NZRedBaron's thread of questions

[NZRedBaron]

Hullo everyone; got a bit of a wagon question now this time around.

I've got a couple of second-hand 2010-era Bachmann Peppercorn A2's coming in the post, and I've decided to set one of them up for hauling a fast fitted/express freight; so I was wondering, what models are available in both RTR and kit form (preferably made in plastic/resin), that would be suitable for such a train.

I've got some various vans already, and thinking somewhere between 20-25 wagons in total, not including brake van.

[majormagna]

From what I've seen, entire rakes of various 4 wheel short wheelbase vans were fairly common, though personally I'd throw a couple of Conflats in there.

[NZRedBaron]

Funny enough, I do have some conflats already; might toss in some of my CCT's too; and I've got a handful of Bachmann vans that could work too.

Anyone got any other suggestions?

[Hatfield Shed]

The majority of the vans on an express freight justifying a pacific will be ex LMS and LNER, and subsequent BR builds, of their sliding door van design types. The reason for this is that many rail served premises on both group's routes had very tight clearances (and the further North you went the more likely this will be the case) such that hinged 'cupboard door' vans would foul if the vans were moved with the doors open. Of LNER constituents the GCR, NBR and NER had all moved to sliding door general merchandise vans well before grouping, and within the LMS group the Midland and L&Y likewise, and quite possibly others; which presumably led to both groups settling on sliding door vans as their standard item.

Don't put all the containers on conflats either, fitted low sided wagons and the fitted High Steel general merchandise opens were regularly used; 'enhanced security' by reason of the impossibility of opening the container doors while on such wagons is sometimes cited. Don't forget to have the odd sheeted over fitted open too.

You can have up to 45 4W wagons on an ECML express freight. In some ways they were more impressive than the express passenger workings, draggier, so one of Doncaster's finest up front would be working harder getting out of the Thames valley to Hatfield, and the wagons way noisier than carriage stock. (Just once I heard the racket while at WGC station when a down fast freight was brought to a stand; what really impressed above the brake squeal was the visible cloud of powdered rust rising around the underframes of wagons in the rear third of the train. Unforgettable.)

And what I did forget, the wagons in fast freight would be 10' wheelbase minimum by the time the Pepp A2 was operating.

[NZRedBaron]

Alright; so, what particular vehicles would you recommend, both from kitmakers and the big RTR companies?

[Hatfield Shed]

From RTR OO, fill your boots with Bachmann's range of LNER designs of sliding door vans and high steel opens, and conflats, a medfit and 1 plank wagon, all in BR bauxite livery, which indicates they are brake fitted. Some of what would be useful aren't currently listed on Bach's site, but retailers will probably still have stock.
https://www.bachmann.co.uk/category/mod ... ons?page=2
Dapol offer runs of the ex-Airfix GMR LMS standard van design as built under BR, but usually in error strewn liveries so need a repaint. The original productions by Airfix GMR do turn up s/h, you need to be quick before I and others snap them up! The original running gear is poor, and fitting a better kit chassis - such as available from Peco - is a good plan.
https://www.hattons.co.uk/1528133/airfi ... tockdetail


You can build the same vehicles (and many more) from kits, here's Peco's listing on p5 where the essential LMS standard van is PC572.
https://peco-uk.com/collections/wagon-v ... -oo?page=5

HTH.

[NZRedBaron]

Another thought over the last few days; I was considering creating an entirely fictitious Peppercorn A1/A2, and naming it Black Agnes, after Agnes Randolph, Countess of Dunbar and March; a Scottish noblewoman who became a folk hero for defending Dunbar Castle against a six month long English siege, during the Second War of Scottish Independence.

One thing I'm pondering is if the nameplate would be a standard straight one, or if I should fancy it up, by including the Arms of her husband, the Earl of March on the plate.

[Hatfield Shed]

Fictions such as this are 'do as you will' territory. (The A2 would be my choice for such a name as this class had a higher proportion of Scottish allocations.)