Continuous welded rail train

[exmouthcraig]

Although the modern rail network and stock is a massive interest of mine what anything is or the owners and stock is, is something that eludes my extremely limited knowledge.

I recently saw a rake of strange looking wagons top n tailed by a couple of 66s, I've eventually found out this was a Continuously Welded Rail train. Now from what I've managed to workout this is made up of

Chute wagon
9x flat bogie wagon Perch (one clamping wagon)
Stabling wagon
And a gantry unit

This looks like a fantastic rake and a decent sized one at that. So not knowing anything about what makes these trains I'm after a bit of N gauge based knowledge. I've discovered the main wagons are coded YEA but don't think any are available, let alone any of the cabins that are on each end or the travelling gantry.

Has anyone ever built one? Any detailed information available on them, I've discovered the ltsv.com website which just makes me want to try and create something like even more.

[chrism]

I'd have thought the biggest problem would be get it to go around corners. With the fullsize railway's curves and rail profile it'll flex perfectly OK but I doubt the same would apply to lengths of code 80/55/40 on n-gauge stock.
I wonder if you could find a suitable profile plastic rails along the lines of the Plastruct offerings? That might stand a better chance of flexing sufficiently easily and not pulling the stock off the track.

[exmouthcraig]

I'd never even considered running it loaded Chris 

[RailGooner]

This has been on my to-do list forever Craig. I decided early on that the train would have to loaded for best effect. So my first quest was finding suitable rail for the load. I did find an ad in a US mag for some silicon rail specically sold as a CWR load. I've never been able to find that ad again and there stalled my interest.

[dannyboy]

just makes me want to try and create something like even more.

Knowing your modelling skills, it shouldn't take too long. 

[Coyote]

Plastic welded rails
http://www.nscalekits.co.uk/welded_rail.html

[njee20]

This one's been on my radar for a long time. Perhaps once I've done your diesel tanks I should have a go, Craig!

That N Scale Kits link is interesting, 50' lengths, so you'd ideally want to join a load together. I'd wondered about styrene, but I've seen people say it's insufficiently flexible on reverse curves. I believe it's usually ~600' lengths, or ~120cm in N. I could try printing it. In a flexible resin it may be 'soft' enough.

These days it seems to use JZA wagons, which I've not found a huge amount about, although there are a few photo sites with images.

[exmouthcraig]

Got to be worth a play hasn't it Nick??? @njee20 there's a bleak winter coming 

There's so many infrastructure trains that no manufacturer is interested in attempting but are so visible on the network there can't only be the three of us after such stock 

[RailGooner]

Plastic welded rails
http://www.nscalekits.co.uk/welded_rail.html

The Google-Foo is strong with this one! Thanks @Coyote

The funniest thing though...
[spoiler]Went to add the page to my favs and it's already added!!! Time for a review/thinning of my favs![/spoiler]

[woodbury22uk]

It seems that David Lunn's track renewal train is still available on Shapeways. I thought he had previously issued the long welded rail train.

https://www.shapeways.com/shops/bmthtrains?li=pb

[exmouthcraig]

I already want too much off David's shop Mike @woodbury22uk 

[RailGooner]

Got to be worth a play hasn't it Nick??? @njee20 there's a bleak winter coming 

There's so many infrastructure trains that no manufacturer is interested in attempting but are so visible on the network there can't only be the three of us after such stock 

I reckon this would be @Snowwolflair 's cup of tea too.

[ntpntpntp]

Yeah it's something on my mate Nigel's "todo list" as he enjoys drawing up and making infrastructure / departmental stock etc.  We've watched youtube videos of them in action in Europe.

The question of getting such a loaded train around unprototypical model curves is probably the main reason we've not progressed: we'd need to come up with a very light and flexible "rail" as has been mentioned in previous posts.  I'm wondering if anyone offers a silicone extrusion in such a small size I or T section, maybe for a seal/gasket kind of thing....

[exmouthcraig]

I can't see why the 'imitation load' is being used as the reasons we've not got anything,

YES they'll look brilliant loaded and I'd guess most people would want to run them loaded but dont they make as many journeys empty as they do loaded 

If we wait until we've sourced the load before commiting time to try to develop a rake the second person wanting one will complain they can't run all 11 wagons on their layout so only want 5 and don't want to buy 600 scale feet lengths of rail when their train will only be 300foot long!

The happy compromise in this rake I think is the lack of a load

[steadfast]

There's two types of welded rail train in operation in the UK.

The long welders (LWRT) are the older ones, black wagons with yellow cabs. These can recover as well as drop rail and can be self propelled on site. One of the vehicles has engines under the deck and Gloucester GPS style yellow bogies. One or two of the LWRTs did run as shorter sets until a couple of years ago, 8 wagons I want to say from memory.

Edit, yes definitely 8 wagons as this Flickr link shows
https://flic.kr/p/nVb9zS

The Rail Delivery Trains (RDT) are the cream coloured sets. These are of modular construction, with most elements mounted on what are 60 ft container flats, coded JZA. The end chute wagons are modified from the (Porpoise?) chute wagons also seen on the LWRTs,  and the Manipulator wagon is a Rautaruukki built KFA, as per the Revolution model.

If you want a more simple route and want to model part of a set (both LWRT and RDT), certain parts are referred to as the primaries. These are the directionally sensitive bits, and may need turning without the rest of the wagons after maintenance. They are moved via the network of trips operated for Network Rail to get infrastructure wagons between LDCs (yards run for Network Rail operations). These trips are a brilliant way of modelling a right mish mash of engineers wagons and are an excuse to run all sorts in one train.

Here's a link to one of my photos, showing a set of RDT primaries waiting to go back to Eastleigh. There are two routes between here and Westbury, so stuff can be turned.
https://flic.kr/p/2nvfpST

Jo