Guest WM183 Posted April 9, 2019 Share Posted April 9, 2019 Hi folks. Out of curiosity, it seems that with Cooper Craft being out of the game, there are very few choices for GWR wagons like V5 and V6 minks, O4/O5 opens, and even cattle wagons. What are people doing to fill in the gaps? Or do I just need to haunt ebay and be patient? Thanks much, Amanda Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Prism Posted April 9, 2019 Share Posted April 9, 2019 Parkside does a V12/14/16 Mink, plus an O9/O15 open. Ratio still does the V6. Overall situation. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium corneliuslundie Posted April 9, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 9, 2019 Parkside do a V12 which can also be made up to cover two other Diagrams. Also a V11 and a V22, two of the long wheelbase ones, and specialised vans such as a banana van, a fruit van etc. The photo is of the first as a V12, just completed last week. Jonathan 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edwardian Posted April 9, 2019 Share Posted April 9, 2019 For pre-1904 it's pretty bleak for Opens, with David Geen 3-planks and Coopercraft O5s (good for pre-diagram 4-planks) OOP. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Compound2632 Posted April 9, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 9, 2019 (edited) Not forgetting the Cambrian offerings too. All these - Ratio, Parkside, Cambrian - seem to be 1930s+ diagrams, whereas the Coopercraft kits were of Edwardian diagrams. And as Edwardian's just said, if you're into the "earlies", David Geen's retirement has been a cause for regret. Edited April 9, 2019 by Compound2632 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kandc_au Posted April 10, 2019 Share Posted April 10, 2019 Just to refresh my memory....whose models had the wrong roof curvature? I seem to recall one of them was out a lot and needed a lot of work to get the roof profile correct! I have some with me at the moment (Coopercraft) and the books, because I recalled this being mentioned and wasn't going to start until I was sure. Khris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craigw Posted April 10, 2019 Share Posted April 10, 2019 9 hours ago, Compound2632 said: Not forgetting the Cambrian offerings too. All these - Ratio, Parkside, Cambrian - seem to be 1930s+ diagrams, whereas the Coopercraft kits were of Edwardian diagrams. And as Edwardian's just said, if you're into the "earlies", David Geen's retirement has been a cause for regret. Parkside do an O11/O15 open and the O13 China clay which are all around 1912-1913 build plus an early 20's banana van and mica. At least a little more variety. But nothing to really cover the Dean or earlier Churchward era goods stock. Jeremy Suter also supplies the Morgan design etched brass Iron Mink which is actually accurate, unlike the Ratio model. Regards, Craig Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craigw Posted April 10, 2019 Share Posted April 10, 2019 3 hours ago, kandc_au said: Just to refresh my memory....whose models had the wrong roof curvature? I seem to recall one of them was out a lot and needed a lot of work to get the roof profile correct! I have some with me at the moment (Coopercraft) and the books, because I recalled this being mentioned and wasn't going to start until I was sure. Khris The Coopercraft W1 Cattle wagon has the wrong roof profile. Regards, Craig 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest WM183 Posted April 10, 2019 Share Posted April 10, 2019 Oh, I didn't know the roof was incorrect. I've already built my W1. Huh. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham456 Posted April 10, 2019 Share Posted April 10, 2019 12 hours ago, WM183 said: Oh, I didn't know the roof was incorrect. I've already built my W1. Huh. Dont get to upset now it's to late to correct the roof on your cattle vans be comforted by the fact they are better than Bachmann offering 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bigbee Line Posted May 12, 2019 Share Posted May 12, 2019 On 09/04/2019 at 20:36, corneliuslundie said: Parkside do a V12 which can also be made up to cover two other Diagrams. Also a V11 and a V22, two of the long wheelbase ones, and specialised vans such as a banana van, a fruit van etc. The photo is of the first as a V12, just completed last week. Jonathan In 7mm I have one of the Peco Banana Vans to get into shops at some point. Any idea how late the ran with BR before being sold of for internal use or scrapped.. I hope the early 60's.... Thanks Ernie 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium corneliuslundie Posted May 12, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 12, 2019 I am sure that on another thread it has been mentioned that former fitted banana vans were used in South Wales to provide fitted heads for unfitted coal trains to the docks with could not handle fitted coal wagons. I think it was The Johnster who mentioned it. That would have been about the time you mention. By the way in 1925 the GWR converted some old V12 vans into Banana Vans. The Bishop's Castle Railway Society has just acquired the body of one. Jonathan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Johnster Posted May 12, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 12, 2019 I think I may have. Banana vans were also used as fitted heads on some Barry Docks-Corby/Scunthorpe iron ore trains up to the early 70s, run as class 8 with Halls or Hymeks. They were ballasted with sand bags I believe. They may have also appeared on Llanharry-Cardiff East Moors iron ore workings, which will be of interest to Amanda as they were Llantrisant jobs. The trains had brake vans each end because they reversed at Pengam Jc. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted May 12, 2019 Share Posted May 12, 2019 7 hours ago, The Bigbee Line said: In 7mm I have one of the Peco Banana Vans to get into shops at some point. Any idea how late the ran with BR before being sold of for internal use or scrapped.. I hope the early 60's.... Thanks Ernie I've been looking at a few sources, both on-line and paper, regarding GWR Banana vans. They would appear, from photos, to have been 9ft wheelbase; as such, I would suspect the early 1960s saw their demise, as vans of less than 10' wheelbase (apart from Gunpowder vans, and some GWR-based Palvans) seem to have disappeared around then. Certainly, in views of Banana specials from the late 1950s onwards, ex-GWR vans are conspicuous by their absence. There are SR ones, LMS ones and BR ones aplenty, but no GWR or LNER ones (did the LNER even have Banana vans?) 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bigbee Line Posted May 12, 2019 Share Posted May 12, 2019 We are at Highley for a week and are taking the opportunity to browse the second hand book and magazine stalls at stations on the SVR. I collected a copy of Railway Bylines with pictures of the 'clearout day' on the West Quay at Newhaven. In that trip there looks to be a GW Banana Van, the end vent is boarded over. It is marked up COND with an internal user number. In the same edition, 10 September 2001 is a 1940's picture in the PLA with one at the head of a rake of other banana vans, you can see the 'STEAM BANANA' branding and the large 'spot' marking.. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted May 12, 2019 Share Posted May 12, 2019 15 minutes ago, The Bigbee Line said: We are at Highley for a week and are taking the opportunity to browse the second hand book and magazine stalls at stations on the SVR. I collected a copy of Railway Bylines with pictures of the 'clearout day' on the West Quay at Newhaven. In that trip there looks to be a GW Banana Van, the end vent is boarded over. It is marked up COND with an internal user number. In the same edition, 10 September 2001 is a 1940's picture in the PLA with one at the head of a rake of other banana vans, you can see the 'STEAM BANANA' branding and the large 'spot' marking.. The SVR may have a preserved example; I think there was something when I had a dig around, Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Prism Posted May 12, 2019 Share Posted May 12, 2019 (edited) The Peco thing is a V18. There is a preserved V18 at Bodmin. The SVR also has one. (There may be others.) I think they were the first Mink diagram with Morton brakes. Preserved wagons should be treated with a degree of caution however, many being rebuilt quite radically over the years. Edited May 12, 2019 by Miss Prism Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antony Farrell Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 How much work would be needed to turn a Parkside V12 into a V4 (low)? The gwr org site in the lists indicate that it is possible to convert a Coopercraft V4 (low) into a V12 so was wondering if the reverse is not too difficult? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Prism Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 2 hours ago, Antony Farrell said: How much work would be needed to turn a Parkside V12 into a V4 (low)? The gwr org site in the lists indicate that it is possible to convert a Coopercraft V4 (low) into a V12 so was wondering if the reverse is not too difficult? You will need DCI brakes for a V4, and, depending on era, new body ends. I don't think Cooper-Craft ever did spares of the V4 ends with cross-strapping without louvres. Generally, the conversion statements on gwr.org assumed the existence of the different end packs (CC 1017W and 1018W), but of course they are not available these days. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steamport Southport Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 On 12/05/2019 at 18:00, Fat Controller said: I've been looking at a few sources, both on-line and paper, regarding GWR Banana vans. They would appear, from photos, to have been 9ft wheelbase; as such, I would suspect the early 1960s saw their demise, as vans of less than 10' wheelbase (apart from Gunpowder vans, and some GWR-based Palvans) seem to have disappeared around then. Certainly, in views of Banana specials from the late 1950s onwards, ex-GWR vans are conspicuous by their absence. There are SR ones, LMS ones and BR ones aplenty, but no GWR or LNER ones (did the LNER even have Banana vans?) I don't think the LNER did. Possibly because of where the bananas were coming from, mainly the Caribbean. Liverpool had a significant trade in bananas as did Southampton. I can't remember where they arrived for the GWR. Plymouth or possibly South Wales? Jason Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 Just now, Steamport Southport said: I don't think the LNER did. Possibly because of where the bananas were coming from, mainly the Caribbean. Liverpool had a significant trade in bananas as did Southampton. I can't remember where they arrived for the GWR. Plymouth or possibly South Wales? Jason Barry and Avonmouth for the GWR; I believe Preston Docks was another importing port. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Joseph_Pestell Posted May 14, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 14, 2019 Bananas also arrived in the London docks. Circa 1965, we collected my grandmother from somewhere in the London Docks from a banana ship that she had had a mini cruise on. That would be GER/NLR territory. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwealleans Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 The LNER did have banana vans after Fyffes started bringing bananas through Hull instead of a Southern port. When they then switched back to a port in SR territory, the SR hired the LNER vans in. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium corneliuslundie Posted May 14, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 14, 2019 Things it may be worth looking for second hand are: Colin Ashby V7 of 1906/7 Great Western wagons kit GWW-04 - 1882 with iron underframe, Diagram not stated but lots 199, 225, 239, 252, 261, 269, 282, 291, 292, 315, 321, 339 and 358 Fourmost Models V16 of 1912 David Geen 1879 van which seems to be the GWW kit reissued. Jonathan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Johnster Posted May 14, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 14, 2019 Fyffe's at Avonmouth, and Geest at Barry during the 60s and 70s; they afterwards moved to Avonmouth. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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