BLUE CIRCLE PCA 'VEE' CEMENT TANKS
Above : PCA APCM 10958 in the consist of the same train as the Metalair cement tanks returning back to Hope for re-loading - by the looks of the colour of the tank I would say that it had been recently overhauled. Livery is Light Grey tank with black underframe - note it has a handbrake lever instead of a brakewheel. Also the red parts and yellow axle box covers on the Gloucester Floating Axle suspension. PC009H; Standard Wagon, Heywood 1981; Tare 13.5t; GLW 51t
During the last few months of 2002, LaFarge Cement who now own Blue Circle Cement decided to bring out of store a large quantity of the Vee tanks which had been in store around the country so that the traffic flows from Hope and Dunbar could be expanded and strengthened to allow new flows to be introduced. The initial pattern was to see the tanks retrieved from within the Hope works and sent to Wabtec at Doncaster where they were given light maintainance to enable a return to traffic. Originally 46 tanks were stored at Hope and other wagons were known to be stored at Aberthaw, Westbury and Eastgate works. By Novemeber at least 54 Vee tanks could be found with 24 inside Hope works and 30 at Earles Sdgs. My visit to Earles Sdgs on the 22nd March enabled me to look at the Vee tanks that were present.
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Top L : BCC 10800; Top R : BCC 10834; Bottom L : BCC 10788; Bottom R BCC 10832
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Above : Two different data panels as applied to wagons BCC 10834 and 10788 both of the stencilled type. A further variation not shown here is a white background with Black lettering and versions of the panel where the letters and numerals have not been stencilled are also common.
See my short listing on the various types of 2-axle air/dual braked cement/powder wagons here PCA Tanks
