Penarth Dock, South Wales - the heritage and legacy

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Volume Nine - Pre-Victorian to the present day - even more aspects - The Introduction of 20 ton Coal Wagons - 1923 . . .

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(1) The Colliery Owner will save money by having fewer wagons at a less capital cost per ton of coal, and also save in shunting work, and require less siding room.

(2) The Railway Company, will save in capital cost of wagons for the same reason, will have much less shunting, and save siding room, will haul less deadweight in proportion to paying weight, and will get its wagons back more quickly.

(3) The Dock-owning Company will have its berths occupied for a much shorter time for each ship, meaning that more ships per annum will use the Dock, and they will obtain a bigger revenue per foot of quay.

(4) The Shipowner, will get a quicker turn round with his ship so as to give him more voyages a year.

What Sir John Aspinall then said applies to-day, except, of course, that the Railway and the Dockowner, instead of being separate concerns, are merged, as a result of the grouping, and this in itself as previously stated has considerably helped in the introduction of the larger wagon.

From the Trader's point of view he change of practice offers overwhelming advantages, and while the Great Western Railway Company naturally expects to derive certain advantages from the general use of 20-ton wagons for coal shipment, these advantages must of necessity take some time to fructify on account of the large capital expenditure necessary in altering tips.

The Traders, however, will get the immediate benefit of 5% rebate off their rates in respect of coal conveyed in these wagons, and a further 1¼d. (one old penny farthing) a ton off the tipping and weighing charges. The advantages of the 20-ton wagons, therefore, to them can be summarised as follows : -

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