East Midlands Railway (EMR) has raised £700 for the Railway Children Charity after it successfully auctioned off a decommissioned 1970’s goods wagon.
The OBA wagon, which was built in 1977 at Ashford works in Hampshire and was used to carry around material such as scrap and general merchandise up until the early nineties, was won by Kieran Fallows of the National Wagon Preservation Group (NWPG).
The NWPG aims to preserve and exhibit a selection of wagons built since the formation of British Rail in 1948.
Kieran Fallows, Project: Railfreight Manager at the NWPG, said: “It’s fantastic to have secured this wagon and at the same time help raise money for such a vital charity.
“Wagons such as the OBA are an important part of our railway heritage. Typically wagons have a shorter lifespan than locomotives and passenger stock and are often scrapped en masse. The NWPG are looking to turn this around, not only preserving these historically important pieces of rolling stock, but by also creating detailed histories of the wagons we preserve.
“This vehicle will be part of our Project: Railfreight initiative, which aims to recreate the sight of a typical 1980’s Railfreight service as operated by British Rail under its Speedlink operations.
“I was delighted when EMR allowed us to bid on the wagon and I’m looking forward to displaying it for others to enjoy.”
Neil Bamford, Fleet Director at East Midlands Railway, said EMR is always keen to support heritage railways and groups when it decommissions old stock.
He said: “Auctioning off the wagon was a good opportunity to raise money for a great charity while also securing a piece of railway history for others to enjoy. We are delighted that the NWPG won the item and that another piece of rail history has been saved from the scrapyard.”
