Clark Railworks T3003 Presflo Cement Wagon BR TOPs Bauxite (as preserved) B873368

Wagon no. B873368, with ‘PRESFLO’ branding. Built by GRCW and numbered as from
1974 and as in preservation at Shildon.

Following on from the critically acclaimed Ellis Clark Trains in O Gauge, the first TT 1:120 scale model from Clark Railworks is of the popular Presflo wagon.

Best known as cement carriers, they also dabbled in salt, clay, sand, alumina and powdered slate. Their cargo was poured in from the top but unloaded from the bottom; to prevent clumping, pressurised air was pumped through it – hence the name. Presflos’ trademark external ribs strengthened the bodyshell, preventing it from collapsing inwards when the contents were emptied. Presflos were mostly decked out in bauxite, but those working for Blue Circle industries in South West England stood out from the crowd with an eyecatching yellow livery. At the opposite end of the country, Presflos were often included in mixed trains on the Ballachulish branch (carrying alumina to the smelter at Kinlochleven) and were attached to the rear of passenger trains on the Kyle line to support oil rig construction at Loch Kishorn in the 1970s. They really did wander far and wide.