UK: DB Cargo UK is converting surplus BYA bogie covered steel wagons into open hot coil wagons, with the design nicknamed ‘stegosaurus’ because of the profile.
The operator’s maintenance depot in Stoke is undertakeing the series conversion of 29 BYA wagons following trials with Tata Steel, which has seen an increase in demand for open hot coil wagons.
DB’s cross-business Wagon Innovation Group initially came up with the concept of removing the covers from the BYA wagons and adapting the coil beds inside. However, a prototype completed in early 2020 received ‘mixed’ reviews. DB’s Sales and Production teams discussed the design with Tata, and fed back additional requirements to the Group Technical Services team.
A second prototype was developed, with the wagon ends fully removed to give better access for cranes during loading. Robust dividers were added into the well of the wagon, giving secure pockets for various sizes of coil. Obsolete items were removed to maintain the tare weight and keep the payloads at previous levels.
GTS also designed a set of dividers which could be swapped in to allow the transport of steel slab on the same wagons, with a view to increasing utilisation and reducing the reliance on wagons up to 30 years older.
‘The team at Stoke is very proud of the Mk2 prototype and has nicknamed it the stegosaurus due to the side-on profile’, said Depot Manager Mike Richards. ‘We worked closely with our colleagues in the GTS Team along with Procurement for the new modular items to enable significant improvements over the Mk1 offering.’
