Oxfordrail 4-plank wagons

[Manxman1831]

Hello,
I've not got one of the 4-plank wagons. What I do have is one of the 7-plank PO wagons labelled up as being from Crippin's, Arley Coal, Wigan, number 1027. The end uprights on the fixed end appear to be glued in place (some glue is visible having spread out behind the join). If there is a slot for a tag to sit in, it must be behind the individual upright.

Whether this particular model is fictitious in terms of prototype or not, I didn't care at the time of buying it - it was half the price of the Hornby/Bachmann equivalent - and I wanted something suitable to go behind my L&Y 2-10-0. Plus, one of my grandmothers was from Wigan originally.

[James Harrison]

Looking at my example, the stanchions are certainly a separate part- there's a discernable, though minute, black line or gap between the stanchions and the body. They are very tightly fitted however and it looks on one like there is a trace of glue? Removing them certainly not a fingernail job and once removed I suspect they would put up a fight about being refitted. In fact; if I hold mine up to the light at just the right angle I see a chink of daylight between the body and the stanchion- looks like three moulded pegs holding it on. One into the bufferbeam, one into the jointline between the top two planks and one into the jointline between the second and third plank down.

[adrianbs]

Hi J H Just what I hoped you would not say. Assuming the stanchions can be removed to get the correct spacing it will be necessary to rescribe the plank line after removing the pegs even if the other planks are defined correctly. According to drawings the stanchions should be 8" wide but measuring off the review by Jenny Emily on RMweb they appear to be only about 6" wide (2mm) and far to close together at about 18" (6mm) instead of 8mm between. Apart from the planking that effectively means none of the end detail is accurate either dimensionally and/or in detail. How do they do it with all the info that is available ??.

[adrianbs]

Hi All Very interesting photo of one of these wagons at Swindon in 1924 on RMweb in post 150 on the NBR wagon topic. This shows the end detail quite well even though only 2/3rds is visible and clearly illustrates the error in the position of the end stanchion and the effect it has on the proportions of the visible end planking.
I'm not quite sure what it is doing at Swindon, it looks as if it might be loaded with rubbish, something wagons were often used for at the ends of their lives before their final journey.

[adrianbs]

Hi All And yet another NBR wagon "off territory" !! This time in my neck of the woods, on Poole Quay Tramway, only a mile or so away, circa 1924 in "Rails to Poole Harbour" by my friend Colin Stone. I cannot be sure it is a Dia. 26, it might be a Dia 1 as it is very "end on" with not much of the end visible so the side door width is difficult to assess. This came as a bit of a surprise I must admit and it is still in original NB livery in a fair state of preservation. Does seem these wagons got pretty much anywhere on the system.

[adrianbs]

Hi All==== It would be unfair to describe OR's designers and researchers as "As thick as two short planks" more accurately in the case of the latest NBR 4 plank versions in LNER livery the phrase might better be "As thick as four short planks" The Running Number should be in the 7xxxxx range and there should be a wide white diagonal stripe on the body indicating the vehicle has end doors and at which end the doors are fitted. Initially from 1924 this stripe was red but shortly after the colour was changed to white. So, whilst you are removing the numbering, you can also remove the rest of the lettering because the stripe cannot otherwise be added in the correct position. Not a great addition to the range but as the model is so poor in almost every other respect I assume the " More discerning modeller" will not be adding any OR 4 planks either to their NBR or LNER fleet.