

[James James]

How long is the Eurotunnel "Le Shuttle" "Club Car"? Looks like a conventional continental carriage, which would suggest a length of 26.4m - but it's nigh on impossible to find much data on it, nevermind photos (because at least there's a chance the length is marked on the side).

Very limited range - the tunnel, and loading areas, I suppose.

 

[themiller]

How long is the Eurotunnel "Le Shuttle" "Club Car"? Looks like a conventional continental carriage, which would suggest a length of 26.4m - but it's nigh on impossible to find much data on it, nevermind photos (because at least there's a chance the length is marked on the side).

Very limited range - the tunnel, and loading areas, I suppose.

25720 overall length. 25300 over body length. 19000 bogie centres. 2845 width. Reference: Channel Tunnel Trains. Peter Semmens and Yves Machefert-Tassin. ISBN 1 872009 33 6. Eurotunnel 1994.

 

[Shimbleshanks]

Probably long gone now but in the early 1970s I remember seeing a pic of a boiler-carrying wagon in a mag, in the days when the railways still carried abnormal loads. From memory it was designated 'Boiler VB'

 

[Dunfanaghy Rd]

WIAs are pretty long, albeit articulated in five sections. https://ukrailwaypics.smugmug.com/UKRailRollingstock/W-Tops-codes/WIA/

A WIA (WIA-A, WIE789) measures 66.365 m (218 ft). The five articulated sections form one vehicle - one painted number. I suspect that the various IEP-thingies, while a lot longer, are composed of several separate vehicles.
Some years ago there were the Cartic-4 sets belonging to MAT and Silcock & Collings. They were numbered as 4 separate vehicle, but some were then renumbered for International service whereupon they carried one number for the set (WIA-B, WIE823). Long gone now, thank goodness.
Pat

 

[hwl]

How long is the KUA flask wagon? The only quote I can find in a quick search is "over 80ft"

See post #4....

 

[edwin_m]

See post #4....

Apologies, missed that one. I guess it looks long because of the eight-axle arrangement, but that's probably more about bearing the weight within the permitted axle loads.

 

[wallan]

Probably long gone now but in the early 1970s I remember seeing a pic of a boiler-carrying wagon in a mag, in the days when the railways still carried abnormal loads. From memory it was designated 'Boiler VB'

You may find the wagon is at Locomotion in Shildon

 

[James James]

25720 overall length. 25300 over body length. 19000 bogie centres. 2845 width. Reference: Channel Tunnel Trains. Peter Semmens and Yves Machefert-Tassin. ISBN 1 872009 33 6. Eurotunnel 1994.

Thanks, that takes that one out of the race.

If articulated units (e.g. jacobs bogies) were to count: the class 777 is 64.98m, which is beaten by the WIA already mentioned in this thread. But the class 755/4 at 80.7m trumps them both.

 

[popeter45]

Thanks, that takes that one out of the race.

If articulated units (e.g. jacobs bogies) were to count: the class 777 is 64.98m, which is beaten by the WIA already mentioned in this thread. But the class 755/4 at 80.7m trumps them both.

i was thinking more non-articulated units cause was thinking more of platform clearance but if going with articulated 373 half sets coach rakes must take the biscuit at 174.5m

 

[Shimbleshanks]

You may find the wagon is at Locomotion in Shildon

Yes, indeed - this is the beast. Actually a Boiler EB, not VB.

BR Boiler EB Diag 2/033/34/35 YVV YVP | DB902805 Boiler EB YVV Diag 2033 @ Norwich 83-09-22 © Paul Bartlett [1w]

Paul Bartlett's Photographs

paulbartlett.zenfolio.com

 

[furnessvale]

Yes, indeed - this is the beast. Actually a Boiler EB, not VB.

BR Boiler EB Diag 2/033/34/35 YVV YVP | DB902805 Boiler EB YVV Diag 2033 @ Norwich 83-09-22 © Paul Bartlett [1w]

Paul Bartlett's Photographs

paulbartlett.zenfolio.com

So in reality, as long as whatever boiler it is carrying!