BR 1/633 Creosote Tank Wagon

[cctransuk]

Idly browsing through Tourrett's "Petroleum Rail Tank Wagons of Britain", looking for suitable subjects for transfer sets for the new Bachmann 14T anchor-mounted tank wagon, I came across Plate 96 on Page 55.

This is one of the small fleet of BR-owned departmental tank wagons - specifically for the transport of creosote to sleeper depots.

BR diagram 1/633, of which there were twenty-two examples, was one of the smaller 14T wagons, and was was widely allocated.

The Bachmann model measures up as being extremely close to diagram 1/633 - the tank length being perhaps a tad short. Determined modellers could easily stretch the tank slightly, but most would be content to strip a Class B tank, add the number / allocation plates from scraps of plastic card, and respray the model black.

Why do I mention this? Well, as soon as I recognised diagram 1/633 in the photo, I remembered that one of my early transfer sheets - BL33 - includes six sets of transfers for 1/633, with a variety of geographically widespread allocations.

Regards,
John Isherwood,
Cambridge Custom Transfers.
http://www.cctrans.org.uk/products.htm

[cctransuk]

Here is the BR 1/633 14T anchor-mounted creosote wagon as modified from the new Bachmann Class B version.

A very easy modification if you are just starting modifying RTR wagons.

Regards,
John Isherwood.
http://www.cctrans.org.uk/products.htm

[65447]

That's very useful (and fortuitous) John - on my planned 4mm layout (East Suffolk Junction) Lowestoft is only a short distance 'up the road'. But your sheet has only enough for 2 tank wagons for that depot.

[cctransuk]

65447,

To serve the whole of BR, there were only 22 1/633 14T tank wagons built, and later 42 1/636 22T wagons, (which can be converted quite easily from the Airfix / Dapol ESSO tank wagon kit).

I'm not sure where I got the allocation information from - probably one of David Larkin's wagon data sheets - but Lowestoft would not have had more than one or two of each type, I'm sure; (I'll try and check this if I have time). I doubt that there would have been more than one creosote tank wagon at the sleeper depot at any one time.

I'd have thought that 14T, or later 22T, of creosote would keep them going for a while!

Regards,
John Isherwood.

PS. I've checked the transfer sheet - it doesn't contain any Lowestoft number / allocations for 14T 1/633 wagons. If there had been any allocated to Lowestoft, I'm sure that I would have included a set.

It does contain two Lowestoft sets for the 22T 1/636 wagons; that would be more than enough to be at the sleeper depot at any one time.