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Bachmann 38-653A

PCA Metalair Bulk Powder Wagon 'Freightliner Heavy Haul' Grey (Weathered)

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

Prototype Eras
Era 9 (1995 to 2004) Initial Privatisation
Era 10 (2005 to 2015) Rebuilding of the Railways
Era 11 (2016 to 2026) The Last Days of Privatisation

Manufacturer description

Rail has long been the favoured mode of transport for moving bulk goods and cement is just one commodity for which specialised wagons have been developed to facilitate this. In the mid-Twentieth century British Railways introduced the ‘Presflo’ wagons to carry powdered cement, which had previously been conveyed in goods vans in bagged form, and as time moved on new designs were sought to replace the distinctive ‘Presflos’. Many of the new cement wagons, which were coded PCAs under the Total Operations Processing System (TOPS), featured depressed centres or ‘V’ tanks, but the ‘Metalairs’ built for Blue Circle Cement had parallel tanks. The wagons were built by Powell Duffryn and Procor in the mid-1980s and used a discharge system developed by Metalair; many remain in use today.

The Bachmann Branchline ‘Metalair’ wagons are faithful 4mm scale replicas of the real thing, using injection moulded bodyshells to capture the distinctive shape of the parallel tank that is then adorned with separate tank filler hatches, walkways, ladders and end pipework. The chassis boasts a wealth of fine detail too, from the suspension and axleboxes which are modelled in full relief to the discharge pipework and brake components that are each added individually. The bufferbeams are finished with metal buffer heads, a cosmetic coupling hook and lamp iron, while metal wheelsets are employed along with NEM coupling pockets.

 

MODEL FEATURES:

• Bachmann Branchline OO Scale
• Era 9
• Weathered ‘Freightliner Heavy Haul’ Grey livery
• Running No. BCC11089
• Accessory Pack
• NEM Coupling Pockets
• Length 115mm (over couplings)

Catalogue listing

Model details

Prototype information

Bachmann Branchline OO‑scale model of a PCA Metalair bulk powder wagon, liveried in weathered Freightliner Heavy Haul grey and carrying the running number BCC11089. The kit represents the post‑war era of railway rebuilding (era 9) and is produced to a 4 mm scale (115 mm over couplings).

The model uses an injection‑moulded bodyshell to replicate the parallel‑tank design used by Blue Circle Cement, with separate filler hatches, walkways, ladders and end pipework. The chassis includes full‑relief suspension and axleboxes, metal wheelsets, NEM coupling pockets, metal buffer heads, a cosmetic coupling hook and lamp iron, and an accessory pack comprising the discharge pipework and brake components.

Manufactured to the specifications of the original wagons built by Powell Duffryn and Procor in the mid‑1980s, the model is finished in a weathered grey livery appropriate to the Freightliner Heavy Haul branding.