GWR Goods Container A890

GWRGreat Western Railway Goods Container A890
A890 is approximately half the size of this ‘Type B’ container.
Built By	GWRGreat Western Railway Swindon
Status	Restored
Number	A890
History
Built	1931
Diagram	A1
Type	Container (wood plank body)
Capacity	2½ tons
2013	Donated to the FoKTS
Goods Wagons

The GWRGreat Western Railway began to experiment with container transport in the late 1920s, and by the outbreak of World War Two had built around 2,150 containers. The container was essentially a van body which could be carried by a 'ConflatGWR telegraphic code signifying a flat wagon for containers' Wagon such as GWR 39860 and also by road transport, without the need to unlock the container or remove goods from it during transhipment. They were therefore used mainly for manufactured goods of high value or commodities which needed to be protected from the weather.

History

GWRGreat Western Railway A890 was built in October 1931 to Diagram A1. It had had external dimensions of 7ft 2½in length x 6ft 2in width x 7ft 2½in height with a wood plank body and a 2½ ton capacity. The "Type A" small covered containers were generally between 7ft – 8ft in length, approximately half the size of the "Type B" seen in the photograph above, meaning two could be carried on one wagon.

Preservation

A890 was donated to the Friends of Kidderminster Town Station in 2013 and has since been fully restored and repainted in its original livery of dark grey body with white lettering.

See also

List of goods wagons

References

Links

• Friends of Kidderminster Town Station web site
• GWR Container on www.kfriends.org.uk