MR 5 plank open wagons, numbers NCB 58 and Army 46370

Above: MR 10 ton 5 plank open wagon, later Army 46370, at Foxfield Wood in March 2004

Absolutely typical of the tens of thousands of five plank wagons operated by the railway companies for general merchandise traffic, at Foxfield are two identical examples of the standard Midland Railway open, although they came from two different sources into preservation. They represent of one of the most common designs seen through out the country in the early years of the twentieth century.

Above: Official photograph of MR 10 ton 5 plank wagon as built at Derby

Both wagons were built at the Derby works of the Midland Railway in the period 1913 to 1923. A total of 13,250 were built to the same versatile design, which featured bottom doors as well as side doors so they could be used for coal traffic as well as general merchandise. The original livery would have been grey, with a change to LMS bauxite after 1936, then grey again after 1948. They lasted about thirty years in revenue service, being typically withdrawn between 1950-55 and replaced with BR standard 12 ton capacity wagons. However, many were sold for internal use in industry, hence their survival to the present day.

NCB58 was among several that became "dirt wagons" at Wolstanton Colliery, carrying spoil around the site. They were at least partially repainted in a distinctive livery so they would not be accidently loaded with coal. Wagons in internal use on this sort of work usually had a rough and short life expectancy, not least through often standing for long periods full of spoil which led to rapid rot in what were often already tired timbers. However, four were in a suitable condition to be rescued for preservation by the infant Foxfield Railway and they were transported precariously on a flatbed lorry to the railway in spring 1973. Unfortunately there was no remaining evidence of their MR identities, and their condition quickly deteriorated. They were stored for many years at Blythe Bridge exchange sidings in very dilapidated condition, NCB 52, NCB 61 and NCB 64 being scrapped in summer 2006 (see "absent friends" page). Some parts were saved for restoration of MR 8 ton van number 120400. The only survivor of the quartet is NCB 58, which had had its body removed at Foxfield many years ago for use in track renewal work. It was known universally as "the pink planker" due to the colour of paint found for it when it first arrived. The underframe is privately owned and will be restored using the body ironwork saved from a couple of the scrapped wagons.

Less is known about the history of the fourth wagon, which after withdrawal from BR service was sold to the military and renumbered 46370. The depot at which it served is unknown, but it was purchased for preservation from storage at a quarry at Dyserth in North Wales. Although  clearly well maintained and smartly turned out in olive gren livery with yellow lettering, it had unfortunately had the buffers removed at some stage. Arriving by road on 10 May 1987, 46370 has been stored at Foxfield Wood sidings awaiting full restoration, though some preventative maintenance and repainting has been carried out. It has a rotted frame on one side which prevents movement at present. Like the others, there is no remaining evidence of its MR identity.

Above: One of the MR 5 plank open wagons from Wolstanton Colliery lying at Blythe Bridge, July 1995

A few similar wagons are preserved at the Midland Railway Centre, Butterley, where two have been completely restored, one in MR livery and the other in LMS.

Below: MR diagram of 5 plank open wagon