Oxford OR76TOT003BU

GWR Totem A GWR (Post 1936) Unnumbered (Rebuilt)

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

Prototype Era
Era 3 (1923 to 1947) The Big Four (LNER, LMS, GWR and SR)

Manufacturer description

GWR Totem A GWR (Post 1936) Unnumbered (Rebuilt)

Built in 1899, the Totem A (Diagram B2) was a short 25ft 1in armour plate bogie wagon with a load capacity of 45T (later uprated to 50T). The wagons primary purpose was to carry large cast iron parts for industrial use. A documented example was a large anvil loaded at Cardiff docks for B.S.A Birmingham.

Under load this wagon was limited to 25mph and could not exceed a travel distance of 25 miles without stopping. Because of this, the wagon was most commonly found in stopping goods trains next to the brake van.

The wagon was originally fitted with a Thomas handbrake but was later replaced with a Dean-Churchward style handbrake. 

Catalogue listing

The Oxford GWR Totem A model is a representation of a type of wagon that was built in 1899. This type of wagon, designated Diagram B2, was a short 25ft 1in armour plate bogie wagon with a load capacity of 45T, which was later increased to 50T. The wagon's primary purpose was to transport large cast iron parts for industrial use.

The wagon was designed to carry heavy loads, but it had limitations in terms of its speed and range. It was limited to a speed of 25mph and was not permitted to travel more than 25 miles without stopping. As a result, it was often used in stopping goods trains alongside the brake van.

The original handbrake fitted to the wagon was a Thomas handbrake, but this was later replaced with a Dean-Churchward style handbrake. The wagon's design and operational characteristics make it a unique and interesting addition to any model railway layout depicting the period of the Big Four railway companies in the UK.