Railfreight livery 21t coal wagon 'OJA'

[tubs01]

Hi all, I've just seen this picture on Flickr ( https://www.flickr.com/photos/153712773@N08/42132538410 ) of a 21t planked coal wagon on the end of a rake of HEA hoppers. I've looked but can't find much information on this wagon, so I was wondering if anyone knew anything about the wagon. Another thing I was wondering was of the wagon was air braked or not? because it seemed unlikely so surely it would just be added unfitted on the end of a train? but I'm not sure. Anything is appreciated.

[Alex TM]

Hi @tubs01,

 

Who did it first ... BR or Peco?

 

Sorry but can't help directly but could it be coal for one of the preservation societies?  I seem to remember that the GWS at Didcot had something similar though that was painted up in GW livery.

 

Regards,

 

Alex.

[BernardTPM]

These were built as Ferry Wagons by the Southern Region so when new had both vacuum and air brakes. Ironically in that livery Peco letter them up as OBA even though they could be pretty accurate in the FR red/grey as OJA (or OJX for those retaining dual brakes, though maybe that was before they went into that scheme). Peco also did them in GWR livery before the GWS did.

[Fat Controller]

25 minutes ago, BernardTPM said:

These were built as Ferry Wagons by the Southern Region so when new had both vacuum and air brakes. Ironically in that livery Peco letter them up as OBA even though they could be pretty accurate in the FR red/grey as OJA (or OJX for those retaining dual brakes, though maybe that was before they went into that scheme). Peco also did them in GWR livery before the GWS did.

They were used to transport loco coal from a pit in South Wales to the GWS at Didcot. At this point, they still belonged to to BR, I believe. When the Speedlink coal network was abandoned, the GWS took them over, to transfer coal from road vehicles to the Railway Centre, as there is no road access to it. There were about ten other examples in use in Speedlink days, initially carrying whiting (fine chalk) from Beverley, then later dolomite limestone from Ferryhill to various locations across Scotland. I saw a couple at Stranraer Town.

[John M Upton]

Try here:

https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/brferryopen

 

Forty of them originally, essentially a Southern Region wagon, built at Lancing, a beefed up wooden bodied open wagon for ferry work (not convinced any ever actually left these shores though) and later headed into all sorts of second uses like Departmental, Rail Stores, etc.

 

Some were cut down to a more "normal" height and some lost their bodies completely.

 

Peco do an N scale model but it's accuracy is questionable (looks too long to me, probably a stretch the body to fit a standard chassis job but would appreciate confirmation) and not aware of anything available in OO but I am probably wrong.

Edited March 9, 2023 by John M Upton

[Wickham Green too]

4 hours ago, John M Upton said:

Forty of them originally, essentially a Southern Region wagon, built at Lancing, a beefed up wooden bodied open wagon for ferry work (not convinced any ever actually left these shores though) ...

The original Southern Railway wagons certainly DID travel abroad - one had to repatriated after the war as it had been in the wrong place at the wrong time ........................ no reason the modified BR design ( not on a standard RCH 20T underframe like the originals ) shouldn't have gone on the occasional foreign holiday.

[Davexoc]

Same wagon as in the OP, but here at Didcot in GW livery....

 

[BernardTPM]

5 hours ago, John M Upton said:

Peco do an N scale model but it's accuracy is questionable (looks too long to me, probably a stretch the body to fit a standard chassis job but would appreciate confirmation) and not aware of anything available in OO but I am probably wrong.

It is slightly too long (5.6mm), but not by anywhere near as much as their Ferry Tube wagon is too short (or, for that matter, the amount it is shorter than a real OBA). Wheelbase is actually just two scale inches too long (15' against 14' 10").

[Flying Pig]

1 hour ago, Davexoc said:

Same wagon as in the OP, but here at Didcot in GW livery....

 

 

Shouldn't there be a tank wagon in Polo livery and a Kit Kat van in that train too?

[Wickham Green too]

I've always wondered why anyone would want a tank wagon with a hole in the middle.

[Fat Controller]

12 hours ago, Wickham Green too said:

The original Southern Railway wagons certainly DID travel abroad - one had to repatriated after the war as it had been in the wrong place at the wrong time ........................ no reason the modified BR design ( not on a standard RCH 20T underframe like the originals ) shouldn't have gone on the occasional foreign holiday.

 

12 hours ago, Wickham Green too said:

The original Southern Railway wagons certainly DID travel abroad - one had to repatriated after the war as it had been in the wrong place at the wrong time ........................ no reason the modified BR design ( not on a standard RCH 20T underframe like the originals ) shouldn't have gone on the occasional foreign holiday.

I'm pretty certain I saw one at Modane (Franco- Italian border) about 20 years ago.. I wonder why they used a non-standard wheel-base?

[Wickham Green too]

56 minutes ago, Fat Controller said:

... I wonder why they used a non-standard wheel-base?

Good question - it doesn't even approximate to a round figure in metric units !

[Fat Controller]

9 minutes ago, Wickham Green too said:

Good question - it doesn't even approximate to a round figure in metric units !

It appeared on the BR-built Timber wagons (not the Timber P) as well.