LNER Bogie Bolster Wagons

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Greedy Boards
GNSR D40 4-4-0
Posts: 208
Joined: Thu Mar 06, 2008 2:27 pm
Location: York

LNER Bogie Bolster Wagons

Post by Greedy Boards »

I may have missed this subject on a previous manufacturing run, but it appears to me that both Bachmann and Hornby have yet to produce an LNER 40 ton Bogie Bolster Wagon. I think that Bachmann has previously delivered such a vehicle in LMS and BR livery, but given I believe that both the LMS and LNER had effectively the same design in service, then there appears to be an opportunity here for LNER fans.

Looking at Tatlow's LNER Wagons, and LNER Wagons Volume Two LNER North Eastern Area, the NER Quint C 40 ton wagon numbered 164 on absorption into BR in 1947; and the LNER Quint D with over 700 produced between 1929-1939. The wagons were heavily associated with the conveyance of products from the iron and steel industry, and information on steel production places the North East area as the second highest manufacturing area for steel products after South Wales, in both 1939 and 1956; with the highest concentration of blast furnaces owned by Dorman Long & Co Ltd based on the River Tees.

Tatlow also provides a couple of images of such wagons in use at Dorchester South, and at Wimbledon Yard in the 1950s & 1960s, so quite an expansive range in their area of operations, for large heavy loads of steel and timber, so this would work well for operating over a number of eras; in sufficient numbers on both the LNER and BR rail systems.

Any thoughts greatly appreciated.

Greedy Boards
North Eastern Matters
Hatfield Shed
LNER A4 4-6-2 'Streak'
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Re: LNER Bogie Bolster Wagons

Post by Hatfield Shed »

For some bizarre reason, while Bachmann have produced the post grouping descendants of the LMS / LNER Bogie Bolster D (which was a shared design in all but equipment detail common to both companies) they can have made no provision for producing it in the form it entered service and subsequently developed, and thus suitable to carry LMS, LNER and BR steam period livery schemes.

I did ask at a show shortly after this was first released whether they might be plannng to backdate, and the reply as I recall it was that the Bobol C was felt to be adequate for the steam period, and not a particularly strong seller which hadn't encouraged them to consider the 'D'. Rather disappointing from a business that had spotted elsewhere that offering 'something better' was the way to garner a large volume of sales.

Whatever, it's all too late now, Bach would want £60 + for a Bobol D in 'as first constructed' LMS/LNER form. I bought the 'Loadfreight' version or whatever it was that Hattons had on silly cheap offer for 8 one summer holiday period, and retro-ed them in a shared project with a Westerly leaning friend, mine went to join two very beat up looking scratchbuilds of my own making from the days of 'DIY nearly everything'.
UpDistant
NBR J36 0-6-0
Posts: 121
Joined: Sat Sep 08, 2012 7:27 pm

Re: LNER Bogie Bolster Wagons

Post by UpDistant »

The Bachmann Bogie Bolster wagon was originally produced by Mainline. Despite all the re-liveries/renumbering/bogie swaps etc. this is a model of an ex-GWR 30T Macaw B to diagram J21, built from 1917-1938, and totalling 708. The model has a rudimentary representation of the DC brake gear i.e. a DC brake lever mounted on a V-hanger - not much really. Everything else concerning re-liveries etc. is entirely fictitious despite what any marketing guru will tell you - a sale is a sale.

However, the model as a diagram J21, is reasonably accurate. After market detailing parts to upgrade the brake gear are available from Rumney Models, who also produce detailing parts for the more modern version (diagram J28, 250 produced between 1939-1946) with lever brake gear. This 30T bogie bolster design also formed the basis for the BR diagram 1/471 (aka GW diagram J34). Later BR diagrams (1/473 and 1/474) had improvements to both bogie and bolster design.

The marketing idea of replacing the GW plate frame bogies with an LMS diamond frame bogie and calling it "LMS" isn't actually too far out. The nearest LMS diagrams are Pages 11 and 11A in the SCW book - all derived from the Midland D827 30T Timber Truck. The DC brake gear has to go, obviously, but so too does the underframe trussing - LMS trusses weren't as deep and the queen posts were closer to the centre line. The other minor addition required to produce an LMS wagon is the compound brake lever, fortunately available from Ambis Engineering. The bogies are fine for LMS as there are two bolster springs (only one on LNE bogies). For an earlier version (LMS Page 6 - Midland D827 25T Timber Truck), the details are as for P11 but replacing the angle trussing with needle beams, queen posts, round bar trussing, and a brake wheel rather than the compound brake levers.

As for the LNER, no 30T bogie bolsters were produced as standard wagons, 40T later uprated to 42T were the bogie wagons of choice. If you want one, Cambrian do a plastic kit with the correct bogies. There are also kits for the early BR versions. With a bit of reference to the LMS diagrams on Pages 18A etc, these can also be produced with a bit of imagination - it's usually the trussing which varied between the diagrams and some used 2'8" diameter wheels instead of 3'1".

All good fun for want of a bit of variation.
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