Revolution Trains is offering the IHA ‘Sfhimmns’ canvas covered steel coil carriers as its next wagon model in 00 and N.
CAD is complete and the models in both scales are in tooling, however the 00 model is slightly more advanced than the N gauge version.
The stubby design, with its characteristic platform at one end above the buffers to allow staff to cross safely from one side of a train to the other, is a familiar sight on steel trains and often intermixed with other designs such as the Thrall-built BRA/BYA ‘Nissen hut’ design.
Photos: Clockwise from left – 66007 on Margam-Wembley enterprise, 2009. Courtesy Robert Catterson; GBRf 66755 with Grain-Margam service; 47212 in RfD livery at Kingswinford Junc. in 1995. Courtesy Dave Gomersall.
There are around 250 of the type in use for transporting high-grade steel on a variety of flows. These include domestic steel from South Wales to destinations in the midlands, north and south-east of England and via the Channel tunnel to customers in France, Belgium and Holland.
These wagons are also used to feed imported steel from ports on the east coast and Thames estuary to steel terminals inland.
Left: 08507 shunts IHAs over the swing bridge at Boston Docks. Courtesy 6089 Gardener. Right: IHAs at Wolverhampton Steel Terminal. Courtesy Stephen Burdett.
Protoype history
The first batch of 48 wagons were built by Fauvet Girel in 1991, registered in France and given the UIC code Sfhimms; the ‘f’ in the code signifying their suitability in the smaller British loading gauge. Further batches were built in 1993 and 1998.
There are very minor variations between batches and these are accounted for in the Revolution tooling.
Now owned by wagon leasing company Ermewa, the wagons have red bogies, underframes and ends and grey canvas covers. Some have yellow discs painted in the covers signifying they are reserved for domestic traffic only.
Recently, as the canvas covers came due for renewal, wagon owners Ermewa began adding its branding more prominently.
These graphics are for illustrative purposes only and not approved painting diagrams.
A further batch of similarly-coded wagons was built in 2008-9 by Astra Rail (now Greenbrier) in Romania and finished in GE (now Touax) blue livery, however these are to a different design and are not the subject of this model.
Model features
The wagons feature our usual levels of detailing with lots of separate parts and photo-etched platforms at one end and NEM coupler pockets in kinematic mounts.
The models are also designed for easy conversion to EM or P4 standards, with axles set at 26mm. The brake blocks on the model will be supplied correct for its 00 wheels, but additional mounting holes have been incorporated into the frames to make widening them straightforward.
Formations and destinations…
During our research we have identified numerous flows these wagons are used on however it is quite possible there are others we have not come across.
The majority of the flows on the diagram are now operated by DB, however the Margam-Dee Marsh and Grain-Llanwern contracts are now in the hands of GBRf, on occasion using hired in locomotives. The Trostre-Tilbury trains and those carrying imported steel from Boston use Colas traction, often Class 56.
One reason for offering these wagons, as our popular sample consists diagram shows, is that they tie in very nicely with other models already available – such as the BYA from Bachmann, IGA from Heljan, IWA from Dapol and JSA from Accurascale, enabling enthusiasts to depict more authentic steel traffic.
We would like to thank Ermewa and DB/Axiom for permission to use their logos and IP and their generous help with information and facilitating close up inspections of the real thing.
We are hoping to have first samples of these models for evaluation very soon, with delivery expected by summer next year.