BR 989098 'Mermaid' Ballast Wagon

‘Mermaid’ Ballast Wagon DB 989098

The BR 'Mermaid' 14 ton side-tipping ballast wagon is very similar to the design first produced by Metropolitan Cammell for the GWR as early as the 19th century.^[1] This type of wagon was used to form a new track bed by tipping ballast from an adjacent line. The side of the wagon opposite the tipping direction would be clipped to the rail, and the body moved sideways on rollers by winding a handle. Tipping too many wagons at once could result in damage to the track!^[2]

Service and preservation

This wagon was built by Metro Cammell at Saltley in 1959 to Diagram number 1/575 as part of Lot number 3170.^[3] It was vacuum brake fitted and was numbered DB989098, the prefix indicating a wagon built by BR for Departmental use.

'Mermaid' 989098 and 'Dogfish' 983115 were acquired from Burton Wagon Shops in late 1996 by John Briscoe, a member of the then Bridgnorth-based C&W group.^[4] The two wagons arrived on the SVR on consecutive days in early December 1996. Both are regularly used on P. Way trains.