This set of four drawings from the Study Centre’s Derby C&W Drawing Office collection illustrate Stephen Lea’s article ‘Covered Goods Wagons: Part 3’ in Journal No. 91 (Autumn 2026). The drawings should be studied and the captions read in conjunction with this article.
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They illustrate the development of the Midland’s 17′ 6″ long steel-framed covered goods wagons from the initial batch of 10′ 0″ wheelbase vacuum braked wagons built in 1911/12 and the following pre-Great War batches of unfitted wagons, to the post-Great War versions with 9′ 6″ wheelbase and 9′ 0″ wheelbase, the latter becoming the prototypes of the first generation of LMS standard 12 ton covered goods wagons.
88-D1271
Drawing 3557 ‘Covered Goods Wagon with Iron Underframe’, November 1911. This is the drawing for the 200 covered goods wagons with passenger undergear and automatic vacuum brake, authorised by the Carriage & Wagon Committee on 5 October 1911 and entered in the lot list as lot 778 eight days later. These vehicles were assigned diagram D633.
88-D0116
Drawing 3644 ‘Arrangement of Brake for Covered Goods’, 26 February 1912. This is the drawing for the underframes of the 100 unfitted 10 ton covered goods wagons of lot 786, placed on 14 December 1911, and the 200 of lot 822, placed on 4 January 1913. This drawing does not show details such as the drawgear and buffing springs, which were the same as drawing 3557. The Specification for these lots shows that the underframe was made of wrought iron sections, with the body framing being of steel.
88-D1073
Drawing 5098 ‘Covered Goods Wagons with Steel Frame Body’, January 1920. This drawing applies to the 100 covered goods wagons of lot 945, placed on 27 January 1920, and the 150 of lot 970, placed on 16 November 1921. The latter were originally ordered as part of 200 wagons ordered as lot 955 on 18 December 1920. The lot 945 wagons had type W12 axleboxes and were rated to carry 10 tons; those of lot 970 had type W7 axleboxes to carry 12 tons. The bodywork was substantially similar to the pre-war drawing 3557 except for the top-hung doors; other minor differences are noted in the Journal article. These wagons had 9′ 6″ wheelbase.
88-D1072
Drawing 5284 ‘Standard steel underframe for 12 tons covered goods wagons’, 13 April 1921. This is the drawing for the 9′ 0″ wheelbase underframe of the 50 covered goods wagons of lot 955, entered in the lot list on 18 December 1920 and built from the following May onwards. This underframe introduces substantial changes from previous Midland practice, notably RCH split-type axleboxes, coil-sprung buffers with ribbed buffer guides, and Morton brake gear with brake blocks only on the side of the wagon that has the brake lever reversing cam, an arrangement that would become standard on LMS wagons. Note the box calling out various drawings including ones of LNWR and LYR origin.
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Snow Plough Van No. 115054, allocated to Carlisle. One of the pair built at Derby Carriage & Wagon Works to drawing 1069 as lot 366 ordered on 8 October 1895. The other van, No. 115053, was allocated to Hellifield and converted to a ballast brake in 1910.
Carriage & Wagon Drawing No. 1069, ‘Snow Plough Van’, entered in the Drawing Register on 29 July 1985. This version of the drawing appears to be largely in pencil but with the side elevation of the underfame inked in and additions in red showing alterations to the brake gear on the van converted to a ballast brake to Special Works Order 25/6 of 10 March 1910.
A second version of Carriage & Wagon Drawing No. 1069, ‘Snow Plough Van’.
Diagram No. D222, ‘Proposed conversion of Snow Plough Van into Ballast Brake’. This conversion was made by Special Works Order 25/6 of 10 March 1910. The converted van was probably the Hellifield one, made redundant by the bogie snowploughs built in 1908. Its number, 115053, was subsequently assigned to a gunpowder van taken over from the LT&SR in 1912, whilst the Return of Working Stock in the Report & Accounts for the half-year ending 30 June 1910 shows an increase of one in the number of goods brake vans, suggesting that this van may have taken the number M.1664.
Carriage & Wagon Drawing No. 3092A, ‘Snow Plough’, entered in the Drawing Register on 28 August 1908, depicting the ‘Hellifield Twins’, the pair of snow ploughs built on old bogie tender frames, noted as being provided by the Locomotive Department. The drawing shows the rear compartment fitted out as a mess or staff riding van, with a note that on the other plough of the pair, this space was to be fitted out as a tool van. It is not known which was which out of vans Nos. 1 and 2.
Carriage & Wagon Drawing No. 3097 ‘Details for Snow Plough Van’, entered in the Drawing Register on 29 November 1908. This shows, to various scales, the metal sheathing of the bogie snow ploughs and the adjustable plough share.
88-D0224
Drawing 1032, 8 ton covered goods wagon. The last 100 wagons of lot 342, the ten of lot 364, 450 of lot 462, all 1,734 of lot 503, and the first 500 of lot 543 were built to this drawing. It only differs from Drawing 981 in showing continuous drawgear. Note 10A grease axleboxes, single-sided brake gear, and cast iron sliders for the door. [MRSC 88-D0224, article figure 3]
88-D0886
Drawing 1642, 10 ton covered goods wagon. 1,500 wagons of lot 543 were built to this drawing, along with further 10 to and 8 ton wagons from lot 643 onwards. The drawing has been copied from Drawing 1032 but amended to show oil axleboxes and rollers rather than sliders for the door. The diagonal braces, used from December 1903 onwards, have been inked in, as has the D-shaped numberplate used from lot 824 of 1913 onwards. [MRSC 88-D0886, article figure 4]
88-D1817
Drawing 1822, 10 ton covered goods wagon with louvres and torpedo vents. The final 450 wagons of lot 543 were built to this drawing, along with the 200 vehicles of lot 563 and 150 of lot 585, although these had passenger undergear to drawings 1473 / 1829. The D-shaped numberplate introduced in 1913 has been inked in, although no ventilated vans were built after 1909. [MRSC 88-D1817, article figure 5]
88-D1897
Drawing 1829, depicting the arrangement of the underframe for covered goods wagons with passenger undergear. This drawing is similar to drawing 1473 but with the addition of Morton clutch hand brake levers on both sides of the wagon. Note that both levers face the same end of the wagon. [MRSC 88-D1897, article figure 6]
88-D1818
Drawing 1830, 8 ton covered goods wagon, lots 562 and 625. Note 10A grease axleboxes and brakes and brake lever on one side only, though many were built with Morton clutch brake levers on both sides. [MRSC 88-D1818, article figure 7]
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