Curtains for steel - the PXA (Part 2)…

I’ve referenced in part 1, but I’ll mention it again because it has a lot to answer for - that green 03, what a magical machine and without which neither this nor the PFA would have become a wonderful adventure in N gauge kit bash and scratch-building…The fifty four PXA were built by Powell Duffryn in 1986 (thanks to Cavalex for the history) to two diagrams. I’ve chosen the more numerous type with fixed bulkhead ends and a tarpaulin between them. These worked steel to and from South Wales for British Steel as well as later import and export from Boston docks - some lasting to the early noughties in Enterprise service for one off spot loads. In the late 90s thirty eight were converted by RFS to a bogie box scrap wagon for Sheerness Steel. They’re distinctive, the bright blue hoods with their lightly angled profile weathered to a nice shade in use and to me, they were a perfect prototype to try out a few modern scratch-building ideas with… but more, that wonderful 03, it needed them -…