PART 1
A guide to Special Constructed Railway Wagons which were built to carry exceptional loads. The name of the type is followed by the code name in capital letters, and a brief description. I hope this may prove useful.
British Railways telegraph codes for Specially Constructed Wagons –
Armour Plate – ARM – Short bogie flat wagon for heavy concentrated loads (British Railways standard type codes ARM WE, WF, EL, ET)
Boiler – BOILER – Bogie wagon for carrying boilers, originally intended to carry Lancashire boilers in a cradle in the wagon deck. (BOILER EG, EF), Also a multi axle wagon for carrying power station steam boilers (BOILER EB).
Chemical Pan – LOWMAC MH – Four wheel depressed centre wagon for carrying chemical pans, a Lowmac with a hole in centre of deck, and timber baulks.
Flat – FLAT – Long bogie flat wagon for awkward loads, also 4 wheeled flat wagon. (FLAT ED, EL, EQ, ET, EU, WG)
Girder – GIRDER – Separate bogie frames with turn tables for carrying exceptionally long loads such as bridge girders. The load becomes part of the wagon unit. (GIRDER WG)
Glass – GLASS – 4 wheel and bogie well wagon with supporting frame for glass in crates. (GLASS WC, EO, EP)
Gun – GUNSET – multiple bogie wagon for carrying large naval gun barrels.
Machine – LOWMAC – four wheel wagon with ramped ends and deck below 3’ above rail for wheeled machinery suitable for loading from end dock . (LOWMAC AB, EK, EO, EP, ER, ES, ET, EU, MR, MS, MU,SC, SF, SG, SH, WBB, WE, WP, WN, WV)
Machine – HYMAC - four wheel wagon with ramped ends and deck 3’ or over above rail for wheeled machinery suitable for loading from end dock . (HYMAC EP, EX)
Rectank – RECTANK – bogie wagon with ramped ends for wheeled /tracked machinery for loading from end dock. (RECTANK EC, WC)
Carriage truck – CARTRUCK - unfitted, CARFIT - with vacuum brake, – four wheeled flat wagon for wheeled vehicles for loading from end dock.
Roll- ROLL – four wheeled wagon for steel mill rolls in cradles.
Stator – STATOR – multi axle wagon for carrying generator Stators suspended on long girders.
Transformer – TRANSFORMER – bogie wagon with removable side girders for carrying large transformers and similar indivisible loads slung between them. (TRANSFORMER MC)
Trestle plate – TRESTLE – four wheel or bogie wagon for carrying wide plates on angled trestles. (TRESTLE AA, AB, EA, ED, EH)
Trolley, flat – FLATROL – four wheel or bogie wagon with depressed level flat deck between raised ends. Removable longitudinal baulks.(FLATROL EA, EAB, EAC, ED, EDC, EG, EL, EN, ET, EV, EX, EY, EZ, MCC, MDD, MHH, MJ, MSS, MUU, MVV, SB, WW, WX .
Trolley, propeller – PROTROL- . four wheel or bogie wagon with depressed well between raised ends with opening for carrying ships propellers supported between longitudinal timber baulks.(PROTROL ED, EG)
Trolley, trestle – TRESTROL – four wheel or bogie wagon with depressed well for carrying extra wide plates on angled trestles.(TRESTROL AB, EC, EO, EJ, EN, MO)
Trolley, well – WELTROL – four wheel or bogie wagons with depressed well deck between raised ends. Removable longitudinal baulks.(WELTROL EB, EC, EJC, EL, ENN, EP, MA, MC, MV, WBB,WGG, WH, WJ, WL, WP, WW, WZ)
Wheel – WHEEL – four wheel or bogie wagon with framework to support colliery head gear wheels carried vertically. (WHEEL EA, EL)
WD Flat (for tanks) – WARFLAT – 50 ton flat wagon originally intended for armoured fighting vehicles.
WD Case (for crates) – PARROT – 50 ton wagon originally intended for crates of aircraft parts
WD Well (for tanks) – WARWELL –50 ton well wagon originally intended for armoured fighting vehicles.
Specially Constructed wagons used by the Civil Engineer
Four wheel flat trolley – LORIOT
Multi Axle Boiler wagon modified to carry bridge girders – BRIDGE
150 ton Girder wagon set - CONGER
BR and constituents Specially Constructed Wagons
Re: BR and constituents Specially Constructed Wagons
Part 2
Great Western Railway used the following telegraph codes for its Specials –
POLLEN – Girder wagon
TOTEM – Armour Plate
SERPENT – Roll Wagon, Car Truck
CROCODILE – Well Trolley, Flat Trolley, Boiler Trolley, Transformer
RECTANK – Rectank
MOREL – Propellor Trolley
LORIOT – Lowmac, 4 wheel Flat Trolley
BEAVER – Flat Truck
GADFLY – Flat Truck
HYDRA – Lowmac
MAYFLY – Four wheel transformer truck
Great Western Railway used the following telegraph codes for its Specials –
POLLEN – Girder wagon
TOTEM – Armour Plate
SERPENT – Roll Wagon, Car Truck
CROCODILE – Well Trolley, Flat Trolley, Boiler Trolley, Transformer
RECTANK – Rectank
MOREL – Propellor Trolley
LORIOT – Lowmac, 4 wheel Flat Trolley
BEAVER – Flat Truck
GADFLY – Flat Truck
HYDRA – Lowmac
MAYFLY – Four wheel transformer truck
LC&DR says South for Sunshine
Re: BR and constituents Specially Constructed Wagons
London and North Eastern Railway used telegraph codes as follows –
Armour Plate Wagon – ARM
Bell wagon – BELL for carrying cast church bells.
Boiler – BOILER
Flat wagon – FLAT
Glass wagon – GLASS / WELL GLASS
Gunset – GUNSET
Machine wagon, high ramped – IMP (Hymac)
Machine wagon, low ramped – MAC (Lowmac)
Twin machine wagon, ramped – TWIN IMP
Rectank ramped – RECTANK
Traction engine – TRACTION
Pulley or Wheel wagon – PULLEY - for colliery winding wheels
Transformer – TRANSFORMER
Flat trolley wagon – FLATROL
Open Well wagon (removable crossbars) – WELTROL
Propeller trolley wagon – PROTROL
Trestle trolley wagon – TRESTROL
Armour Plate Wagon – ARM
Bell wagon – BELL for carrying cast church bells.
Boiler – BOILER
Flat wagon – FLAT
Glass wagon – GLASS / WELL GLASS
Gunset – GUNSET
Machine wagon, high ramped – IMP (Hymac)
Machine wagon, low ramped – MAC (Lowmac)
Twin machine wagon, ramped – TWIN IMP
Rectank ramped – RECTANK
Traction engine – TRACTION
Pulley or Wheel wagon – PULLEY - for colliery winding wheels
Transformer – TRANSFORMER
Flat trolley wagon – FLATROL
Open Well wagon (removable crossbars) – WELTROL
Propeller trolley wagon – PROTROL
Trestle trolley wagon – TRESTROL
LC&DR says South for Sunshine
Re: BR and constituents Specially Constructed Wagons
Part 4
London Midland and Scottish Railway used letter telegraph codes instead of names –
Armour Plate – HAX, AZ, AE
Gunset – GUNSET MB, GUNSET M
Low Machine – U10, U1R
Low Machine, Chemical Pan - U10
High Machine – TRK
Deep Case Truck – DCK
Glass Truck – GLK
4 wheel Flat Trolley – TYK, TYO, TYR
Bogie Flat Trolley – BTO, BTZ
Bogie Trestle Trolley – BTA, BTZ, BTP, BTE
Bogie Well Trolley – BTZ, BTP, BTC, BTO
Transformer – BTY, BTW
Girder Set – TGP, TGT,
The Southern had very few Specially Constructed Wagons and used MAC or WELL interchangably for Machinery wagons, and CROCODILE for Weltrol wagons.
London Midland and Scottish Railway used letter telegraph codes instead of names –
Armour Plate – HAX, AZ, AE
Gunset – GUNSET MB, GUNSET M
Low Machine – U10, U1R
Low Machine, Chemical Pan - U10
High Machine – TRK
Deep Case Truck – DCK
Glass Truck – GLK
4 wheel Flat Trolley – TYK, TYO, TYR
Bogie Flat Trolley – BTO, BTZ
Bogie Trestle Trolley – BTA, BTZ, BTP, BTE
Bogie Well Trolley – BTZ, BTP, BTC, BTO
Transformer – BTY, BTW
Girder Set – TGP, TGT,
The Southern had very few Specially Constructed Wagons and used MAC or WELL interchangably for Machinery wagons, and CROCODILE for Weltrol wagons.
LC&DR says South for Sunshine
- Walkingthedog
- Posts: 4948
- Joined: Thu Oct 04, 2018 5:51 pm
- Location: HAZLEMERE, BUCKS.
- Contact:
Re: BR and constituents Specially Constructed Wagons
Thank you LC. Fantastic. I wonder if this could be made a sticky.
Nurse, the screens!
Re: BR and constituents Specially Constructed Wagons
Brilliant information, thank you so much for sharing this.
And the Lord said unto John “Come forth and receive eternal life”, but John came fifth and won a toaster!
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 0 guests