Trout Ballast Hopper out..

[hmrspaul]

 

Nice find. I think the fact that they're grouped together, rather than mixed in randomly, suggests they're still unfitted and that they're at the rear of the rake - there dont seem to be any more wagons to the left.

 

 

 

Just Hornby's marketing, as far as I can see It would make sense though, given their operational similarity with Dogfish.

 

On the subject of conversion to Herring/Mackerel, once the hopper itself was cut down, none of those dimensions would be more than a foot out and the wheelbase is only 6". To someone who (for instance) could accept the foot overlength of the Bachmann cattle van, it would still catch the character if done carefully.

Is it Hornby that have suggested they were ZFP? Their model is clearly, correctly, labelled ZFO and the photograph by Pete Fidczuck they used for pre release advertising was ZFO.

 

I don't disagree about the possibilities of conversion to Mackerel or Herring, they do appear possible with only minor discrepencies which would be acceptable to some and not to others.

 

Paul Bartlett

Edited October 15, 2011 by hmrspaul

[Pennine MC]

Is it Hornby that have suggested they were ZFP?

 

Certainly looks that way:

 

http://www.Hornby.com/shop/rolling-stock/wagon-packs/r6512-zfozfp-trout-ballast-hopper-three-wagon-pack-weathered/

 

(that's Hornby's own site, but a random Google for 'Hornby Trout' produces loads of retailers listing them on the same basis)

[chrisf]

 

On the subject of conversion to Herring/Mackerel, once the hopper itself was cut down, none of those dimensions would be more than a foot out and the wheelbase is only 6". To someone who (for instance) could accept the foot overlength of the Bachmann cattle van, it would still catch the character if done carefully.

 

Perhaps I give up too easily. Further thought would clearly be a good idea. I won't put mine back together for a whie then!

 

Chris

[dmsmith]

My attempt at the slag conversion of a Hornby Trout mentioned by Paul Bartlett. The prototype is illustrated in David Larkin's BR Departmental Rolling Stock, A Pictorial Survey. I struggled with the 'Return to Appleby Slag Heap' lettering on the black patch, but hope that it was so small on the prototype that I can can miss it off and get away with it. Larkin describes the colour as bauxite rather than gulf red. The photograph is cruel, and reminds me that I should dust my models before taking photos.

 

David

[Pennine MC]

Bump, to say that David Larkin's new book Civil Engineers Wagons Volume 1- British Railways: 1948-1967 has a section on these wagons, with four pics and numbering details (including for the LMS wagons).

[cctransuk]

A lot of discussion here that would have (momentarily) attracted the attention of Isaac Walton !!

 

Anyway - for all those fans of plastic TROUT - you may be interested in sheet BL117 at http://www.cctrans.freeserve.co.uk/products.htm .

 

It contains all of the known original allocations as recorded by David Larkin.

 

Regards,

John Isherwood,

Cambridge Custom Transfers.

[Guest Max Stafford]

Mine arrived this morning John. Thanks again.

 

Dave.

[micklner]

A couple of weathered ones.

 

 

 

 

 

One has lost a Brake handle , on checking a further two were loose. I have now replaced my missng one with a etched version.

[31A]

I picked up one of the recently-released weathered black versions of this model the other day (R6622); the first one I'd handled as it is the first black version they've done.  As I wanted a wagon in c.1960 condition, I set about removing the TOPS code, data panels and coloured markings, although I note that Hornby have accurately reproduced these as per Paul Bartlett's picture of this wagon:

 

http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/troutzfo/hba30fde#hba30fde

 

Not sure when the coloured markings were introduced in reality, but anyway, the insignia came off easily enough with careful use of a fibreglass scratch brush.  Tamiya acrylic paint thinners does a good job of removing Hornby weathering paint, although the external factory-applied weathering actually works quite well on this wagon.  So now I've got it back to what I think it might have looked like in 1960:

 

 

There's a lot of good points about this model, a lot of subtle detailing and nicely done wire handrails; a good companion for the Shark brake van and in many ways better than the Heljan Dogfish.  However, one thing that jars slightly (and I don't think has been commented on previously) is the way the vertical side stanchions are moulded, with a split where the body moulding joins the underframe.  On my example, one side is worse than the other (the picture shows the 'worse' side) and the gap is worse at the brake platform end, and it looks as though the body may be assembled to the underframe slightly out of square.  However I can't get it apart to try and make it fit better - I wondered whether anybody else had succeeded at this?

 

Alternatively I thought of ways of disguising the gap, e.g. by gluing microstrip from top to bottom of the stanchions either side of the central channel in them, but that sounds a bit drastic!

[PaulG]

I picked up one of the recently-released weathered black versions of this model the other day (R6622); the first one I'd handled as it is the first black version they've done.  

The is a very good photograph of a Trout in Odd Corners of the Eastern. Eric Sawford ISBN978-0-7524-5808-3, page 97. My copy is The History Press reprint of 2010 and the book was first published in 2001.

 

The photograph confirms previous discussions that the marking "Trout" must have been a later addition. The lettering is clear: DE470221, 25T, ED Empty to Appleby slagheap Stanton Scunthorpe and I passed this information to Simon Kohler at Hornby back in January 2013 as at that date Hornby had been unable to find an early BR period photograph of the wagon.

 

Paul

 

Paul

[31A]

 

The is a very good photograph of a Trout in Odd Corners of the Eastern. Eric Sawford ISBN978-0-7524-5808-3, page 97. My copy is The History Press reprint of 2010 and the book was first published in 2001.

 

The photograph confirms previous discussions that the marking "Trout" must have been a later addition. The lettering is clear: DE470221, 25T, ED Empty to Appleby slagheap Stanton Scunthorpe and I passed this information to Simon Kohler at Hornby back in January 2013 as at that date Hornby had been unable to find an early BR period photograph of the wagon.

 

Paul

 

Paul

 

 

Thanks Paul, that sounds very much like the version Hornby have announced for production later this year as R6650, which hasn't been released yet as far as I know.  That version would actually suit me better as it stands, but taking the view that the supply of Hornby products seems somewhat erratic at the moment and R6622 was on the shelf at Monk Bar Models, I thought I'd snap one up while it was in front of me!

[hmrspaul]

I picked up one of the recently-released weathered black versions of this model the other day (R6622); the first one I'd handled as it is the first black version they've done.  As I wanted a wagon in c.1960 condition, I set about removing the TOPS code, data panels and coloured markings, although I note that Hornby have accurately reproduced these as per Paul Bartlett's picture of this wagon:

 

http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/troutzfo/hba30fde#hba30fde

 

Not sure when the coloured markings were introduced in reality, but anyway, the insignia came off easily enough with careful use of a fibreglass scratch brush.  

 

The colour markings. Although we in BRHSG started recording the use of the colour markings back in 1979 - when they were already clearly old - no one has come up with either a definitive list of them, where they represented or when they were introduced. And we have discussed them occasionally in depth since. There were a lot of different such brandings on wagons mainly used for ballast - the hoppers, Grampus (and similar), mediums etc. You may well be correct to remove them from a 1960 period wagon.

 

I notice TMC have a weathered version, but they haven't copied the patch repainting where replating has been done on DB992185.

 

Paul

[scottishsteam]

A long shot but don’t suppose anyone has any Trouts for sale, or knows of any for sale? Preferably the LNER version (R6544) or BR a lack (R6650) - please PM if so! Thanks in advance. 

[Enterprisingwestern]

9 hours ago, scottishsteam said:

A long shot but don’t suppose anyone has any Trouts for sale, or knows of any for sale? Preferably the LNER version (R6544) or BR a lack (R6650) - please PM if so! Thanks in advance. 

 

I reckon you're at the back of quite a lengthy queue!

 

Mike.

[Porcy Mane]

On 14/01/2021 at 08:06, Enterprisingwestern said:

I reckon you're at the back of quite a lengthy queue!

 

I'm feeling a bit smug as I managed to pick up two band new NCB versions for a tenner each at last weekends  Doncaster bash. 

 

To become DB992125. Battle has commenced.

 

[Enterprisingwestern]

1 hour ago, Porcy Mane said:

 

I'm feeling a bit smug as I managed to pick up two band new NCB versions for a tenner each at last weekends  Doncaster bash. 

 

To become DB992125. Battle has commenced.

 

 

Jammy b*#*£&*!

 

Mike.

[Hilux5972]

13 hours ago, Porcy Mane said:

 

I'm feeling a bit smug as I managed to pick up two band new NCB versions for a tenner each at last weekends  Doncaster bash. 

 

To become DB992125. Battle has commenced.

 

And then proceeded to destroy them!!!! How rude

[Porcy Mane]

17 hours ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

Jammy b*#*£&*!

 

 I have Mr Axlebox to thank for that. He'd bought a Slaters kit from a dead mans tagger stand. He told me there was another, so off we went for a rummage through the boxes. Guess what caught my eye. When I got them home the tape was still intact on the Ice cube.

Never wanted or needed a ballast wagon but suddenly Mr Axleboxes layout has a need for some track and ballast refreshment. The type that BR did just before closure announcement.

 

Now where's that Geneva Yard Shark?

 

 

Edited February 16, 2022 by Porcy Mane
To add spaces & a word.