964008 Rapido UK OO GWR Dia. O19 Open C ‘Tube’ wagon – GWR No.100000 – pre order

SKU: RAP964008 Category:

Description

This is a pre order item which cannot be checked out. Please order by telephone or email, Expected price £33

Originally built to deal with timber loads, the Open C design started life in 1907 as Diagram.O8, the Great Western Railway continued making tweaks to the 15ft wheelbase design and subsequently produced the Dia. 016 in 1913/ 14, and the O19 in 1914. The Open C were also one of the first wagons to be designed to use the DC III brakes.

The O19 was produced right through to 1927, making it the longest-produced diagram of the Open C class of wagon. Further similar diagrams of the Open C were produced into the late 1940s.

Despite its original designation as a timber wagon, it wasn’t long before the class was recoded. By World War Two they were considered tube vehicles, as steel tubing had since become their most common load. During this time period, they were also uprated to a 15-ton load capacity.

Surviving the rigours of two World Wars the Open C continued to transport steel tubes across the nation, and continued to do so right through to the nationalisation and beyond. Due to their specific role, they often ventured further afield than the GWR or BR Western region network, one being photographed as far south as Eastleigh, and some even being under the direct ownership of the Port of London Authority. So, if you want to model anything from a pre-grouping freight train, through to a busy 1950s industrial setting, the GWR Dia. O19 Open C ‘Tube’ wagon is the perfect addition to your collection and rakes.

Additional information

Weight 0.1 kg