Post-War, Pre-Nationalisation P.O wagons?

[Jack P]

Hi guys,

 

I've tried googling, but I haven't been able to find anything overly conclusive.

 

I'm looking for some information on the condition of Private owner wagons in the years immediately after the war, but before BR took over - specifically 1947

 

What condition were most of them in? What markings/livery did they have? I can't seem to find any photos of them in standard goods trains around this time (although that might be user error).

 

Looking to diversify, so any information is useful!

 

Thanks in advance

[Steamport Southport]

The same as they were pre war. Until the railways, collieries and other industries were nationalised it was assumed they would be going back to their owners after the war.

 

Some had numbers painted on them for identification purposes.

 

The information will be in the Larkin books.

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Acquired-Wagons-British-Railways/dp/0860936945/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&hvadid=79920783298477&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvqmt=e&keywords=david+larkin+wagons&qid=1612901041&s=books&sr=1-1&tag=mh0a9-21

 

 

Jason

Edited February 9, 2021 by Steamport Southport

[Wickham Green too]

23 minutes ago, Steamport Southport said:

The same as they were pre war. ......

...... but totally uncared-for looking as they'd not seen their owners for eight years !

[DaveF]

 

There are some photos showing ex private owners wagons in my thread of Dad's black and white photos, but I'm afraid you'll have to look through a lot of photos to find them.

 

 

 

David

Edited February 10, 2021 by DaveF

[Jack P]

6 hours ago, DaveF said:

 

There are some photos showing ex private owners wagons in my thread of Dad's blckk and white photos, but I'm afraid you'll have to look through a lot of phtos to find them.

 

 

 

David

 

Hi David, 

 

Those images are really amazing, trawling through them all now.

 

I've also managed to find (in your wonderful thread) an image of a tank on a warflat - just after the cutoff of 1947, which is immensely handy.

[jwealleans]

The intention up to the election of the Labour government of 1945 was to return pooled wagons to their owners.  Any wagon where the identifying markings were felt to have been too badly worn/damaged was labelled with the owner's details painted on in the lower left hand corner of each side.  There are a couple of excellent examples in Dave's dad's thread, which I would have referred you to had he not beaten me to it.

 

There were are PO wagons built during the war - Turton's books give some details - which would have gone into the pool, in the main, but clearly would have been in better condition than older ones.  They had a very restrained livery as you'd imagine.   If you know someone who has any Colour-Rail collections, there's a good photo of Cambridge in about 1943 with a string of PO wagons crossing the shot in the foreground.  I'd suggest that's as good a guide as any.

 

Edit - have a look at this thread, about half way down the page.   Some excellent images posted by Dave F there, including the one I had in mind when writing earlier.

 

Edited February 10, 2021 by jwealleans