LMS Route: Rugby to Leamington Spa (Avenue)

LMS Route: Nuneaton to Leamington

LMS Route: Leamington to Weedon

Leamington (Avenue) Station: lnwrlave1376a

Close up of image 'lnwrlave1376' showing a Private Owner wagon carrying the name 'STEVCO' of Oxford alongside what is thought to be a LMS four-plank wagon. Note the chalk marks on the side of the LMS wagon giving information to the shunters as to where its destination. Wagons lettered 'STEVCO' started to appear in the 1930s with most were purchased second hand from the Gloucester Wagon Company.

Stevens and Co. of Oxford were a substantial coal merchant whose trading activities extended into neighbouring counties and as far north as Warwick, Leamington and other Warwickshire towns The western outskirts of London was also served.. Seventeen known photographs of their fleet are featured in my "Private Owner Wagons, a Second Collection" The Arley, Exhall, Griff and Baddesley Collieries were a regular source of supply, and their wagons, lettered "Stevens & Co" or simply "Stevco" would have been a regular sight passing through Coventry and Leamington.

The Gloucester RC&WCo. was an almost exclusive supplier,, between 1890 and 1932 ninety-eight new wagons were supplied. Others were hired as required. The basic colour was red, with the exception of wagons built in 1906, of which no. 298 was painted green with white letters shaded red and featured addresses "Oxford, Warwick, Reading and London" Four coke wagons distributed coke from the gasworks at Oxford.

Keith Turton

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