Volume Thirteen - Pre-Victorian to the Present Day - even more aspects -1883 - Taff Vale Railway - Wagon Rules & Regulations . . . .

The sides and ends of body to be of best red pine, two and a half inches thick ; the floor to be two and a half inches thick ; the top edges of the body to be capped with strong angle iron, and the body properly supported with strong knees, also upright washer plates with diagonal braces, bolted to the underframing and boarding ; one end of the wagon to be formed as a door provided with strong wrought iron hinges and fastenings of approved pattern.

The axles shall not be less than five inches diameter through the boss of wheel, five and one eighth inches diameter at the back of wheel, and to gradually taper to four and a quarter inches in the middle. There must be no shoulder to axle at back of boss. The journals to be not less than seven inches by three and a half inches in diameter, with a radius of not less than five eighths of an inch at the collar of neck.

The length from centre to centre of journal to be five feet four inches.

The length of wheel-base to be not less than five feet six inches or more than six feet five inches.

The bearing springs to be of the best approved steel and equal in strength to a spring with two top plates each half inch thick, and eleven plates each three eighths of an inch thick and three inches wide, and not less than three feet three inches long. Every spring to be well fastened to the axle box by four screw bolts of five eights of an inch square iron, screwed to a proper plate on upper leaf of spring, and made to work freely in iron shoes firmly secured to underside of sole bars.

The tare not to exceed four tons six cwt.

APPROVAL OF VEHICLES.

No vehicle will be permitted to be used on the Company's Railways until its construction has been approved and the Company's register plate affixed thereto.