Local private owner wagons

We came across a collection of a hundred or so old photographs of private owner coal wagons whilst browsing at an antique fair one day. Taking a closer look we found one for Ernest Franklin which was of particular interest and so bought it for our memorabilia collection. A few more have since been added from various sources and this page will grow should we ever come across any others. Our favourite is of course the Ernest Franklin one from Culham which started us off.

The archives of the Historic Model Railway Society (HMRS) contain many drawings and photographs of historical interest. Those indicated below have been taken from some of the collections in their care and are included here with their kind permission. Our thanks also go to Ian Pope of Lightmoor Press who kindly made the Reynolds & Hutton photograph available to us, together with much background information on them and other merchants who operated from the station at Culham.

The wagons shown below were not always owned by the end user. Many such wagons were hired on lease, either directly from the wagon owner/builder or via a railway company. This would certainly have been the case for smaller operators whilst others, such as Stevens & Co of Oxford, operated a large fleet.


Ernest Franklin
Author's collection

Ernest Franklin, Culham

Ernest Franklin, Coal & Coke Merchant, wagon no.5

Made by the Gloucester Railway Carriage & Wagon Company Limited and photographed in October 1904
Dimensions given are 14'5" x 6'11" x 3'1"
Painted red with white lettering shaded black
The wagon is marked as being 5-13-1 tare (unloaded) and to carry a load of 8 tons

Although the coal yard was at Culham Station, the postal address is given as being Clifton Hampden, Abingdon. This could be explained by the fact that we have seen an early reference to an 'Ernest Franklin, shopkeeper and Carrier' who operated his business at the Post Office in Clifton Hampden, being also the sub-postmaster.



Reynolds and Hutton
Courtesy of Ian Pope, Lightmoor Press

Reynolds & Hutton, Culham Station & Clifton Hampden

Reynolds & Hutton, Coal Merchants - Noted House Coals, wagon no.3

Made by the Midland Railway Carriage & Wagon Company Limited and photographed circa 1904
Dimensions cannot be made out
Painted grey with white lettering all shaded black
The wagon is marked as being 6-5-1 tare (unloaded) and to carry a load of 10 tons

The name of Reynolds has a long association with Culham. Starting as 'Reynolds & Son', possibly as early as the late 1870s, the business grew and became 'Reynolds & Hutton' from about 1915 until the partnership was dissolved around 1924 and it reverted to its original name. For many years John Richard Reynolds traded as a coal merchant whilst also being licensee of the Railway Hotel.

Culham station was fairly well served with goods facilities right from day one. There was a cattle dock and loop on the Up side, and another loop and goods shed on the Down side with crossings between the running lines. The layout changed slightly over time, and for a while a siding leaving the cattle loop served an adjacent Royal Navy air station. Goods services to and from Culham were withdrawn on 19th July 1965 and during the early 1970s the waiting shelter on platform 1, the signal box, and the goods shed were all demolished. A tiny bit of track from the air base siding still exists, but most other remnants of the former track layout have long gone, with the station being reduced to just the two running lines.



Dunsdon Brothers
Courtesy of Radley History Club

Dunsdon Bros., Radley GWR

Dunsdon Brothers, Coal, Coke & Corn Merchants, wagon no.5

Made by the Gloucester Railway Carriage & Wagon Company Limited and photographed in February 1915
Dimensions given are 15'6" x 7'0" x 3'1"
Painted red with white lettering shaded black
The wagon is marked as being 6-1-0 tare (unloaded) and to carry a load of 8 tons

Radley station opened on 8th September 1873. The older Abingdon branch had been extended from its original junction with the Didcot to Oxford railway at Abingdon Junction (which was closed), to run alongside the main line and form a junction at the new station at Radley. There were limited goods facilities as there were only two sidings and no cattle dock or goods shed. There were a couple of loops adjacent to the Abingdon line but all traces have been lost as the area now serves as the car park. The location of the former coal yard can still be made out but it is now occupied by a Network Rail facility. The last passenger train ran to Abingdon in 1963 and Radley started to loose its staff, buildings and sidings, but coal traffic and car transport trains carrying new MG cars kept the short branch to Abingdon going until 1984 when all traffic ceased. The branch and all associated trackwork was soon removed leaving just the two running lines.



John North
Courtesy of the HMRS - GRC&W Co. collection, ref ACG432

John North, Abingdon

John North, Coal Merchant, wagon no.10

Made by the Gloucester Railway Carriage & Wagon Company Limited and photographed in October 1896
Dimensions given are 14'5" x 6'11" x 3'6"(?)
Painted black with white letters
The wagon is marked as being 5-15-0 tare (unloaded) and to carry a load of 8 tons



Langford & Sons
Courtesy of Julian Langford

R.S.Langford & Sons, Steventon Challow & Abingdon

R.S.Langford & Sons, wagon no.10

Made by the Gloucester Railway Carriage & Wagon Company Limited and photographed in November 1901
Dimensions given are 14'5" x 6'11" x 4'0"
Painted bright red with white lettering shaded black
The wagon is marked as being 6-4-0 tare (unloaded) and to carry a load of 10 tons

The GWR main line reached Steventon in 1840 and was at that time the nearest station to Oxford, it remained in use until closed in 1964. Challow station opened as Faringdon Road in 1840, and was renamed Challow on the opening of the short branch from Uffington to Faringdon in 1864. Goods services were withdrawn in 1965 and little remains on the station site. The broad gauge Abingdon branch opened in 1856. Following closure to passengers in 1963 the station retained some coal traffic and cars from the MG factory were loaded there for onward delivery. Final closure came in 1984 when the MG factory ceased production and the track was lifted shortly afterwards. The layout of the station and goods yard can still be discerned in the shape of a supermarket car park which was built on the site, and much of the line of the branch can be walked as portions have been converted to a foot and cycle path.



Stevens & Co.
Courtesy of the HMRS - GRC&W Co. collection,ref ACG525

Stevens & Co., North Parade, Oxford

Stevens & Co., wagon no.3

Made by the Gloucester Railway Carriage & Wagon Company Limited and photographed in September 1897
Dimensions given are 14'5" x 7'0" x 3'1"
Painted red with white letters shaded black
The wagon is marked as being 5-14-0 tare (unloaded) and to carry a load of 8 tons



W.Woodley
Author's collection. Courtesy D.Bowman

W.Woodley, Oxford

W.Woodley, wagon no.3

Made by the Gloucester Railway Carriage & Wagon Company Limited and photographed in July 1891
Dimensions cannot be made out
Painted black with white lettering
The wagon is marked as being 5-15-3 tare (unloaded) and to carry a load of 10 tons

This photograph appears to be a copy rather than being printed from a negative and much detail has been lost. The axle boxes can be seen to be marked GWR however.



W.Simmonds & Son
Courtesy of the HMRS - GRC&W Co. collection, ref ACH414

W.Simmonds & Son, Oxford

W.Simmonds & Son, wagon no.23

Made by the Gloucester Railway Carriage & Wagon Company Limited and photographed in November 1897
Dimensions given are 14'5" x 7'0" x 3'2"
Painted chocolate with white letters shaded black
The wagon is marked as being 5-17-0 tare (unloaded) and to carry a load of 8 tons



F.Bosley
Courtesy of the HMRS - GRC&W Co. collection, ref ACG903

F.Bosley, Didcot

F.Bosley, Coal Merchant, wagon no.2

Made by the Gloucester Railway Carriage & Wagon Company Limited and photographed in September 1906
Dimensions given are 14'5" x 6'11" x 4'0"
Painted lead color [sic] with white letters shaded black
The wagon is marked as being 5-17-2 tare (unloaded) and to carry a load of 10 tons



J.H.Hutt & Sons
Courtesy of J.H.Hutt & Sons

J.H.Hutt & Sons, Cholsey GWR

J.H.Hutt & Sons, wagon no.1

Made by the Gloucester Railway Carriage & Wagon Company Limited and photographed in January 1915
Dimensions given are 15'6" x 7'0" x 4'0"
Painted red with white letters shaded black
The wagon is marked as being 6-6-1 tare (unloaded) and to carry a load of 10 tons

The short branch line which ran from Cholsey to Wallingford ceased to carry passengers in 1959 with goods services to Walllingford being stopped in 1965. In 1969 the station and associated land was sold off with the line being terminating at the Maltings just outside Wallingford town centre. The Cholsey and Wallingford Preservation Society was formed in 1981 and have succeeded in re-opening the line, restoring the main line connection and bay at Cholsey and establishing a new station at Wallingford. The goods facilities and sidings at Cholsey have long been removed, but J.H.Hutt continue to operate from their original 1870s site and regularly supply fuel for us to burn in the open fire in the ticket office waiting room at Culham.



H.W.Snow & Son
Courtesy of the HMRS - GRC&W Co. collection, ref ACG322

H.W.Snow & Son, Wallingford

H.W.Snow & Son, Coal Merchants, wagon no.57

Made by the Gloucester Railway Carriage & Wagon Company Limited and photographed in October 1894
Dimensions given are 14'5" x 6'11" x 4'0"
Painted black with white letters shaded red
The wagon is marked as being 6-1-2 tare (unloaded) and to carry a load of 10 tons



Weedon Bro's.
Courtesy of the HMRS - BC&W Co. collection, ref AAA516

Weedon Bro's., Goring

Weedon Bro's., Wallingford Watlington Wheatley Etc., wagon no.131

Made by the Birmingham Carriage & Wagon Company Limited and photographed in November 1914
Dimensions not given
Believed to be painted red with white letters shaded black
The wagon is marked as being 6-7-1 tare (unloaded) and to carry a load of 8 tons



B.Turner
Courtesy of the HMRS - Peter Matthews collection, ref AAX913

B.Turner, Morris Cowley Station, Oxford

B.Turner, wagons no.18 & 20

Made by the Gloucester Railway Carriage & Wagon Company Limited and photographed in September 1936
Dimensions given are 10'1" x 7'7" x 4'4"
Painted red with white letters shaded black
The wagons are marked as being 6-19-0 & 9-18-0 tare (unloaded) and to carry a load of 12 tons



T.J.Robbins
Author's collection. Courtesy of D.Bowman

T.J.Robbins, Wheatley Oxon. G.W.R.

T.J.Robbins, Coal & Coke Merchant, wagon no.7

Made by the Gloucester Railway Carriage & Wagon Company Limited and photographed in September 1902
Dimensions given are 14'5" x 6'11" x 3'1"
Painted black with white letters
The wagon is marked as being 5-12-2 tare (unloaded) and to carry a load of 8 tons

Wheatley station opened in 1864 on the line between Oxford and Princes Risborough via Thame and closed in 1963. Some goods services and diverted passenger trains continued along the line until the track was closed between Thame and Morris Cowley in 1968. Whilst no evidence of the station site itself remains, the main road is still named Station Road.



George Wright
Author's collection. Courtesy of D.Bowman

George Wright, G.W.R. Thame

George Wright, wagon no.5

Made by the Gloucester Railway Carriage & Wagon Company Limited and photographed in December 1897
Dimensions given are 14'5" x 7'0" x 3'2"
Painted red with white letters shaded black
The wagon is marked as being 5-17-1 tare (unloaded) and to carry a load of 8 tons

Thame station was opened in 1862 as the terminus of the branch from High Wycombe via Princes Risborough. The line was extended via Wheatley and Littlemore to join the Didcot to Oxford line at Kennington Junction, and thus reach Oxford, in 1864. In 1963 British Railways withdrew passenger services between Princes Risborough and Oxford, closed all intermediate stations including Thame, and dismantled the track between Thame and Cowley. A BP depot remained at Thame and the line from Princes Risborough remained open for oil trains to serve it. In 1991 the oil depot was closed. A few years later all track between Thame and Princes Risborough was lifted, with the exception of a short stub at the Princes Risborough end.



S.G.Foster
Author's collection. Courtesy of D.Bowman

S.G.Foster, Thame

S.G.Foster, wagon no.50

Made by the Gloucester Railway Carriage & Wagon Company Limited and photographed in November 1911
Dimensions given are 14'5" x 7'0" x 3'2"
Painted chocolate with white letters shaded black
The wagon is marked as being 5-19-0 tare (unloaded) and to carry a load of 8 tons



John Wright
Author's collection. Courtesy of D.Bowman

John Wright, Thame

John Wright, Coal Merchant, wagon no.7

Made by the Gloucester Railway Carriage & Wagon Company Limited and photographed in November 1914
Dimensions given are 14'6" x 7'0" x 4'0"
Painted red with white letters shaded black
The wagon is marked as being 6-5-3 tare (unloaded) and to carry a load of 10 tons

Could John and George Wright (above) have been related?



W.S.Clarke
Courtesy of John Speller

W.S.Clarke, Faringdon

W.S.Clarke, Owner, wagon no.21

Made by the Gloucester Railway Carriage & Wagon Company Limited and photographed in July 1892
Dimensions given are 14'5" x 6'11" x 4'0"
Painted lead color [sic] with white letters shaded black
The wagon is marked as being 5-18-0 tare (unloaded) and to carry a load of 10 tons

The three and a quarter mile Faringdon branch connected with the Great Western main line at Uffington Junction and served the town of Faringdon in Berkshire. This broad gauge line opened on 1 June 1864. It was converted to standard gauge on 10 August 1878 and the Faringdon Railway Company was absorbed by the GWR on 1 July 1886. Passenger services were withdrawn on 29 December 1951, with complete closure following on 1 July 1963. The original stone built ticket office still stands, although all other traces of the station have disappeared.



Bliss Tweed Mills
Courtesy of the HMRS - GRC&W Co. collection, ref ACH709

Bliss & Son, Chipping Norton

Bliss Tweed Mills, wagon no.7

Made by the Gloucester Railway Carriage & Wagon Company Limited and photographed in January 1897
Dimensions given are 14'6" x 6'11" x 3'8"
Painted green with white letters shaded tan
The wagon is marked as being 5-17-1 tare (unloaded) and to carry a load of 10 tons



Chipping Norton Co-op
Courtesy of the HMRS - GRC&W Co. collection, ref ACJ128

Chipping Norton Co-operative Society Limited

Wagon no.9

Made by the Gloucester Railway Carriage & Wagon Company Limited and photographed in February 1909
Dimensions given are 14'5" x 6'11" x 3'1"
Painted black with white letters
The wagon is marked as being 5-17-1 tare (unloaded) and to carry a load of 8 tons



Wagon makers plate Wagon makers plate Wagon makers plate Wagon makers plate

Examples of wagon maker's plates