The railway had a variety of other wagons for different jobs on the line, these were the B series wagons. So called because their numbering was prefixed with a "B". These wagons were used to carry materials on the railway and fall into these types:
Half Highs - these wagons were half the height of a hopper wagon with a flat floor and drop-down side doors.
Half High - Wagon No B24
B24 is now referred to as 'The Queen Mother's Wagon'. This is because it was fitted out with an appropriate 'throne' on which the Queen Mother sat as she was taken on a journey down the East Incline on the occasion of the inauguration of the Bowes Railway Preservation Scheme. She was accompanied by a brass band in another wagon playing the traditional 'Conquering Hero'. The wagon was rebuilt in 2000 and fitted with seating and wheelchair accommodation. It is use as a through-piped open wagon for conveying visitors.
Bogie-Wagon No B39, stabled in the 'dish' at Springwell with side door dropped
Bogie-Wagon No B39,
End view of the wagon on a works train on the Pelaw main curve, looking towards the Bowes main line
Flat or Block Bogies - similar to the half highs but with only one side plank, these were used to carry materials on the railway especially rails. This use required a large wood block to be placed on the floor of the wagon to give the required clearance of the sides.
Bogie - Wagon No B52
The wagon is shown on a works train at Black Fell. This site is only accessible by rope train down the west incline
Below, two of the flat bed wagons are shown together at Black Fell on a works train. Note that B52 is missing one end plank.
Bogie - Wagon Nos B52 & B3
Bogie - Wagon Nos B52 & B3
The Loco Coal Bogies were similar to the half highs except that they did not have side doors. There were 14 of these bogies and one was converted for use as a snow plough, and kept at Marley Hill. It was parked not far from the loco shed and was rarely moved.
Local Coal Bogie - Wagon No 1424
© E H Jeynes
Local Coal Bogie - Wagon No 1431
Converted to snowplough
Kibblesworth Drift Bogie. This was used to shunt the sidings at Kibblesworth Drift. The "Drift" was on a slope and therefore could be shunted by a rope. The Drift Bogie had a platform for the shunter to ride on at one side of the front (rope end), and a gong mechanism worked off the wheel at the other side. This wagon was loaded with scrap to increase its weight to enable it to run down to the sidings. An iron framed wagon (No 57) was re-built as a replacement, but never commissioned.
© P W Norman
© P W Norman
Kibblesworth Drift Bogie
Wagon No B1
Examples of all these wagon types can be found preserved at Springwell.
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This page last updated 30 March 2008 |