Morning '47,
Rather late replying too. I have added the steps and handrails at the end, but until such time as I can source the correct castings, the springs and axleboxes are staying as they are. I don't know why whoever built it changed them but neither are correct - I found the best match for what was there rather than leave them off.
I had a request last week for information on the perishables train we run on Grantham and specifically the white vans. They always catch the eye and I've collected up a few for this train since we started working on the stock for it. I though this might be of general interest so I'm posting it rather than simply emailing back.
This morning I took a picture of the stock tray for that train (handily it was by the bench as I've been working on the Scotch Goods).
So, working left to right:
The meat containers and associated conflats are resin castings from Mr. King using my masters. The containers are diagram 15, the conflats diagram 60. Their assembly and finishing starts in this thread
here. I made the transfers myself.
In the second compartment, starting from the top, the first vehicle is a Thomas circus van, which, in body at least, readily makes an NER diagram F10 refrigerated van.
This is a conversion Mr. King did first and he has followed up more of the possibilities than I have - some of these were used for fish or meat with the ice boxes removed and there's one in a Tatlow book branded for both. Starts on my thread
here but Mr. King can supply more details. I made a new underframe for mine and all the bits and bobs came from Wizard as I recall. The moulding has been released in many colours and liveries and you can find them very cheaply.
Next down is another recycled Hornby; this was a KitKat van of the type commonly known as 'Hull and Barnsley vans'.
There must be hundreds of thousands of these out there. These need a little more work - the panelling should not be recessed, so it has to be filled in with planked 20 thou and the underframe usually needs chucking away and replacing. Handily, Wizard/51L offer suitable Iracier axleboxes and buffers. This is another van which can be finished in white or red oxide as they had long and varied lives - the second van down in the third column is also one of these.
Below the H & B van is one you might struggle to find an example of; it's an LNER refrigerated van to diagram 21.
This was just an etch which I acquired from Tony Wright when he was selling off the stock from
Gamston Bank. John Houlden couldn't remember where he'd got it from, but eventually we decided it must be a Jim McGeown etch shot down to 4mm. I had to add strapping and all the bits and bobs but they're all readily available and it's finished up a nice looking and unusual wagon.
Finally in this column one which you can get hold of readily - an ex-GC van to diangram 55 from R & E Models, now sold by
Brassmasters
This is a fairly straightforward etched kit; my comments on the build are on the thread
here.
The two vans in the bottom of the third column are the D & S kit DS 259 for the Great Northern refrigerated van.
These can occasionally still be acquired second hand although they do attract a premium. Both built largely as intended except that they're both on brass W irons. One of them has Bill's sprung units and it positively glides along.
Worth saying that the rest of the box are NER and LNER perishable vans from mainly 51L kits. I think these went into the David Geen range so you're looking at the second hand market for these as well. There are a couple of D & S kits in there, which are the ones with sliding doors.
I believe Hornby have done another refrigerated van with LNER branding fairly recently, but not having seen one I can't say what it's supposed to represent nor how accurate it is. Does anyone else have one?
