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Bachmann FFA/FGA early container flats


Andy Y
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Came across this very modelable five car set , I'm pretty confident all the boxes can be done using Hornby and CRail Freightliner containers . With the Railtec "Freightliner Limited" set to reletter the two redstripe boxes. However look closely and there's a sheeted maroon load hiding behind the bush. 

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/invader1009/46229423971/in/faves-28630680@N06/

Are there open containers availible in 4mm ?

 

 

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The only open containers I know of in OO were the old Triang/Hornby ones. I have actually used a couple of these and the old Triang/Hornby Freightliner 20' container boxes to supplement the Bachmann offerings. The Triang/Hornby ones are not too bad if you 'hide' them in the middles of (i.e. between) the excellent Bachmann containers on the wagons.

Edited by SRman
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Hi Folks,

 

Does anyone happen to know what colour the Mk1 suburban brake coaches were painted ?

 

The reason I ask is that the only pictures I can find are black and white and I can't tell with any reliability if the coaches are unlined maroon, Rail Blue or Rail Grey. I have a Bachmann Mk1 suburban brake purchased for this very purpose, it even carries a number of one of the coaches put to that very use, although I don't know whether I should repaint it or not.

 

I have already built a Freightliner caboose and would like a coach for the variation.

 

DSCF0644.JPG.a076de5bdb091acb1356764c820883c8.JPG

 

DSCF0645.JPG.594469b94647044760c4c7284d96d90f.JPG

 

Gibbo.

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I think they were just  normal maroon,  I've bought a Bachmann one to run with mine.

I take it the were just air piped and had portable gas heating equipment in the brake

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2 hours ago, russ p said:

I think they were just  normal maroon,  I've bought a Bachmann one to run with mine.

I take it the were just air piped and had portable gas heating equipment in the brake

On conversion they retained their existing livery, mostly maroon but the three southern region coaches were presumably green. Later many were repainted rail grey.

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18 minutes ago, markw said:

On conversion they retained their existing livery, mostly maroon but the three southern region coaches were presumably green. Later many were repainted rail grey.

Hi Mark

 

Do you have a date for when the Freightliner brake coaches started to be painted Rail Grey, also do you have any colour photographs ?

 

Gibbo.

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2 hours ago, Gibbo675 said:

Hi Mark

 

Do you have a date for when the Freightliner brake coaches started to be painted Rail Grey, also do you have any colour photographs ?

 

Gibbo.

No I don't have a date, I would guess any repainted when in freightliner use would be grey, so it would depend on when the particular coach was due a repaint.

Yes I have found a few colour photos online.

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13 hours ago, markw said:

No I don't have a date, I would guess any repainted when in freightliner use would be grey, so it would depend on when the particular coach was due a repaint.

Yes I have found a few colour photos online.

Hi Mark,

 

Would you be willing to provide links to the photographs that you have found ?

 

Gibbo.

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23 hours ago, Gibbo675 said:

Hi Folks,

 

Does anyone happen to know what colour the Mk1 suburban brake coaches were painted ?

 

The reason I ask is that the only pictures I can find are black and white and I can't tell with any reliability if the coaches are unlined maroon, Rail Blue or Rail Grey. I have a Bachmann Mk1 suburban brake purchased for this very purpose, it even carries a number of one of the coaches put to that very use, although I don't know whether I should repaint it or not.

 

I have already built a Freightliner caboose and would like a coach for the variation.

 

DSCF0644.JPG.a076de5bdb091acb1356764c820883c8.JPG

 

DSCF0645.JPG.594469b94647044760c4c7284d96d90f.JPG

 

Gibbo.

The caboose looks excellent,  is it scratchbuild?

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8 minutes ago, 37114 said:

The caboose looks excellent,  is it scratchbuild?

Hi Rob,

 

The caboose is indeed a scratch build, it is detailed on page two of the link below this post. Should anyone wish I can supply the drawing I used to build it.

The modified Triang FGA / FFA wagons that it is mounted upon are on page eight.

 

Gibbo.

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On 17/08/2019 at 13:21, russ p said:

Weren't the BSs essentially condemned vehicles just used as a short fix until an agreement was made for guards to ride in the back cab?

Not sure condemned is the right term, they would need to be in good condition for use on fast long distance freight trains and were needed quickly to replace the cabooses, so no time for repairs and overhauls.

BR would not know how long it would take or even if they could reach an agreement. In the meantime they would require regular planned maintenance, and a lick of paint during maintenance for vehicles being used on the flagship freight trains doesn't seem unreasonable.

I think it actually took nearly 3 years to reach an agreement.

Unfortunately very few people were taking colour photos of the rear of diesel hauled freight trains in 1966-8. There is a photo in Life and Times Freightliner on page 68 which shows one that is clearly not maroon.

P_20190818_113804_1.jpg

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3 hours ago, russ p said:

 

 

That picture with the 40, the coach doesn't appear to be a brake coach, wonder if it was some kind of test

There appears to be some yellow lettering towards the centre of the vehicle; could it be a Dynanometer Car. Were it a brake, I would expect it to be at the other end of the train.

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1 hour ago, markw said:

Not sure condemned is the right term, they would need to be in good condition for use on fast long distance freight trains and were needed quickly to replace the cabooses, so no time for repairs and overhauls.

BR would not know how long it would take or even if they could reach an agreement. In the meantime they would require regular planned maintenance, and a lick of paint during maintenance for vehicles being used on the flagship freight trains doesn't seem unreasonable.

I think it actually took nearly 3 years to reach an agreement.

Unfortunately very few people were taking colour photos of the rear of diesel hauled freight trains in 1966-8. There is a photo in Life and Times Freightliner on page 68 which shows one that is clearly not maroon.

P_20190818_113804_1.jpg

Hi Mark,

 

Great work there, it is along the line of what I hope to achieve with my Freightliner set. I built four ford containers but placed the oval one rib too far to the left and didn't notice until I had finished so they shall have to stay as they are.

 

Gibbo.

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17 minutes ago, russ p said:

How widespread was the use of the train mounted caboose?

I remember talking to guards who had worked them on Teesside. 

Hi Russ,

 

From what I have been able to find out the cabooses were available either from the inception in November 1965 or very shortly after that. The trial trains having been disputed  by unions for running without guards and so air braked guards vans from the Southern were used as they were the only ones fitted for air in the trials.

It would seem that air fitted four wheeled goods brakes were to be an interim measure until enough cabooses came on line to operate the services as planned, however, the cabooses were then also the cause of second dispute due to being very uncomfortable in terms of ride quality and temperature

The passenger style brake vans replaced both cabooses and the four wheeled vans, the four wheeled vans were not really designed for 75mph running. I feel it a fair guess that the cabooses would have lasted approximately eighteen months to two years or so taking into consideration negotiations and conversion works despite not finding anything definitive.

 

The main reason for building my caboose is that it is something out of the ordinary and its a bit of fun despite being ten years out of date for the period I model.

 

Gibbo.

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Hi Folks,

 

With all this caboose and brake van talk I thought that for the interest I would post a thread I started about the prototype set of Freightliner flats that were built in 1964.

They were a semi fixed rake of four wagons that were capable of carrying two twenty foot containers, not sure that there were forty foot containers in those days, from which the more recognisable FGA / FFA wagons were later derived.

The models were built from Barrowmore diagrams and photographs and as such I cocked up the dimensions on two of the wagons and had to rebuild two of them, fortunately I spotted my faux-pas early enough that it wasn't too much trouble to deal with them.

 

Gibbo.

 

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