The Western Region continued the Great Western tradition of giving their vehicles interesting telegraphic codes. The "Monster" was a GWR design of CCT. Their end-loading doors allowed cars (or carriages) to be loaded, but they were found to be generally very useful for a wide variety of cargoes. They were rated to run in passenger trains, and such vans often found their way onto the Southern Region on parcels trains.
Purchased by the Bluebell's loco department from a scrap yard, the end-doors made it ideal for the storage of such awkward items as boiler tubes.
It was later used as a service vehicle for our Santa Special trains in December each year, until replaced by an ex-BR Mk.I BG and sold, moving to the Swindon & Cricklade Railway in 2005.
Type: Monster (Covered Carriage Truck)
Built: 1954
Length: 50'
Weight: 25 tons 11 cwt
Original No: W600W
Withdrawn: 1978
Preserved: 1979
To Bluebell: 27 June 1979
Left Bluebell: 2005
Current Status: See Carriage Register entry for this vehicle
