LNER loco coal wagon

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	LNER 20 ton Locomotive Coal wagon, number E303255, later NCB 20 Above: LNER 21 ton loco coal wagon in the livery of NCB Snibston, number 20, seen in 2000 One of about 1,200 new wagons built for the London & North Eastern Railway in 1947-8 specifically to carry loco coal, and given the diagram number 207. Due to post-war economies, however, they weren't quite as new as they looked; most used secondhand split-spoke wagon wheels. The design has a standard RCH 12" wheelbase 20 ton underframe as seen on the ex-Shelton hopper, CEGB tippler wagon no 23 and the CEGB flat wagons ex-tanks also at Foxfield. What makes it distinctively Eastern is the side hinged cupboard doors arranged in two pairs per side. These were originally dished steel pressings and were intended to aid unloading at smaller coal stages. End doors were considered unnecessary. Until construction of these wagons the LNER had relied upon many smaller older wagons to carry loco coal, often after their revenue earning days were over. Purpose built large capacity vehicles were an attempt to persuade the operators of privately owner wagons to switch from 10 and 12 ton vehicles to 20 ton capacity. This offered an efficiency saving for the railways by cutting tare weights, but was difficult for many collieries because the large wagons would not fit under their loading bunkers, and were more expensive to maintain. The railway companies themselves could choose where to buyloco coal, however, so if a colliery hadn't modified its loading arrangements to suit the 20 ton wagons, it didn't get a contract to supply loco coal! As the wagon at Foxfield has lost almost all identification marks, it is difficult to be certain exactly when and where it was built. Certainly some of these wagons were built by contractors, such as Metro Cammell in Birmingham. Many others were built by the ex-LNER works at Shildon, and they were given the number series E300315 to E301514. Scrutiny of the single surviving, very corroded numberplate on the wagon suggested its LNER number was 303255 but this is far from certain. In the 1950s these wagons tended to be used for general coal traffic rather than just loco coal, being mixed in with ex GWR and LMS types and the later BR standard 21 ton designs on block trains from collieries to power stations. At some stage corrosion has led to the lower half of the sides being replaced with a specially made flanged plate, and the original pressed steel doors being rebuilt as fabricated ones; many such wagons received these repairs. In the early 1960s handbrake-only wagons were being replaced by vacuum fitted BR mineral and hopper wagons, so E303255 was sold to the NCB at Snibston Colliery, Leicestershire for internal use and was renumbered 20. The wagon was purchased for use as a crane runner at the Battlefield Line, Shackerstone, moving there in January 1980, but fortunately the conversion was not carried out and it retained its bodywork, although the floor has entirely rotted away. It moved to Foxfield with RSH "Meaford No2" and was donated to the railway by its owner. A rapid repaint in grey livery followed, with BR lettering on one side and Snibston stencils on the other, copying the originals as far as possible. This wagon is now a unique survivor of its type, but a lot of re-plating is necessary before anything can be carried in it. As a fairly typical post-war coal wagon, and one with a history as a colliery internal user as well, E303255 has a definite place in the Foxfield collection and may even one day prove its worth as a loco coal wagon once again. Above: LNER designed 21 ton loco coal wagon in an empty wagon train in the 1950s Below: LNER designed 21 ton loco coal wagon E300831 as built at Shildon in May 1948

One of about 1,200 new wagons built for the London & North Eastern Railway in 1947-8 specifically to carry loco coal, and given the diagram number 207. Due to post-war economies, however, they weren't quite as new as they looked; most used secondhand split-spoke wagon wheels. The design has a standard RCH 12" wheelbase 20 ton underframe as seen on the ex-Shelton hopper, CEGB tippler wagon no 23 and the CEGB flat wagons ex-tanks also at Foxfield. What makes it distinctively Eastern is the side hinged cupboard doors arranged in two pairs per side. These were originally dished steel pressings and were intended to aid unloading at smaller coal stages. End doors were considered unnecessary. Until construction of these wagons the LNER had relied upon many smaller older wagons to carry loco coal, often after their revenue earning days were over. Purpose built large capacity vehicles were an attempt to persuade the operators of privately owner wagons to switch from 10 and 12 ton vehicles to 20 ton capacity. This offered an efficiency saving for the railways by cutting tare weights, but was difficult for many collieries because the large wagons would not fit under their loading bunkers, and were more expensive to maintain. The railway companies themselves could choose where to buyloco coal, however, so if a colliery hadn't modified its loading arrangements to suit the 20 ton wagons, it didn't get a contract to supply loco coal!

As the wagon at Foxfield has lost almost all identification marks, it is difficult to be certain exactly when and where it was built. Certainly some of these wagons were built by contractors, such as Metro Cammell in Birmingham. Many others were built by the ex-LNER works at Shildon, and they were given the number series E300315 to E301514. Scrutiny of the single surviving, very corroded numberplate on the wagon suggested its LNER number was 303255 but this is far from certain.

In the 1950s these wagons tended to be used for general coal traffic rather than just loco coal, being mixed in with ex GWR and LMS types and the later BR standard 21 ton designs on block trains from collieries to power stations. At some stage corrosion has led to the lower half of the sides being replaced with a specially made flanged plate, and the original pressed steel doors being rebuilt as fabricated ones; many such wagons received these repairs. In the early 1960s handbrake-only wagons were being replaced by vacuum fitted BR mineral and hopper wagons, so E303255 was sold to the NCB at Snibston Colliery, Leicestershire for internal use and was renumbered 20.

The wagon was purchased for use as a crane runner at the Battlefield Line, Shackerstone, moving there in January 1980, but fortunately the conversion was not carried out and it retained its bodywork, although the floor has entirely rotted away. It moved to Foxfield with RSH "Meaford No2" and was donated to the railway by its owner. A rapid repaint in grey livery followed, with BR lettering on one side and Snibston stencils on the other, copying the originals as far as possible.

This wagon is now a unique survivor of its type, but a lot of re-plating is necessary before anything can be carried in it. As a fairly typical post-war coal wagon, and one with a history as a colliery internal user as well, E303255 has a definite place in the Foxfield collection and may even one day prove its worth as a loco coal wagon once again.

Above: LNER designed 21 ton loco coal wagon in an empty wagon train in the 1950s

Below: LNER designed 21 ton loco coal wagon E300831 as built at Shildon in May 1948

LNER 20 ton Locomotive Coal wagon, number E303255, later NCB 20