In the late 1950s sides were fitted to GWR sleeper wagons so that concrete products such as troughing could be carried. During the 1960s, the use of preassembled track panels also made these earlier sleeper wagons redundant. Fitted with wooden sides and floors they were used to carry concrete products from the works at Taunton, as their low floor made them easy to unIoad. Two of these remained in use on the Southern Region until at least the mid 1980s. DW100682 was air-piped and coded ZRW (Stores vehicle-concrete products).

These worked from the Concrete Works (north-east of Taunton Station, now a housing estate) to wherever the load was destined. Some survived until the late 80s on the Southern Region, one in particular, which had been air-piped, was based at Woking. Another found its way to the Isle of Wight. This late survival led to the preservation of some wagons, and removal of the sides e.g. West Somerset Railway & Bluebell Railway (restored to Sleeper wagon).

PHOTOS: Concrete wagon - BR Departmental Wagons, D.Larkin (Bradford Barton). and Rolling Stock Recognition Vol 3, C.J.Marsden, (Ian Allan).

LIVERY: BR livery was Black then Engineers Olive Green. DW100667 appears to have been partly light grey. Brake handle ends should be white.