diff --git a/Code/Mantid/Framework/DataObjects/inc/MantidDataObjects/VectorColumn.h b/Code/Mantid/Framework/DataObjects/inc/MantidDataObjects/VectorColumn.h
index 7542aec4c9eb..b84e6a89c118 100644
--- a/Code/Mantid/Framework/DataObjects/inc/MantidDataObjects/VectorColumn.h
+++ b/Code/Mantid/Framework/DataObjects/inc/MantidDataObjects/VectorColumn.h
@@ -35,18 +35,18 @@ namespace DataObjects
     File change history is stored at: <https://github.com/mantidproject/mantid>
     Code Documentation is available at: <http://doxygen.mantidproject.org>
   */
+   
+  template <class Type>
   class DLLExport VectorColumn : public Column
   {
   public:
     VectorColumn() 
     {
-      // TODO: implement
+      m_type = typeName();
     }
 
     virtual ~VectorColumn()
-    {
-      // TODO: implement
-    }
+    {}
     
     /// Number of individual elements in the column
     virtual size_t size() const
@@ -57,13 +57,13 @@ namespace DataObjects
     /// Returns typeid for the data in the column
     virtual const std::type_info& get_type_info() const
     {
-      return typeid(int); // TODO: for now
+      return typeid( std::vector<Type> );
     }
 
     /// Returns typeid for the pointer type to the data element in the column
     virtual const std::type_info& get_pointer_type_info() const
     {
-      return typeid(int); // TODO: for now
+      return typeid( std::vector<Type>* );
     }
 
     /// Print specified item to the stream
@@ -87,13 +87,13 @@ namespace DataObjects
     /// Overall memory size taken by the column
     virtual long int sizeOfData() const
     {
-      return 0; // TODO: for now
+      // TODO: implement
     }
 
     /// Create another copy of the column 
     virtual VectorColumn* clone() const
     {
-      return NULL; // TODO: for now
+      // TODO: implement
     }
 
     /// Cast to double
@@ -129,22 +129,28 @@ namespace DataObjects
     /// Pointer to a data element
     virtual void* void_pointer(size_t index)
     {
-      return NULL;
+      // TODO: implement
     }
 
     /// Pointer to a data element
     virtual const void* void_pointer(size_t index) const
     {
-      return NULL;
+      // TODO: implement
     }
 
   private:
     /// All the vectors stored
-    std::vector< std::vector<int> > m_data;
+    std::vector< std::vector<Type> > m_data;
+
+    /// Returns the name of the column with the given type. Is specialized using DECLARE_VECTORCOLUMN
+    std::string typeName();
   };
 
 
 } // namespace DataObjects
 } // namespace Mantid
 
+#define DECLARE_VECTORCOLUMN(Type,TypeName) \
+  template<> std::string VectorColumn<Type>::typeName() { return #TypeName; };
+
 #endif  /* MANTID_DATAOBJECTS_VECTORCOLUMN_H_ */
diff --git a/Code/Mantid/Framework/DataObjects/src/VectorColumn.cpp b/Code/Mantid/Framework/DataObjects/src/VectorColumn.cpp
index c673a7810041..6379392559d8 100644
--- a/Code/Mantid/Framework/DataObjects/src/VectorColumn.cpp
+++ b/Code/Mantid/Framework/DataObjects/src/VectorColumn.cpp
@@ -4,5 +4,6 @@ namespace Mantid
 {
 namespace DataObjects
 {
+  DECLARE_VECTORCOLUMN(int, vector_int);
 } // namespace DataObjects
 } // namespace Mantid
diff --git a/Code/Mantid/Framework/DataObjects/test/VectorColumnTest.h b/Code/Mantid/Framework/DataObjects/test/VectorColumnTest.h
index 0fb5ee01d419..f3eab1b84130 100644
--- a/Code/Mantid/Framework/DataObjects/test/VectorColumnTest.h
+++ b/Code/Mantid/Framework/DataObjects/test/VectorColumnTest.h
@@ -15,14 +15,14 @@ class VectorColumnTest : public CxxTest::TestSuite
   static VectorColumnTest *createSuite() { return new VectorColumnTest(); }
   static void destroySuite( VectorColumnTest *suite ) { delete suite; }
 
-
-  void test_Something()
+  void test_construction()
   {
-    TSM_ASSERT( "You forgot to write a test!", 0);
+    VectorColumn<int> col;
+    TS_ASSERT_EQUALS( col.type(), "vector_int"); 
   }
 
 
 };
 
 
-#endif /* MANTID_DATAOBJECTS_VECTORCOLUMNTEST_H_ */
\ No newline at end of file
+#endif /* MANTID_DATAOBJECTS_VECTORCOLUMNTEST_H_ */