The BR HBA Wagon 360626 is a 4-axle coal hopper wagon, in BR Bauxite. This British Rail standard design was built to transport domestic coal to urban areas – differing to the classic ‘Merry-Go-Round’ hoppers which took coal directly to power stations.

This new wagon is based on extensive research and underwent a painstaking design process, culminating in a product that is highly accurate, features numerous separately fitted parts including brake piping, and includes a die-cast weight for smooth running. 

Often seen running in long block rakes or mixed into ‘Speedlink’ railfreight services, the new HBA/HEA family is sure fit in perfectly on any 1970s or later-themed layout.

Model Specification:

•  Extensively researched model of HBA coal hopper wagon
• Highly detailed
• Separate parts including brake piping, ladders, underframe equipment, and buffers
• Die-cast weight
• Kinematic NEM coupling
• Minimum second radius

Tooling:

• Original suspension
• Offset ladders

Livery:

• BR Bauxite
• HBA TOPS code
• Authentic colours and fonts
• Semi-gloss finish
• Era 7 and 8

History:

The steel-bodied ‘HBA’ hopper wagons were introduced by British Rail in 1976. These were air-braked from new and unlike ‘merry-go-round’ hoppers, didn’t have the specialist door operating gear. They were designed for domestic and industrial usage and a small number were fitted with experimental Bruninghaus suspension.