The KFA wagons were built from 1987/88 by Rautaruukki in Finland for Tiphook with the eventual fleet totalling over 200 wagons. The first batch were on Gloucester GPS bogies with the later ones being on VNH-1 bogies. They were originally designated as PFA wagons and some of the first jobs they did was as steel beam carriers or with low height containers moving contaminated spoil from Chatham. Later moving on to things like intermodal, Binliner services and aluminium ingot transportation. Currently they are in use with Freightliner, DB cargo, GBRF and network rail. The latter using them for modules such as Rail head treatment trains, weed killing and in the long-welded rail trains. ]

The models are designed to represent both the ones fitted with GPS bogies and the VNH-1 and be able to work with the Dapol O gauge containers. The model is also fitted with a Lenz style pocket so that you can connect them easier without having to always use the scale couplings. This also allows them to go around tighter corners than if they were just on the scale couplings

The Dapol O Gauge PFA / KFA's feature:

• Diecast chassis components
• Highly detailed injection moulded superstructure
• GPS and VNH-1 bogie versions
• Appropriate axle boxes represented dependent on bogie type
• Different brake gear depending on bogie type
• Correctly portrayed wheels
• Brass bearings
• Swinging draw gear
• Removable Lenz style coupling pockets
• Many separately fitted details
• Removable container location pieces
• Accurately mounted container points for Dapol 20ft, 40ft and 445ft containers.

These are a perfect companion for the Dapol Class 66 which are due for release late 2025. For ease I have put a link to the Dapol Class 66's here

No specific release date for these has been set now and we expect the 20ft, 40ft & 45ft containers will already be available by the time these appear.

We are taking advance orders for these now for despatch as soon as they become available and as always we will call people to arrange a suitable day for delivery when they are released. At such a good price for the wagon alone they represent excellent value for money.

Before shipping containers became standard, goods would be loaded on to ships by teams of people in crates, barrels or sacs. This was hard and time-consuming work as they would have to plan out where items could be stowed and this could take days to load a ship. The idea to have a standardised box that could be easily handled by different modes of transport has been around since the mid-1700s and was first used on the canals for coal transportation. This progressed to many attempts to standardise loads by many different countries. A well known one before the ISO container appeared is the Conflat system used by the railways however these could not be stacked.

The ISO container first appeared in 1956 and is accredited to Malcolm McLean who owned a trucking company in the US and decided to go into shipping with a pair of converted oil tankers. The container was an all steel construction and had had reinforced corners so could be stacked on top of each other. This grew steadily and took off in the 1960s when the US army started using them for transporting goods and in 1968 the ISO standard for containers ISO 688 was set.  The models represent most containers that are currently in use and the more common types such as the 20ft, 40ft and 40ft High cube feature different doors for certain liveries. 

These are being made here in the UK and are expected the the first half of 2025, probably out before the PFA / KFA. I also expect there to be more liveries of these in the future subject to the success of these.