Having forgot to pack the weathered O13s when I headed off to the club yesterday evening, I thought I'd best photograph something I did have in the stock box - some POs that have just had their final coat of varnish.

One of the problems with modelling PO wagons in Cornwall (and pre-1914 to boot) is the lack of photographic evidence. So, in order to keep the Empire Mills china clay dries and the industries on my own slowly gestating layout supplied with coal, I have made a few assumptions which I hope are logical. First use wagons from companies for which photographic evidence exists - like the Renwick Wilton wagon which was photographed at Bodmin. Second, use wagons from coal merchants/factors who are based in Cornwall or west Devon who would be likely to be found in Cornwall - like the Plymouth Coal Company. Third, china clay dries used a lot of coal, so I think it is reasonable to assume that the china clay companies would buy in bulk from collieries to get the best price. To this end I will be making short rakes from a variety of collieries which can then be used on the layout(s). As to which collieries? Well I'm assuming that those in Somerset, the Forrest of Dean, South Wales and Severn Valley would have the lowest transport costs within their total price and thus might have a lower price overall than those from the coalfields in the Midlands and further north.

Of course, if anyone knows different and has information on the merchant/factor/colliery wagons seen in Cornwall pre-1914, liveries (and dates), running numbers and which company built the wagons (and a drawing too would be perfect) I'd be delighted to hear from them...