JJNewitt's Wonderful World of Wagons - General Merchandise Vans
-
- Posts: 325
- Joined: Sat Jan 02, 2010 5:04 pm
JJNewitt's Wonderful World of Wagons - General Merchandise Vans
For me the wonderful world of wagons and goods traffic has to be the most fascinating aspect of the railways. It’s the only part of the current scene that holds any great interest for me. Some types of traffic hold more interest than others, and in case you hadn’t guessed the conveyance of milk takes some beating, but there are plenty of others. I can’t help but smile at the mid boggling array of diagrams and variations within diagrams that occurred particularly towards the end of the fifties and into the mid sixties.
Over the years my modelling period has gradually become later. Whilst in part this is to do with the diesels discovering new wagon types to model has also played its part. Some of the vacuum braked stuff BR churned out from the late fifties was wonderful. A lot of the time you wondered why they built it but it was still wonderful!
The first P4 model I built was an unfitted riveted 16T mineral and from that point I tried to pay them as much attention as I would with a loco. There are certain things that I don’t like. Over thick W-irons are probably top of the list and anything that involves lots of filing. These have influenced the way I’ve gone about things over time leading to recent developments.
Some of the small (but ever growing) fleet:
1/108 16T Mineral
A Parkside kit with Masokits sprung W-Irons, levers and Vees. The brakegear is from ABS whose castings, whilst not as good looking as the Masokits stuff, I think are better than a lot of etched attempts. It obviously needs numbering and weathering. Another skill to learn.
1/473 Bogie Bolster C
This is a Bachmann Macaw B that has been given Masokits bogies with much thinned down Bachmann sideframes attached. The brakegear is a mixture of Masokits part and represents the arrangement that the actual B943405 would have had as opposed to the GWR type the RTR model has.
1/490 Boplate E
A Cambrian kit again with Masokits bogies and Cambrian sideframes. The interesting simplex lever arrangement that was found on these vehicles has been cobbled together from various bits and pieces. The Cambrian moulding for this was a bit small for my liking. I’ve probably gone the other way and if I was doing it again would probably do a better job. It looks ok though.
Recent etched developments:
1/218 Plywood Shocvan.
I’ve always had an interest in vacuum braking systems and the more complicated the better! I like to try and at least incorporate a representation of the linkages that hide in the nether regions of a wagon. They somehow look incomplete without it despite the fact you can’t see much of it most of the time. Up until now no one, as far as I know, has done a proper detailed job of the BR 8 shoe clasp brake chassis in any of the wheelbases. The only thing available is the Red Panda plastic mouldings. This was something I wanted to remedy. So measurements and photos were taken of a 12T Palvan (with the kind permission and assistance of the staff at) the Swanage Railway and this is what I’ve ended up with.
After having constructed 20 odd wagons and thinned down 40 odd plastic solebar and axlebox/spring castings to remove the overly thick W-Irons and get them to fit the Masokits springing units I’d had enough. Filing these things back is tedious! The chassis therefore has etched solebars and headstocks. Despite what it may appear I’ve tried to keep things as simple but it is comprehensive. For example the solebar detail is held in place using tabs and slots so it doesn’t need soldering in place at all and the linkages for the brakegear are etched as one piece. It also seems to make sense (in a lot of cases) to separate the wagon at the join between chassis and body. On a lot of BR wagons there was a clear divide at this point and it means that the chassis and body can be painted separately in different colours. The body is connected to the chassis with 12BA bolts at the moment and I haven’t fitted the roof as I thought I might glue that on as well after painting. No masking at all!
It needs a little more work and there have been some amendments to the detail on the artwork in light of the build but it’s getting there. The spring/axlebox castings are MJT with the exception of an odd axlebox which is from Wizard. In case any of you think that something is missing the particular lot of which this would be a member had the shock equipment on the inside of the solebar. No idea why. The idea wasn’t perpetuated but it adds to the variety!
There are other chassis going through the works at the moment including a 16’6” x 10’ clasp brake example for the latter Iron Ore tipplers and a 16’6” x 9’ one for the 16T minerals. There will also be Morton brake examples in due course and something for the MDV/MDWs when I’ve got information on the self adjusting brake. The 1/119s are drawn up it’s just the 1/120s that are proving problematic. What on earth was going on under there?!
1/401, 1/403 & 1/407 42T Strip Coil Wagon.
I always wanted some of these since seeing a picture of one in one of the J.H.Russell books. I had thought about scratch building one, after all they’re only an open box with bogies, but I’d always been put off by the number of rivets! The etching process makes life easier as far as this is concerned.
This is a vacuum fitted example (a 1/403 with the bogies it’s got) but the unfitted 1/401s could also be constructed. The bogies are pinched from the Boplate E above. There were two types of bogies used. The 15 1/403s built in 1957 had BR plate bogies whereas the 35 earlier 1950 built 1/401s (which later became 1/407) had GWR heavy duty plate examples with scallop shell axlebox surrounds and no holes. This is a bit of a conundrum at the moment as no one makes that exact type. I have cobbled together a pair of GWR heavy duty bogies for a Weltrol WH from Bachmann sideframes and Cambrian axleboxes. They look ok but the Cambrian axleboxes are a bit big. I have yet to get hold of a pair of Ratio bogies and explore that particular avenue.
After having etched it with one eye on all those rivets it turned out that the only thing I wasn’t happy with was all the rivets as they were too small. Typical! The artwork has since been adjusted.
The etches will be available in due course for anyone else who’s mad enough to try!
Justin
Over the years my modelling period has gradually become later. Whilst in part this is to do with the diesels discovering new wagon types to model has also played its part. Some of the vacuum braked stuff BR churned out from the late fifties was wonderful. A lot of the time you wondered why they built it but it was still wonderful!
The first P4 model I built was an unfitted riveted 16T mineral and from that point I tried to pay them as much attention as I would with a loco. There are certain things that I don’t like. Over thick W-irons are probably top of the list and anything that involves lots of filing. These have influenced the way I’ve gone about things over time leading to recent developments.
Some of the small (but ever growing) fleet:
1/108 16T Mineral
A Parkside kit with Masokits sprung W-Irons, levers and Vees. The brakegear is from ABS whose castings, whilst not as good looking as the Masokits stuff, I think are better than a lot of etched attempts. It obviously needs numbering and weathering. Another skill to learn.
1/473 Bogie Bolster C
This is a Bachmann Macaw B that has been given Masokits bogies with much thinned down Bachmann sideframes attached. The brakegear is a mixture of Masokits part and represents the arrangement that the actual B943405 would have had as opposed to the GWR type the RTR model has.
1/490 Boplate E
A Cambrian kit again with Masokits bogies and Cambrian sideframes. The interesting simplex lever arrangement that was found on these vehicles has been cobbled together from various bits and pieces. The Cambrian moulding for this was a bit small for my liking. I’ve probably gone the other way and if I was doing it again would probably do a better job. It looks ok though.
Recent etched developments:
1/218 Plywood Shocvan.
I’ve always had an interest in vacuum braking systems and the more complicated the better! I like to try and at least incorporate a representation of the linkages that hide in the nether regions of a wagon. They somehow look incomplete without it despite the fact you can’t see much of it most of the time. Up until now no one, as far as I know, has done a proper detailed job of the BR 8 shoe clasp brake chassis in any of the wheelbases. The only thing available is the Red Panda plastic mouldings. This was something I wanted to remedy. So measurements and photos were taken of a 12T Palvan (with the kind permission and assistance of the staff at) the Swanage Railway and this is what I’ve ended up with.
After having constructed 20 odd wagons and thinned down 40 odd plastic solebar and axlebox/spring castings to remove the overly thick W-Irons and get them to fit the Masokits springing units I’d had enough. Filing these things back is tedious! The chassis therefore has etched solebars and headstocks. Despite what it may appear I’ve tried to keep things as simple but it is comprehensive. For example the solebar detail is held in place using tabs and slots so it doesn’t need soldering in place at all and the linkages for the brakegear are etched as one piece. It also seems to make sense (in a lot of cases) to separate the wagon at the join between chassis and body. On a lot of BR wagons there was a clear divide at this point and it means that the chassis and body can be painted separately in different colours. The body is connected to the chassis with 12BA bolts at the moment and I haven’t fitted the roof as I thought I might glue that on as well after painting. No masking at all!
It needs a little more work and there have been some amendments to the detail on the artwork in light of the build but it’s getting there. The spring/axlebox castings are MJT with the exception of an odd axlebox which is from Wizard. In case any of you think that something is missing the particular lot of which this would be a member had the shock equipment on the inside of the solebar. No idea why. The idea wasn’t perpetuated but it adds to the variety!
There are other chassis going through the works at the moment including a 16’6” x 10’ clasp brake example for the latter Iron Ore tipplers and a 16’6” x 9’ one for the 16T minerals. There will also be Morton brake examples in due course and something for the MDV/MDWs when I’ve got information on the self adjusting brake. The 1/119s are drawn up it’s just the 1/120s that are proving problematic. What on earth was going on under there?!
1/401, 1/403 & 1/407 42T Strip Coil Wagon.
I always wanted some of these since seeing a picture of one in one of the J.H.Russell books. I had thought about scratch building one, after all they’re only an open box with bogies, but I’d always been put off by the number of rivets! The etching process makes life easier as far as this is concerned.
This is a vacuum fitted example (a 1/403 with the bogies it’s got) but the unfitted 1/401s could also be constructed. The bogies are pinched from the Boplate E above. There were two types of bogies used. The 15 1/403s built in 1957 had BR plate bogies whereas the 35 earlier 1950 built 1/401s (which later became 1/407) had GWR heavy duty plate examples with scallop shell axlebox surrounds and no holes. This is a bit of a conundrum at the moment as no one makes that exact type. I have cobbled together a pair of GWR heavy duty bogies for a Weltrol WH from Bachmann sideframes and Cambrian axleboxes. They look ok but the Cambrian axleboxes are a bit big. I have yet to get hold of a pair of Ratio bogies and explore that particular avenue.
After having etched it with one eye on all those rivets it turned out that the only thing I wasn’t happy with was all the rivets as they were too small. Typical! The artwork has since been adjusted.
The etches will be available in due course for anyone else who’s mad enough to try!
Justin
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Last edited by jjnewitt on Fri Mar 31, 2023 1:58 pm, edited 9 times in total.
-
- Posts: 618
- Joined: Sun Aug 03, 2008 4:51 pm
Re: JJNewitt's Wonderful World of Wagons
Justin
The strip wagons look good, what sort of price? and more importantly where from? The shocvan looks brilliant, I'll be needing a few of those.
Where did you get all the details from - just in case I missed this info - spectacular work, looking forward to seeing the range grow.
And finally...what's next?
Mike
The strip wagons look good, what sort of price? and more importantly where from? The shocvan looks brilliant, I'll be needing a few of those.
Where did you get all the details from - just in case I missed this info - spectacular work, looking forward to seeing the range grow.
And finally...what's next?
Mike
-
- Posts: 191
- Joined: Mon Jul 21, 2008 9:02 pm
Re: JJNewitt's Wonderful World of Wagons
Lovely stuff, Justin. I hope that the necessary MDV information turns up soon.
Would it be a difficult thing to add the extra diagonal bracing to the strip coil to produce the Ravenscraig version? I think that these had the same basic dimensions as the 1/407.
Would it be a difficult thing to add the extra diagonal bracing to the strip coil to produce the Ravenscraig version? I think that these had the same basic dimensions as the 1/407.
-
- Posts: 570
- Joined: Thu Nov 05, 2009 10:28 am
Re: JJNewitt's Wonderful World of Wagons
Well I'm potty enough (and legally...)
The auld Red Panda's might be heading for cyberspace mind.
And the strip wagon... Mmmmmmm![Thumb Up :thumb](./images/smilies/icon_e_thumbup.png)
The auld Red Panda's might be heading for cyberspace mind.
And the strip wagon... Mmmmmmm
![Thumb Up :thumb](./images/smilies/icon_e_thumbup.png)
Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest
enemy of truth....
Albert Einstein
Perfection is impossible.
But I may choose to serve perfection....
Robert Fripp
https://www.facebook.com/groups/PadgateWorks/
enemy of truth....
Albert Einstein
Perfection is impossible.
But I may choose to serve perfection....
Robert Fripp
https://www.facebook.com/groups/PadgateWorks/
-
- Posts: 325
- Joined: Sat Jan 02, 2010 5:04 pm
Re: JJNewitt's Wonderful World of Wagons
Hi all,
Details of the details can be found above.
The Strip Coil will prbably work out at about £25 for the etch only and the wagon chassis about £11. I've got to sit down and work it out properly though. There's a lot of brass used in these (and no space wasted!) which will ultimately determine how much they are.
What's next? Well how long have you got? I've got a list as long as your arm of things I'd like to do but what actually gets done is another matter. There will though be Morton brake versions of the clasp chassis with BR 16'6" x 9' (16T mineral) and both BR and RCH W-Iron 17'6" x 10' (vans, opens etc) versons. These are at the first test etch stage. The MDV chassis has already been mentioned and hopefully I'll get the necessary information soon, then I'm sure there will be a 12' Morton version following for unfitted 21T and 24 1/2T minerals. I have plans for a few more wagon 'kits'. I really want to do the lovely Coil Vs. These had the same chassis as the fitted Strip Coil wagons. The cradle might be interesting to try and do but at least the chassis is done. The Coil As and Shockhood Bs/Coil Ls are also on the list. These have chassis from the MDV/MDW production line so I should be half way there once the chassis is sorted. There is method in the madness somewhere!
I'm sure it wouldn't be too dificult to do them given some more information. The basic dimensions were the same for all of the diagrams with the differences generally relating to the load area and coil support arangements. As my interests are South Wales I didn't think too much about them and I've only ever come across one photo of them, the portrait of a new B949091 that's cropped up in a couple of places. There do look to be a couple of other minor differences in bracing at the ends and the 1/413s have cleats for tying down covers. I'm not sure there's room on the etch as it is for anything else but it shouldn't be too difficult to change the artwork to do them, and given the differences that might produce a better result. I'd need some more photos though.
I'll put you down for some then...![Wink ;)](./images/smilies/icon_e_wink.gif)
Mike Garwood wrote:The strip wagons look good, what sort of price? and more importantly where from? The shocvan looks brilliant, I'll be needing a few of those.
Where did you get all the details from - just in case I missed this info - spectacular work, looking forward to seeing the range grow.
And finally...what's next?
Details of the details can be found above.
![Wink ;)](./images/smilies/icon_e_wink.gif)
What's next? Well how long have you got? I've got a list as long as your arm of things I'd like to do but what actually gets done is another matter. There will though be Morton brake versions of the clasp chassis with BR 16'6" x 9' (16T mineral) and both BR and RCH W-Iron 17'6" x 10' (vans, opens etc) versons. These are at the first test etch stage. The MDV chassis has already been mentioned and hopefully I'll get the necessary information soon, then I'm sure there will be a 12' Morton version following for unfitted 21T and 24 1/2T minerals. I have plans for a few more wagon 'kits'. I really want to do the lovely Coil Vs. These had the same chassis as the fitted Strip Coil wagons. The cradle might be interesting to try and do but at least the chassis is done. The Coil As and Shockhood Bs/Coil Ls are also on the list. These have chassis from the MDV/MDW production line so I should be half way there once the chassis is sorted. There is method in the madness somewhere!
Wizard of the Moor wrote:Would it be a difficult thing to add the extra diagonal bracing to the strip coil to produce the Ravenscraig version? I think that these had the same basic dimensions as the 1/407.
I'm sure it wouldn't be too dificult to do them given some more information. The basic dimensions were the same for all of the diagrams with the differences generally relating to the load area and coil support arangements. As my interests are South Wales I didn't think too much about them and I've only ever come across one photo of them, the portrait of a new B949091 that's cropped up in a couple of places. There do look to be a couple of other minor differences in bracing at the ends and the 1/413s have cleats for tying down covers. I'm not sure there's room on the etch as it is for anything else but it shouldn't be too difficult to change the artwork to do them, and given the differences that might produce a better result. I'd need some more photos though.
iak wrote:Well I'm potty enough (and legally...)
I'll put you down for some then...
![Wink ;)](./images/smilies/icon_e_wink.gif)
-
- Posts: 570
- Joined: Thu Nov 05, 2009 10:28 am
Re: JJNewitt's Wonderful World of Wagons
Significant dribbling and wibbling ensues... ![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif)
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif)
Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest
enemy of truth....
Albert Einstein
Perfection is impossible.
But I may choose to serve perfection....
Robert Fripp
https://www.facebook.com/groups/PadgateWorks/
enemy of truth....
Albert Einstein
Perfection is impossible.
But I may choose to serve perfection....
Robert Fripp
https://www.facebook.com/groups/PadgateWorks/
-
- Posts: 325
- Joined: Sat Jan 02, 2010 5:04 pm
Re: JJNewitt's Wonderful World of Wagons
1/185 26T Iron Ore Tippler
Another variant on the BR 8 shoe clasp brake this time with BR plate W-Irons and other details like changeover levers. I've tried to do something about the lack of 'floor' on the mouldings. This is quite visable on a lot of mineral wagons. This one was done with 0.010" plasticard glued in place and then shaped. It's a bit thick really. I've done a 1/108 with 0.005" which is better.
I don't know what other people do about the issue of roller bearings and sprung chassis as there isn't a lot of room to work with. I've long thought this a good idea (I'm sure it's been done before, most things have, but I can't say I've seen it done) but hadn't had the opportunity to try it out. The bearings are Excatoscale pinpoints that have been extended with 1.5mm brass rod and 1.5 x 2mm brass tube to look like roller bearings. The casting (from Wizzard) has then had it's 'roller bearing' removed and fettled so that the new bearing can move up and down in the slot. There is inevitably a little gap between bearing and housing to allow for proper movement of the wheels with the functional springs but I don't think it's that noticeable. My work on this wagon wasn't as tidy as it could have been but it was a first attempt at the idea. I've just been putting roller bearings on a new milk tank which are much better. I think the Wizzard 9 leaf springs are a bit big which didn't help either. Custom pinpoint bearings and spring/housing castings for this would make it a doddle.
Justin
Another variant on the BR 8 shoe clasp brake this time with BR plate W-Irons and other details like changeover levers. I've tried to do something about the lack of 'floor' on the mouldings. This is quite visable on a lot of mineral wagons. This one was done with 0.010" plasticard glued in place and then shaped. It's a bit thick really. I've done a 1/108 with 0.005" which is better.
I don't know what other people do about the issue of roller bearings and sprung chassis as there isn't a lot of room to work with. I've long thought this a good idea (I'm sure it's been done before, most things have, but I can't say I've seen it done) but hadn't had the opportunity to try it out. The bearings are Excatoscale pinpoints that have been extended with 1.5mm brass rod and 1.5 x 2mm brass tube to look like roller bearings. The casting (from Wizzard) has then had it's 'roller bearing' removed and fettled so that the new bearing can move up and down in the slot. There is inevitably a little gap between bearing and housing to allow for proper movement of the wheels with the functional springs but I don't think it's that noticeable. My work on this wagon wasn't as tidy as it could have been but it was a first attempt at the idea. I've just been putting roller bearings on a new milk tank which are much better. I think the Wizzard 9 leaf springs are a bit big which didn't help either. Custom pinpoint bearings and spring/housing castings for this would make it a doddle.
Justin
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
-
- Posts: 570
- Joined: Thu Nov 05, 2009 10:28 am
Re: JJNewitt's Wonderful World of Wagons
Wow yet again Justin.
The veritable mutts dangly protrusions.
The wallets hiding.........
![Cool 8-)](./images/smilies/icon_cool.gif)
The veritable mutts dangly protrusions.
The wallets hiding.........
![Thumb Up :thumb](./images/smilies/icon_e_thumbup.png)
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif)
![Cool 8-)](./images/smilies/icon_cool.gif)
Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest
enemy of truth....
Albert Einstein
Perfection is impossible.
But I may choose to serve perfection....
Robert Fripp
https://www.facebook.com/groups/PadgateWorks/
enemy of truth....
Albert Einstein
Perfection is impossible.
But I may choose to serve perfection....
Robert Fripp
https://www.facebook.com/groups/PadgateWorks/
-
- Posts: 325
- Joined: Sat Jan 02, 2010 5:04 pm
Re: JJNewitt's Wonderful World of Wagons
No models in this post, hopefully I'll have some pics as soon as I've finished drilling out and fitting buffers, but some information that might prove useful.
I've been developing a number of mineral wagons chassis so I thought it would be interesting to see just how the BR 16T mineral fleet broke down into different types. The wagons are arranged by body and brake type rather than diagram number as these are the most obvious differences for us modellers. I cannot guarantee the complete accuracy of the figures. The lists from which I got the numbers do have some errors in them and the figures themselves have been rounded slightly (as well as there being the possibility of errors in my adding) but they will at least give a flavour of how things were and how your model 16T mineral fleet should roughly break down.
I have assumed the ‘standard’ mineral wagon was a welded body with top doors and Morton 2 shoe brake vehicle. Wagons are assumed to have top doors unless noted. The figures include wagons built for LMS and LNER orders as well as the Ministry of Transport (M.O.T.).
The following gives the situation in 1959 at the completion of the building program. The ‘standard’ mineral dominates but not perhaps by as much as you would think. The figures are for the total number built and percentage of the total fleet.
M.O.T, independent, slope sided 7900 2.55%
M.O.T, independent, straight sided 900 0.29%
French type, independent 7000 2.26%
Welded, independent, no top door 21600 6.98%
Welded, independent 20550 6.63%
Welded, Morton (‘standard’) 200900 64.88%
Welded, unfitted clasp 1900 0.61%
Welded, vacuum fitted clasp 11350 3.67%
Riveted, independent, no top door 7850 2.54%
Riveted, independent 5200 1.68%
Riveted, Morton 24300 7.85%
Riveted, vacuum fitted clasp 200 0.06%
Total 309650
Obviously these figures will have varied over time. The earlier you go the less ‘standard’ and clasp braked minerals there would be as we will see in a moment. The later you go the less independent braked types there would have been. The M.O.T. and French types for example had all but gone by the mid-sixties. The four shoe vacuum brake conversions would also need to be added in from 1966.
The following gives the rough situation around the start of 1955. There were of course orders in progress at the time so the figures for the ‘standard’ and riveted Morton wagons are a best guess.
M.O.T, independent, slope sided 7900 4.58%
M.O.T, independent, straight sided 900 0.52%
French type, independent 7000 4.06%
Welded, independent, no top door 21600 12.52%
Welded, independent 20550 11.91%
Welded, Morton (‘standard’) 86500 50.13%
Riveted, independent, no top door 7850 4.55%
Riveted, independent 5200 3.01%
Riveted, Morton 15050 8.72%
Total 172550
So what does this all mean? Well if you model circa 1960 and have 30 steel minerals on your layout then roughly 10 of them should be non-‘standard’ types with perhaps 2 welded, independent, no top door; 2 welded, independent and 2 riveted types. If you model circa 1955 then roughly half of your steel mineral fleet should be non-‘standard types. Perhaps ‘standard’ wasn’t quite so standard...
All of this is included in the word document attached to this post including details of diagrams in a slightly easier to read format. It looked a mess just copying and pasting so I took these out of the lists.
Justin
I've been developing a number of mineral wagons chassis so I thought it would be interesting to see just how the BR 16T mineral fleet broke down into different types. The wagons are arranged by body and brake type rather than diagram number as these are the most obvious differences for us modellers. I cannot guarantee the complete accuracy of the figures. The lists from which I got the numbers do have some errors in them and the figures themselves have been rounded slightly (as well as there being the possibility of errors in my adding) but they will at least give a flavour of how things were and how your model 16T mineral fleet should roughly break down.
I have assumed the ‘standard’ mineral wagon was a welded body with top doors and Morton 2 shoe brake vehicle. Wagons are assumed to have top doors unless noted. The figures include wagons built for LMS and LNER orders as well as the Ministry of Transport (M.O.T.).
The following gives the situation in 1959 at the completion of the building program. The ‘standard’ mineral dominates but not perhaps by as much as you would think. The figures are for the total number built and percentage of the total fleet.
M.O.T, independent, slope sided 7900 2.55%
M.O.T, independent, straight sided 900 0.29%
French type, independent 7000 2.26%
Welded, independent, no top door 21600 6.98%
Welded, independent 20550 6.63%
Welded, Morton (‘standard’) 200900 64.88%
Welded, unfitted clasp 1900 0.61%
Welded, vacuum fitted clasp 11350 3.67%
Riveted, independent, no top door 7850 2.54%
Riveted, independent 5200 1.68%
Riveted, Morton 24300 7.85%
Riveted, vacuum fitted clasp 200 0.06%
Total 309650
Obviously these figures will have varied over time. The earlier you go the less ‘standard’ and clasp braked minerals there would be as we will see in a moment. The later you go the less independent braked types there would have been. The M.O.T. and French types for example had all but gone by the mid-sixties. The four shoe vacuum brake conversions would also need to be added in from 1966.
The following gives the rough situation around the start of 1955. There were of course orders in progress at the time so the figures for the ‘standard’ and riveted Morton wagons are a best guess.
M.O.T, independent, slope sided 7900 4.58%
M.O.T, independent, straight sided 900 0.52%
French type, independent 7000 4.06%
Welded, independent, no top door 21600 12.52%
Welded, independent 20550 11.91%
Welded, Morton (‘standard’) 86500 50.13%
Riveted, independent, no top door 7850 4.55%
Riveted, independent 5200 3.01%
Riveted, Morton 15050 8.72%
Total 172550
So what does this all mean? Well if you model circa 1960 and have 30 steel minerals on your layout then roughly 10 of them should be non-‘standard’ types with perhaps 2 welded, independent, no top door; 2 welded, independent and 2 riveted types. If you model circa 1955 then roughly half of your steel mineral fleet should be non-‘standard types. Perhaps ‘standard’ wasn’t quite so standard...
All of this is included in the word document attached to this post including details of diagrams in a slightly easier to read format. It looked a mess just copying and pasting so I took these out of the lists.
Justin
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
-
- Posts: 570
- Joined: Thu Nov 05, 2009 10:28 am
Re: JJNewitt's Wonderful World of Wagons
Canny work Justin.
And useful to those with a thing about freight stock.
Of course earlier dates than 1955 would mean understanding the amount of wooden ex PO/Company mineral stock properly as well?
With them being replaced in such numbers, the balance must have started to swing decisively to steel after then.
![Cool 8-)](./images/smilies/icon_cool.gif)
And useful to those with a thing about freight stock.
Of course earlier dates than 1955 would mean understanding the amount of wooden ex PO/Company mineral stock properly as well?
With them being replaced in such numbers, the balance must have started to swing decisively to steel after then.
![Cool 8-)](./images/smilies/icon_cool.gif)
Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest
enemy of truth....
Albert Einstein
Perfection is impossible.
But I may choose to serve perfection....
Robert Fripp
https://www.facebook.com/groups/PadgateWorks/
enemy of truth....
Albert Einstein
Perfection is impossible.
But I may choose to serve perfection....
Robert Fripp
https://www.facebook.com/groups/PadgateWorks/
-
- Posts: 2870
- Joined: Tue Jul 29, 2008 4:40 pm
Re: JJNewitt's Wonderful World of Wagons
Those figures are useful Justin, however those of us a bit older(!) remember the series by Don Rowland which said you needed 400 mineral wagons for every 4F (or thereabouts). I keep looking for the 400 minerals whenever I see a 4F, in vain. I think Don's article fell on deaf ears ( I don't have any 4Fs by the way!).
So using stats to formulate a marketing strategy might be useful, but you'll still see predominantly more special wagons on layouts than there should be....
Keep up the good work.
So using stats to formulate a marketing strategy might be useful, but you'll still see predominantly more special wagons on layouts than there should be....
Keep up the good work.
Tim V
(Not all railways in Somerset went to Dorset)
(Not all railways in Somerset went to Dorset)
-
- Posts: 325
- Joined: Sat Jan 02, 2010 5:04 pm
Re: JJNewitt's Wonderful World of Wagons
Tim V wrote:Those figures are useful Justin, however those of us a bit older(!) remember the series by Don Rowland which said you needed 400 mineral wagons for every 4F (or thereabouts). I keep looking for the 400 minerals whenever I see a 4F, in vain. I think Don's article fell on deaf ears ( I don't have any 4Fs by the way!).
So using stats to formulate a marketing strategy might be useful, but you'll still see predominantly more special wagons on layouts than there should be....
Keep up the good work.
If you really want to be prototypical you should have 600 mineral wagons for each 4F, 200 of which you will have pinched from your mate and have left lying idle in sidings whilst he builds more because he doesn't know you've got them! Fortunately I don't need a 4F so does that mean I don't need 400 minerals?
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_e_smile.gif)
I'm as guilty as anyone when it comes to esoteric wagon types. Clasp brake riveted mineral anyone? Grand total of 206 built. This is why I looked into the figures for steel minerals as I wondered just how many non-standard types I could reasonable get away with. The answer is more than I thought!
All this is of course propoganda in advance of the release of chassis kits for rivted and independent brake steel minerals but it's useful propganda.
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_e_smile.gif)
iak wrote:Canny work Justin.
And useful to those with a thing about freight stock.
Of course earlier dates than 1955 would mean understanding the amount of wooden ex PO/Company mineral stock properly as well?
With them being replaced in such numbers, the balance must have started to swing decisively to steel after then.
I know very little about the wooden body mineral wagon fleet as they were all but extinct by my period but the make up of the wooden fleet would of course have been in decline from before nationalisation. I don't know how many there were at Nationalisation and at what point the figures were equal. It might have been earlier than 1955 or later. Perhaps someone with more knowledge that me (and that wouldn't be hard) could comment?
Justin
-
- Posts: 80
- Joined: Mon Aug 11, 2008 3:41 pm
Re: JJNewitt's Wonderful World of Wagons
Interesting work, Justin; especially to those of us with a penchant for things pushed, pulled and prodded. I'll have to tweak the other 2 Bachmann 1/108s I have into something else now, I suppose
If I recall correctly, Iain Rice wrote in MRJ about doing something similar in populating Butley Mills....
Keep on keeping on
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_e_smile.gif)
If I recall correctly, Iain Rice wrote in MRJ about doing something similar in populating Butley Mills....
Keep on keeping on
-
- Posts: 1983
- Joined: Wed Jun 23, 2010 1:04 pm
Re: JJNewitt's Wonderful World of Wagons
jjnewitt wrote:I know very little about the wooden body mineral wagon fleet as they were all but extinct by my period but the make up of the wooden fleet would of course have been in decline from before nationalisation. I don't know how many there were at Nationalisation and at what point the figures were equal. It might have been earlier than 1955 or later. Perhaps someone with more knowledge that me (and that wouldn't be hard) could comment?
Justin
The definitive work on BR steel minerals is probably that by Peter Fidczuk in Modellers' Backtrack Vol. 1 nos.3-5 in 1991. In part 3 [MB Vol. 1 No. 5 p229] he gives a table derived from available dated photographs which shows the ratios of wooden 13T to steel 16T as 1950/1: 80/20, 1952/3: 75/25, 1954/5: 55/45, 1956/7: 47/53, 1958/9: 34/66,1960/1: 19/81, 1962/3: 14/86, 1964/5: 14/86, 1966/7: 0/100. He counted 3000 wagons, and suggests that this is not a truly representative sample, but I doubt anyone is going to come up with a better answer. He also states that the 1964/5 set were mostly parked in sidings, and suggests that many may already be in engineers' use or withdrawn for scrapping, so that this sample is skewed.
David Larkin (MRJ 151 p133) gives the "P" numbers issued as running from P3301 to P391500. Not all of these would have been used, and there would have been wagons of other sizes and types in that total. Possibly somewhere around 250,000 plus were wooden minerals of one sort or another, I would suggest.
Noel
Regards
Noel
Noel
-
- Posts: 325
- Joined: Sat Jan 02, 2010 5:04 pm
Re: JJNewitt's Wonderful World of Wagons
Hi Noel,
I wasn't aware of the articles by Peter Fidczuk. I'll have to try and seek them out! Those ratios for wooden bodied minerals are a useful guide, thanks for sharing them. I'll have a look through MRJ 151 as well.
Justin
I wasn't aware of the articles by Peter Fidczuk. I'll have to try and seek them out! Those ratios for wooden bodied minerals are a useful guide, thanks for sharing them. I'll have a look through MRJ 151 as well.
Justin
-
- Posts: 325
- Joined: Sat Jan 02, 2010 5:04 pm
Re: JJNewitt's Wonderful World of Wagons
Some mineral wagons...
Diagram 1/106 16T Mineral
This is one of your standard welded body, top door, Morton brake, 16T minerals abet finished as one built under lot 2210 to diagram 1/106. The majority of diagram 1/106 vehicles were fitted with bottom doors and had independent brakes but this particular lot lacked the bottom doors and were fitted with Morton brakes instead. The body is the Parkside 1/108 and the chassis is one of mine fitted with solebars for a riveted chassis and horse hooks which this batch of prototypes had. There were slight differences in the dimensions in the body between diagrams 1/106 and 1/108 but I’m not going to worry about fractions of an inch scaled down in these instances. Buffers are from Lanarkshire Model Supplies, as are all the wagons in this batch, and lovely they are too. Axleboxes and springs are from MJT. This one has an odd axlebox that MJT labels as a 16T hopper axlebox. The springs are 5 leaf types which are ok but incorrect for these wagons and the mouldings are also showing their age. 16T minerals had 6 leaf springs and it’s somewhat surprising that no one does a casting for this type given the number of wagons fitted with them!
Diagram 1/109 16T Mineral
This is the riveted body version of the last chassis complete with all the proper side stanchion brackets and a Parkside 1/109 body on top. The Parkside 1/109 body moulding is lovely and needs little work doing to it aside from replacing the small hand rails on the door end. I etched up some riveted bracing pieces on the chassis fret that go on the top of the sides/ends. Much easier than doing them from plasticard and they add a nice little touch. Springs are again MJT 5 leaf. The two part oil axleboxes have been fashioned from the MJT RCH type castings with the help of a file. The BR and RCH types were different and no one seems to do a casting for the later.
Diagram 1/104 16T Mineral
These were the predecessors of the standard 1/108s. The bodies were the same but they had bottom doors and so independent brakes. The chassis is the independent brake version of the chassis for the welded body types. It should have horse hooks but I forgot to do the holes for them on the test etch so this wagon will have to survive without. I’m sure it wont mind.
I’ve made some effort to redo the ‘caps’ that were fitted to the top body corners. They were one piece on the prototype and the moulded attempts usually found on mineral wagon kits inevitably have a join going through them and also mostly lack the top part. They have been improved by filling off the originals and then making new ones from 0.005” plasticard. A 1mm wide strip is bent into an L shape and then glued to the corners. I always make these overly long and trim later. Once dry this is filled flush with the top of the body and a square measuring approximately 2.75mm x 2.75mm glued on to the top. Once dry everything can be tidied up and filed to shape. The work itself doesn’t really take long but it’s usually spread out over a few modelling sessions giving the glue chance to dry thoroughly in between each stage.
Diagram 1/110 21T Mineral
No South Wales based layout set in the sixties would be complete without some 21T minerals. The place was awash with them! This is the unfitted, riveted body version of which there were 1000 built in the early fifties. The chassis is my own of course and the body again Parkside. Springs are MJT 7 leaf and the axleboxes are the heavy duty BR two part oil type from Wizard Models.
Diagram 1/107 21T Mineral
This is the welded body version of the unfitted 21T mineral. They were slightly more numerous than the 1/110s with 1500 built under three lots in the early fifties. Now no one does a kit for this particular type but they were very closely related to the 24 1/2T types for which Parkside does do a moulding.
The conversion of the Parkside 24 1/2T body to the 21T welded body type was covered in MRJ way back in issue 71 by Peter Totman and all I’ve done is follow his lead. This involves cutting the sides and the non door end down to 21mm, removing the top doors, filing 1mm off the top of the stanchions and then adding a new strip at the top from 0.040” square plastic strip. On the door end 3mm needs removing from just above the door itself. All of this goes on top of the welded body version of my 12’ unfitted mineral chassis which as well as covering this diagram will also cover both of the 24 1/2T diagrams. Castings are the same as the riveted version above.
Diagram 1/119 21T Mineral
Finally the first of the MDVs to roll off the workbench. The body is from Chivers which, apart from lacking in relief in a few places, is a lovely crisp moulding. The chassis is basically a 12’ wheelbase version of the BR clasp brake chassis with twin vacuum cylinders and changeover levers. This covered the first 1000 MDVs which were built under lot 3387. All subsequent builds had self adjusting brakegear which, apart from the brake shoes, yolks, outer vees and brake levers was very different. This madness will follow…Extra relief has been added to the body using strips of 0.005” plasticard and new top corner caps added. The springs are Wizard Models 9 leaf castings and the axleboxes are again from Wizard. The springs should be 8 leaf and the Wizard castings look a bit heavy even for 9 leaf springs but the only alternative is the MJT 7 leaf type. Given that the springs on the MDVs do look heavier than those on the unfitted 21T minerals I went for the 9 leaf type. A couple of jobs remain to be done. The Exactoscale bearings need their ‘roller bearing’ caps adding and vacuum pipes also need adding. I’ve tried castings for these but breakage rates are currently at 50% and that’s before they’ve entered service! Does anyone know a good source of nice thin wire to wrap around a length of brass rod? Oh and vacuum cylinders need adding. This awaits further developments…
Justin
Diagram 1/106 16T Mineral
This is one of your standard welded body, top door, Morton brake, 16T minerals abet finished as one built under lot 2210 to diagram 1/106. The majority of diagram 1/106 vehicles were fitted with bottom doors and had independent brakes but this particular lot lacked the bottom doors and were fitted with Morton brakes instead. The body is the Parkside 1/108 and the chassis is one of mine fitted with solebars for a riveted chassis and horse hooks which this batch of prototypes had. There were slight differences in the dimensions in the body between diagrams 1/106 and 1/108 but I’m not going to worry about fractions of an inch scaled down in these instances. Buffers are from Lanarkshire Model Supplies, as are all the wagons in this batch, and lovely they are too. Axleboxes and springs are from MJT. This one has an odd axlebox that MJT labels as a 16T hopper axlebox. The springs are 5 leaf types which are ok but incorrect for these wagons and the mouldings are also showing their age. 16T minerals had 6 leaf springs and it’s somewhat surprising that no one does a casting for this type given the number of wagons fitted with them!
Diagram 1/109 16T Mineral
This is the riveted body version of the last chassis complete with all the proper side stanchion brackets and a Parkside 1/109 body on top. The Parkside 1/109 body moulding is lovely and needs little work doing to it aside from replacing the small hand rails on the door end. I etched up some riveted bracing pieces on the chassis fret that go on the top of the sides/ends. Much easier than doing them from plasticard and they add a nice little touch. Springs are again MJT 5 leaf. The two part oil axleboxes have been fashioned from the MJT RCH type castings with the help of a file. The BR and RCH types were different and no one seems to do a casting for the later.
Diagram 1/104 16T Mineral
These were the predecessors of the standard 1/108s. The bodies were the same but they had bottom doors and so independent brakes. The chassis is the independent brake version of the chassis for the welded body types. It should have horse hooks but I forgot to do the holes for them on the test etch so this wagon will have to survive without. I’m sure it wont mind.
I’ve made some effort to redo the ‘caps’ that were fitted to the top body corners. They were one piece on the prototype and the moulded attempts usually found on mineral wagon kits inevitably have a join going through them and also mostly lack the top part. They have been improved by filling off the originals and then making new ones from 0.005” plasticard. A 1mm wide strip is bent into an L shape and then glued to the corners. I always make these overly long and trim later. Once dry this is filled flush with the top of the body and a square measuring approximately 2.75mm x 2.75mm glued on to the top. Once dry everything can be tidied up and filed to shape. The work itself doesn’t really take long but it’s usually spread out over a few modelling sessions giving the glue chance to dry thoroughly in between each stage.
Diagram 1/110 21T Mineral
No South Wales based layout set in the sixties would be complete without some 21T minerals. The place was awash with them! This is the unfitted, riveted body version of which there were 1000 built in the early fifties. The chassis is my own of course and the body again Parkside. Springs are MJT 7 leaf and the axleboxes are the heavy duty BR two part oil type from Wizard Models.
Diagram 1/107 21T Mineral
This is the welded body version of the unfitted 21T mineral. They were slightly more numerous than the 1/110s with 1500 built under three lots in the early fifties. Now no one does a kit for this particular type but they were very closely related to the 24 1/2T types for which Parkside does do a moulding.
The conversion of the Parkside 24 1/2T body to the 21T welded body type was covered in MRJ way back in issue 71 by Peter Totman and all I’ve done is follow his lead. This involves cutting the sides and the non door end down to 21mm, removing the top doors, filing 1mm off the top of the stanchions and then adding a new strip at the top from 0.040” square plastic strip. On the door end 3mm needs removing from just above the door itself. All of this goes on top of the welded body version of my 12’ unfitted mineral chassis which as well as covering this diagram will also cover both of the 24 1/2T diagrams. Castings are the same as the riveted version above.
Diagram 1/119 21T Mineral
Finally the first of the MDVs to roll off the workbench. The body is from Chivers which, apart from lacking in relief in a few places, is a lovely crisp moulding. The chassis is basically a 12’ wheelbase version of the BR clasp brake chassis with twin vacuum cylinders and changeover levers. This covered the first 1000 MDVs which were built under lot 3387. All subsequent builds had self adjusting brakegear which, apart from the brake shoes, yolks, outer vees and brake levers was very different. This madness will follow…Extra relief has been added to the body using strips of 0.005” plasticard and new top corner caps added. The springs are Wizard Models 9 leaf castings and the axleboxes are again from Wizard. The springs should be 8 leaf and the Wizard castings look a bit heavy even for 9 leaf springs but the only alternative is the MJT 7 leaf type. Given that the springs on the MDVs do look heavier than those on the unfitted 21T minerals I went for the 9 leaf type. A couple of jobs remain to be done. The Exactoscale bearings need their ‘roller bearing’ caps adding and vacuum pipes also need adding. I’ve tried castings for these but breakage rates are currently at 50% and that’s before they’ve entered service! Does anyone know a good source of nice thin wire to wrap around a length of brass rod? Oh and vacuum cylinders need adding. This awaits further developments…
Justin
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
-
- Posts: 618
- Joined: Sun Aug 03, 2008 4:51 pm
Re: JJNewitt's Wonderful World of Wagons
Stunning work mate, simply brilliant. I'm glad to see you've bitten the bit and started building 21T mins for LMJ, very kind of you. We'll take 20...once you've built them
Mike
![Twisted Evil :twisted:](./images/smilies/icon_twisted.gif)
Mike
-
- Posts: 570
- Joined: Thu Nov 05, 2009 10:28 am
Re: JJNewitt's Wonderful World of Wagons
STREWTH
Justin, one keeps presenting these wee temptations you naughty person
A 21T frenzy beckons - as well as the 16T,12T van etc.....................
All power to your drafting!![Thumb Up :thumb](./images/smilies/icon_e_thumbup.png)
![Surprised :o](./images/smilies/icon_e_surprised.gif)
![Shocked :shock:](./images/smilies/icon_eek.gif)
![Surprised :o](./images/smilies/icon_e_surprised.gif)
Justin, one keeps presenting these wee temptations you naughty person
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif)
A 21T frenzy beckons - as well as the 16T,12T van etc.....................
All power to your drafting!
![Thumb Up :thumb](./images/smilies/icon_e_thumbup.png)
Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest
enemy of truth....
Albert Einstein
Perfection is impossible.
But I may choose to serve perfection....
Robert Fripp
https://www.facebook.com/groups/PadgateWorks/
enemy of truth....
Albert Einstein
Perfection is impossible.
But I may choose to serve perfection....
Robert Fripp
https://www.facebook.com/groups/PadgateWorks/
-
- Posts: 911
- Joined: Sun Mar 27, 2011 6:40 pm
Re: JJNewitt's Wonderful World of Wagons
jjnewitt wrote:SDoes anyone know a good source of nice thin wire to wrap around a length of brass rod?
"Beading wire", available from some craft shops might work. It is brass, very flexible (annealed?) and comes on a reel like cotton. But possibly too thin for this job.
-
- Posts: 325
- Joined: Sat Jan 02, 2010 5:04 pm
Re: JJNewitt's Wonderful World of Wagons
Mike Garwood wrote:Stunning work mate, simply brilliant. I'm glad to see you've bitten the bit and started building 21T mins for LMJ, very kind of you. We'll take 20...once you've built them![]()
Mike
Hope you're sitting comfortably, 20s more than I had planned!
![Wink ;)](./images/smilies/icon_e_wink.gif)
iak wrote:STREWTH![]()
![]()
![]()
Justin, one keeps presenting these wee temptations you naughty person![]()
A 21T frenzy beckons - as well as the 16T,12T van etc.....................
All power to your drafting!
Plenty more temptations on the way.
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_e_smile.gif)
guyrixon wrote:"Beading wire", available from some craft shops might work. It is brass, very flexible (annealed?) and comes on a reel like cotton. But possibly too thin for this job.
Thanks, I shall do some investigating. Everything I have is a bit big for the job.
Justin
-
- Posts: 1953
- Joined: Mon Aug 10, 2009 7:49 pm
Re: JJNewitt's Wonderful World of Wagons
Justin,
I've had a rummage through my box of cable and found that 'loudspeaker wire' from the hardware shop (rather than the incredibly fancy stuff at exorbitant prices the hi-fi places sell) has filaments just under 8thou in diameter. Alternatively the filaments in the Society's 'hook up wire' are 2.5 thou. If you really need anything finer, I scrapped an iPad connection lead the other day and this is 1.5 thou! I might have a little more of this so if you want some PM me.
Philip
I've had a rummage through my box of cable and found that 'loudspeaker wire' from the hardware shop (rather than the incredibly fancy stuff at exorbitant prices the hi-fi places sell) has filaments just under 8thou in diameter. Alternatively the filaments in the Society's 'hook up wire' are 2.5 thou. If you really need anything finer, I scrapped an iPad connection lead the other day and this is 1.5 thou! I might have a little more of this so if you want some PM me.
Philip
-
- Posts: 809
- Joined: Wed Jul 02, 2008 6:39 pm
Re: JJNewitt's Wonderful World of Wagons
Wire info to supplement message from Philip
Eileens do PB wire at 31,36 and 41 SWG for £3 and 12 metres
41swg is .0044", 36 swg is .0076" and 31 swg is .0116"
or 0.112mm, 0.193mm and 0.294mm respectively
John
Eileens do PB wire at 31,36 and 41 SWG for £3 and 12 metres
41swg is .0044", 36 swg is .0076" and 31 swg is .0116"
or 0.112mm, 0.193mm and 0.294mm respectively
John
Slaving away still on GCR stuff ...
-
- Posts: 325
- Joined: Sat Jan 02, 2010 5:04 pm
Re: JJNewitt's Wonderful World of Wagons
Many thanks for the replies gents. I've sent you a PM Philip. I'd got it into my head that Eillen's only did wire down to 36SWG which is the smallest I currently have. The 41SWG stuff could prove to be useful.
Justin
Justin
-
- Posts: 821
- Joined: Sun Jul 20, 2008 6:02 pm
Re: JJNewitt's Wonderful World of Wagons
Justin,
Have you ever given any thought to the 14T tank wagons as a possible item for a sprung frame?
Cheers,
David
Have you ever given any thought to the 14T tank wagons as a possible item for a sprung frame?
Cheers,
David
-
- Posts: 325
- Joined: Sat Jan 02, 2010 5:04 pm
Re: JJNewitt's Wonderful World of Wagons
Hi David,
I have thought about it and have one of the Bachmann models around here somewhere. It is certainly a possibility at some point though it wouldn't be in the immediate future. I'd need some more information first and I've also got a fair list of things that I've either etched or started drawings for to work through before contemplating anything new.
Justin
I have thought about it and have one of the Bachmann models around here somewhere. It is certainly a possibility at some point though it wouldn't be in the immediate future. I'd need some more information first and I've also got a fair list of things that I've either etched or started drawings for to work through before contemplating anything new.
Justin
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 0 guests