Nukes. Nuclear trains in the U.K. An overview of prototypes and models

kevsmith Mar 18, 2022

  1. kevsmith

    kevsmith TrainBoard Member

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    We've never handled Nuclear weapons by Rail although there is still conventional Ammo moved by rail on a regular basis. We do move Nuclear Submarine fuel from decommissioned boats which conveniently brings me on to...

    Big Beasts 2! The M.O.D fleet. Again in the public domain so I'm not breaking any secrets

    The two KUA wagons are unique, weird by any standard and I have worked on these for two decades. Usually tearing my hair out in the process as they are so overdesigned and complex


    Again they are four bogie designs running on span bolsters with Y25 bogies. the design means they can traverse curves as tight as a dinner plate which is handy in some of the places they get to


    Seen above is one end span bolster and bogie sub-assembly rolled out when we had one in Main works in Scotland.

    Yes, That is me supervising the lift


    One of the longest moves I was ever involved in was bringing one of these back to Sellafield from Devonport Dockyard. As we were not running as a priority move (Just as an empty wagon) we kept being 'Put-in' to allow scheduled passenger trains to pass. 254 miles took 14 hours and we only got as far as Crewe before we all went over our 12 hours and had to tie it down in the compound


    A couple of years ago our communications department contacted me to see if I could help Revolution trains in their design of an RTR model of them."Sure" I said

    what a job they made of them


    these are the N scale models sold as a twin pack. You can buy the whole fleet in one box!

    Seen with a Dapol N scale Class 68. I'm holding off on the 68 locos until near the end



    Coming up next Steam shunting locos and Nuclear wagons

    Kev
     
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  2. kevsmith

    kevsmith TrainBoard Member

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    One more oddity first

    I took our Brooklyn down to the Ribble Steam Railway in Preston for a mini open weekend towards the end of the first lockdown. As the railway has to rely on a lot of elderly volunteers they have been super-cautious during Covid and I was talking to an old friend of mine form the Furness Trust about progress on the overhaul of Furness No 20. The oldest working steam engine in the world at this moment in time

    [​IMG]

    We also looked at Wooton Hall, Their Great Western 4-6-0 now making real progress since its move fromAppleby

    [​IMG]

    But as we were Walking and a Talking I said " That is not what I think it is, is it?"

    Uber rare. The CEGB Dummy Flask carrier hidden away inside Heysham Power station for decades. I'd been after it for years


    life is odd sometimes

    Kev
     
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  3. kevsmith

    kevsmith TrainBoard Member

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    Steam.

    Back before Steamtown, Carnforth shut to the public I used to visit regularly and there was always a good selection of exhibits,

    I never took that much notice of this though


    It was only later on when I started to work in the Nuclear rail industry that it dawned on me what it was

    BNFL No 1 was the last steam loco that operated on Sellafield site


    Pecket 0-4-0ST was built in 1942 as works No. 2027


    a few years ago one of the guys on Site railways turned up with this picture


    I knew most of these guys but many of them retired years ago. Note there is not a single piece of Hi Vis orange workgear anywhere in sight in those days!



    The loco disappeared from public view but has recently resurfaced, plinthed at a railway station in Manchester so it is on the hit list for one of this summer's excursions

    Another mainline steam loco pulling an early flask wagon at Dalton Junction. This time an 8F 2-8-0. Unlike these days, where all the nuclear traffic is run in dedicated trains, the Nuclear flask wagons ran in mixed, stopping goods trains. These stopped everywhere dropping wagons off and picking ones up. Nowadays that would be a security nightmare!

     
  4. Hytec

    Hytec TrainBoard Member

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    Kev, you've shown us much of your excellent modeling work. But these are outstanding. :eek:
     
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  5. kevsmith

    kevsmith TrainBoard Member

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    Over ten years ago DRS decided to take a punt on a new loco being developed by Vossloh. It would be a scaled down version of their Eurolight Bo-Bo designed to fit the British loading gauge and would be classified as Class 68 on TOPS. Powered by a CATC175-16 pumping out 3,750 HP and a max speed of 100 MPH.

    These were bought specifically for the Nuclear traffic to eliminate the dependance on the increasingly old, unreliable 20s and 37s. Later on more were acquired to lease out to various TOCs (Train operating companies) to support passenger services and we ended up with a fleet of 34 in total

    As an example of their versatility here are three trains on the Cumbrian Coast yesterday

    First up a new traffic flow from Winfrithh to Drigg with ten PFAs loaded with cabriolet half height containers. see during a crew change at Sellafield


    later on two Class 68s top and tailed the Heysham flask move


    Shortly afterwards another member was on the front of the empty stone working from Sellafield to Barrow docksThis is normally a Class 66 turn


    RThe model class 68s are made by Dapol and are superb


    68 001 was only available from the DRS store and was packaged in a special box with a certificate of authenticity. My model of 68 005 is slightly weathered and has the prominent brake discs on the wheels. Both still need sound chips and speakers

    more soon
     
  6. kevsmith

    kevsmith TrainBoard Member

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  7. kevsmith

    kevsmith TrainBoard Member

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    Not available yet in model form is the Class 88. We took the plunge and ordered ten of these Diesel-25 KV AC hybrids off the drawing board from Vossloh-Stadler. In diesel mode thay have a CAT C27 giving 950HP last mile and yard duties and in Electric mode roughly 5,360 HP. Tipping the scales at 85 tonnes


    88 006 leads 68 001 on the Saturday morning Sellafield-Crewe CLS Flask working in Diesel mode and multied with the 68. At Carnforth, where the Furness line joins the West Coast main line, the 88 raises the pantograph and wors fully electric with the 68 just idling


    As you can see the same basic bodyshell as the 68 is used. One of the memebers of the Furness model railway club has taken a razor saw to a dapol 68 to convert it. Brave man!

    As an idea of how these locos are delivered


    Kev
     
  8. BNSF FAN

    BNSF FAN TrainBoard Supporter

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    That shot of the Class 68 being unloaded is super cool. (y)(y)(y)
     
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  9. kevsmith

    kevsmith TrainBoard Member

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    There is a lot of ancillary traffic and one off items in the wagon fleet

    One of the essential traffics were the suppply of Nitric acid and Caustic Soda for the re-processing plant


    These tanks used to work down to Sandbach from Sellafield

    Another one-off. A former main line Weltrol in internal use. There are similar wagons available in 00 that would just need the frame adding and a repaint

    [​IMG]

    One of my current projects. The first overhaul of a 160 Tonne internal wagon. Seen in Main works at Derby just after delivery. Need to scratchbuild one of these at some stage but the Gloucester Mk II Bogies with their rubber chevron springs will be a challenge One for 3D printing I think

    [​IMG]

    Now while I am very knowledgable about Nuclear wagons I have No Idea what this was! Well, I know what the wagon is but the box???

    [​IMG]

    We still have three of these KFAs laid up awaiting disposal. They could take three 20 ft ISO Containers and I'm trying to get them donated to a local preserved rail line rather than scrap them

    [​IMG]

    Coming up next, Escort Coaches
     
  10. kevsmith

    kevsmith TrainBoard Member

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    Some of the moves are a lot more sensitive than others. Our nickname for them is the 'Secret Squirrel' trains!

    These need an armed escort and so some British rail Mk II coaches were modified to suit. I won't go into any detail

    [​IMG]
    The most prized catch for some British railfans is to catch these out on the mainline

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    A few years ago I was down at Bitton meeting up with some mates to play with a former East European 0-6-0T

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    and when we had a break I asked. What's that in the yard?

    "Oh, some sort of Nuclear escort coach we had donated"

    The strangest things in the strangest places

    [​IMG]


    More soon
     
  11. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    This definitely has a story. Look at the odd sheet metal and those applied spotlights on end and sides.
     
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  12. HemiAdda2d

    HemiAdda2d Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Reprocessing the spent nuclear fuel must make some seriously hazardous waste, using nitric acid and sodium hydroxide.
     
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  13. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Turning hazardous waste into more hazardous waste. Wonderful. :rolleyes:
     
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  14. kevsmith

    kevsmith TrainBoard Member

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    I'm going k to Bitton this year to do some measuring and detail pictures of it

    MODA 99153 was formerly a Mk I BSK (Brake Corridor Second) and apparantly was never used on a train. I think somewhere I have an old Hornby BSK so a project for the future maybe

    When we were running the Cumbrian Coast passenger trains to support Northern Rail we had the similar looking DBSO (Driving Brake Standard Opens) which are Mk IIf stock

    [​IMG]

    Driving seat is on the left and the propelling loco is controlled by a 27 way cable that runs the length of the train.Like the escort coaches the outer, driving end has the gangway connection removed and plated over. One of the local Model railway club members makes very fine conversions of these from the old Airfix/Palitoy Mk IIs I'll see if I can borrow one and photograph it

    More Soon
     
  15. kevsmith

    kevsmith TrainBoard Member

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    So Martyn King came around with one of his DBSO conversions

    [​IMG]

    He hasn't finished the escort ccoach yet. But he brought a whole bag of goodies including a loco I had completely forgot about

    Our short lived one-off Class 90. 90 034 was a 5000hp 25Kv AC electric

    [​IMG]

    I only ever took one picture of it in DRS service

    [​IMG]

    Which then reminded me of our other failed experiment in A.C traction back in the days before the 88s

    87 028 was a member of the Class 87 fleet that pounded up and down the West Coast main line

    [​IMG]

    We didn't have this one long either!

    So I fancy doing it in a couple of scales. The Z scale one is well underway. 3D printed and using a much modified Rokuhan shorty chassis

    [​IMG]

    So me and Brooklyn were trolling ebay earlier when I spotted an unfinished 00 project. A hybrid Lima/Hornby class 87 for £35

    Sold!!!

    Next the class 47s and some diesel hydraulic shunters

    Kev
     
  16. kevsmith

    kevsmith TrainBoard Member

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    Brooklyn and I were looking at my youtube channel tonight and found this

    DRS class 37s thrashing on the Cumbrian Coast with DBSOs. I got really nostalgic watching this again. plus a rare pairing of a Class 66 and a 37 on flask train

     
  17. Hytec

    Hytec TrainBoard Member

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    I love the Bark of a 37. Most diesels growl, roar, or hum. But the 37 lets each cylinder bark individually to show how proudly it's contributing. :cool:
     
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  18. kevsmith

    kevsmith TrainBoard Member

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    Diesel shunters , or switchers as you lot would have it.

    As Sellafield expanded the steam loco was going to be totally inadequate and also not the ideal thing to take into the hoistwells for the buildings. They are lowering flasks down one way as the smoke from the loco comes up the other way!



    In this early publicity shot The Hunslet 0-6-0DH, newly delivered, poses for its photo. It has had various re-numberings but started out as HE 9000 of 1983 and now runs with a Cummins N14 power plant. It is sat outside the shed today having the radiator and side rods steam cleaned

    [​IMG]

    The other six wheeler is a loco I have known for decades. Long before it came to Sellafield it worked a coking plant not far from my house. A product of the Thomas Hill works in Kilnhurst, South Yorkshire it is one of the 'Vanguard, Valiant' class

    [​IMG]

    Due to be replaced by a Clayton battery loco I've already earmarked this one to take to a preserved railway in Cumbria on retirement

    The smallest loco in the fleet used to be Loco 5, a baby Hunslet 0-4-0 powered by a Rolls Royce 6CFL. too light and underpowered to do the heavy work it was also really, really smoky and got banned out of the hoistwells like the steamers eventually!
    [​IMG]

    seen at Barrow Hill roundhouse before delivery to Sellafield. It is now preserved at the Chappels and Wakes Colne railway in Essex

    the rest of the fleet were Hunslet 48 tonne 0-4-0DHs

    [​IMG]

    In this publicity shot Loco 1 (the others were Loco 3 and Loco 4) is seen during the construction heyday of the site back in the early 1980s

    morer soon

    Kev
     
  19. kevsmith

    kevsmith TrainBoard Member

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    Escort coaches

    To support moves that required specialist support services, You'll note |'m being discrete here, DRS bought and converted two MK !! Coaches to convert to escort vehicles

    The Mk IIa BSOs were extensively modified and are amongst the rarest vehicles you will ever see out on the Network

    [​IMG]

    The donor vehicle for a 1/76th model is the venrable Hornby Mk II BSK. Very much a model of its age and day. Introduced in 1979 it wasn't a bad model really but had its flaws

    [​IMG]

    Moulded on Paint dividing lines, deep set windows and sparse underframe detailing

    Work in progress

    The coach in bare plastic has had the paint stripped off. Interior is untouched . I've been busy on the other one but still have a lot to do. The generator has been fitted to the former luggage compartment complete with its cage. The bodyshell has had its handrails and paint lines removed.n The gangway connections have been removed and the armoured plates and glass fitted to replace them
    [​IMG]



    Still much to do but, One way mirror glass fitted to the pass compartment, All the original glass replaced with flush glaxing. The chassis footboards, brake disrtibutor etc made and fitted
    [​IMG]

    More soon

    Kev
     
  20. kevsmith

    kevsmith TrainBoard Member

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    A simple project, 'Not !'

    So I mentioned the KFA container wagons earlier

    Back when I was still on the 'Spanners' these were the wagons you didn't want allocating at the start of your shift with a tendency for the suspension to seize up through lack of use. They went out of use about 13 years ago but have lingered in the yard ever since.

    So I thought that the old Triang 00 container wagon would make a simple conversion to represent one of these. Usually purchased in the 'Freightliner' set

    [​IMG]

    It was basic to say the least

    Picked one up at the recent Carnforth Model railway show complete with the containers for £8

    [​IMG]

    Told you it was a bit basic

    Shite wheels, no buffers, no details and some very curious lumps sticking up from the deck. Too long, but Iknew that anyway

    Havn't got many of the original Standard Wagon Company drawings but this one was useful

    [​IMG]

    More soon

    Kev
     

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