Gbs

Gbs covered van

G — Covered van

The classic sliding-door box van. Largely superseded by sliding-wall types for palletised freight.

Specification

Tare: 13 t
Payload: 28 t
Gross on rail: 41 t
Axle load: 20.5 t
Axles: 2
Over buffers: 14.02 m
Loading length: 12.7 m
Deck height: 1180 mm
Volume: 86 m³
Max speed: 100 km/h

Carries

bagged goodsgeneral merchandise

Loaded by

side

How many fit in a train

The binding limit is usually the shortest passing loop on the route, not the locomotive.

European norm: 39 wagons; 550 m train · 1092 t payload
TEN-T corridor: 52 wagons; 740 m train · 1456 t payload
Extended: 59 wagons; 835 m train · 1652 t payload

Worked example.560 t needs 20 × Gbs, only 51% of a 550 m train (39 wagons). A block train at this volume means paying to haul empty space — the path and the locomotive cost the same whether the train is full or not. Wagonload consolidates your wagons with other traffic, at a higher per-tonne rate but no volume commitment, and adds 1–4 days of marshalling dwell.

Loading gauge clearance

Whether a load clears the tunnels and bridges, on this wagon's 1180 mm deck. This is not track gauge — see the track gauge checker for whether the wheels can run on a given network.

Load	W6A 3965	W8 3965	W10 4020	W12 4020	GA 4280	GB 4320	GB1 4320	GC 4650	1-T 5300	plate-c 4724	plate-f 5182	plate-h 6147	sa-cape 3965	dfc 7100
40ft standard (8'6") 3771 mm total	✓+194	✓+194	✓+249	✓+249	✓+509	✓+549	✓+549	✓+879	✓+1529	✓+953	✓+1411	✓+2376	✓+194	✓+3329
High-cube (9'6") 4076 mm total	✗-111	✗-111	✗-56	✗-56	✓+204	✓+244	✓+244	✓+574	✓+1224	✓+648	✓+1106	✓+2071	✗-111	✓+3024
Swap body 3850 mm total	✓+115	✓+115	✓+170	✓+170	✓+430	✓+470	✓+470	✓+800	✓+1450	✓+874	✓+1332	✓+2297	✓+115	✓+3250
P400 semi-trailer 5180 mm total	✗-1215	✗-1215	✗-1160	✗-1160	✗-900	✗-860	✗-860	✗-530	✓+120	✗-456	✓+2	✓+967	✗-1215	✓+1920

Margins in millimetres. A load clearing by less than 50 mm needs the operator to confirm the specific path before booking.