Full Size An illustrated history of British Railways Hopper Wagons by David Monk-Steel

BR Hopper, wagon,

hrmspaul

Western Thunderer
An illustrated history of British Railways Hopper Wagons

David Monk-Steel

Published by the Historical Model Railway Society

248 + iv pages ISBN: ISBN 978 0 902835 42 9

RRP £40. Members Price £27 (Both plus P &P)

To order https://hmrs.org.uk/british-railways-hopper-wagons.html

To reference this book:

Monk-Steel, David (2022) An illustrated history of British Railways Hopper Wagons. HMRS publishing, Butterley Station, Derbys. 248 + iv pages ISBN 978 0 902835 42 9

As one of the founder members of the Intrepid Wagon Measurers I am unable to provide an independent review.

To start with a negative, this does not include the many hopper wagons built for the railway engineers, nor the many used by private companies either on the mainlines or within their precincts. Succinctly, this book fills out the story of the design of the open hopper wagon as used for revenue by the Railway Companies. This was initiated by Colin Foster in his series on NER Mineral Wagons in HMRS Journal vol 7 1971-2, continued by Peter Tatlow in his 5 part series on LNER wagonsWestern Thunder and David’s own HMRS published book on the development of MGR on Britain’s railways[ii].

The book is, unusually, A4 landscape softback which permits the drawings mainly to be reproduced at the modelling scale of 7mm to the foot. It also allows the book to nearly lay flat so making the pages accessible for private reproduction at other scales. The drawings are all to a similar high-quality reproduction and very detailed. Almost invariably elevations include showing both sides and both ends, a sectional drawing, plan views with also a frame view. Separate detail drawings are sometimes included, in 14mm to the ft. Photographs include some in colour, are used throughout the book. The origin of the information used for every drawing is provided, and every photo is dated to month and year.

Chapter 1: Background discusses the early development of hopper wagons in the 18 and 19th century; the numerous wagon builders mentioned in the text and the winning of coal in Britain over those years and later. The use of coal is briefly mentioned including for railway locomotives. There are then more details on how hopper wagons were used, loaded and unloaded with illustrations of some of the specialist facilities which developed during the post-nationalisation period, including the numerous, perhaps short-lived, Coal Concentration Depots that were introduced from 1959.

Chapter 2: LNER Hopper Wagons. The NER and LNER hopper wagon diagrams are mentioned briefly before a detailed examination of the LNER 21ton steel wagon, the design of which was to be the backbone of the BR fleet into the early 1970s. Drawings, photographs and text include the Head Wrightson 1934 type with reversed solebar; the Metro Cammell and Birmingham RCW built type with a Z solebar; the Cravens welded and the unusual MoT Iron ore hoppers. This last drawing is mis-placed, it should have been in chapter 7 where the description and photographs are to be found.

Chapter 3: The Small Coal Hoppers. This chapter begins with the single wood framed 13ton diagram 1/140 of LNER design followed by the 1/142 and 1/144 13 ton all steel versions (although the bottom doors of both were wood!). The remaining HSO were withdrawn from 1981.

Chapter 4: BR built 21-ton Coal Hopper Wagons. The complexity of these wagon begins with describing their numerous uses, labelling, problems and condemnation. Details are then provided of each design with drawings of 1/141 Cravens welded, 1/141 rivetted, both 1/143 Metro Cammell and Butterley rivetted, both 1/145 Metro Cammell and Hurst Nelson rivetted, 1/146 both rivetted Butterley and Hurst Nelson and various builders of the welded version. After mention of the Grain conversion the vacuum braked types are introduced. Several lots had been ordered initially as vacuum braked but all were built unfitted. However, rebuilding with new bodies, similar in appearance to 1/146 with 6 panel sides were to follow and these were also provided with vacuum brake. These 1/147 are drawn, as are the two other rebodies on the same diagram but with a simpler body of 2 stanchions and only 3 panels, all welded or with huck-bolt construction. The vacuum braking and rebuilding of wagons follows with complete alteration of 5 large lots. However unfitted rebodies were also manufactured in considerable numbers. Rather later complete renumbering of some rebuilds was introduced including partial uprating to 25tons, with separate number series for HTV and HTO, and some of the latter had the LNER style of brake rigging with clasp brakes on one side only and a high brake lever. A drawing of a rebodied, vacuum braked version of these 1/149 is provided.

Chapter 5: 24 ½ ton Coal Hopper Use and Modification. Following a description of the prototypes, use and rebuilding there are details of allocations and drawings of both 1/148 with their noticeably different brake rigging, followed by the vacuum disc braked version 1/153. Diagram 1/154 changes are highlighted before 1/155 with its’ different body style and being unfitted despite introduction as late as 1963.

Chapter 6: Coke Hoppers. Once again, a general introduction, and mention of a later conversion for Sand is followed by details and drawings of 1/150, 151 and two body styles of 1/152 some with high all steel sides and other retaining raves but also being piped.

Chapter 7: Iron Ore Hoppers. This complex history begins with an overview of those used by the pre-nationalisation companies including the WW2 MoT new builds with drawings in Chapter 2. The many different uses are described, rather more than simple iron ore. Drawings begin with the BR version of the LNER diagram 1/160 with their Central Division style brake lever across the end of the wagon. A diversion to describe how the final BR use of many of these was TOP SECRET. An order to provide urgently required vacuum braked hoppers for the Zambian 3ft 6in gauge railway. Unfortunately, no drawing of how this complex rebuild was achieved has been located. The similar 1/161 and 1/162 follow, with a drawing. The larger, but generalist 1/163 with drawing is followed by one of the first specialist designs 1/164. These vacuum braked wagons were for use from Glasgow Central (dock) to Ravenscraig and Rutherglen. Diagram 1/165 vacuum braked generalists follow as well as the similar 1/166 which were only piped or unfitted. Drawing of 1/166 is used to show their conversion for salt with a framework to support a tarpaulin sheet and shaker pockets. Diagram 1/167 was different, also vacuum braked and used for some years in South Wales for Newport Docks to Llanwern, some 16 trains a day. Conversion of 1/163 to 1/168 uprated to 35t with a different vacuum brake rigging follows; these were for sand. The much earlier 1/188 is the celebrity bogie Tyne dock to Consett wagons with their power operated side doors. Drawings include as later modified.

Chapter 8: Other Traffics includes description of wagons for Rock Salt, Aluminous Oxide, Clinker and 1/179 Anhydrite which includes a drawing.

Chapter 9: Air-braked Hopper Wagons. For completeness the Merry-go-round wagons are included (as written up in depth by the author in the earlier book). Drawings illustrate these HAA, with and without the canopy and the later 60mph HDA. The one-off version with pneumatic doors is also drawn. These are all 7mm to the ft, so differ to the presentation in the earlier book. The Air braked domestic coal wagon follows, with drawings of both the HBA and HEA (with their replacement suspension). Finally, because they had a BR diagram 1/168 allocated, are the Gypsum hoppers all of which became privately owned by APCM before use, so became PGA. Once again there is 7mm:ft reproduction of the drawings previously used in the MGR book.

Appendix 1: Summary of LNER Hopper Wagons. Tables which include all of the wood and steel hoppers, including but not limited to diagram, builder, running numbers, main dimensions, underframe, brake rigging and sometimes fittings.

Appendix 2: BR Wagon building and numbering summaries. Sorted by type and lot the usual details are given including buffer type. All those described in the main chapters are included.

Appendix 3: TOPS Codes lists all of the types allocated a TOPS code. The AARKND are given to include the 4th character not normally written on the wagons themselves alongside the Design sheet (which replaced diagram number and is more accurate).

Finally, there is a two page INDEX.

Paul Bartlett
HMRS BR Wagon Steward

Western Thunder Tatlow, P. (2005 – 2015) LNER Wagons. Published by Wild Swan

[ii] Monk-Steel, David (2011) Merry-go-round on the rails. HMRS publishing, Butterley Station, Derbys. 196 pages ISBN 978-0-902835-30-6.
 
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