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Wagon buffer head diameter


Jonny251990

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I'm am modify a number of my wagons [LMS, GWR and LNER mostly with some PO (RCH and Gloucester type) mineral trucks] and am looking for suitable sprung buffers with the correct head diameters. MJT seem to do a good range, and from trawling the web I seem to get the impression that most wagons pre-BR had 13" buffer heads. Would this be correct?

 

Many thanks,

John

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GWR wagons were fitted with 12" (early wagons), 13" (later standard, but I'm not sure when the changeover happened), but some wagons (e.g. later shunters trucks) were fitted with larger 15" or 16" heads. Longer-wheelbase wagons were usually fitted with the larger heads, either round or elliptical.

 

I think most early PO wagons were fitted with 12", but there was probably an RCH change to 13" at some stage.

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The Ince Wagon Works book has a facsimile of the RCH 1923 spec-drawing for a 12-ton wagon. It has 13" buffers. So does the RCH 1903 drawing, reproduced in the same book, for a 15-ton wagon. The drawing for 8, 10 and 12 ton wagons issued in 1906 shows 12" heads.

 

Also in that book are reproductions of many RCH drawings for "approved" versions of self-contained buffers, which would typically be used when rebuilding a dumb-buffered mineral wagon to an RCH-acceptable standard. All the approved designs from the trade have 12" heads, as do the three variants of RCH design specified in 1906. In the 1912 design for standard, self-contained buffers (which are completely different to the 1903 design) the drawing carries a note: 12" dia for wagons under 18'0" over headstocks. 13" dia for wagon 18'0" or more over headstocks except 30 Ton wagons. 17"x12" Oval with square spindle for 30 Ton wagons.

 

From that, I'd guess 12" heads for normal-size (15' up to 17'6" long) mineral and goods wagons built pre-1923 and 13" heads afterwards. And I can't see that the RCH would have forced wagon owners to upgrade the 12" heads to 13" on wagons already in service.

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