WAGON REPORT
by Steven Fredrick Lappage
THE USA’s Southern Pacific Railroad originated the TOPS computer based system, which debuted on British Rail 50 years ago. Its impact on the wagon fleet was remarkable, allowing the demand and supply of wagons to be matched effectively for the first time, resulting in massive gains in wagon efficiency and utilization.
On January 1, 1972 the revenue wagon stock stood at 302,127 vehicles. Just seven years later on January 1, 1979 it had been more than halved to 150,371. Today the registered fleet is down to 16,205 wagons.
As there are no longer any unfitted or vacuum-braked stock running on the network, the main subgroups are: private owner/DR prefix (3,568), BR air braked series (8,759) and RIV internationally registered (3,878). Foreign registered wagons suitable for operation on Network Rail lines total 2470 – mainly from France and Germany, though wagon lessor VTG is represented by its large fleet of IKA ‘Megafret’ intermodal flats.