Bachmann Polybulk wagons

[Ramblin Rich]

I'm aware of the 'shortcomings' of these versus a 'real' grainflow style polybulk - just idle musing of the idea as a/ they look brilliant and b/ they would not take up as much room! I did finish the last post with a ( )

[BR Blue]

Thanks for the info Paul and Brian

 

Paul I had indeed looked at your excellent site and Brian's history of the liveries was very interesting.

 

From my time in the UK in the late 80s I only ever remembered seeing these wagons in small numbers. I have always liked them and their larger counterparts. I was really impressed looking at the Bachmann models in the display case at Warley. I think I have justified getting a rake of them to myself

[Mike at C&M]

38-426 arrived at C&M Models this afternoon. 

[TRAILRAGE]

Picked one up in Readings WH Smiths Modelzone today in polybulk livery only had one in stock for £31.99 but as they are giving out 20% off vouchers in the store it was rude not to get it!

I'm no expert on these wagons but it really looks the part and is beautifully  detailed .

Roll on the next batch of deliveries

[David Todd]

Due in stock..........Dec/Jan...........

 

http://www.ehattons.com/StockDetail.aspx?SID=38622&utm_source=ItemDeliveryDateUpdated&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=38-427

 

[brushman47544]

Due in stock..........Dec/Jan...........

 

http://www.ehattons.com/StockDetail.aspx?SID=38622&utm_source=ItemDeliveryDateUpdated&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=38-427

 

...but that's a different livery variant. No retailers have that one in stock yet.

[David Todd]

But it it's the Polybulk I want ,that is being delivered today/tomorrow...............along with the other variant,..............38-427....

[David Todd]

P1070468(1) by David Todd 2012, on Flickr

 

P1070460(1) by David Todd 2012, on Flickr

 

P1070459(1) by David Todd 2012, on Flickr

 

P1070457(1) by David Todd 2012, on Flickr

[David Todd]

P1070455(1) by David Todd 2012, on Flickr

 

P1070454(1) by David Todd 2012, on Flickr

 

P1070452(1) by David Todd 2012, on Flickr

 

[hmrspaul]

Who will be the first to do their own weathered version http://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/polybulk/e36511e2b  - 029 in 1986.

 

Is there more than one running number available on the models?

 

By the way, I don't understand the comments about "limitations of these". They came in much more variety than those more associated with Grain - as already mentioned including some registered with European railways http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/frenchpolybulk

 

Paul

[locoholic]

In a moment of weakness I bought a Bachmann Polybulk wagon last week, even though I usually go for 1960s stuff - it was just such good looking model. Ever since, I've been trawling through my books, looking for a photo of these wagons actually on the move in a train. I've found plenty of photos of the bigger Grainflow Polybulk wagons, but none of the ones modelled by Bachmann. Any ideas what locos were involved, and which liveries, and other wagons they were usually seen with?

[BR(S)]

In a moment of weakness I bought a Bachmann Polybulk wagon last week, even though I usually go for 1960s stuff - it was just such good looking model. Ever since, I've been trawling through my books, looking for a photo of these wagons actually on the move in a train. I've found plenty of photos of the bigger Grainflow Polybulk wagons, but none of the ones modelled by Bachmann. Any ideas what locos were involved, and which liveries, and other wagons they were usually seen with?

 

This Flickr collection is worth having a look through: http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=polybulk

 

Just the one from SmugMug: http://serendipity-images.smugmug.com/Railways-ClassbyClass/Class-47/i-x43zbh9

 

http://www.hondawanderer.com/47240_Woodborough_1984.htm

 

Based on these, they seemed to spend most time with their own kind or the odd one made its way into a classic Speedlink freight.

[bubbles2]

 I've been trawling through my books, looking for a photo of these wagons actually on the move in a train. Any ideas what locos were involved, and which liveries, and other wagons they were usually seen with?

 

I too have been looking for pictures of these in freight formations, can I  get away with running 1 or 2 in an early eighties air braked west country freight along with the forthcoming china clay PBA Tiger hoppers from Kernow models or were they almost exclusively run in block trains?

[Oakdale]

I have this photo of a train of 8 TSL Polybulks at Westbury in 1991 behind 47238.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/johndedman/11274012025/

 

and this is the last wagon in the formation

http://www.flickr.com/photos/johndedman/7516643640/in/set-72157629958730337/

 

 

Regards John

[BR(S)]

I too have been looking for pictures of these in freight formations, can I  get away with running 1 or 2 in an early eighties air braked west country freight along with the forthcoming china clay PBA Tiger hoppers from Kernow models or were they almost exclusively run in block trains?

 

This might be of use, although I think he only mentions "Polybulks", not the TOPS code: http://www.kalyr.com/railways/CornwallSpeedlinks.html

[griffgriff]

I have this photo of a train of 8 TSL Polybulks at Westbury in 1991 behind 47238.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/johndedman/11274012025/

 

and this is the last wagon in the formation

http://www.flickr.com/photos/johndedman/7516643640/in/set-72157629958730337/

 

 

Regards John

 

 

I have just added your Flickr site to my bookmarks... some fantastic stuff, thank you for sharing the links.

 

cheers

 

Griff

[Ramblin Rich]

Who will be the first to do their own weathered version http://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/polybulk/e36511e2b  - 029 in 1986.

 

Is there more than one running number available on the models?

 

By the way, I don't understand the comments about "limitations of these". They came in much more variety than those more associated with Grain - as already mentioned including some registered with European railways http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/frenchpolybulk

 

Paul

Paul, if you're referring to my comment, by 'shortcomings' I meant that these are shorter in length than the grain wagons. Again, I stress that, in no way was I implying the Bachmann Polybulks have any limitations - they look to be absolutely brilliant models, just not the grain versions I would like. I'm looking at the Electrotren models on Kernow's website now...

[Fat Controller]

Paul, if you're referring to my comment, by 'shortcomings' I meant that these are shorter in length than the grain wagons. Again, I stress that, in no way was I implying the Bachmann Polybulks have any limitations - they look to be absolutely brilliant models, just not the grain versions I would like. I'm looking at the Electrotren models on Kernow's website now...

Rich,

The ones in the current Electrotren range are the same as the Jouef ones that I hacked up to make a rake of Polybulks- they're even shorter than the Bachmann ones.

[Ramblin Rich]

Ooops - yes, looking back, I realise the Electrotren version was being lengthened so I'm really barking up the wrong tree....

[ChrisB]

I remember these coming through Swindon in mixed freights in the early 80s. The ones I saw were generally heading West, at night, behind a rail blue 47.

 

There is a book about Class 50s which has, as its cover photo, an early NSE liveried class 50 coming through Westbury with the Tavistock junc to Dover service.

 

Edit: The book is "Class 50s in Operation" Cracking photo.

 

 

[Fat Controller]

I remember these coming through Swindon in mixed freights in the early 80s. The ones I saw were generally heading West, at night, behind a rail blue 47.

 

There is a book about Class 50s which has, as its cover photo, an early NSE liveried class 50 coming through Westbury with the Tavistock junc to Dover service.

 

Edit: The book is "Class 50s in Operation" Cracking photo.

They used to work from Cornwall and Devon to Dover as two 11 or 12 wagon trains, due to weight restrictions on the banks in the West Country. In Dunkerque, the two trains would be amalgamated to form a single one through to Biberist. The return working would work as a single train; if you only saw a few wagons at a time, then either they were 'cripples' that had been stopped at Dover, or they were the identical (but different owner/livery) wagons taking silica to Dow Corning at Cadoxton.

 Post Channel-Tunnel opening, the train worked through to Italy; initially as a block train with a mixture of Polybulks and Clay Tigers; then as a mixture of Clay Tigers and the new ECC hoppers (but still a block train); and finally as a smaller (but more frequent) working within an Enterprise service. I think the last working I saw would have been about a decade ago, perhaps more recently.

[Maltazer]

If only Bachmann had put one in with the St Blazey train set I recently bought instead of one of the china clay covered wagons :-)

 

Justification here:

http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/polybulk/h2bd1fd37#h2bd1fd37

 

Mal

[Waverley47708]

Interesting thread.

 

From reading it and checking Paul's excellent website I understand the three variants Bachmann are doing are the same wagon in different liberties all of which were around in the mid 80s.

 

Confusingly despite Bachman referring to them as grain they are not the grain hoppers we had up here going to Burghead etc.

 

Anyway I see references to them appearing on a service to Mossend earlier in this discussion.  What happened then, were the contents emptied at Mossend or did they then become parts of trip workings to other locations North of Mossend.  Can I run then as part of a realistic load North of Mossend in the 1985/6 period I model?

[Fat Controller]

Interesting thread.

 

From reading it and checking Paul's excellent website I understand the three variants Bachmann are doing are the same wagon in different liberties all of which were around in the mid 80s.

 

Confusingly despite Bachman referring to them as grain they are not the grain hoppers we had up here going to Burghead etc.

 

Anyway I see references to them appearing on a service to Mossend earlier in this discussion.  What happened then, were the contents emptied at Mossend or did they then become parts of trip workings to other locations North of Mossend.  Can I run then as part of a realistic load North of Mossend in the 1985/6 period I model?

I'm pretty certain that they only worked as far as P D Stirling's railhead, on the opposite side of the mainline to Mossend Yard. There were several flows involved; two that I know about were china clay from Cornwall and lime (for glass making) from the Peak District. You could always bend history a bit, and have the flows going north by rail instead of road..

[Oakdale]

A nice photo here of the train from Cornwall with the Bachmann liveried Polybulks in 1978

http://www.flickr.com/photos/picture_gallery/8012842402/

 

 

and I have added another of my own from Didcot in 1994 where most of the Polybulks are plain grey  

http://www.flickr.com/photos/johndedman/11292856595/