DB983101 is a 24-ton vacuum-braked Ballast Hopper Wagon to diagram 1/587, designed by British Railways and codenamed 'Dogfish'. The wagon was designed specifically for the use of the Civil Engineering Departments to carry new track ballast from quarry to worksite and to drop it at a controlled rate over track which was to be machine-packed or 'tamped'. It has three independently controlled chutes, one on each side and one in the centre. These are operated by large handwheels mounted at one end of the hopper, a platform with guardrails being provided for the operator. All Dogfish wagons were built with vacuum brakes and carried the 'DB' prefix to their numbers from new.

Built by Charles Roberts & Co in 1957 to Lot No 2989 it arrived with sister DB993261 in November 2003 at our Llynclys site. Being moved in recent years to Oswestry for ballasting duties on the railway in areas which have been fully refurbished & areas that have needed to be 'topped up' with ballast.

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