Private Owners, British Railways, NCB

The three box coal wagon may be considered the original container wagon. Developed from 1856 with the encouragement of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway for the transport of bunker coal to the new Bramley Moore and Wellington High Level docks at Liverpool. How successful the LYR was encouraging three box coal wagon use is not known, however within a few years Blundells had a fleet of 200.

These wagons were also seen at North West ports including Birkenhead, Liverpool and Fleetwood. Some large private owner companies with workshop facilities built their own but the majority were the product of the Ince Waggon and Ironworks. Most wagons were of the Ince design with an open chassis which support three boxes. Axle boxes were of the Attocks open type with a standard Ince Wagon buffer. Some nine companies are known to have used this type of wagon.

The three box coal wagon required special craneage. The boxes were lifted off the wagons by the hooks with the door chains taught, brought over the ship's side, the door chains were released; emptying the coal into the bunker beneath. The box was then returned to the wagon. The wagon always worked with three boxes.

Many hundreds of these distinctive wagons were built for around 9 companies involved in the Lancashire bunker coal trade. A survey of wagons in the Liverpool marshaling yards in 1915 showed 3.5% to be three box coal wagons. With the decline of coal as a shipping fuel and also the decline of the Lancashire Coal field after the Great War many of these wagons became redundant. Some were converted for other uses including salt vans; but a sizable fleet remained which passed on to the National Coal Board at Nationalisation.

Similar vehicles were in use in other parts of the country including the West Midlands and South Wales.

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this wagon click and any other associated products please visit Wizard Models.

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This model is made from white metal and consists of a chassis comprising solebars and end ends with three boxes. Etched brass w-irons and brake levers complete with white metal grease axle boxes, brake shoes and buffers with steel heads are supplied. The door chains are made from fine copper wire. A detailed instruction sheet is supplied with lettering and painting information for companies known to have used three box coal wagons. To download the most recent assembly instructions, current Version 1.00 released September 2004, 4 Sides A4 (70Kb Acrobat 3.01 file).

To read the instructions you will need Adobe Acrobat reader (v3.01 or better). Click 'Get Acrobat Reader' to get a copy of Acrobat Reader: Note this may involve a long download of between 0.5 Mb & 8 Mb depending on the selected version.

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Items required to complete the model:-

• Wheels: 12mm diameter open spoke wheels.
• Paint - we recommend Precision Paint or in some cases Humbrol Acrylic
• Three link couplings.
• Transfers - a range of transfers for 6 companies are available from 51L. For details click here. To purchase see Wizard Models for details.

Paint, wheels and transfers are available from our sister company Wizard Models.

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this wagon click Wizard Models.

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Private Owner Wagons Ince Wagon, A J Watts, HMRS, 1998, P86, P92
Box coal wagons in the North West, A J Watts, Premier Business, December 1896, LYRS/LNWRA
The box wagons of the South Lancashire coal field, A J Watts, Platform 50, Autumn 200, LYRS
Conclusions of the 3 box coal wagon series, A J Watts, P4 Platform 11, LYRS

A list of railway book sellers may be found here.
Details of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Society may be found here.
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