Overseer
Western Thunderer
This is an unplanned model. Well, it has been on the 'want to build' list for some time but when I got home on Friday evening I had no intention of starting it now. But while looking for another photo amongst my motley collection I came across the photo below.
The note on the back says "AE West R1595 Bedford Midland 25/6/52, 16T Mineral E729550 Cowlairs 1919". I hope Mr West doesn't mind it being shown here, I don't know if it has been published.
I remembered there was a GA of a similar wagon in Wagons of the LNER - North British by John Hooper so had a look. The GA is not exactly the same, same dimensions but some detail differences. Then I noticed the frontispiece had a wagon side elevation of a wagon almost identical to E729550 at very close to 7mm scale, and on the last page of the book was the matching end elevations. I had to get building. This is a North British Railway Diagram 97, or LNER Diagram 26B 16 ton mineral wagon. They were quite numerous but each batch seems to be different. At 16'3" long it is slightly shorter than a 1923 RCH standard wagon and also lower, having eight 6 inch planks, but having a rated capacity 4 tons higher than the RCH standard. Scottish coal must have been heavy. (Maybe it was just friable and broke into smaller pieces so there was less air space in the load). NB built 18 ton minerals as well.
The characteristically Scottish cupboard side doors and the end door make these wagons stand out amongst trains of standard mineral wagons. By the 1950s they must have been relatively scarce but it is surprising how often Scottish wagons appear in contemporary photographs, including at cement works on the Medway.
So a few hours produced the basic box in styrene. An hour or so was spent 'practising' following a misread dimension on the callipers. I thought the sides looked odd after scribing inside and out of both sides and the floor, but before starting assembly. So, not wanting to build a Werrett I started again.
The wartime thin plank repair adds a bit of interest. I don't know whether the other side had similar repairs so left it with full thickness planks. And after a few more hours -
Basic strapping and corner plates are in place using 5 thou plasticard and 10 thou for the hinges on the doors. Now that the main structure is there the rest of the detail and bolts can be added when I am in the mood. It is good therapy after work when the brain needs a change. It will probably end up on an Exactoscale sprung underframe unit as I have a couple in stock to try out. The brakes look like they have only a single push rod to each shoe, with a vertical slot in the back of the brake shoe.
One question - What colours are the planks on E729550? There appears to be the remains of the LNER livery, dirty unpainted planks, recent unpainted planks and at least one other colour on the kerb rail and one plank. Could it be red lead? Also, the wartime planks are painted, would it be grey or black?
The note on the back says "AE West R1595 Bedford Midland 25/6/52, 16T Mineral E729550 Cowlairs 1919". I hope Mr West doesn't mind it being shown here, I don't know if it has been published.
I remembered there was a GA of a similar wagon in Wagons of the LNER - North British by John Hooper so had a look. The GA is not exactly the same, same dimensions but some detail differences. Then I noticed the frontispiece had a wagon side elevation of a wagon almost identical to E729550 at very close to 7mm scale, and on the last page of the book was the matching end elevations. I had to get building. This is a North British Railway Diagram 97, or LNER Diagram 26B 16 ton mineral wagon. They were quite numerous but each batch seems to be different. At 16'3" long it is slightly shorter than a 1923 RCH standard wagon and also lower, having eight 6 inch planks, but having a rated capacity 4 tons higher than the RCH standard. Scottish coal must have been heavy. (Maybe it was just friable and broke into smaller pieces so there was less air space in the load). NB built 18 ton minerals as well.
The characteristically Scottish cupboard side doors and the end door make these wagons stand out amongst trains of standard mineral wagons. By the 1950s they must have been relatively scarce but it is surprising how often Scottish wagons appear in contemporary photographs, including at cement works on the Medway.
So a few hours produced the basic box in styrene. An hour or so was spent 'practising' following a misread dimension on the callipers. I thought the sides looked odd after scribing inside and out of both sides and the floor, but before starting assembly. So, not wanting to build a Werrett I started again.
The wartime thin plank repair adds a bit of interest. I don't know whether the other side had similar repairs so left it with full thickness planks. And after a few more hours -
Basic strapping and corner plates are in place using 5 thou plasticard and 10 thou for the hinges on the doors. Now that the main structure is there the rest of the detail and bolts can be added when I am in the mood. It is good therapy after work when the brain needs a change. It will probably end up on an Exactoscale sprung underframe unit as I have a couple in stock to try out. The brakes look like they have only a single push rod to each shoe, with a vertical slot in the back of the brake shoe.
One question - What colours are the planks on E729550? There appears to be the remains of the LNER livery, dirty unpainted planks, recent unpainted planks and at least one other colour on the kerb rail and one plank. Could it be red lead? Also, the wartime planks are painted, would it be grey or black?