Description
The NER had been building 8T open wagons since 1886 and in the 1893 diagram book they are referred to as High Sided Goods Wagons. Until the introduction of the C9 and C10 High Sided Goods Wagons in 1905 and 1908 respectively, the C2 was the mainstay of the company’s open stock. In 1911 there were 11,191 8T open wagons in service, and the majority were probably to Diagram C2.
C2 wagons fitted with clasp brakes and piped for use in passenger trains were also used as open fish wagons until around 1900. On withdrawal they were converted back to high-sided goods wagons. For fish traffic wagons would have been allocated to particular towns.
This kit depicts the early version of the C2 built from 1886 to around 1900 with No.6 type axleboxes. When first built they had single side brakes with shoes on both wheels. As from c1897 new and, most probably, repaired wagons were fitted with the recently introduced Morton duplex brake gear, i.e. with two brake levers facing the same end.
From the introduction of larger high-sided goods wagons from 1908 these wagons would have been progressively replaced. Very few would have survived into LNER days.
These wagons travelled the length and breadth of the country and were a common sight in goods yards particularly in Southern Scotland and Northern England.
Model in the photo by Paul Gallon.