Image courtesy of Paul Bartlett.
The LMS, being the largest of the Big Four railway companies, was behind a great number of freight wagons, including some of the first large bogie flat wagons. British Rail, when they took charge of the UK national rail network chose an aquatic theme for their freight wagons, and as such the LMS bogie flat design would come to be called the Salmon. Salmon wagons were designed to carry lengths of rail and later, track panels.
The 65 foot length of the wagon enabled them to easily carry standard 60 foot lengths of track and consists of up to ten of these wagons would be connected to enable the transportation of even longer lengths.Batches of these wagons, totalling 894 examples, would be constructed between 1949 and 1961 with a further batch built in 1983.
Almost all of these batches would see a rebuild at various points in time with items such as the bogies and bolster positions changing and the addition of rail cranes and end bolsters on some variants. Each different variant would receive a different TOPS code.
LMS Salmon wagons were the earliest type built, they were fitted with bolsters on wooden planked decks. Wagons of this specification would usually be used independently and would therefore be a part of a mixed consist, this would mean that they would be unfitted in terms of brakes other than a hand brake on their early type bogies. Wagons of this type would be limited to 40mph or 50mph depending on use.