Dapol (Kitmaster/Airfix) Meat Van

[Mallard60022]

What a lovely little kit the Dapol Kitmaster Meat Van is.  Plenty of advice and pics on line for reference.

Tiny adjustments to the actual instructions:

drill the axle holes to accept Top Hat bearings;

fit Side Frames a little wider than shown;

remove lumpy hinges (thanks various bods for tip);

glue doors together and let set before fitting;

stick little strips behind the doors to block the hinge holes....I used some scrap ply from a Lazer Cut kit.

Plan is to fill holes and/or add rivet strips to existing strips on doors, (to cover holes on fronts of doors).

Don't fit supplied 'original' Couplings; consider fitting supplied Airfix/Dapol couplings to match RTR Vans, or something more unobtrusive.

Add lead weigh to inside. Use existing chunky Roof as I CBA to use a home made one from plassicard and strip.

Use supplied Buffers that are adequate, to save using expensive cast ones that I save for more sophisticated builds.

About 90 minutes of slow, Mindful work whilst listening to the Radio. Happy memories of very many years ago before Liquid Poly was available and knowledge was almost zero. I actually never had or made a Meat Van. 

Not much glue sniffing involved.

Great distraction from the mad World outside at this time. Another three to do, because I can.

I don't care if there are errors in the 'look' or dimensions and if some parts look lumpy.

Phil

[Middlesea John]

Phil, I have 4 of these for Ladycross.  Any thoughts on an excuse for running hem or having them in the goods yard ?

 

I hope you're safe and well

 

John

[Mallard60022]

17 hours ago, Middlesea John said:

Phil, I have 4 of these for Ladycross.  Any thoughts on an excuse for running hem or having them in the goods yard ?

 

I hope you're safe and well

 

John

Thank you for your thoughts.  Likewise I hope things are OK over there in sunny coastland.

Meat for Smithfield, possibly off a ship at Southampton, or just local from the Forest, Hampshire, Dorset area?

Alternatively it could be something dropped off at Salisbury from a WOEML Freight and then off down to the coast?

P

[5Bel]

Hi Phil,

 

The then Airfix Meat van was the first ever kit I made. I bought it along with an Airfix Brake van from a Bicycle shop in Ickenham not far from the Metropolitan Station, was probably in the late 70’s. I really enjoy building these kits as all the parts fit properly and they capture the essence of the real thing perfectly. They are good if you are having a temporary Mojo absence. My favourite is the Presflo though I’ve only built a few. I’ve built far more minerals and brake vans though. Be good to see yours when it’s done. 
 

Cheers for now, Ian. 

[Enterprisingwestern]

21 hours ago, Middlesea John said:

Phil, I have 4 of these for Ladycross.  Any thoughts on an excuse for running hem or having them in the goods yard ?

 

I hope you're safe and well

 

John

 

Depends on your modelling period.

 

Mike.

[Mallard60022]

4 minutes ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

Depends on your modelling period.

 

Mike.

Ladycross era is suitable for these Mike.

Phil

[Enterprisingwestern]

2 minutes ago, Mallard60022 said:

Ladycross era is suitable for these Mike.

Phil

 

Yes, but used as what?

They weren't used as meat vans later on in life when fresh meat traffic had ceased, and later on there were variations on the ventilation panels left on them in normal van traffic.

This would have a bearing on their use and where they would appear.

 

Mike.

[CKPR]

There's plenty of  prototypical ways to ring the changes with this kit:

- Letter it as a normal 12t van

- Remove all the end ventilators and plate over 

- Remove all but the top one of the end ventilators and plate over

- Alter the end ventilators and replace the sides with those from a Parkside BR 12t planked van [these are a perfect fit]

 

[There was a good article  by Don Rowland in the MRN way back in September 1969 (!) that set out these variations]

Edited December 12, 2020 by CKPR

[Mallard60022]

1 hour ago, 5Bel said:

Hi Phil,

 

The then Airfix Meat van was the first ever kit I made. I bought it along with an Airfix Brake van from a Bicycle shop in Ickenham not far from the Metropolitan Station, was probably in the late 70’s. I really enjoy building these kits as all the parts fit properly and they capture the essence of the real thing perfectly. They are good if you are having a temporary Mojo absence. My favourite is the Presflo though I’ve only built a few. I’ve built far more minerals and brake vans though. Be good to see yours when it’s done. 
 

Cheers for now, Ian. 

There are some great versions of the Brake Van on this Forum and probably the other kits; I just looked at the Net for Meat Van Pics. I have some more Brake Vans in the loft somewhere; bright red plastic!!

Presflo was a favourite of mine way, way back as I remembered the yellow Cement Presflo's at Exeter Central. Some years back I got a set of around 5 or 6 on EBay that had been beautifully made and weathered. Unfortunately I then discovered that the Cements had come down the WR main from Westbury area I think and then up the bank to Central Yard, the WR loco being assisted by three SR engines. I had never seen that train when spotting at Central the few times I got there. My excuse for seeing them at Seaton Junction will be on diversion!!!

Great fun, for me anyway.

P

[AJCT]

More info here -

- I've done the Ale Van conversion pictured in my friend Don Rowland's book: just needs transfers and weathering.

 

Cheers !

 

Alasdair

[Mallard60022]

4 minutes ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

Yes, but used as what?

They weren't used as meat vans later on in life when fresh meat traffic had ceased, and later on there were variations on the ventilation panels left on them in normal van traffic.

This would have a bearing on their use and where they would appear.

 

Mike.

Yup, I have discovered that, however John has his informants and circa 1960 SR in the south is a good excuse to use them, either for meat or other perishables, maybe fruit or veg.

For Seaton Junction I am lucky to have plenty of 'evidence' of a mix of Containers and Vans and there was at least one dedicated train of meat from Bideford I think it was that went to London on weekdays. Empties

 was an Express fully fitted goods of 40+ vans, and Nine Elms Merchant Navy worked, overnight on the down.

John will have to be selective as Ladycross is a Club Exhibition Layout. I can do what I like, within reason Phil

[Mallard60022]

4 minutes ago, AJCT said:

More info here -

- I've done the Ale Van conversion pictured in my friend Don Rowland's book: just needs transfers and weathering.

 

Cheers !

 

Alasdair

Nice one buddy; thanks for that. The 'conversion' of small kits like this is a lovely way to relax IMO but I am a lazy investigator. Don's books are great; part built a couple of coaches for him some years back.

Phil

[Mallard60022]

12 minutes ago, CKPR said:

There's plenty of  prototypical ways to ring the changes with this kit:

- Letter it as a normal 12t van

- Remove all the end ventilators and plate over 

- Remove all but one of the end ventilators and plate over

- Alter the end ventilators and replace the sides with those from a Parkside BR 12t planked van

 

[There was a good article  by Don Rowland in the MRN way back in September 1969 (!) that set out these variations]

 

7 minutes ago, AJCT said:

More info here -

- I've done the Ale Van conversion pictured in my friend Don Rowland's book: just needs transfers and weathering.

Cheers !

Alasdair

Having seen your two posts I am thinking of doing a couple of the ones I have as conversions. At £9 a Kit it isn't frightening to take the knife to them is it? Thanks lads.

P

[Barry O]

I have found a reasonably old version of the kit in my "roundtuit" draw.. a conversion is called for!

 

Baz

[Michael Hodgson]

1 hour ago, Mallard60022 said:

Yup, I have discovered that, however John has his informants and circa 1960 SR in the south is a good excuse to use them, either for meat or other perishables, maybe fruit or veg.

For Seaton Junction I am lucky to have plenty of 'evidence' of a mix of Containers and Vans and there was at least one dedicated train of meat from Bideford I think it was that went to London on weekdays. Empties

 was an Express fully fitted goods of 40+ vans, and Nine Elms Merchant Navy worked, overnight on the down.

John will have to be selective as Ladycross is a Club Exhibition Layout. I can do what I like, within reason Phil

Always liked that whole range of kits, OK, so a bit crude by today's standards but still good now with a bit of work as described. The meat van kit seemed to be rarer by my recollections - perhaps produced in lower quantity once the prototype's meat traffic had gone?  I don't know when that was, but presumably they were not used for fruit & veg whilst still available for meat traffic, on health & safety grounds even back then?

 

"to London" = Smithfield Market on the Widened lines, hauled in that area by locos with condensing apparatus?

 

 

[Enterprisingwestern]

1 hour ago, Mallard60022 said:

 

Having seen your two posts I am thinking of doing a couple of the ones I have as conversions. At £9 a Kit it isn't frightening to take the knife to them is it? Thanks lads.

P

 

£9, pah, wait until you are taking the knife to £50 and upwards wagons and coaches, and as for loco's, well!

 

Mike.

[Mallard60022]

8 minutes ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

£9, pah, wait until you are taking the knife to £50 and upwards wagons and coaches, and as for loco's, well!

 

Mike.

Never quite reached those illustrious costs, however I have hacked a few RTR coaches ready for 'improvements'. As for Loco's, apart from splashing some grunge on them and adding a few detailing bits, that's been it; yes I know!!!!! Mr Tight wad eh!

I'm still recovering from looking at the newish prices for rolling stock and the £200+ locomotive......yup, Tight wad, but I am retired and not earning nuffink.

P

[Steamport Southport]

42 minutes ago, Michael Hodgson said:

Always liked that whole range of kits, OK, so a bit crude by today's standards but still good now with a bit of work as described. The meat van kit seemed to be rarer by my recollections - perhaps produced in lower quantity once the prototype's meat traffic had gone?  I don't know when that was, but presumably they were not used for fruit & veg whilst still available for meat traffic, on health & safety grounds even back then?

 

"to London" = Smithfield Market on the Widened lines, hauled in that area by locos with condensing apparatus?

 

 

 

Probably snapped up by modellers when available. I know I've got too many of them, mostly bought as a pre-teen as they were simple to build for anyone who could build an Airfix Spitfire. You could even get them in Woolies.

 

If you wanted a proper BR van it was the only game in town until Parkside released one. Or was it Ian Kirk originally? There may have been whitemetal kits, but they weren't common.

 

The only thing close was the Hornby Vanwide.

 

http://www.hornbyguide.com/item_year_details.asp?itemyearid=2727

 

 

 

Jason

[Michael Hodgson]

They used to cost 2/-

[BernardTPM]

The range of wagon kits was considerably pruned in the mid-'60s. From memory, the mineral, brake van, Esso tank and cattle wagon were the only wagons that were always shown in the Airfix kit catalogue.

[andyman7]

The only wagon deleted in the 1960s that was never reissued by Airfix was the Prestwin Twin Silo wagon. The Brake Van, Meat Van, Cement Wagon, Cattle Wagon and Mineral Wagon were all reissued on and off throughout the 1970s. The Cattle Wagon and Mineral Wagon exist in 'Type 6' (post 1978) boxing; the Brake Van, Meat Wagon and Cement Wagon made it as far as the 'Type 5b' box style (1976-77) but were easily obtainable until the early 1980s.

[Steamport Southport]

I remember the twin silo wagon being available in the late 1970s and early '80s. But probably old stocks.

 

The only ones I don't remember either having or seeing were the Crane, Lowmac and Interfrigo Van. Only ever saw those from Dapol when they were reissued in the mid 1980s.

 

Looking at this it was probably the 1979 version of the Meat Van that I remember.

 

https://www.vintage-airfix.com/airfix/ho-oo-rolling-stock/10-ton-ventilated-meat-van-p-402.html

 

 

 

Jason

[hmrspaul]

4 hours ago, Mallard60022 said:

 

Having seen your two posts I am thinking of doing a couple of the ones I have as conversions. At £9 a Kit it isn't frightening to take the knife to them is it? Thanks lads.

P

Where is the gulp emojii. Now 2 bob, they were a steal! Do they have decent wheels now?

 

Paul

PS what was the comment about EVEN in Woolies. Where else would they be available from? Most towns didn't have model shops that us kids would go in. The Lowmac and Crane were even better value at 3 shillings. 

 

Edited December 12, 2020 by hmrspaul

[BernardTPM]

1 hour ago, andyman7 said:

The only wagon deleted in the 1960s that was never reissued by Airfix was the Prestwin Twin Silo wagon. The Brake Van, Meat Van, Cement Wagon, Cattle Wagon and Mineral Wagon were all reissued on and off throughout the 1970s. The Cattle Wagon and Mineral Wagon exist in 'Type 6' (post 1978) boxing; the Brake Van, Meat Wagon and Cement Wagon made it as far as the 'Type 5b' box style (1976-77) but were easily obtainable until the early 1980s.

Yes, quite a few came back later, but for a while the range really shrank (even more than I remembered). The 6th & 7th edition catalogues (1969, 1970) only list the Mineral wagon and Esso Tank wagon. The 1968 price list lists those two plus Prestwin Silo wagon and Lowmac, though with a note that they were not illustrated, and the Refrigerator van was 'out of production'. The Meat van was on the 1967 list.

Obviously the tools must have been kept as Dapol have been rerunning almost the whole range. The only Airfix rolling stock item they haven't reintroduced are the set of Airfix hornhook couplings.

[Steamport Southport]

2 hours ago, hmrspaul said:

Where is the gulp emojii. Now 2 bob, they were a steal! Do they have decent wheels now?

 

Paul

PS what was the comment about EVEN in Woolies. Where else would they be available from? Most towns didn't have model shops that us kids would go in. The Lowmac and Crane were even better value at 3 shillings. 

 

 

They have reasonable metal wheels, the same ones the normal wagons have I believe and NEM tension lock couplings (for those that use them).

 

I don't know why people are paying £9 though. Only £5.46 at Hattons. Some of the others are £6.60.

 

https://www.hattons.co.uk/34856/dapol_c041_10t_ventilated_meat_van_wagon_plastic_kit/stockdetail.aspx

 

You can see the wheels in this one.

 

https://www.hattons.co.uk/34853/dapol_c038_br_brake_van_wagon_plastic_kit/stockdetail.aspx

 

 

Jason