OO-Gauge G31 MOGO Van No.W126438 - BR Bauxite

We are excited to announce another collaboration with Rapido Trains UK, this time in the form of another piece of rolling stock from the collection - The G31 MOGO van no.W126438 in BR Bauxite. This new offering from Rapido Trains UK will have the usual wealth of full external and underframe detail, making it a great addition to your layout or collection.

Model Features:
- Tooling accurately representing the planked body and doors layout.
- Disc wheels running in metal bearings.
- NEM 362 Coupler Pockets.
- Designed in the UK by Rapido Trains UK.
- Finished with high quality livery application and 'FOR MOTOR CAR TRAFFIC' wording.

By the 1930s, the popularity and accessibility of the motor vehicle had exploded in the UK. However, the conditions of Britain's roads and the reliability of vehicles of the day didn’t facilitate excessively long journeys. Thankfully, the GWR were well equipped and experienced at transporting road vehicles, with examples of open and covered carriage trucks being used way back into the pre-grouping era. The new motor vehicle though presented a new set of challenges, namely the sheer number that needed to be moved. But they were self-propelled, so loading could be done in a slightly different way. The GWR introduced its first Motorcar Goods Wagon in 1905, which was the natural evolution of the traditional covered carriage truck. This lengthy designation was shortened to MOGO by the GWR.

By 1933, it was quite apparent that the popularity of the car was so much so that thousands were being built for export. Several well-known car builders wanted to transfer their vehicles from the factory to the dock by rail. However, the GWR were reluctant to produce wagons that were exclusively designed for this purpose. Any new wagon design needed to be suitable for transporting vehicles and general purposes, in case the movement and export of cars ceased. An almost comical thought process by today's standard. They settled on Diagram G31. These had the same RCH underframe design as the X9 MICA A, but had an entirely different body, vacuum brakes as standard, 3-hole steel disk wheels, and RCH axle boxes. The G31 MOGO were rated to carry 12 tons. They featured doors at both ends and a short flap with blocks that could hinge down to rest on the buffers. This allowed vehicles to drive through from wagon to wagon when they were being loaded. Each wagon could carry one road vehicle, which was easily accessible as there was no internal framing, and could be secured using removable wheel beams and chains. They also had side doors and vents on each end so they could be used for general merchandise purposes. A total of 350 G31 MOGOs were built between 1933 and 1936.

Once inherited by British Railways, G31 MOGO's continued to be used for motor vehicles and general goods. They worked in revenue stock until the 1960s, when they were withdrawn along with a plethora of similar wagons. This was following several derailments of short wheel-based wagons. Thankfully, numerous examples survived through to the 1970s in departmental use. This was probably due to how useful a covered wagon with doors on both its ends and sides can be, and quite a few examples survived into preservation. Restored examples can be found at lots of preserved railways, and No.W126438 can currently be seen in MAIN HALL at Locomotion.