This bright blue coal wagon was operated by coal merchants and factors Richard White & Son of Evesham, the company name being signwritten in a flamboyant sweeping arch along the side. Wagon number 109 was recorded by the Gloucester C&W company photographer in February 1924.

Richard White had been buying wagons from the Gloucester builders for several years, wagon number 50 having been photographed in November 1898. This eralier wagon was painted grey and lettered in a much more conservative style, the 1920s livery no doubt was much more effective advertising.

This unusally bright and decorative livery is sure to be noticed on your layout.

Click here for our current OO gauge Special Edition wagons.

Coal factors purchased coal in bulk from collieries, the factor them sold the coal in smaller quanities to local merchants. This allowed merchants to obtain a good selection of coals and benefit from better bulk contract prices. Many factors also took contracts for the supply of coal to companies and local power and gas providers. To obtain different grades of coal many factors' wagons travelled widely across the UK, collecting coals from different collieries for sale or blending.

Resulting from the bulk business coal factors often owned or leased large fleets of wagons which could be seen anywhere in the country. Sometimes coal merchants or even colliery companies deliberately inflated the numbers on the sides of their wagons, but allowing for the withdraw of older wagons it is quite possible that Richard White & Son were operating over 50 wagons in the 1920s.