HEA Hopper Conversions: Loadhaul MEA

The last of the pre-privatisation shadow freight companies to place an order for MEA conversions was Loadhaul. These wagons were delivered after the acquisition of Loadhaul (along with Transrail and Mainline Freight) by a subsidiary Wisconsin Central, better known as EWS.

The livery of these wagons differs from others given the Loadhaul treatment in that they were delivered in all over black without the orange ends usually applied to Loadhaul rolling stock. The wagons are also notable for having a white band around the top rather than the more usual yellow carried by other MEA conversions to that date. Possibly these changes were dictated by the change in owning company at the time of delivery.

Our latest screenshot from Train Simulator 2014 shows an ex-works MEA wagon in tidy black and white Loadhaul livery posing for the official camera before entering service.

HEA Hopper Conversions: Mainline MEA

With the Easter break out of the way it's time to carry on with the first glimpses of the HEA Hopper conversions for Train Simulator 2014. Tonight sees a first look at the Mainline liveried MEA mineral wagon.

Following the formation of the regional freight companies in preparation for privatisation they continued to develop their wagon fleets as they sought out new traffic and modernised existing flows. As a part of this, Mainline placed an order for 60 MEA conversions in 1994, again from RFS industries in Doncaster. Although essentially the same as the Railfreight Coal conversions these wagons omitted the inspection ladder fitted to one end of the earlier conversions.

HEA Hopper Conversions: Railfreight Coal MEA

The spring sunshine has arrived just in time for the first of the MEA box wagons to pose for the official photographer on the works lawn.

Finished in Railfreight Sector executive dark grey and yellow livery the wagon sports the black diamond branding of it's owning sector - Trainload Coal.