Wagon markings and their meaning

[holywell junction]

Morning. Potentially naive question but I am about to label some ex LMS 5 plank wagons in 1950's/60's condition and I want to know what the markings, normally at the right hand side of the wagon actually mean...

I understands that on the left hand side of the wagon you normally have the wagon number with the tonnage shown above. On the right hand side, the wheel base measurement is easy enough but wagons always have lettering such as 6-11 or sometimes three digits e.g. 5-14-0 shown. Can anyone tell me what this refers to?

 

I've been searching for some time now but failing epically!

[31A]

It's the tare weight of the wagon; i.e. the weight of the wagon itself when empty.

[holywell junction]

Thanks Steve much appreciated!

[Fat Controller]

The tare weight was the most frequently repainted part of most wagons; wagons were weighed, and the new tare noted, after any works visits for repairs or modification.

[The Bigbee Line]

In the 80s when I was at Dover. We had 20 empty “Frigos”. They wanted 10 particular ones shunted out for seed potatoe traffic from Scotland, these were the ones that weren’t vac fitted. They were lighter, so could take a bit more load. As they were required for M94, they got the first 10....

Edited January 6, 2019 by The Bigbee Line

[holywell junction]

Can I add another rather naive one. Does the tonnage as shown above the wagon show just the maximum load or does it mean load plus tare? I'm just interested and I have an old train load ready reckoner that was my dad's in the 60's so I've been wondering how to apply this to modelling. If anyone is interested, I'll dig it out and put it on here.

[Fat Controller]

Can I add another rather naive one. Does the tonnage as shown above the wagon show just the maximum load or does it mean load plus tare? I'm just interested and I have an old train load ready reckoner that was my dad's in the 60's so I've been wondering how to apply this to modelling. If anyone is interested, I'll dig it out and put it on here.

The '13t' or whatever, figure was the maximum load, so this would be added to the tare to give the gross vehicle weight. There is a group that holds copies of all sorts of operational documents, who might be interested in yours:-

http://www.barrowmoremrg.co.uk/Prototype.html

[holywell junction]

Thanks Brian. I'll get them a copy but also stick it on here.

[Compound2632]

NB the tare weight is in tons, hundredweight (20 to the ton), and quarters (4 to the hundredweight, naturally), e.g. 5-14-0 = 5 tons, 14 cwt, 0 qtrs. So when applying transfers to the model, the second number should be no greater than 19 and the third no greater than 3. Occasionally the designers of ready-to-use tare weight transfers forget this.

 

The main point of showing the tare weight was to make sure the consignee was paying the correct amount for the load by putting the wagon on a weighbridge. For folk used to dealing in LSD, subtracting 5-14-0 from 13-11-3 was a doddle.

Edited January 6, 2019 by Compound2632

[holywell junction]

Thank you for this. I could do the old money and weights in primary school but sadly, I think I would just run away now!!

[spikey]

For folk used to dealing in LSD, subtracting 5-14-0 from 13-11-3 was a doddle.

 

Any ageing hippies reading that are going to be scratching their heads about those prices ...

[Compound2632]

Any ageing hippies reading that are going to be scratching their heads about those prices ...

 

! I should have written, £sd.