The South Eastern and London, Chatham & Dover railway companies squabbled over territory for many years, to the detriment of both companies, their passengers and commercial customers. By the mid-1890s both companies were nearing bankruptcy, but relations between the boards of both companies had improved somewhat and in 1899 both companies were brought under the common control of the South Eastern & Chatham Railway Companies Joint Management Committee.
The newly-amalgamated South Eastern and Chatham Railway wasted little time in capitalising on recently- discovered coal reserves in and around Shakespeare Cliffs and the Kent coalfields. Hopeful that the black gold would pay dividends, they ordered a huge number of 12-ton RCH-compliant mineral wagons, which included a sizeable quantity of 7-Plank which would later become SR Diagram 1357. A total of 1850 wagons (including Dia. 1357 versions) were ordered between 1910 and 1914.
When combined with the substantial number that the SECR used as part of a business agreement with William Cory and Son of Erith, who owned some 5000 wagons of numerous types, it is fair to say that the Dia. 1357 were a common sight throughout Kent during this period. These numbers were further bolstered by some of the wagons that the War Department returned to the UK following the cessation of WW1, which ended up in Loco Coal use.
Most of the wagons passed into Southern Railway ownership at the Grouping gaining both liveries carried by the SR. A very small number survived into the BR-era but no evidence of any carrying BR livery has ever been found.
SECR (Early) No.13540
- SECR RCH 1907 Spec 7 Plank 12t Open Wagon
- SE&CR (Wainwright Livery) No. 13540
- 7-plank wagon with side doors
- Oil axleboxesa
- Twin-sided brakes
- Angled V-hangers
- Plain tapered buffers
- Split-spoke wheels running in metal bearings
- High level of detail above and below the floor line
- High quality livery application
- NEM coupler pockets
- 1:76 scale, (OO gauge)
- UK designed