Hopper Trains Formation Guide - 1964-1997

FORMATIONS GUIDE
Hopper Trains (Era 5 to 9)

During the 1950s and 1960s the large amount of aggregates, coal and mineral trains saw an increase in the use of dedicated hopper wagons over the more traditional open wagons that had previously been more commonly used. This was owing to the fact that hopper wagons could be unloaded much more quickly by utilising discharge chutes equipped on these vehicles.

As part of Dr Beechings "The Reshaping of British Railways" the idea of "Merry-go-round" (MGR) coal trains was introduced. This involved locomotives being fitted with a system that allowed for very slow speed running through loading and discharging facilities at collieries and power stations respectively. 

As with coal, aggregates, cement, china clay, coke, fly ash, grain, minerals, ballast and sugar more could be loaded and discharged using hopper wagons by adopting similar procedures, albeit often with more manual intervention.

The following formations guide represents operations from the 1960s to the late 1990s comprising a variety of hopper wagons, includes links to products where available and to "dreamlist" items where an item has never been produced.

An additional 30 hopper train formations are available in the June issue (HM144) of Hornby Magazine. Buy yours HERE.

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Shorthand Info & Key: 
Liveries: BR = br black, gr = BR grey, bau = BR bauxite, bl = BR blue, LL = BR large logo blue, main = Mainline blue, br = brown

* - Not in current catalogue but may be available as a pre-owned item
# - Requires some modification
^ - Similar item

Key
	This means an item is available, or has been available in the past, that is suitable to represent a particular item in a formation. Click the link to go through to the product page.
	This means the item is not available ready-to-run. If you click the icon and then add the 'Dreamlist' item to your wishlist then we will notify you via email if anyone subsequently announces a model of the item. Find out more about Dreamlist HERE.

Wigan North bulk salt - 1964 WD 2-8-0 in BR black with late crest hauling a train of Covhop wagons in BR grey and bauxite liveries. Spotted at Wigan.       WD 2-8-0 BR* Covhop bau* Covhop gr* 20t brake bau                       WD 2-8-0 BR Covhop bau Covhop gr 20t brake bau                       WD 2-8-0 BR Covhop bau Covhop gr 20t brake bau*

02:57 Northwich to Tunstead  - 1975 Class 25 in BR blue hauling empty ICI hoppers. Spotted at Buxworth.

	Class 25 bl	ICI hop x15
	Class 25 bl*	ICI hop x15
	Class 25 bl	ICI hop x15

South Manchester cement traffic - 1979 Class 40 in BR blue hauling 3 CPV 'Presflo' wagons. Spotted at Altrincham.

	Class 40 bl	Presflo bau x3*	20t brake bau*
	Class 40 bl*	Presflo bau x3*	20t brake bau
	Class 40 bl*	Presflo bau x3	20t brake bau*

Coal empties through Tolworth  - 1984 Class 73/1 in BR large logo blue hauling empty HEA hoppers in BR bauxite. Spotted at Tolworth.

	Class 73 LL	HEA br x6*
	Class 73 LL*	HEA br x6*
	Class 73 LL	HEA br x6

6K68 Worksop to Oxcroft - 1997 Class 58 in Mainline blue hauling 30 empty MGR hopper wagons. Spotted at Seymour Box.

	Class 58 main*	MGR red x30*
	Class 58 main*	MGR red x30
	Class 58 main	MGR red x30

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