The National Wagon Preservation Group (NWPG) has started a fundraising campaign to purchase a former Ministry of Defence (MOD) VDA van (PDA) and three HEA wagons for preservation.

The three HEA wagons are currently at Warrington Arpley, and DB Cargo UK has recently issued a tender for their sale.

The National Wagon Preservation Group has previously expressed an interest to their current owners in the three very important wagons, with a request that they be put to one side so that they group could acquire them for preservation.

At the same time, the group had the opportunity to acquire a van that could be used for desperately needed storage of spares and railwayana at Lydney on the Dean Forest Railway.

Along with the three HEA wagons put out to tender by DB Cargo UK, the group has managed to acquire ten VEA vans that have been cleared from the Ministry of Defence site at Marchwood in Southampton.

To raise funds for the purchase of the former Ministry of Defence VDA van and three HEA wagons the National Wagon Preservation Group has set up a crowdfunder page at
https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/saving-important-wagons/updates#start
with a target of £20,000.

The group aims to preserve and exhibit wagons built since the formation of British Railways in 1948, especially those built within the last 60 years.

Wagons are often overlooked in preservation in favour of locomotives and coaches, as these contribute income for their owners.

As wagons have a shorter life span than locomotives and passenger stock, when they become redundant, they are often scrapped in a short period of time, resulting in entire types of wagons disappearing for good.

Earlier this year, the group acquired a pioneer Coalfish wagon. Other projects in which the group is involved include restoring a VCA and VDA van and an OAA and OBA “Bass” tank wagon, six 6 MGR coal hoppers, and 11 TTA and one TEA bogie tank wagon.