Left handed brake lever

[Baldyoldgit]

I am building a GC 10 ton open wagon kit. The brake levers are handed, I realize the wagons were built like this, but does anyone know if they were later altered to right hand levers on both sides?  Regards Tony.

[Yardman]

From what I can see here dropping the lever will pull the brakes off not put them on.

[57xx]

Don't know much about GC wagons in general, but it would depend on how long they survived as to whether they got converted to meet BoT requirements. Sometimes it was more expedient to scrap them and replace with new wagons meeting the requirements.

 

Yardman is correct, you have the brake shoes on the wrong way. You need left over right on this side.

Edited July 2, 2020 by 57xx

[Jim Martin]

40 minutes ago, 57xx said:

Don't know much about GC wagons in general, but it would depend on how long they survived as to whether they got converted to meet BoT requirements. Sometimes it was more expedient to scrap them and replace with new wagons meeting the requirements.

As I recall, one of these wagons made it to nationalisation. I wrote an article about them many years ago. It was published in BRJ, but the delay between me submitting it and the magazine publishing it was so long that I'd moved house and didn't get the proofs in time to review them. As a result, it was published with several grammatical errors which were, in fairness, mostly my own fault, but which I'd have picked up if I'd had the opportunity. It's always rankled a bit and took the edge off my first ever published article.

 

Jim

[Baldyoldgit]

Thanks for your replies. I reread the instruction and the brakes were on one side only[easy to adjust], although there are two sets provided. I think I will leave it with handed brake levers, it will be in LNER livery.

Tony.

[Tanllan]

I think that at some point in history there was either legislation or an RCH edict that the location of brake levers had to be consitent. This would have been driven by concerns for the safety of railway employees. For example in the days when there were marshalling yards where the wagons were pushed over a hump and then ran down a slope into the sorting sidings. As each wagon went over the top a shunter would run alongside it operating the brake. You have got to perform that task with the brake handle at the trailing end of the wagon. Now just consider how do you cope if a wogon comes over the top and brake handle is the wrong way round! No you can't run in front of it and by the time you have run round the back of it it will be away and gone .... clang, thump, crash - damaged wagons, damaged goods and all yard activity at a standstill.

[Baldyoldgit]

I have found the answer to my question. https://hmrs.org.uk/photographs/10t-4-plank-open-lne-508132-xgc-unidloc-1935-side.html.  

the brake levers are now right handed on both sides.

Tony.

[Baldyoldgit]

I have altered my wagon to 1935 condition. It  now has lifting link brake gear cobbled together from a mainly trains etch.  Tony.