M.R.W.A. Class AE open wagons.

M.R.W.A. Class AE open wagons.

In 1950 the M.R.W.A. badly need some new open wagons and turned to the W.A.G.R.'s GE class design of 1945. A batch of thirty-five wagons (AE526-555) was built. They differed from the W.A.G.R. wagons in having external rather than internal diagonal strapping. Of course they were also painted in the traditional M.R.W.A. grey.

In 1986 one wagon from this batch was noted carrying the W.A.G.R. number GE11397, presumably in error.

A second batch appeared in 1951 (AE556-585) followed by more (516-525) in 1956-7, 1957 (511-5) and 1959 (502-510). These later wagons were identical to the W.A.G.R. originals. Renumbering and reclassification of the M.R.W.A. wagons into the W.A.G.R. number sequence took place in 1964-1965 as follows:

1964	AE526-532, 534-9, 541-4/6/7, 549-555 to GE 40325-40331, 40333-40338, 40340-3/5/6, 40348-40354 (external strapping) AE502-5, 507-510, 512/4-7, 519-524, 557-561, 565-9 to GE40301-4, 40306-9, 40311/3/6, 40318-40323, 40356-40360, 40364-40371, 40373-40384. (internal strapping)
1965	AE533, 540, 545, 548 to GE40332/9, 40344/7 (external strapping) AE506, 511, 513, 518, 525, 556, 562-4, 573 to GE40305, 40310/2/7, 40324, 40355, 40361-3, 40372

Once in W.A.G.R. stock these wagons were used indiscriminately with other GE class wagons. They were fitted with cane support brackets along the sides in common with nearly all other GE's. Some were chosen for use as GEF class fertiliser wagons in 1983-4 (at least 40314, 40327, 40338, 40348, 40352, 40381). Disposal of the class was as follows:

1976	40342, 40369, 40380 written off
1977	40341, 40347, 40363 written off
1978	40311, 40344 written off
1979	40318, 40346 written off
1981	40349 written off
1985	40376 written off
1986	40313, 40379, 40384 written off
1987	40304, 40309, 40325, 40328, 40334, 40339, 40343, 40345, 40364, 40378 written off
1989	40310, 40319, 40320, 40323, 40326, 40330, 40331, 40336, 40350, 40351, 40359, 40362, 40372, 40374, 40375 written off GEF40338, 40348, 40352 written off
1990	GE40301, 40302, 40303, 40305, 40306, 40307, 40308,40312, 40315, 40316, 40317, 40322, 40324, 40329, 40332, 40333, 40335, 40340, 40353, 40354, 40355, 40356, 40357, 40360, 40365, 40366, 40367, 40368, 40370, 40371, 40373, 40377, 40382, 40383 written off GEF40314, 40327, 40381 written off
	40321, 40337, 40358, 40361 unaccounted for