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BRITISH RAILWAYS DEPARTMENTAL WAGON KITS
C11 CATFISH 19 ton BALLAST HOPPER WAGON
Catfish hoppers were
similar to the Dogfish, the main differences being a lower
hopper (reducing the load capacity) and lack of side
chutes.
PROTOTYPE : These wagons have a hopper fitted with one
central discharge door and were basically a welded version
of the earlier "Mackerel". 236 Catfish were built from
1955-58 by Metropolitan-Cammell to BR Diagram D1/586 and
were numbered:
1955: Lot 2682/3 DB992531 - 650. Lot 2775 DB992651-710
1958: Lot 2929 DB993508 - 566.(152 were still in service
at 2/94)
These were all built with oil axleboxes &
self-contained buffers as on the model. A further 471 were
built to Lots 3039/3331 in 1960/61 (DB983376 576/627 -
896). These had Oleo buffers & roller bearings. (353
were still in service 2/94)
Catfish were originally allocated to the LMR, but from the
late 60s spread onto the ScR & ER. Some were loaned to
the SR in the 1970s. Catfish were worked with most other
types of ballast hoppers. Rarely seen in the SR and WR
areas.
C12 DOGFISH 24ton BALLAST HOPPER WAGON
There were a large number of these 4 -
wheeled hopper wagons which were seen on all regions.
Built from 1956 to 1960. The kit includes alternative
flared chutes for the Southern Region version (see text
below).
PROTOTYPE : Based on the LMS/LNER "Trout" design, and the
earlier hoppers built by Leeds Forge for, amongst others,
the SECR in 1911. These wagons were the most numerous of
ballast hopper designs in the engineers' fleet. Introduced
in 1956, the basic design underwent various detail
changes, the last Lots had roller bearings & Oleo
buffers. The model is based on DB993461, built in 1957
(Lot 2823 Metro-Cammell). It has open-front axleboxes
& self-contained buffers and is suitable to be
numbered from DB992711 to DB993507. In all, 1249 wagons
were built and were abundant on all Regions. SR & LMR
stock had 'flared' chutes to allow the ballast to fall
clear of the outside 3rd rail. Another variant was for
carrying slag ballast, having 9" plates welded to the top
edges of the hopper, e.g. DB993160/192/239. Dogfish were
worked with other types of hoppers, a train of about 8
Dogfish and 4 Sealion wagons being common. On the Southern
Region, some Dogfish were worked with Mermaid
side-tippers, and lettered 'MER-DOG'. Surviving Dogfish
received the "new" liveries such as Loadhaul and
Departmental grey, then EWS maroon. Air-braked wagons were
coded HPA, although the time that they survived after the
fitting of air brakes cannot have been very
cost-effective.
C13 MERMAID 14 ton SIDE-TIPPING BALLAST WAGON
Built by Metro - Cammell, and almost identical to the GWR-owned type (these and the first batch of BR wagons were unfitted). They were used for tipping ballast from an adjacent line onto the trackbed, before laying the track. The opposite side of the wagon to the tipping direction was clipped to the rail, and the body moved sideways on rollers. The end chains attached to arms on the door opened it as the body tipped. Tipping too many wagons at once could tip the track as well!
Built 1956 - 60, and based on the LMS
design (BR Oyster), itself very similar to a Caledonian
Railway plough van.
There are ploughs at each end to spread ballast discharged
from hopper wagons, which are lowered when in use, using
the large handwheels on the end platforms. Wooden blocks
under the ploughs "skate" along the rail head (real
ploughs can only be used on plain track). Some vans had
their ploughs modified to clear the third rail for use on
the Southern Region. Includes moulded coupling bar for use
with Hornby/Bachmann couplings.
C15 TURBOT 31tonne BALLAST/SPOIL/SLEEPER WAGON
With one-piece floor and "one-piece"
bogies.
One of the first "modern" type of P.W. open wagons built,
although on 30 - year old underframes from Bolster Es with
new bodies added during 1982-3. There were about 900
Turbots built. In use they became very battered due to
being struck by excavator buckets. If used for sand, they
needed lining with polythene sheeting, as the doors were
not exactly leakproof. The Turbot was apparently bad luck
for the works rebuilding them as construction began at
Shildon, which closed before all the wagons had been
converted. The work then transferred to Swindon, which
also closed; the rest were then done at BREL(RFS)
Doncaster.
Seahorse wagons were converted from OCA
wagons during 1989 & early 1990, & totalled 30
wagons.
They were initially used to carry ballast from Meldon
Quarry in Devon, to Hoo Junction in Kent.
This was to create a stockpile of ballast to refill
half-empty Seacow/lion hoppers. This stockpile was termed
a "virtual quarry", rather than the less trendy "heap of
ballast". Some neighbours of other "virtual quarries"
complained of "virtual dust" appearing on their washing.
C29 "TAUNTON CONCRETE" WAGON
In the late 1950s sides were fitted to
GWR sleeper wagons so that concrete products such as
troughing could be carried.
These worked from the Concrete Works (north-east of
Taunton Station, now a housing estate) to wherever the
load was destined. Some survived until the late 80s on the
Southern Region, one in particular, which had been
air-piped, was based at Woking. Another found its way to
the Isle of Wight. This late survival led to the
preservation of some wagons, and removal of the sides e.g.
West Somerset Railway & Bluebell Railway (restored to
Sleeper wagon).
Converted from OBA wagons in the early
1990s. The only remaining part of the OBA body appears to
be the end stanchions,
the rest being replaced with new steel parts. The wagons
have carried a variety of liveries. Can be adapted to the
type which has flat topped sides & ends.
C65 WALRUS 40ton BALLAST HOPPER WAGON
These were built in 1952 with plate bogies and slightly shorter end platforms than the later Sealion/Seacows. The overall length was thus less than the Sealions and Seacows (by 16" / 5.3mm). Apart from the bogies, they were virtually identical to the third batch of Southern Railway hoppers. (see kit C67) The last three of these were withdrawn in the early 1990s. Two others (DB992481/491) were sold to Balfour Beatty and were still in use in 1997. The Balfour Beatty wagons were fitted with air brakes and full width platform canopies. Livery was blue underframe and everything above the solebar was white.
C76 BR WHALE 50ton BALLAST HOPPER WAGON
These larger hoppers had a
roller-bearing plate bogie (this is a "one-piece"
moulding) and were a basically a stretched Walrus, but
air-braked. The wagons required strengthening and were
moved off the Southern Region in 1982, some working, for
example, from a quarry near Shrewsbury. Apparently the
designer of the Whales travelled from Meldon Quarry to
Taunton on their first trip, in the brake van at the rear
of the train. He is said to have emerged onto the platform
looking rather green and demanding disciplinary action, as
the train had run at 60mph, and the wagons were only
designed for 30-45mph! This was how they ended their days,
as from 2000 Network Rail imposed a 30mph speed
restriction on them.
The bogie ballast hoppers suffered from distortion, and
some SR hoppers and Walruses got extra plates on the
bottom edge at the end of the sides. Some of the SR ones
had wider vertical channels fitted at the end of the
sides. Even the later Sealions showed some bending at this
point due to the hopper section sagging inboard of the
bogie mounting. It is thought that all Whales have now
been withdrawn.
C82 BR STURGEON RAIL/SLEEPER/BALLAST WAGON (with side doors)
The Sturgeon wagon was based on the LNER
"Dolphin" wagons, although these had fixed ends, and
diamond-framed bogies. This kit is for the as-built wagons
with side doors, for carrying rails, ballast &
sleepers. It is thought that ballast was rarely
transported in Sturgeons, the main use of those with side
doors being for sleepers (old or new) or recovered rails.
Some ran without the two top end pieces. Although there
were stowage racks under the wagon for these pieces, it is
quite likely that some were simply taken off and left in a
PW yard, as photos show that they were often missing. In
later years, some had the side uprights cut off level with
the top of the folding end panel.
Note: Parts for the actual racks are not included in the
kit.
The kit can be made with these pieces in place, or
omitted. The two sections slot into the side uprights, so
don't have to be fixed on (although they could get lost –
just like the real ones).
The folding end plate can also be fitted on in the folded
down position – although this does have to be glued on.
Includes "One-piece" bogies with optional "NEM" pocket for
"fish-tail" couplings such as the Hornby R8219.
Available from May 19th 2012.
C88 EWS 50ton Bogie Rail Wagon - YSA/Salmon
About 300 Salmon wagons were fitted with ASF bogies from 1998, enabling them to run at higher speeds, some as high as 75mph. From 2009, a number (199) were fitted with large tubular frames to locate track panels. These are painted bright yellow, but the rest of the wagon remained in the condition/livery it had already (regardless of how tatty it was). These are YKA Osprey (curiously for an engineers' wagon, not a marine creature!). See LTSV Profile - Salmons.
C106 BR STURGEON RAIL/SLEEPER/BALLAST WAGON (without side doors)
The Sturgeon wagon was based on the LNER
"Dolphin" wagons, although these had fixed ends, and
diamond-framed bogies. This kit is for the wagons which
ran without their sides, and generally carried track
panels. Some ran with ends, or just the side uprights, and
others without any of these. Although there were stowage
racks under the wagon for these pieces, it is quite likely
that some were simply taken off and left in a PW yard.
(Parts for the actual racks are not included in the kit)
The kit can be made with some or all of the end pieces in
place. It is also possible to fit the end components
together as a separate unit, meaning that you have the
option of putting them on or leaving them off – they don't
have to be glued on. The two top end sections slot into
the side uprights, so don't have to be fixed on (although
they could get lost – just like the real ones).
The folding end plate can also be fitted on in the folded
down position – although this does have to be glued on.
Includes "One-piece" bogies with optional "NEM" pocket.
The kit also includes optional "winches" for lashing
straps (shown fitted in the main picture), and stanchions
for the wagons which were converted to carry new sleepers
– these were the earlier D1/638 wagons which had 8 doors
per side. The solebar door hinge detail on this kit would
need altering, as the D1/638 wagons had four "lift-off"
(easier said than done!) doors, with far less fittings on
the solebars.
NOTE: these wagon cannot be used on curves less than "2nd
radius" (about 450mm), as the wheels would jam against the
solebar. The coupling mount is for Hornby R8219 couplings,
although other "split-tail" couplings that fit a NEM
coupling pocket could be used.
The kit is designed for Alan Gibson 10·5mm "Lowmac" wheels
– use of wheels with larger flanges than these have, will
lead to clearance problems on curves. They will either
stick against the back of the solebars, or the bogie
mounting.
THE HORNBY COUPLINGS SHOWN ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THE KIT.
See LTSV Profile - YAO Dolphin & YBO Sturgeon.
Here's a Whale and a Sturgeon (with doors) at Shrewsbury Coton Hill, about 1983:
And here's a Whale and a Sturgeon †, not quite "just like the real thing" *, at Tydd Gote, about 2012:
† and part of a Cambrian Sealion. * as Airfix used to say.
