We recently got a hands-on closer look at the newly tooled range of OO Gauge GWR Totem A Wagons from Oxford Rail - check out our latest photos below!

As mentioned previously, the order quantities will be much more closely based on pre-order levels this time around. The order book is now closed and stock will now be limited - so make sure to place a preorder ASAP to avoid disappointment.

Oxford Rail have shared decorated samples of three of their Totem wagons that you can see here and there are artworks available to browse for the rest of the range too.  A range of fourteen models are to be produced depicting these unusual wagons (which were designed for carrying large cast iron industrial parts) in a whole host of GWR and BR era colour schemes.

Built in 1899, the Totem A (Diagram B2) was a short 25ft 1in armour plate bogie wagon with a load capacity of 45T (later uprated to 50T). The wagons primary purpose was to carry large cast iron parts for industrial use. A documented example was a large anvil loaded at Cardiff docks for B.S.A Birmingham.

Under load this wagon was limited to 25mph and could not exceed a travel distance of 25 miles without stopping. Because of this, the wagon was most commonly found in stopping goods trains next to the brake van.

The wagon was originally fitted with a Thomas handbrake but was later replaced with a Dean-Churchward style handbrake.