MR 6 wheeled arc roof carriage brakes

[Nick Lawson]

MR Clayton 6 wheeled arc-roofed carriage stock of the 1880s was built with brakes fitted only to the end wheelsets. While building an old Slaters kit, I noticed that the instructions contained the statement "Note that on these vehicles the centre wheels were not originally braked"; implying that they, or some of them, had received brakes on the centre wheels at a later date. 

 

Does anyone know whether this actually happened, and if so roughly when?

[Poor Old Bruce]

Not sure they ever were. The preserved Brake 3rd at Butterley has a unbraked centre axle (probably not an original underframe but not certain).

 

 

The Fish Van at Rowsley has an LMS-built underframe on which the centre axle is braked.

 

[Nick Lawson]

Thanks for the pics Bruce

[Compound2632]

There is a drawing in the Carriage & Wagon collection of the Midland Railway Study Centre, Drg. 3884 "Standard Brake Blocks for Carriages & Wagons", originally drawn 21 May 1913 which includes block type 1A "for centre wheels of 6-wheeled carriage stock". This is the same as the standard carriage block but the shoe is thinner (material removed from the back face), 2½" wide rather than the standard 3¼". Looking through photos in R.E. Lacy & G. Dow, Midland Railway Carriages, I think that brakes were fitted to the centre wheels of the 6-wheeled clerestory carriages built 1898-1902, or at least definitely to the D530 full brakes, and to later 6-wheeled NPCS such as motor car vans (vide @Poor Old Bruce's fish van) . Unfortunately clear photos of arc-roof 6-wheelers in service where one can see the brake rigging clearly are few and far between - the photos in Lacy & Dow are mostly officials showing carriages as built. As far as I can see, no preserved carriages that have their original underframes have centre wheel brakes, nor do any carriages converted to departmental use. 

 

So I would omit the centre brakes whatever period you're modelling but keep the parts just in case further evidence turns up! The Slater's 31 ft underframe was also used for kits of the clerestory lavatory third and full brake, which might explain why parts for centre brakes are included.

Edited January 24, 2021 by Compound2632

[Nick Lawson]

@Compound2632 Thanks for your information. I agree about the lack of clear pics. I couldn't find anything to show a mod, but thought it possible that I'd missed something. Reassured, I will follow the supplied instructions!