350002 enters preservation with the NWPG
- nationalwagonpresg
- Feb 8
- 2 min read
The NWPG is now able to officially confirm that 350002 has entered preservation with the NWPG at Chasewater Railway. It's been a long time coming, conversations, meetings, phone calls and emails. Owen has spearheaded the preservation efforts for the first production line MGR and it's all come together.
On Friday 24th January 2025, we were delighted to host a handover of a Merry Go Round Wagon (MGR) with National Wagon Preservation Group (NWPG) Drax Powerstation and DB Cargo.
HAA 350002 was the very first production MGR wagon built at Shildon Waggon Works, 1st of 11,162 made for carrying coal across the UK.
350002 was saved by a railwaymen knowing its historical importance and when an opportunity came at Knottingley Depot for a waggon to become a gate guardian at the depot, he pushed 350002 to be plinthed, and the MGR waggon stood proudly from the 2000s.
As time moves on, a chance for it to enter preservation come with the modern railway moving away from coal and 350002's 60th birthday coming up it all lined up perfectly in occasion with Drax's Power station's 50th anniversary and Rail200, DB Cargo kindly donated it to NWPG as a thank you for helping with Drax's 50th anniversary celebrations with help from Rail Support Services (RSS)
Our deepest thanks go to the team at Drax Power Station and DB Cargo UK. Without their support and dedication, this could not have happened.
The joint MGR project has now reached the 10th wagon in the collection, keep an eye out for dates for our coal train days. Here's to 2025; we have the 60th anniversary celebrations being announced soon in association with Rail200.
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