The Chaldrons, By Accurascale

[big jim]

My accurascale order history looks rather strange, KUA nuclear wagons followed by a pack of chaldrons!

 

interesting little wagon, never heard of them until today to be honest but I can picture them nicely running behind my Peckett or NCB loco on the preserved part of my layout (if I ever finish it)

[NeilHB]

Wibble, these look delightful! Almost make me wish that I still modelled in 4mm scale! 

 

Please, please, please can we have some in 7mm scale at some point?  

[Colin_McLeod]

Great announcement. Now to decide whether to use these as industrial wagons in a ''factory siding" or as coal wagons pulled by Bellrophron in NCB livery on order from KR Models.

[Colin_McLeod]

53 minutes ago, big jim said:

My accurascale order history looks rather strange, KUA nuclear wagons followed by a pack of chaldrons!

 

The joys of modelling. 

Rule one applies.

[Michael Hodgson]

4 hours ago, Accurascale Fran said:

So, who saw our latest OO wagon announcement coming? 

Congratulations Fran - that is the most inspired choice of prototype since Hattons announced their generic coaches.  A long overdue omission from the RTR market.  My grandfather was a coal miner in Northumberland so I used to see these wagons all over the North East, albeit usually not moving but standing around looking clapped out.  I notice you're using the spelling without a U, but I was used to the alternative of chauldron - that may have just been the Geordies though, I don't know.

 

I like the sound of these magnetic couplings and want to see how well they behave in practice, but it looks like a vast improvement on anything fitted to any other RTR models both in appearance and ease of use.  My main doubt is how they will behave when propelling, especially on any reverse curves.  I'm glad to see they go round 1st radius curves too - something that small should be able to do that without trouble.  On the assumption that the couplings work as well as they look, there is indeed likely to be a reasonable market for the couplings as a separate product.

 

 

I've ordered 5 packs already and have no doubt you will have to place an order for a second run before very long.  There are bound to be some modellers who will be inspired by these wagons to build some models of collieries or staithes.   I'm still waiting for my Deltic to haul them!  Maybe I will have to reconsider my decision not order KR's Bellerophon, these wagons do justify an antiquated loco   

[Colin_McLeod]

I was looking at these wagons on accurascale.co.uk, specifically at the 'Londonderry'option. My viewing was interrupted by a pop up inviting me to go to the Irish version of the site to see prices in Euro.  I did so but the 'Londonderry' option was still there! lol 

[Accurascale Fran]

2 minutes ago, Michael Hodgson said:

Congratulations Fran - that is the most inspired choice of prototype since Hattons announced their generic coaches.  A long overdue omission from the RTR market.  My grandfather was a coal miner in Northumberland so I used to see these wagons all over the North East, albeit usually not moving but standing around looking clapped out.  I notice you're using the spelling without a U, but I was used to the alternative of chauldron - that may have just been the Geordies though, I don't know.

 

I like the sound of these magnetic couplings and want to see how well they behave in practice, but it looks like a vast improvement on anything fitted to any other RTR models both in appearance and ease of use.  My main doubt is how they will behave when propelling, especially on any reverse curves.  I'm glad to see they go round 1st radius curves too - something that small should be able to do that without trouble.  On the assumption that the couplings work as well as they look, there is indeed likely to be a reasonable market for the couplings as a separate product.

 

 

I've ordered 5 packs already and have no doubt you will have to place an order for a second run before very long.  There are bound to be some modellers who will be inspired by these wagons to build some models of collieries or staithes.   I'm still waiting for my Deltic to haul them!  Maybe I will have to reconsider my decision not order KR's Bellerophon, these wagons do justify an antiquated loco   

 

Hi @Michael Hodgson.

 

Many thanks, but I cannot take the plaudits for this. This project is the brainchild of @Islesyand something he pitched to us when he first joined us. Paul demonstrated such passion and knowledge for the wagons and this era that we had to back him all the way on it and we can now see in the reaction how it's paying off.

 

Cheers!

 

Fran 

[Bishdurham]

4 hours ago, Dunsignalling said:

Build them anyway. They are totally out of area for me, but I made up a small batch for a late friend a few years ago. One of the best-designed and most enjoyable wagon kits I've ever tackled.

 

John

I have had them on my to do list for 30 years,  I built a couple back then and you are right they are a lovely kit.

[Wickham Green too]

What a shame these would never have been seen south of the Thames ......... perhaps I'll have to pretend the Surrey Heights Iron Tramway came to fruition ??!? ( 4’ 1½’’, of course )

[Islesy]

On 01/10/2021 at 17:25, Wickham Green too said:

What a shame these would never have been seen south of the Thames

Well, how about riding on the back of an 1898 16ft ex-LSWR 'lift van'@Wickham Green, does that count? 60020 even spent time in your neck of the woods from September 1927  (picture originally supplied courtesy of my good friend Mike King, but removed now, due to a complaint)

Edited October 3, 2021 by Islesy
Issue regarding ownership of photograph

[Mark Saunders]

12 minutes ago, Wickham Green too said:

What a shame these would never have been seen south of the Thames ......... perhaps I'll have to pretend the Surrey Heights Iron Tramway came to fruition ??!? ( 4’ 1½’’, of course )

They made it to France and Chile!

[Porcy Mane]

2 minutes ago, Mark Saunders said:

They made it to France and Chile!

 

And variations were built in Australia  (Newcastle).

[Ruston]

I have ordered two packs, today.

@Accurascale Fran- I've read that they have magnetic couplings, but how exactly does the magnetic coupling work? Is it contained in the frame ends and it is the ends that are attracted together? I'll be using working chain couplings to couple to locomotives in any case, but I may as well leave the magnetic coupling within a rake.

As I said elsewhere, it's nice to see a RTR manufacturer finally being brave enough to ditch the ridiculous appendages known as Tension Links. And when you come to produce the little Seaham Lewin engine to go with these - just make sure that sound and a Stay Alive can be got into it, please.

[Accurascale Fran]

Hi Dave,

 

Many thanks for your order!

 

We are actually finessing the coupling system as will be apparent on the decorated samples, but this might give you an idea of their operation 

 

 

@Islesy will explain them better than I can and we will be doing a visual demonstration with them once the decorated samples arrive. 

 

We 100% agree on the tension locks argument, and if there was one thing I could change in the hobby myself it would be banishing them forever. They're only fit for the bin. It's also not our first rodeo in pushing alternative solutions, as our Mark 5s show.

 

Opposite ends of the railway era, but similar ideas!

 

Cheers,

 

Fran 

[Markwj]

Would they have run with the J70 (model rail limited edition with rapido?

thanks

mark

[Compound2632]

2 minutes ago, Markwj said:

Would they have run with the J70

 

The J70's fenders wouldn't have lasted long if they'd tried!

 

Quite a different part of the world - all the difference between Great and North.

[MarkSG]

Hmm. These don't fit anywhere in any project that I've currently modelling or got in mind. But, still.  What kind of locos would, typically, have pulled these?

[Edwardian]

1 hour ago, Wickham Green too said:

What a shame these would never have been seen south of the Thames ......... perhaps I'll have to pretend the Surrey Heights Iron Tramway came to fruition ??!? ( 4’ 1½’’, of course )

 

Perhaps, then, the Norfolk Minerals Railway should have some too!

[Compound2632]

14 minutes ago, MarkSG said:

Hmm. These don't fit anywhere in any project that I've currently modelling or got in mind. But, still.  What kind of locos would, typically, have pulled these?

 

None, I think, that have ever been available RTR - there are various industrial types but none equipped with the chaldron buffers.

Edited October 1, 2021 by Compound2632

[MarkSG]

2 minutes ago, Compound2632 said:

 

None, I think, that are currently available RTR - there are various industrial types but none equipped with the chaldron buffers.

 

So does that mean Accurascale may be thinking of producing one?

Edited October 1, 2021 by MarkSG

[Islesy]

1 minute ago, Compound2632 said:

 

None, I think, that have ever been available RTR - there are various industrial types but none equipped with the chaldron buffers.

Seaham Harbour purchased two Pecket B2s from new in 1905 and 1906 that I have pictures of, paired with Chaldrons. Of course, there will be a need to add dumb buffers to the Peckets, but that’s part of modelling, isn’t it?

[Compound2632]

3 minutes ago, Islesy said:

Seaham Harbour purchased two Pecket B2s from new in 1905 and 1906 that I have pictures of, paired with Chaldrons. Of course, there will be a need to add dumb buffers to the Peckets, but that’s part of modelling, isn’t it?

 

Quite so. I wonder if you could do some clip-on chaldron buffers for the Hornby B2? 

[Compound2632]

A suitable locomotive for the Londonderry Railway chaldrons:

 

 

That would make rather a splendid model!

 

Or for a later period:

 

 

[Embedded links to images in this gallery.]

 

 

[Porcy Mane]

2 hours ago, MarkSG said:

What kind of locos would, typically, have pulled these?

 Mr Cholmondoly-Warner has all the answers. Also good views of the beach railway  (submerged at high tide) in this clip.

 

 

Then there was Mars, Milo & Dick.

 

Number up a Hattons AB as AB-2165 of 1944 and stick a Wynyard nameplate and some dumb buffers on it and you're sorted. Heres a 1963 pic of her.

 

 

Peckett W4 at South Hetton that had conventional sprung buffers in the dumb position and paltry stump like dumb buffers in the normal position at nationalisation but was rebuilt with steelworks HD buffers where you would expect and stumps in the low dumb position.

Loco was then pretty much unrecognisable as a Hornby Peckett as it had a Lambton Cab, different saddle T, Chimney and safety valves.

 

Last time a coffee pot worked the harbour was in 1971 when a non Seaham loco was temporarily "imported" for the filming of an episode of Jacob Bronowski's  (an ex NCB employee) Ascent of Man.

 

Coffee Pot loco, steam crane and chaldron wagon at Seaham Harbour by Beamish Museum, on Flickr

 

 

Edited October 1, 2021 by Porcy Mane
Spell Mr. Chumley correctly.

[Islesy]

Dave @Rustonasked about the magnetic couplings and, as is often the way, the first prototypes weren’t quite ready when the EPs shipped. @Accurascale Franhas added the pictures we received from the factory and there’s not much else I can really explain without having them to hand to demonstrate! In a nutshell, there’s a length of fine length chain attached to each coupling pin, and at the head is a housing containing a (very) small magnet. Of course, this works with the wagons, but how then to attach to a locomotive, or additional item of rolling stock? Well, each pack will come with at least two NEM fit magnetic couplings, something akin to the attached picture.