Noted on Doncaster Wood Yard today was SB Kirow crane 81624 with support wagon KFA 93461. This wagon had the white base upon it with all the typical gubbins loaded that a crane support wagon carries. I believe this vehicle should certainly be considered for adding to the site, with regards to it's current use.

Talking of Kirow cranes, I missed the Carnforth - Wood Yard move today consisting of two Volkerail cranes and support wagons. Viewed on Decoy Yard I noted 81621 with support 97409. Would anyone happen to have the full consist please or at least the number of the other crane? I've a feeling it's 81622..

From gen groups posted by JTC

37685

37706

VR 97409 KFA

DRK 81622 ZOA

DB 996220 YWA

DRK 81621 ZOA

VR 97401 KFA

DB 996527 YWA

Fantastic cheers Jarrod!

With regard to Greg's first comment. See also the recent comment against 9741297413 suggesting that it, 9741397414 and 9741497415 have gone to C. F. Booth, Rotherham. At one time these were working with DRK81623, DRK81624 & DRK81625. Thus, is it that all three cranes now have KFA support wagons. If so which are with DRK81623 & DRK81625? I would agree that such wagons should be listed, perhaps with a note about which crane they are paired with currently.

Perhaps it would also be worth noting against the other support wagons used with the Kirow cranes which crane they are currently paired with.

This leads onto the mystery of 97408. Does it still exist? Last sighting is 19/10/24 which I'm suspicious of, particularly as it hadn't been seen for two years then and hasn't been seen since. Was this a presumption and what was seen was 97401, especially as other reports at the time suggest DRK81621 was with 97401 then, not 97408.

It is also my fear that some other sightings of support wagons have been presumed based on previous pairings and were not eyeball confirmations.

DRK81623 is working with 93328 and 996588, DRK81625 with 93341 and 996107. I believe that 97408 *may* have been stored at Frodingham for several years. On the Satellite imagery on Google Maps/Earth there has been one of those KFA wagons stored in the same place since at least 2019, with curiously, what looked like a ZCA wagon, and latterly two Beaver tampers, or similar. In this period all of the other KFA crane support wagons had been accounted for. In images dated 10th April 2025, this headshunt is now devoid of anything, wagons or track machines. These are also not visible anywhere else on site, suggesting that all four of these vehicles have indeed now been disposed of. 97408 has also shown as being at Oxford Hinksey Yard since at least mid-2019 (but not November 2018) too, which suggests that all of the sightings since this date have been erroneous, as if it was active it would have 'moved' locations or been shown as consisted in trains.

According to TOPS, so as always, take with a pinch of salt, on the 9th November 97402 showed as being in Scunny Trent Yard, 97403 shows as being at Sandiacre. I'm not sure whether 97402 is actually there though - there's been no sightings of it from anyone on the steelworks tours, so might well be at Frodingham. Again, on the satellite images dated 10th April 2025, there does appear to be at least one large crane and support wagon that seemed to be in the same place in May 2024. On the images dated 6th April 2025 for Sandiacre, there's a KFA wagon off-track at the far end of the depot. It seems likely that this is 97403.

Oh, and by the way, it seems that this forum will not let me type out the full name of the town in Lincolnshire known for its steelworks - it seems to be suffering from the 'S'thorpe Problem'!

Looking at my observations from late October 2024 for Volker Rail Frodingham I can confirm that DRK81601 was present as were support wagons 97401 and 97402. In addition 97408 was dumped at the far end of the yard near to where the withdrawn Beavers are dumped

Just reading the article in the 'Wagons' section of Rail Express about the scrapping of the KFA runners late last year. The article confirms that TIPH 93328, 341 & 461 are the replacements to run with 81623-25, so why have they not been added to the site as yet?

Any word on this?