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Accurascale ACC1023

BR 16T Mineral - 1/108 - BR Freight Grey (Original text on black panels) - Pack C

Manufacturer catalogue image - please note that pre-release images may be CAD renders or CGI/AI images rather than photographs

Prototype Eras
Era 4 (1948 to 1956) British Railways Early Crest
Era 5 (1956 to 1966) British Railways Late Crest
Era 7 (1972 to 1982) British Rail Blue (TOPS)

Manufacturer description

Seen as very much the ‘missing link’ in the ‘Powering Britain’ range, the 16 ton mineral wagon is an essential addition to the Accurascale range to tell the story of coal traffic on the railways throughout the 20th century. The archetypal BR 16 ton all-steel non-hoppered mineral wagon proliferated across the United Kingdom’s railway network during the 1950s and 1960s and there was probably not a siding, freight yard or industrial railway system in the country that did not house at least an example or three of these vitally important, yet mundane railway vehicles.

Catalogue listing

Model details

Prototype information

Accurascale has released a new 16T mineral wagon model, part of their 'Powering Britain' range. This model is a BR Freight Grey version with original black panels and is available in a triple pack, containing wagons numbered B100925, B221412, and B247055. The model features a die-cast metal chassis with a plastic body, weighing 37g without a coal load.

The wagon's specifications include a scale length of 78mm over buffers and a width of 34.53mm. It has a wheelbase of 36mm, allowing it to navigate a minimum radius of 371mm. The model comes with separately fitted side doors, top doors, and end doors, along with metal 3-hole wheels and turned metal sprung buffers.

The history of the 16T mineral wagon is a complex one, dating back to the Second World War. Prior to the war, the fleet of private owner coal wagons was struggling to meet demand. The Ministry of War Transport took control of the requisitioned wagons, but the scarcity of materials and resources led to a near-catastrophic situation. In 1944, the MoWT designed and built two new types of 16T all-steel wagons, which were later adopted by British Railways.

The Ideal Stocks Committee's report in 1950 led to a massive influx of new coal wagon types, including the 1/108 and 1/109 designs. British Railways placed orders for 14,161 wagons, which were built by various contractors. The 1/108 design had a welded body, while the 1/109 design had a riveted body. The wagons were equipped with unfitted Morton two-shoe brakegear and side top-flap doors.

The 1950s saw a major wagon building programme, with over 127,000 wagons being constructed. However, the introduction of fitted brakes caused confusion, and only around 12,000 wagons were eventually fitted. The programme was eventually suspended due to operating problems. From 1971, a policy of rebodying wagons with corroded underframes was implemented, and many wagons were withdrawn from service in the 1960s and 1970s. The decline of the coal industry in the 1980s led to the scrapping of many 16T wagons, but the model has played a significant role in preserving railway history.