OAA enters preservation with Project: Railfreight
WITH just four OAA open wagons still extant, an example of this historic type has finally been acquired for preservation, No. 100036 having been purchased from DB Cargo at March Whitemoor Yard by Kieran Fallows.
This becomes the fourth vehicle in the Project: Railfreight fleet, along with OBA No. 110443, VBA No. 200631 and VCA No. 200406, which are all based at Chasewater.
However, No. 100036 – built at Ashford Works in 1971 – will not join them and moved to the Great Central Railway on September 9 to take up engine carrying duties for the Heavy Traction Group’s spare 12CSVT power unit.
Notably this was one of 31
OAAs converted by EWS with dropside mesh doors for Mendip Rail’s Forticrete block flow between Merehead quarry and Acton, although Kieran has stated a long-term intention to reinstate the original wood-sided doors.
The OAA design was part of the second phase of British Rail’s air-braked freight revolution that began in the 1960s. After the groundbreaking introduction of the MGR coal hoppers and Freightliner flats in the middle of the decade, the next development focused on general merchandise wagons. The first batches of these were delivered from Ashford and Shildon between 1969-71 and eventually totalled 1049 vehicles of three types; an open (Open AB, later OAA), vans with different door configurations (Cov AB/CD, later VAA/ VBA/VCA) and a steel carrier (Steel AB, later SAA). All utilised the same basic 20ft 9in wheelbase chassis primarily with long link suspension and prominent weight balancing linkages on one side.
While the fleet was not considered a huge success, being quickly superseded by higher capacity internationallyregistered wagons and more effective designs such as the OBA, OCA, SPA and VDA, they survived without major withdrawals until the millennium. As of 2022 those still on the books have almost all been extensively modified from their as delivered condition. Fortunately, a further 21 have been purchased for preservation, although unsurprisingly the covered variants have been the most popular to provide secure storage for spares.
The only other non-van types to be saved are former Steel ABs
No. 400053 at the Nene Valley and No. 400198 at Peak Rail, while several still exist on DB Cargo’s books.