Rail Album - Military Wagons - World War Two

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The 50-ton 'Warwell' wagons became necessary during the Second World War when US-built Sherman tanks were planned to be shipped to Britain and stored pending Operation Overlord, the invasion of Europe (commonly known as D-Day). These tanks were too high to be carried on flat wagons in Britain because they would foul bridges and tunnels. Insufficient suitable well wagons were available, so the Ministry of Supply commissioned the 'Warwell' wagons.

The bogies, screw jacks and OCEM buffers were the same as applied to the 'Warflat' wagons. Three manufacturers constructed these wagons; Gloucester Carriage & Wagon Co, Head Wrightson and Southern Railway. They were classified as private owner wagons and were registered as fit for traffic by the LMS, except the SR-built wagons which were registered by the SR themselves.

Photographic evidence shows that some wagons were numbered in a series prefixed MS (presumed standing for Ministry of Supply) and others WW (presumed standing for Warwell).

Manufacturer's photograph of 50-ton 'Warwell' wagon. The wagon was built by Gloucester Carriage & Wagon and carried markings saying it was on loan to the LMS.

The 50 ton 'Warwell' wagon was specifically designed to carry Sherman tanks. These were collected from the docks when they arrived from the USA and taken to storage locations. During the build up to Operation Overlord the tanks were moved to the docks in preparation for shipment to Normandy.

This particular wagon carries a Gloucester C&W maker's plate and is labelled to show it was on loan to the LNER.

Diagram of a 50-ton 'Warwell' wagon.

The LMS purchased a number of 'Warwell' wagons after the war and converted them to bolster wagons, applying new maker's plates in the process (which has since caused a degree of confusion among railway historians).

Here wagon DM721218 has had the bolsters added by the LMS removed and sits outside of Gateshead locomotive depot on 12th August 1991. In the background is a string of snow ploughs converted by British Railways from the chassis of tenders from ex-LNER class V2 steam locomotives.

An unidentified 50-ton 'Warwell' wagon in industrial use at British Steel Corporation's Teesside Works 1st June 1991. It carried a Gloucester C&W maker's plate and LMS private owner registration number 1081 of 1944.

Manufacturer's photograph of 50-ton 'Warwell' wagon MS.1. The wagon was built by Gloucester Carriage & Wagon and carried markings saying it was on loan to the GWR.


	From the Ministry of Supply to the Ministry of War Transport reference 208/P/1358/1/26 of 2nd July 1943: "Contract has been placed for 200 tank transporters (50 ton Warwell wagons);- Gloucester C&W - 100 Head Wrightson & Co Ltd - 75 SR - 25"

An unidentified 50-ton 'Warwell' wagon at Crewe Heritage Centre on 12th March 2011. The load appears to be the boiler and firebox from a Southern Railway Bullied Pacific locomotive. Photo Nick Broome.

A 50-ton 'Warwell' wagon carrying BR's internal user fleet number 083262 at Eastleigh Works 27th September 1992. The wagon carried a Gloucester C&W maker's plate.

This 50-ton 'Warwell' wagon is one that was purchased post-war by the LMS. It carried a maker's plate showing it was built by Head Wrightson in 1944. It also carried a plate from when rebuilt as a bolster wagon by the LMS at Wolverton in 1948 as part of lot 1547 (technically the LMS had ceased to exist on the first of January that year).

The wagon number was DM721211 and TOPS code YXV. Photographed at Exeter Riverside Yard on 8th October 1989.


Another photograph of a 50 ton 'Warwell' wagon carrying a Sherman tank. This wagon WW.55 and it carries a Gloucester C&W maker's plate.


This photograph shows the screw jacks, safety chains and OCEM buffers on 50-ton 'Warwell' number WW.104 at New Alresford on the Mid-Hants Railway 14th March 1994.


Another 50-ton 'Warwell' wagon that was sold for further service in industry. This is Steel, Peech & Tozer wagon number BRE 12 in preservation at the South Yorkshire Railway on 30th July 1994.

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