London Road Models LNWR D17 20T six wheel brake van.

[Jol Wilkinson]

New from London Road Models is a LNWR D127 20T six wheel brake van 4mm kit.

 

The LNWR D17 20T six wheel brake vans effectively superseded the four wheel 10T brake van. Introduced in 1984, the majority were produced after 1900 with some 229 being in use by 1902.

 

The kit includes a superb cast resin body, a nickel silver etch for the underframe, brake gear, steps, etc. and the interior partition. Cast white metal springs, axle boxes, buffers and stove chimney are supplied together with lost wax brass castings for the lamps and bracket. The lamps could be swung out into position in the end veranda and this can be replicated with the brass castings. A vacuum formed roof and appropriate wires are provided together with brass pinpoint bearings.

 

The underframe can be assembled for rigid or compensated operation in OO, EM or P4 gauges. The comprehensive instructions include LNWR and LMS livery details. The kit is priced at £35:00.

 

London Road Models also produce the LNWR D16 10T four wheel brake van. This uses white metal castings for the van body and running gear details from the original D&S kit patterns, with a nickel silver etched underframe, etc. as in the D17.

 

London Road Models products can be found at  www.londonroadmodels.co.uk

and  can be contacted by email at londonroadmodels@btinternet.com or by post at  P.O. Box 643, Watford. WD2 5ZJ

[Norton961]

It’s a superb model, I had the privilege of building one of the test etch’s and have nearly finished.

Thoroughly recommended.

[Michael Hodgson]

Looks very similar to an ancient GEM kit - but that was cast white metal including its chassis and had plastic wheels.

[Jol Wilkinson]

The GEM kit was also of a D17, but was of it's time. They still pop up very occasionally on Ebay but their scarcity prompted the production of this kit.

 

The excellent patterns for the body and lamps are by Clive Croome, who produced some excellent wagon kits under the Perivale Wagon Works banner.

 

He has also done some more design work for LRM which will be of interest to MR enthusiasts.

[Michael Hodgson]

Mouldings certainly look much sharper than the GEM ones.

[Jol Wilkinson]

It's the best one piece resin casting for a kit I've seen, on a par with the best moulded components.

 

White metal castings can be very good if the patterns are well made, but the casting process isn't so accurate, especially as the moulds age.

Edited December 17, 2021 by Jol Wilkinson
Amended text

[Penlan]

Has anybody completed the 'New' kit yet? E.g. not one of the Beta kits.
The etchings (Jol Wilkinson Copyright 2021) have been modified,

although the scan in the instructions is the previous one (Jol Wilkinson Copyright 2020).
I have queries.
The castings for the springs: are the springs suppose to be detached from the top flat bit, the space between the solebar and the 'W' irons, there's not enough space for one of these, let alone for both sides.  Perhaps that's why Norton961's Brake Van is sans springs.... 
On the fret, there's an item called a step filler, but how/where, not in the instructions unless there's a page missing.
The side lights are a dream, but then I haven't got as far as drilling them yet.
Managed to break a 0.3mm drill in one of the handrail dimples, the horizontal rails will now be fixed with the traditional bit of fine wire twisted round and through a single hole.
Otherwise steady as she goes, at least I've got all the break gear in place now, using the GA with the kit, Jack Nelsons sketch/drawing in the Peco Book and looking at examples in LNWR Wagons Vol.1.
At the moment, without any added weight it's likely to be the lightest goods item on my layout for the heaviest prototype 
Well done Jol for getting this kit up and running.

[Penlan]

I have found - to late - that I should have bent the wings marked 'A' on the 'W' Irons back something like 15degs, because between 'W' iron wings A (assuming it's under the balcony), the middle 'W' iron and the part marked 7 on the fret, there's absolutely no room, in deed having decided to go flexi chass/springing or whatever, there's seems to be no way any of it can move freely,  OR I've made a right ****-** of it so far.
When it's finished though things might look OK.  
I should remind myself that it will only be seen at the back end of a moving train, close-up digitals are definately banned.   
It may look a lot better after mid-night tonight though 
 

Edited December 31, 2021 by Penlan

[Jol Wilkinson]

Sandy,

 

the instructions and diagrams John put in the first kits were based on a test etch. They were also a amalgam of the text from Clive Croome who produced the patterns for the resin cast body and the lost wax lamp components and mine based on a test etch that we decided needed further amendments.

 

When John sent me a complete kit I realised that the instructions needed updating and editing. I'll  post a copy on here tomorrow.

 

Jol

[Penlan]

Thank you Jol.
 

[Poor Old Bruce]

On 11/12/2021 at 17:41, Jol Wilkinson said:

New from London Road Models is a LNWR D127 20T six wheel brake van 4mm kit.

 

The LNWR D17 20T six wheel brake vans effectively superseded the four wheel 10T brake van. Introduced in 1984, the majority were produced after 1900 with some 229 being in use by 1902.

 

Introduced in 1984??? 

[Bucoops]

36 minutes ago, Poor Old Bruce said:

 

Introduced in 1984??? 

 

Yup, and when they hit 88 miles an hour they were cast back a hundred years. Amazing stuff to see.

[Jol Wilkinson]

Sandy (Penlan)

 

superseded instructions for the LRM 6w Brake Van Kit attached, as promised.

 

Note, this download does not include the livery diagram and GA as I do not have digital copies of those. You should retain those from the original instructions.

 

Thanks for the pointer about the w-iron "ear"  fouling the brake cross support bracket. Neither John nor I identified that on the test etch builds but I have added it to the instructions.

 

Jol

LNWR 20T six wheel brake van instructions V2.0 pdf.pdf

[Penlan]

Jol,
Many hanks for the revised notes, very grateful.
I have sent you a message

[Penlan]

Here's one I completed earlier (yesterday) 
... and yes, 'Central Wales' was one of the 222 different allocation names on LNWR Brake vans.

 

Edited January 8, 2022 by Penlan