BR wagon numbering database ?

[niteshadex]

I am looking for a list or database of all the British railways wagon numbering to help with future kit builds.

 

Example:

Gunpowder van - B887xxx

Meat van - B870xxx

 

ect...

[cctransuk]

6 minutes ago, niteshadex said:

I am looking for a list or database of all the British railways wagon numbering to help with future kit builds.

 

Example:

Gunpowder van - B887xxx

Meat van - B870xxx

 

ect...

 

You may well struggle - the subject is huge.

 

The information can be sourced, but not in one location, to the best of my knowledge.

 

I have spent well over fifty years accumulating information and references on the subject, but have never had the time (or inclination) to try and compile a database bringing together all of all the information out there.

 

John Isherwood.

[Dunsignalling]

Dunno about a database, but there's a very good book holding much of the info you want, that's often found at reasonable prices. Best places to look are bookstands run by preservation groups on heritage railways. I had a spare copy until recently but passed in on to a mate.

 

British Railways Wagons, The first half million, by Don Rowland 

 

While you are at it, buy a good magnifying glass, the relevant tables are in really small print.

 

John

Edited August 27, 2020 by Dunsignalling

[cctransuk]

6 minutes ago, Dunsignalling said:

British Railways Wagons, The first half million, by Don Rowland 

 

While you are at it, buy a good magnifying glass, the relevant tables are in really small print.

 

As soon as I bought my copy, I scanned the tables, blew them up to A3 size, and had them printed. Much easier to use.

 

I took it that the OP was looking for a database relating to all wagons that ran on BR - not just those that it built.

 

John Isherwood.

[niteshadex]

Thanks for the info

[Wheatley]

As well as Don Rowland's extremely useful book, there is also David Larkins' series "Wagons of the Early/Middle/Late British Railways Era" covering BR builds and listing numbers, lot numbers, years of building and details of differences between batches. Hours lost down rabbit holes there. He has just started an "Acquired Wagons" series covering everything else. 

 

For pre-nationalisation wagons you will have problems as the  LMS and possibly others allocated numbers at random at various periods. Also, ex-PO wagons were renumbered in blocks, but allocated by the works doing the renumbering not by wagon type. Larkin gives details of these blocks but ends:

 

"There is no record listing all ex-PO wagon renumberings. The data used in these pages are taken from BR documents dated 1949, withdrawal records from 1959 and cross references from 1962."

 

Welcome to the world of historical research based in part on things rescued from skips. 

[cctransuk]

David Larkin published a series of wagon data sheets - which fill an extra-large ring file binder.

 

These are extremely comprehensive, having been hand copied by David from BR records, and then typed-up and photocopied.

 

They cover the BR wagon fleet type-by-type, and include number listings for the four pre-Nationalisation companies, BR and, to some extent, the ex-PO fleet.

 

The volume of information in these data sheets is mind-blowing, but I do not think that they are obtainable nowadays.

 

John Isherwood.

[Fat Controller]

1 minute ago, cctransuk said:

David Larkin published a series of wagon data sheets - which fill an extra-large ring file binder.

 

These are extremely comprehensive, having been hand copied by David from BR records, and then typed-up and photocopied.

 

They cover the BR wagon fleet type-by-type, and include number listings for the four pre-Nationalisation companies, BR and, to some extent, the ex-PO fleet.

 

The volume of information in these data sheets is mind-blowing, but I do not think that they are obtainable nowadays.

 

John Isherwood.

Some of the information can be found in the various photo albums he has published subsequently. You have to marvel at the material he produced in what was largely a pre-computer world.

[cctransuk]

45 minutes ago, Fat Controller said:

Some of the information can be found in the various photo albums he has published subsequently. You have to marvel at the material he produced in what was largely a pre-computer world.

 

The sheer number of pens, notebooks and typewriter ribbons required boggles the mind - let alone the time that it must have taken!

 

John Isherwood.

[Broadway Clive]

See if this is any help.

 

https://www.ltsv.com/w_ref_numbers_b1.php

 

As well as this, part2 should also be useful, and there is mention of a book I have not heard of before:-

 

'A more detailed list (including builders, lots and diagram numbers) can be found in Volume 1 of the BR Wagons Numerical History published by HB Publications in 2007'.

[niteshadex]

On 29/08/2020 at 13:42, Broadway Clive said:

See if this is any help.

 

https://www.ltsv.com/w_ref_numbers_b1.php

 

As well as this, part2 should also be useful, and there is mention of a book I have not heard of before:-

 

'A more detailed list (including builders, lots and diagram numbers) can be found in Volume 1 of the BR Wagons Numerical History published by HB Publications in 2007'.

wow that list is exactly what I was looking for. Thanks