Nuclear flask barrier wagons

[jonty14]

Hi all. Just out of interest when was the use of barrier wagons stopped on nuclear trains and why?

Best regards.

Jonathan

 

[randyrippley]

It seemed to coincide with doubleheading using pairs of class 20 or 37, as if the trailing loco of the pair was the barrier

 

[Jonny]

I seem to recall a tendency to put barriers between at least FNA wagons... Does anyone know what the reasoning was?

 

[ER158715]

The flasks that run to Georgemas still have barriers. They are required due to bridge loading I believe as two locos either side of a flask is too heavy hence they are spread out slightly.

 

[USRailFan]

It seemed to coincide with doubleheading using pairs of class 20 or 37, as if the trailing loco of the pair was the barrier

Uhm, weren't they doubleheaded in BR days too, usually with Class 31s? AFAIK they still used the RNAs at least until 92-93, based on photos I've seen...

 

[73001]

I thought I'd read somewhere that at the time there was a requirement to have the radioactive material a certain distance from the train crew. Using barrier wagons meant that there was always that distance. There's plenty of pictures of single locos pulling the trains in the 80s, class 25 being fairly regular around the northwest.

...having just had a quick Google there's plenty of pictures of all combinations with and without barrier wagons and all sorts of barriers including coal hoppers.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

A southbound flask train was parked at Warrington BQ recently (having just held up my Pendolino at Golborne Jn).
It consisted of 6 flask wagons sandwiched between two class 88s, both with pantographs up.
That's a lot of power and capital investment for a very short train.

 

[USRailFan]

A southbound flask train was parked at Warrington BQ recently (having just held up my Pendolino at Golborne Jn).
It consisted of 6 flask wagons sandwiched between two class 88s, both with pantographs up.
That's a lot of power and capital investment for a very short train.

AFAIK they are mandated to have two locos on these trains in case of a failure. It's not the type of train you'd want stranded out in the middle of nowhere...