Photo:
Andrew Bratton - Repainted Continental Ferry Wagon

This ferry wagon was built to the UIC standards for continental working, to Lot No. 3472, one of a total of 400 built to this lot (150 by Pressed Steel, 250 by BR Ashford). Originally it would have been painted in bauxite livery, and bore the slogan "Through to the Continent by British Rail" on the doors below the BR logo. It was at one time numbered 21403811, and then numbered DB787329 by BR when taken into departmental service.

It was designed to travel between Britain and Europe (hence continental ferry wagon) on the Harwich-Zeebrugge ferry route, which was able to accommodate larger vehicles than the Southern Region routes. It has several technical features used on continental railways. This includes continental springs and buffers, roller bearings and vacuum and single pipe air brakes with no main reservoir pipe, in common with most European stock. There is therefore a proportional braking valve, and a lever for changeover from vacuum to air brakes and vice versa. It even has separate brackets at each end for European and British lamps. Under the main frame is a towing hitch for static shunting in marshalling yards or on board ship. There are four anchoring brackets down each side for anchoring to a ships' decks. The wagon has side ventilators for perishable goods.

Its 26' 3" wheelbase is one of the largest for a twin axle wagon. It also has an underframe of 41' 11" instead of the domestic norm 17' 6".

In latter years the wagon was used by the British Rail Carriage and Wagon at Eastleigh for storing timber. It was moved by rail to Banbury along with a rake of condemned Grampus wagons ex Waterloo & City departmental stock. It was moved to Quainton by road on 1st October 1992. No similar ferry wagons are thought to be preserved, although several are still used by the Ministry of Defence and in Europe.

References:
Compartment Affairs - Carriage and Wagon Reports - Andrew Bratton - Quainton News No. 72 March 1993