FNA-D nuclear flask wagons promised for 'OO'

Accurascale has revealed it is to manufacture models of the FNA-D wagons, as used by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority for the transport of nuclear fuel rods from sites nationwide. The latest addition to its 'Powering Britain' range of freight stock which focuses on energising a nation, the FNA also compliments the growing Accurascale nuclear wagon range, with the monster KUA wagons and the recent arrivals of the low-level nuclear waste PFA wagons, featuring an array of interesting containers.

Tooling is complete with the first samples under evaluation, and models are expected to arrive in Q3, 2023. Twin packs are priced at £74.95 with 10% off when you buy two packs or more direct via Accurascale. Pre-ordering is now open via local stockists and Accurascale direct, with an anticipated delivery date of Q3 2023.

Accurascale commented, "With these growing ranges in mind, the FNA-D has been on the Accurascale ‘hit list’ for a long time as the young company looks to continue to serve the enthusiasts and modellers of the current era railway operations with prototypically short trains, perfect for those modellers with space restrictions. A model of these wagons is essential for the Accurascale range."

Working closely with WH Davis, manufacturer of the real FNA-Ds, Accurascale was give extensive access to drawings as well as the opportunity to survey the real wagons in the quest to create the most accurate model of the distinctive prototypes.

The FNA-D is expected to feature the following specification:

• Minimum Radius 438mm (2nd Radius)
• Weight 133g
• Ten individually numbered wagons packaged in two-car sets
• Bogies include separate brake shoes in line with wheels and brake adjuster plus rotating axleboxes
• RP25-110 profile OO gauge wheels with space to fit EM (18.2mm) or P4 (18.83mm) wheels
• Sprung buffers and dummy screw couplings included
• Fine separate plastic, metal wire and etched metal detail parts, including air pipes, brake handwheel, hood opening equipment, brake equipment, grabs, warning label holders
• Kinetic NEM coupler mounts at correct height with mini tension-lock couplers
• Working tail light on one vehicle in each pack, powered by a single CR1216 battery and controlled by magnet switch

Tooling is complete with the first samples now in hand for evaluation. Each twin pack is priced at £74.95 with 10% off when buying two packs or more direct via Accurascale.

40 of these vehicles were built in three batches for the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) by WH Davis in the UK between 2014 and 2019, numbered 11 70 9229 001-040. They are used for carrying spent fuel from nuclear power stations and sites undergoing decommissioning to the facility at Sellafield for reprocessing or storage. The FNA-D continues Accurascale's range of nuclear vehicles that includes the KUA bogie flask carrier and the PFA two-axle container flat. The wagons, which also carry the UIC code ‘Uas’ are a like-for-like replacement for the fleet of BR and Procor-built FNA nuclear flask wagons that were built between 1976 and 1988, now all scrapped.

The major updates are bodysides with exposed framing and the distinctive Barber BER22.5 ‘Easy Ride’ low track force bogies. Internally the vessel support structures are designed to carry a wider range of flask designs. Accurascale has obsessively replicated these characteristic features in the smaller scale with a composite die-cast and plastic design that includes full underframe detail and brake equipment.

Despite the number of working nuclear power stations shrinking dramatically since the turn of the millennium, the FNA-D wagons can still be seen over much of the UK, usually between one and five wagons behind a pair of Direct Rail Services (DRS) locomotives. These operational sites are Hartlepool, Heysham 1 & 2, Torness and Sizewell B. However, three closed locations are undergoing the de-fuelling process and shipping irradiated fuel rods to Sellafield: Dungeness B, Hinkley Point B and Hunterston B. Meanwhile, Valley loading point, for the former Wylfa facility on Anglesey, completed this process in 2019, but still sees irregular visits by flask trains, as does Georgemas Junction, which serves the experimental reactors at Dounreay.

Pre-ordering is now open via local stockists and the Accurascale website.

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