D1355 7 plank open SR no.14977

The SECR’s most numerous wagon was this rugged seven-plank open. A prototype emerged in 1915 to test the new steel underframe and further batches, totalling 2,121 vehicles, were built between 1919 and 1927. In fact, the only design change that the Southern Railway made was to add a sheet rail. The SR allocated the diagram number 1355 to these wagons. The design was clearly a good one as BR still had over 70 on its books in the 1960s and didn’t withdraw the last ones until the 1970s. Several were sold into private usage. These wagons could be found throughout the SECR network but were recorded as far away as East Anglia and Scotland!

These are the first Southern Region open wagons to be offered to 21st Century standards in ‘OO’. They boast an impressive specification which includes:

• NEM coupler pockets
• Designed in the UK
• Metal bearings for smooth running
• Metal door striker plates
• Injection-moulded plastic body and underframe
• All plank detail, door hinges and strapping accurately rendered
• Optional SR sheetrail