Gunpowder Vans - 00 Gauge - Back with a bang!

[dibber25]

13 hours ago, Covkid said:

 

You are nearly correct Chris. 

I was at Machynlleth July 1978- June 1980 and the daily goods had already been rationalised. It went to Aberystywyth MThFO and was booked to Pwllheli on Tuesday, and either / or on Wednesday. Tuesday therefore was the day the empties wrent up and the loads came out of Cookes at Penrhyndeudraeth. 

 

Unfortunately, with the bridge being banned to locos the goods was curtailed to just Tywyn on the coast branch. AMO Shrewsbury had the problem of recovering all the wagons from beyond the Mawddach bridge. Because all the wagons were empty it was arranged for a class 128 DPU to haul the wagons back from the coast to Machynlleth yard in rakes of seven vacuum braked vehicles. Can't remember how many trips but I do vaguely recall seeing one train running into Machynlleth with CXVs in the consist.  If only I had a camera at the time !!!  I don't think the DPUs ever conveyed loaded revenue earning freight on the Cambrian Coast, and the fairly hasty arrangements made to load the Penrhyndeudraeth explosives at Maentwrog Road, beyond Blaenau Festiniog  must have been made pretty quickly.

 

AFAIK the only loaded wagons running up the coast were engineers wagons in connection with the repairs to the bridge or pairs of "Dogfish" hoppers for track ballasting.  IIRC there was a ballast dump at Harlech or Penrhyn where the hoppers were loaded.  I actually did my chargeman a favour by hooking the DPU to a vacuum braked bogie bolster loaded with a baulk of timber in the tank siding at Machynlleth around this period.

 

The DPU worked a parcels service (possibly 4J05) from Wrexham to Newtown, then normally returned ECS.  Arrangements were made for Salop crew to run the DPU empty from Newtown to Machynlleth where Mach crew would route conduct the Salop crew beyond Dovey Junction.

 

So technically, yes it would be correct to run your Heljan class 128 hauling gunpowder vans, vanfits and minfits !!!!

 

For gunpowder destinations, I recall Bogside, Blairhall, Callerton, Coxlodge, Truro certainly and Bridgwater I think. It was our job to wire the "Conex" details to Shrewsbury telegraph office when the Eastbound freight departed Machynleth.    

I have a vague feeling I've seen one photograph - possibly one of the commercial collections such as Colour-Rail. (CJL)

[dibber25]

While the Gunpowder van has obvious appeal, I can't help thinking that the similar-looking Iron Mink would be a potentially better seller. Some really interesting liveries including departmental, too. In the 1960s when the old half-timbered station was still there, I photographed one in the yard at Kidderminster standing roughly where the SVR now has its booking office. (CJL)

[mdvle]

5 hours ago, dibber25 said:

While the Gunpowder van has obvious appeal, I can't help thinking that the similar-looking Iron Mink would be a potentially better seller.

 

Likely true, and certainly lots of other better sellers to choose from.

 

But Bill and Gareth (then at Rapido, now at Accurascale) wanted a GPV and so they designed a GPV.

 

(see comments in newsletter 16 - https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Rapido-News-UK-Vol--16---The-Latest-and-Greatest.html?soid=1101318906379&aid=KyCNDa0Svm4

)

 

 

[26power]

Website updated about this:

https://rapidotrains.co.uk/gunpowder-vans/

 

And more information and 3D renders in their latest UK newsletter:

https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Rapido-UK-News-No--2---More-product-news-.html?soid=1101318906379&aid=5aKNWwZoCqM

 

Text from latter (hoping it is okay to copy and paste it.  Please say if not and I'll edit post):

 

Gunpowder vans - in tooling!

 

The design work for our ‘OO’ gauge gunpowder van has been signed off and the tooling design finished. We expect that the mould shop will actually start cutting steel just after Chinese New Year (so late Feb/early March).
We’ve been able to incorporate key detail differences in order to produce BR’s Diagram 1/260 van (Lots 2490, 2499 and 2544 only), the GWR’s Diagram Z4 and the Railway Clearing House’s standard gunpowder van design.

 

The eagle-eyed will no doubt spot a couple of minor differences that we haven’t been able to include. We’ve not managed to model some tiny bracing plates that were on the end stanchions of some vehicles but not others and that we have had to include lamp irons on all versions.

 

Rapido’s philosophy, be it in North America or the UK, is to try to offer every detail difference that we’re physically able to make. But there are limits. Jason talks more about making decisions from a manufacturing rather than a modelling point of view in the latest newsletter from our colleagues across the ‘pond’. Please click here to read it.

 

 

[hmrspaul]

Here is ROF 11 very near the end of its life https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/rofgunpowder/e14787fe7

And B887021 https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/brgunpowder/e3dfdbee1

 

Paul

[Covkid]

On 02/12/2020 at 13:42, dibber25 said:

While the Gunpowder van has obvious appeal, I can't help thinking that the similar-looking Iron Mink would be a potentially better seller. Some really interesting liveries including departmental, too. In the 1960s when the old half-timbered station was still there, I photographed one in the yard at Kidderminster standing roughly where the SVR now has its booking office. (CJL)

 

On 02/12/2020 at 19:16, mdvle said:

 

Likely true, and certainly lots of other better sellers to choose from.

 

But Bill and Gareth (then at Rapido, now at Accurascale) wanted a GPV and so they designed a GPV.

 

(see comments in newsletter 16 - https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Rapido-News-UK-Vol--16---The-Latest-and-Greatest.html?soid=1101318906379&aid=KyCNDa0Svm4

)

 

 

 

I wouldn't disagree Chris, but the BR gunpowder vans extend to BR TOPS blue in the very early 1980s whereas Mink wouldn't.  More scope for the manufacturer and the modeller of TOPS blue and pre TOPS of course.

 

Just had a browse through "The Cambrian Lines" by Peter Johnson and published by Ian Allan, and there are seven images including GPVs hauled by class 24 or class 25.  Conversely, The "Cambrian Coast Railway" by WG Rear and M F Williams, published by Foxline has just the one image of a lengthy freight at Tywyn hauled by 82020 with a practically indistinct GPV towards the rear of the train.  The beautiful colour album "On Cambrian lines" by Derek Huntriss, again published by Ian Allan includes a shot of 75047 on the final climb to Talerddig with a pair of GPVs towards the rear of the mixed goods.  Similarly "The Cambrian Coast Express from the footplate" by Stephen Austin , yet another Ian Allan publication has a photograph of 75004 performing a shunt at Tywyn with three GPVs near to the loco.        

[The Johnster]

My connection with these vans was 8M01, 01.55 Long Dyke (Cardiff) to Croes Newydd, the

Penrhyndaudraeth traffic, one of my link jobs; secondman Class 47 off Canton light engine and work to Hereford for relief.  I once had to put a hotbox off at Pontrilas from this working and the signalman was not too happy with me as the GPVs were next to the cripple... I cannot for the life of me now recall where they originated from.

 

They were designed, with a steel body, blastproof doors, and light steel sheet roof, to direct the blast upwards in the event of something going that badly wrong, but TTBOMK it never had and never did.  The vans were marshalled in the fitted head on 8M01.  This was in the 70s and at the height of the Ulster 'troubles' and Meibion Glyndwr's cottage burning activities, so I was alway a bit surprised at the (apparent, there may have been all sorts of spook jiggery pokery going on wot I was not wont to wot of) absence of any securtiy; the vans were securely locked of course.  I remember GW and BR examples, in bauxite by that date, but I think some of the GW ones still had spoked wheels. 

 

I have a Parkside on order, to be finished as an unfitted example for an occasional delivery to Cwmdimbath Colliery.

Edited March 17, 2021 by The Johnster

[County of Yorkshire]

April Fools! 
 

 

:-)

 

[woodenhead]

20 minutes ago, County of Yorkshire said:

April Fools! 
 

 

:-)

 

Looks more like an oopsie than a foolsie.

 

The whole content relates to a bus, methinks they put the wrong description on.

[rapidoandy]

Something has gone wrong with the upload there! I will go and correct that methinks!

[County of Yorkshire]

Yeah, I guessed it was an error rather than an actual April Fool, but the image of a dowdy gunpowder van featuring a multi-coloured interior, flush glazing and interior lighting cracked me up.
 

Disco wagon? Would be banging’! 

 

CoY

[rapidoandy]

Can I ask where that's displayed?

[mdvle]

Perhaps a 3rd party website?  Looking at the top of the image seems to have a title of "Rapido Trains UK Range Announced" which doesn't seem to match anything here on RMweb or on the Rapido UK website.

[wainwright1]

50 minutes ago, rapidoandy said:

Can I ask where that's displayed?

I think that you will find that it is a Hattons coke up.

 

Ray

[Compound2632]

Ditto Rails of Sheffield.

[County of Yorkshire]

4 hours ago, rapidoandy said:

Can I ask where that's displayed?

In a Rails of Sheffield product announcement email sent this afternoon. 

[gwrrob]

Here's the link to order them.

 

https://railsofsheffield.com/groups/3442/rapido-trains-uk-gunpowder-van

[Graham_Muz]

1 hour ago, gwrrob said:

Here's the link to order them.

 

Rob *cough* other retailers are available... 

 

 

 

Edited April 1, 2021 by Graham_Muz

[phil gollin]

.

 

It would be nice if the appropriate dates in service were added for each livery version.

 

.

[The Johnster]

On 17/03/2021 at 15:38, The Johnster said:

 

I have a Parkside on order, to be finished as an unfitted example for an occasional delivery to Cwmdimbath Colliery.

Now arrived and built, finished in BR grey, but I'm wondering if I should have waited for the RTR Rapido.  The Parky does not have the roof shape over the doors and the transfers do not include the writing for the cast notices on the door and lh side.  I'll prolly replace it and try to convert to Iron Mink.

[Porcy Mane]

35 minutes ago, The Johnster said:

The Parky does not have the roof shape over the doors

 

Some GWR Gunpoodah Vans  (Dig. Z4 "Cones?) were built without the roof overhang. These  mostly were examples seen with the warning plate on the left had door.

 

Edited April 4, 2021 by Porcy Mane

[The Johnster]

The Parky kit is for the Z4, which is a Cone, so the roof on mine is correct; I'd just not seen a photo of this before and my memory failed me about the GPVs on the Croes Newydd, which were sometimes ex GW or at least W prefix vans.  There were LMS and BR ones as well; this was the early 70s and the vans were vacuum fitted, unlike this one.

[Porcy Mane]

11 minutes ago, The Johnster said:

unlike this one.

 

Which one Johnster me owld mucker? The one shown in the phot I posted is Vac fitted (Retro?) with Morton brake.

Same as W105777 as it appears on Mr. Bartletts website in 1980. Just stick some Morton gear on the Parkside kit  and Bobs your uncle.

Edited April 5, 2021 by Porcy Mane

[The Johnster]

I mean this Parkside kit for an unfitted van, the one wot i just maid; they may well have been ‘improved’ by BR to be vacuum fitted under the auspices of the Ideal Wagon committee, especially as the vans were of relatively recent build, well built and in good condition, and there was clearly work for them in connection with quarrying and mining blasting powder traffic.  All the GPVs I saw in the 70s were ex GW, ex LMS, or BR Standard, and all were fitted and in bauxite livery.  They may have been the only fitted bauxite vans not to carry the ‘XP’ branding. 

Edited April 5, 2021 by The Johnster

[Jack P]

Does anyone know why the Southern didn't get on-board with this design also?