Saturday, 24 October 2015

HSA Scrap Wagons

Fastline Simuation: Thyis maroon liveried HES hopper has been converted to an HSA scrap wagon by welding a steel plate across the hopper bottoms. The only visible sign of the conversion is the E that has been changed to an S in the TOPS code.

Fastline Simulation: A conversion of a Railfrieght flame red and grey liveried HEA coal hopper into an HSA scrap wagon. THe patch-painted increase to the tare weight tells us that the conversion was acheived by filling the hopper bottoms with ballast to create a level surface. The body is already starting to show signs of scrapes and batters from unloading with grabs and magnets.
The conversion of surplus HEA hoppers into HSA scrap wagons from about 1987 must have been one of the simplest conversions of a wagon.

The main aim of the conversion was to produce a flat bottomed wagon and to take the hoppers out of use as loading and unloading at scrap processors would be via mechanical grabs and magnets. This flat bottom was achieved in two ways, either a steel plate was welded across the bottoms of the hoppers at approximately under-frame height or a similar level of ballast was dropped into the wagon. The latter wagons can be identified by and increased tare weight that was patch painted on to the data panel.

This Train Simulator expansion is based on our previously released HEA hoppers which have been back through the works for updated materials and textures along with the fitting of some more recent developments which include:
  • Intelligent tail lamps
  • Variable infill method with tare weight patch
  • Five different logo styles randomly applied with overrides
  • Variable load planes randomly applied
  • Body switching dependent on vehicle number with reference to end ladders on earlier vehicles
  • Randomised textures of Railfreight red/grey versions

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