Eads (E7) hopper wagon REE

Brand - Reference

REE WB-667

Type

Eads (E7.16) hopper

UIC number	Revision date
21 87 057 3 856-3 P	23.10.70
21 87 057 4 308-4 P	23.10.70
21 87 057 4 905-7 P	23.10.70

Weight

59 g (NEM: 62 to 80 g).

Comments

Finely made wagons. The railings are thin and yet not very fragile: one was bent in the box, and I was able to straighten it without breaking it. The scale is fairly well respected. There is however more than a millimetre too much on the lengths (overall, chassis, pivot centre distance), and also on the height.

The axles have 0.8 mm flanged wheels. The axle tip-to-tip distance is 24.3 mm and the wheel back-to-back distance is 14.4 mm, thus complying with NEM 310 (14.5 ± 0.1). There are no brass bearings.

To nitpick, I think it’s a pity that all three wagons bear the same revision date…

I would have preferred — but this is only a detail — that the standard couplings were not mounted, or only half mounted, to facilitate their exchange. Some other brands do this… Access to the NEM box is indeed rather restricted.

Comparison of this wagon with its older brother Eds de Roco: three-quarter view; side view. Apart from the ladders and steps, the Roco wagon has not to be ashamed of this comparison.

See forum.e-train.fr (Loco-Revue).

History

Wagons built from 1967 by Arbel et ANF. Transport of coal, gravel, etc.

Main characteristics: capacity 48 m³; tare 22 t; load 58 t; bogies Y27. Width of loading opening 1940 mm.

Numbering ranges: 21 87 597 8 000 to 9 990; 21 87 057… in P (private) regime (leased to SGW, Société de Gérance de Wagons).

In the 1980 re-numbering, these wagons became Facs F70.

They were later transformed into ballast hoppers.

Documents

• Patrick Sambourg’s wagons-europe.net website.
• Anton Kendall’s tosh-railways.com website.
• Sébastien Vincent’s website photos-ferroviaires.fr (broken link), for detailed pictures.