Kelvinbank, a Caledonian Railway project.

Very nice wagons indeed. I also really like the whole colour scheme of the layout, the different shades work really well together.

 

Have you described that particular signal before? I had a look through your past posts but couldn't find it,

Hi Mikkel, it is what the Caledonian called a "wrong line backing signal" Its purpose is to permit a train to reverse from the main line into the sidings or one that has reversed out of the sidings to cross to the other line. All the parts are from mse, I got quite good at making up the signal ladders with the correct round rungs by the end. 

 

Other companies used a different shape of arm and description, but some of the ex CR scissors shaped ones lasted in BR days, 1956 in the case of Oban. 

 

(I'm saying all this quietly, you know how signalling can cause endless debate round here ...... )

Caley modellers are really well-served by the enterprise of their Association.

 

A question on livery, which I'm sure is answered in the relevant Crassoc books. I've gathered that ironwork was painted black. Logically, this would lead to the solebars, headstocks and end pillars of these steel-framed wagons being black?

 

Also, I note on the fixed end a row of three sheeting rings along the bottom plank. This seems unusual for a mineral wagon, as I presume this diagram is from its end door.

 

Please excuse these questions arising from ignorance of the Caley but driven by curiosity about wagon construction in general!

Its a bit of a minefield Compound.

 

Logically the steel wagon frames would be black, but looking at the build photographs they are clearly the same as the body, with just the strapping picked out in black. Same goes for buffers, the majority of CR wagons had them in red lead, but a few were in black. Actually the brakegear in the build photo is the same as the body , but in service pictures they all look black. 

 

Tyres are another nightmare. The painting specification calls for them to be white, and build pictures nearly always are. In service pictures indicate that it vanished very quickly, the odd photo shows remnants. 

 

I was also puzzled by the sheet rings. The 1903 drawing and the build photo of the first 1000 Hurst Nelson wagons doesn't have them. However the 1905 drawing with the modified end door and the build photo of the next 1000 wagons quite clearly does have them at both ends. They were still fitted on the 1916 build when the steel underframes were substituted with oak ones due to wartime steel shortages. Indeed the D59 seems to be the only CR wagon fitted with them, but as to why I couldn't really say. Some earlier diagrams had cleats on the lower sides, but I can't see loops on the ends.

 

( Shame really, they were fun to make ) 

 

Next up is an odd version of the D3, Flitched frames and the McIntosh brake... 

Thanks! Why aren't there "thanks" / "informative" etc. buttons for comments on blog posts?

 

The white tyre rim thing is a puzzle. It seems to have been common practice amongst the private builders too - most Gloucester C & W Co. wagons at this period have them in the official photos. One could understand if it was being done for wagons being photographed but it seems to have been standard practice. For your wagons, it's not just a Hurst Nelson thing either as you say it's part of the Caledonian's specification.

Hi Mikkel, it is what the Caledonian called a "wrong line backing signal" Its purpose is to permit a train to reverse from the main line into the sidings or one that has reversed out of the sidings to cross to the other line. All the parts are from mse, I got quite good at making up the signal ladders with the correct round rungs by the end. 

 

Other companies used a different shape of arm and description, but some of the ex CR scissors shaped ones lasted in BR days, 1956 in the case of Oban. 

 

(I'm saying all this quietly, you know how signalling can cause endless debate round here ...... )

 

Thanks Dave, it's an intriguing signal. To my shame, signalling is still a world I haven't explored much, but stuff like this is certainly an incentive to do so.

I have four of these myself that awaiting building. However I model the Grouping era and I am struggling to find any information on these wagons during the LMS era