🛤️ Advent Calendar Day 4 - Cavalex PGA Hopper Wagons

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Recreate iconic Mountsorrel quarry aggregate trains with our range of Cavalex Models PGA 4-wheel hopper wagons in N Gauge!


Released in 2023, these robust little hoppers, much like their OO Gauge counterparts, feature an unbelievable amount of detail including finely etched metal walkways and ladders, full underframe parts and a realistic hopper interior too.


Supplied as three packs, we have covered the full history of these intrepid vehicles in their eye-catching original Redland green liveries as well as later LaFarge and debranded white colour schemes. All models are available in pristine or weathered conditions.


For the 4th day of our advent calendar, we are pleased to present some awesome reductions across our range of triple packs - with the pristine wagons now £69.95 and the weathered ones £89.95. Act fast to take advantage as these deals are only available for a limited time.

In Stock Now

Our entire range of aggregate hoppers are in stock right now! There are a whopping 20 different triple packs to choose from. 

Watch our Video

Formation Guide 1 - BR Eras

Formation Guide 1

Formation Guide 2 - Privatisation

Formation Guide 2

Product Features

Accurately dimensioned prototypical design

Etched walkways, handrails and ladders

Highly detailed underframe

Close coupling mechanism

Accurate tooling variations including ladders (or lack thereof) and inclusion of protection panels

NEM standard N Gauge Couplings

Accessory packs included with brake pipes

Prototype Information

Designed and built by Standard Wagon of Heywood in the late 1970s early 1980s, the 51-tonne glw, 2 axle PGA hopper wagons replaced the aging fleet of HTV wagons. With Design code PG012 and with a 38 tonne payload, the fleet of new wagons helped Redland not only to increase tonnages to their distribution terminals in London and the South East of England but also the company’s operational efficiency. 

Redland PGA IRL
Image by Brian Daniels

The new wagons operated out of Redland’s Mountsorrel quarry moving large quantities of aggregate products to their terminals at Radlett near St Albans, Trowse near Norwich, Kennet near Newmarket, Elstow in Bedfordshire, Barham near Ipswich, Bat and Ball near Sevenoaks Kent, Woking and Aylesbury. Painted in Redland’s light green livery with red, text these wagons could be seen on BR metals behind a variety of traction from the early ‘80s up until and post privitisation.

Class 60 & PGAs IRL
Image by John Catterson

The new wagons operated out of Redland’s Mountsorrel quarry moving large quantities of aggregate products to their terminals at Radlett near St Albans, Trowse near Norwich, Kennet near Newmarket, Elstow in Bedfordshire, Barham near Ipswich, Bat and Ball near Sevenoaks Kent, Woking and Aylesbury. Painted in Redland’s light green livery with red, text these wagons could be seen on BR metals behind a variety of traction from the early ‘80s up until and post privitisation.


In 1997 Redland was acquired by the French industrial company Lafarge which saw the PGA wagons gain a new livery, white body with Lafarge’s company logo.


Following the purchase of the PGA wagons by DB Schenker, the wagons began to lose the Lafarge logo with the majority of the fleet remaining in all white livery or gaining a black patch on the body side. Up until August 2016 these wagons could still be seen on the network plying their trade delivering aggregates to terminals around the country. 2019 saw a reduction in the fleet as these wagons started being replaced by newer bogie aggregate hopper wagons.

Class 37s & PGAs IRL
Image by John Catterson

We feel that the PGA will appeal to modellers across the spectrum from those that model the contemporary era right the way back to those modelling the early 80s and 90s. Regarding regions, as mentioned previously they ran from Mountsorrel to East Anglia, the Western, Southern, London and Midland, so they travelled far and wide. Also, the variety of traction that can pull them is very extensive, including classes, 20, 25, 31, 37, 45, 47, 56, 58, 60, 66 and 73, which is quite a selection!


Whilst these wagons normally and historically ran in long rakes, there have been occasions where services are split into shorter rakes to allow smaller terminals to accommodate the workings. 


During their last months in service these wagons were mixed in with bogie hopper wagons offering modellers further potential for variety on their layouts

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