Kelvinbank, a Caledonian Railway project.

These must only have been used in situations where no paperwork was required - guard's journal etc. Would they even have been allowed out on the running lines?

Apologies, just went back to the previous post and read comments there re. main line working. Still no place for the guard's journal, flags, detonators, lamps, tea caddy, etc.

Very true compound, I am still not sure how they would have been worked in practice. As you say, there is no storage capacity, I think they must have been limited to working short trips on the mainline for transfer of a few wagons between yards. Then again the brakesmen, of which there might have been quite a few on early passenger trains prior to the introduction of the continuous brake in addition to an overall guard, would not have such facilities either. 

 

This is where I hope further researches by the CRA might shed light on things. These brake wagons did not seem to be under the control of a Guard, indeed the drawing of this one specifically refers to a Brakesman as late as 1913. My guess is that Guard and Brakesman were different jobs, the later being solely to control a brake wagon rather than oversee and document the safe conduct of a train. It may not even have been a specific job by this time, just allocated as and when to yard staff as required. 

 

"Operating the Caledonian part 2" may shed some light on the matter. 

Archibald McGregor rides again! 

Love these, they look great. Perhaps the addition of a toolbox or chest to contain any paperwork, lamps and sandwiches?

Excellent looking models Dave. I always wondered what these would have looked like as part of a train. Can't have been much fun working these trains in winter!

 

Ross

In general appearance they look like the brake wagons designed for Clee Hill rope worked incline by the LNWR in the 1800s.

Gordon A

Well, hopefully a photo may come to light to see whether any storage was fitted, though I think the brakesman would be doing other things as well, possibly assisting or acting as the shunter. Winter working must have been hard, no wonder the accident rates were high.

 

Perhaps the use of such wagons elsewhere as Gordon suggests happened elsewhere but just never got recorded. 

Looking at those wagons I'm reminded of the brake wagon used by the NBR on Cowlairs Bank while it was rope worked. I suspect that the Caly versions were used in similar situations.