MOGO Motor Car Van BR Bauxite W65819

MOGO Motor Car Van BR Bauxite W65819

Details:

The Rapido GWR MOGO Motor Car Van recreates the distinctive covered vans developed by the Great Western Railway for transporting motor cars by rail. Built to both Diagram G31 and Diagram G43, these 12-ton vans featured end doors and removable loading equipment, allowing motor vehicles to be driven into the van and securely transported as part of a goods train. The model captures the distinctive appearance of these highly practical GWR vehicles and is an excellent addition to Great Western and British Railways-era model railway layouts.

Features:

• BR No. W65819
• G43 MOGO Van
• BR bauxite livery
• Plywood body
• Plywood doors
• Disc wheels running in metal bearings
• NEM 362 Coupler Pockets

Historical Background

The Great Western Railway introduced the MOGO covered motor car van during the 1930s as the increasing popularity of private motor cars created a new demand for rail transportation. The telegraphic code MOGO referred to the wagon's specific role as a motor car carrier. Unlike conventional covered goods vans, these vehicles incorporated end doors and removable wheel beams and chains, allowing cars to be driven into the wagon and secured for transportation.

The Diagram G31 MOGO vans were built at Swindon between 1934 and 1936, with 350 examples constructed. One surviving G31 example, GWR No. 126438, was built in 1935 and is now preserved in the National Railway Museum collection at Locomotion. Later Diagram G43 examples continued the design into the post-war period, with vehicles such as No. 65801 being built at Swindon in 1946–47. These vans had a 12-ton capacity and continued to provide a specialist means of transporting road vehicles by rail.

The MOGO is a particularly interesting prototype for modellers because it represents the changing relationship between Britain's railways and road transport during the twentieth century. Its unusual purpose and distinctive covered body make the GWR MOGO an excellent choice for adding variety to a period goods train, particularly on layouts depicting the 1930s through to the British Railways era.