A dearth of brake vans

Entry posted by Dave John July 29, 2018

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Kelvinbank has two brake vans, and really it could do with a couple more. This one has been sitting in store for a long time. It is a CR D63 20 Ton six wheeler. I built it in 1988 from a DJH kit ( no, really they used to do some wagon kits ) and it is very much a child of its time, compounded by the fact that I didn’t have access to the prototype information that I do now. ( Actually the original kit might have been meant to represent the later type outside framed D63 as preserved at Boness, but the kit wasn't outside framed. Or I only got half an etch )

So looking at the original . Hmm, the caley put half round beading round all the planked panels, the internal ends are in the wrong place, some of the etching shouldn’t be there. The doors opened the other way. The wheels are sat in blocks of whitemetal, just a solid lump. The kit called up spoked wheels, I think I used OO ones but they were rollers with overscale flanges. Photos however show solid disc wheels. It stayed on the track, mainly because it weighed a ton. Cast whitemetal roofs are not light. Handrails were not like that at the ends and the whitemetal buffer heads are not very good. Of course it could do with decent ajs too.

Caley coaches do a kit, I may treat myself to one in time. However this one is sitting there so stop whining Dave, put it on the bench and do something about it.