Photo:
Tim Cook - China Clay Wagon awaiting entry to Buffer Depot

This china clay wagon was one of 100 built at Swindon in this lot. It is from the sole design of china clay wagon, and has obvious Great Western parentage, probably stretching back to 1913. The wooden body was retained to prevent the load being stained by rust, while the end door allowed unloading by end tippler, generally into coastal vessels. Swindon was responsible for all construction. B743029 was in the first batch to this lot, and batches were included up to the 1960 program, totalling 875 wagons. It was withdrawn by British Rail at St Blazey, Cornwall, in November 1987 when these wagons were replaced by new CDAs.

These wagons with their tent type canvas hoods and the legend "Not to be moved with the hood down" painted on the side, were once a common sight in the south west of England transporting china clay to the midlands potteries, but are now extinct on the main lines as traffic is carried as a slurry in tank wagons.

Photo:
Robert Frise - China Clay Wagon in Up Yard shortly after delivery