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Accurascale ACC3371

FEA-F Network Rail black RHTT - Twin Pack 2

Manufacturer catalogue image - please note that pre-release images may be CAD renders or CGI/AI images rather than photographs

Prototype Era
Era 9 (1995 to 2004) Initial Privatisation

Manufacturer description

FEA-F Network Rail black RHTT (twin pack) - 642009 Sandite+Tank+Tank & 642032 Sandite+Water+Tank (Pack 2)

The 2005 railhead treatment train (RHTT) season marked a major step in Network Rail’s modernisation, introducing purpose-built FEA-F wagons and replacing an assortment of ageing second-hand vehicles. Fifty 60-ft flats, built in Poland by Greenbrier Europe, were numbered 642001–642050 and designed to carry modular equipment, allowing retirement of General Utility Vans and TTA water tanks. Earlier KFA wagons had already introduced large water tanks and high-pressure jetting systems, later supplemented by Sandite applicators capable of operating at up to 60mph.

Operational changes accompanied the new fleet. The dominance of English Welsh & Scottish Railway ended in 2004 as Direct Rail Services (DRS) and GB Railfreight took on contracts, while Class 37 locomotives gave way to Class 66 and 67 traction. DRS led operations in 2005, using a mix of locomotives across regional circuits.

Typical formations combined water-jetting and Sandite modules with multiple water tanks, sometimes adding extra wagons for long-distance routes. Subsequent developments included revised nozzle arrangements in 2007, wider operator involvement, and module upgrades such as larger fuel tanks in 2009. Additional wagons joined the fleet in 2013 following refurbishment. By 2025, operation of 29 trainsets was shared between Colas and GB Railfreight, employing a varied mix of modern and heritage locomotives.

Catalogue listing

Model details

Accurascale FEA‑F Network Rail black RHTT – Twin Pack 2 is a model railway kit supplied under manufacturer part number ACC3371. The kit is liveried in Network Rail black and represents the initial privatisation period of the UK rail network.

The pack contains two 60‑ft flat wagons built in Poland by Greenbrier Europe. Wagon 642009 is fitted with a sandite applicator and two tanks, while wagon 642032 carries a sandite applicator, a water tank and an additional tank. Both wagons are part of the FEA‑F railhead treatment train (RHTT) series introduced in the 2005 season and are designed to carry modular equipment that replaced older General Utility Vans and TTA water tanks.

The FEA‑F RHTT fleet, numbered 642001‑642050, was a key element of Network Rail’s modernisation programme that began in 2005. Direct Rail Services and GB Railfreight took over many contracts from English Welsh & Scottish Railway in 2004, and the new wagons were normally hauled by Class 66 or Class 67 locomotives rather than the earlier Class 37s. Subsequent upgrades to the fleet included revised nozzle arrangements in 2007, larger fuel tanks in 2009 and further refurbished wagons added in 2013. By 25/02/2025, operation of twenty‑nine RHTT trainsets was shared between Colas and GB Railfreight, using a mix of modern and heritage traction.