BDY / NODY Open wagon

A train on a steel track

Description automatically generated

BDY 20411 at Clyde Yd on 15/9/77. John Miller

These versatile opens wagons have been modified into more variations than any other. In their original form, they were used on any traffic that could be loaded into the body. They were introduced to provide new, high speed (115km/h) general freight wagons.

Coded BDY as delivered, they were fitted with provisions for tarpaulin ridgepoles. They are of steel construction with corrugated sides and two sets of double door on each side. As their body condition deteriorated, their body was first repaired, and then removed completely in later modifications. Their numbers lasted well into the mid 1990’s when most were taken into NRC ownership and modified beyond recognition.

Builders:

600 wagons were built by EPT between 1977 and 1981 in 3 contracts of 200 each.

- 1^st contract were coded BDY and numbered 20411-20610

- 2^nd contract were coded BDY and numbered 20201-20400

- 3^rd contract were coded NODY and numbered 20801-21000.

Renumbering: NCTY wagons converted for coil steel traffic were renumbered in the 85100-85123 series.

Length: 14.2m Tare: 23.7t Capacity: 54t Gross: 77.7t

Bogies: 2CM (YMC)

Colour Schemes:

- As delivered the first 2 contracts were painted PTC blue with 2-tone blue L7’s on white background

- Wagons of the 3^rd contract were painted SRA Red with 2-tone blue L7’s and PTC blue bogies.

- Over time many blue BDY’s received NODY coding, and likewise some BDY’s were painted SRA red prior recoding.

- Only 1 wagon, NODY 20429, is thought to have been painted Black.

Coding:

- Wagons of the 1^st and 2^nd contracts were coded BDY as delivered.

- The 3^rd batch of wagon were delivered as NODY.

- The BDY’s became NODY from 1979.

Recodings fall into 3 categories;

Steel Traffic

- 146 were recoded NKHY between 1987-91 to carry Hot Slab and signposted accordingly.

- 52 were recoded NKDY between 1990-92 for

- 40 were recoded NKJY between 1989-92 for.

Coil Steel Traffic

- 20 of the1^st batch BDY’s were recoded CCY in 1978 for coil traffic. They were recoded NCDY in 1988. One reverted to NODY.

- 24 had their doors removed, fitted with 2 coil cradles and signposted for ‘Tubemakers’ traffic in 1987. They were recoded NCTY.

- 41 were recoded NCCY in 1988-90 for

- 20 were recoded NCMY in 1990 for

- 5 NCMY’s were recoded NCMX in 1992 for

- 23 were recoded NCQX in 1991, body removed and 3 Jumbo coil cradles fitted.

- 21 NCQX’s were recoded NQCF in 1992.

- 14 were converted to coil wire wagons and recoded NCOF in 1991-92.

Container Traffic

- 1 wagon (20533) was specially modified and recoded NOSY in 1991 for container traffic

- Many others had their doors removed and recoded NOJY in 1992 for metropolitan container traffic.

- Most remaining open wagons (193) were converted to NQYY container wagons from 1998.

In August 1993, the wagon disposition was:

NCCY	8	NKDY	52
NCDY	19	NKHY	148
NCMX	4	NKJY	39
NCMY	15	NODY	232
NCOF	14	NOSY	1
NCQX	27	Sub Total	597
NCQF	14	Less condemned	3
NCTY	23	Total	600

After this time NRC began operations and as such took ownership of all coil/steel wagons in use. All versions were recoded with an ‘R’ as first letter. Further modifications made by NRC include:

- RCAF, body removed and fitted with 2 Jumbo coil cradles.

- RKLY, body removed and fitted with twistlocks for coil containers

Other NODY’s had their bodies removed and decking removed from the underframe in a similar fashion to the NOSY. They have been coded NQYY/TY.

Modelling: See article on Modelling Steel wagons by S.Pracy and D.Willoughby

- Austrains released a HO RTR model of the BDY/NODY in 2001.

- Scaleways produced a HO Kit for the RKLY and RKDF.

- Auscision Models produced an RTR HO model in 2016.