BR 21 ton hopper wagons, numbers B425492, B426618, B428094, B428141, B430631 and B432199

Above: BR 21 ton diagram 1/146 (rebodied) hopper wagon B428094 as restored

Foxfield Colliery did not normally transport coal in hoppers, but they were to be seen in the area and are a typical part of the industrial railway scene. Twenty ton hopper wagons originated in the North East in the nineteenth century and gradually dominated mineral traffic throughout the UK rail network up to the present day, their advantage lying in rapid unloading at the pull of a lever. Early wagons were wooden but during the Second World War an all steel design was developed for the Ministry of Transport, built by the LNER using riveted construction. They were large wagons measuring 21'6" in length on a wheelbase of 12'0" - in fact later BR construction used the standard RCH underframe of these dimensions as also seen on LNER loco coal wagon E303255 and CEGB tippler No23. Construction after 1952 followed two BR diagrams, 1/145 and 1/146, though the latter gradually predominated as welding superseded riveting, and finally some slightly modernised versions to diagram 1/149. Overall, 19,200 wagons were built to this design over ten years, and all carried BR grey livery with numbers on black patches. Their pre-TOPS code was "HOP 21". By the 1970s they were generally in need of body replacement and this was achieved by scrapping the old bodies and fitting a prefabricated new unit onto the underframe. These replacement bodies feature fewer side ribs than the originals. At the same time many wagons were upgraded with roller bearing axleboxes and vacuum fittings, and were painted in bauxite livery. 

B425492 was one of two batches totalling only 800 built by Head Wrightson in 1957 
B432199 was part of the largest batch, comprising 2,950 wagons, made by Pressed Steel in 1958

B430631 was one of 1000 built to diagram 1/149 with roller bearings and self-contained buffers. 100 were even vacuum piped to allow work within vacuum brake fitted trains, though they were not fitted with vacuum cylinder gear until rebodied.

Above: BR 21 ton diagram 1/149 (rebodied) hopper wagon B430631 as restored

The six wagons preserved at Foxfield were acquired specially for photographic charters, four being donated by Celtic Energy which had hosted charters at Onllwyn coal washery in South Wales before closure of rail operations there. Movement to Foxfield in early 1999 was supported by generous contributions from groups of photographers eager to see them in action. The wagons are generally much more uniform in appearance than the "Windbreaker" rake, being selected for their good condition rather than historical interest, though there are in fact small differences between each one. Their details are:
 

BR no	Onllwyn no	Diagram	Lot	Builder	Date	Source	Moved
B425492	232	1/146	3033	Head Wrightson	1957	Onllwyn	2/1999
B426618	219	1/146	3035	Hurst Nelson	1957	Onllwyn	2/1999
B428094	181	1/146	3037	Charles Roberts	1958	Onllwyn	2/1999
B428141	030	1/146	3037	Charles Roberts	1958	Onllwyn	2/1999
B430631	011	1/149	3120	BR Shildon	1958	Onllwyn	1/1999
B432199	001	1/146	3157	Pressed Steel	1958	Onllwyn	2/1999

Together with a 20 ton brakevan they make a taxing load on Foxfield Bank, despite the roller bearings. First used in their unrestored state, still carrying the numbers they bore at Onllwyn Washery, the whole rake was professionally shot blasted and painted inBR bauxite livery in summer 2001. When not in use they are usually kept at Dilhorne Park station on the former Bank Top branch siding.

Below: BR 21 ton hopper wagon showing appearance of original ribbed body