More Pre-Grouping Wagons in 4mm - the D299 appreciation thread.

[Miss Prism]

Certainly it's the non-brake side of the O4 we can see in the Badminton photo - I can see blobs on the underside of the solebar that would align with the short metal verticals on the door but if anyone can point me to a better picture (or drawing) I'd be glad!

 

Figures 353 and 355 of the bible show the shortie bangers. I can't recall seeing them on a drawing, though.

[Miss Prism]

The photo has been touched up - presumably it's a postcard; why oh why couldn't it have been hand-tinted too?

 

http://spellerweb.net/rhindex/UKRH/GreatWestern/Narrowgauge/BadmintonStn.jpg

[Penlan]

http://spellerweb.net/rhindex/UKRH/GreatWestern/Narrowgauge/BadmintonStn.jpg

If that partial view of the first wagon is the ' Phoenix Coal & Cannel Co.,' (Cannel as per the 1904 RCH Handbook).

which appeared to operate the Celyn Wood Colliery or New North Leeswood Colleries,

Then it's a long way from home >> Coed Talon in Flintshire.

A lovely photo though, thanks for posting.

Edited January 3, 2017 by Penlan

[Mikkel]

We discussed the coloured version of the picture in the comments to Mike's blog a while ago, including that the colouring of the wagons probably just reflects a desire to brighten up the scene: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/1405/entry-18267-red-wagons-experimental-archaeology/#commentsStart

[Compound2632]

Figures 353 and 355 of the bible show the shortie bangers. I can't recall seeing them on a drawing, though.

 

Thanks - now I know the technical term! Is that the one-volume or two volume edition to which you refer - so I can approach the right club member!

[wagonman]

Certainly it's the non-brake side of the O4 we can see in the Badminton photo - I can see blobs on the underside of the solebar that would align with the short metal verticals on the door but if anyone can point me to a better picture (or drawing) I'd be glad! The van behind is useful for the position of the painted number. The photo has been touched up - presumably it's a postcard; why oh why couldn't it have been hand-tinted too?

 

 

There's no guarantee that the hand tinting would have been accurate, indeed quite unlikely...

[Miss Prism]

Is that the one-volume or two volume edition to which you refer - so I can approach the right club member!

 

It's the later single volume.

[Compound2632]

Over on Mikkel’s thread bgman was asking about the Mousa (Bill Bedford) resin wagon kits so I thought it might be useful to illustrate what comes out of the box:

 

 

On the left, components for the LNWR D1 1-plank open wagon: resin body, resin sprue with axlebox/spring units and brake-gear – choice of wooden or iron flap brakes, brass etch for the W-iron unit, spring wire for this, buffer guides (3D printed?) and buffers with springs. On the right, the LNWR D32 covered goods wagon, with the W-iron unit assembled. Here the body comes in two resin components, the floor and solebars being a separate piece, and there’s also a 3D-printed (?) piece with three-link couplings and a couple of other rings. I haven’t quite worked this out; I don’t think it was in the first batch of the kit. Wheels and bearings are not included.

 

The axlebox sprue has quite a lot of flash but this cleans up easily – I used an old electric toothbrush. I discussed assembly when I built my first D32but to recap, I used Roket Max thick non-runny cyano glue (bought from C&L) to glue the resin parts together and to fix the brass W-iron unit to the floor. There are no instructions with the kits but apart from the W-iron unit it’s all obvious – I used photos on the LNWR Society’s wagon pages for reference until I got the LNWR Wagons volumes (Wild Swan).

 

The body of the D1 is slightly warped – I’ve read on here suggestions for de-warping using either hot water or hot air so welcome definitive advice! It’s actually quite flexible so it’s possible the W-iron unit might hold it square.

 

First time round I did have a bit of a trauma with the W-iron unit owing to using waisted bearings that were too shallow – thanks again to Flymo748, jwealleans, Guy Rixon, Quarryscapes and Bill himself (see posts #90 onwards) for explaining the problem to me. This time round I used MJT waisted bearings and all has gone like a dream so far:

 

 

The only soldering is of the bearings into the sprung axleguards. The fiddly bit is clipping the sprung axleguard onto the spring wire – I bent back the middle of the three grooved tongues, slotted the unit over the wire and then squeezed the tongue back again – I hope the photo shows how it goes. There are instructions on how to assemble these springing units on the Mousa website.

Wheels are Alan Gibson 12 mm diameter split-spoke, in OO.

 

Edit: meanwhile over on Mikkel's thread you can see the outside of the boxes!

Edited August 26, 2022 by Compound2632
Images re-inserted

[Mikkel]

Two D32s is going to look good 

 

I used the hot water method to straighten out my resin LSWR one planker from Gramodels. It's still fine, so that worked for me - but of course the materials may differ.

[Compound2632]

Two D32s is going to look good 

 

I used the hot water method to straighten out my resin LSWR one planker from Gramodels. It's still fine, so that worked for me - but of course the materials may differ.

 

This second D32 will have the two-tone grey livery. But how do I marshal them in my train? Doors same side, or opposite? Not all LNWR stations had wagon turntables, e.g. Shenstone (1884, on the Lichfield extension of the Sutton Coldfield branch), which had an extensive goods yard including a largish goods shed. Presumably when a goods train containing a D32 for Shensone was marshalled (at Birmingham Curzon Street) care would be taken to have the D32 the right way round.

[Mikkel]

What a conondrum! I suppose it also depends on whether the vans originated at the same place (eg Curzon street) in which case they would presumably have been loaded from the same side, or from different places?

 

But maybe we are overthinking the problem. Could it be that a D32 facing "the wrong way around" at a rural platform/dock would simply be accessed from the other side by the staff in a convenient area outside the goods shed - with some ad hoc steps or whatever?

 

In any case, it's no wonder this on-sided arrangement was done away with.

[LNWR lives on]

An awful lot of LNWR stations had 10ft wagon turntables so wagons just got sent anyway around to destinations where they could be turned if required.

 

This was one of the reasons why the LNWR was loathe to build larger capacity wagons with bigger wheelbases as it would have meant much infrastructure work as well. Hence why in Wagons Volume 2 you have the experimental wagon diagrams 34-37

[aberdare]

Just referring back a few posts to the colour tinting of postcard views I remember posting this link in my thread a couple of years ago of a coloured view of Hemyock,http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/h/hemyock/index.shtml

 

I find it interesting that two places quite some distance apart (over 100 years ago) have similar colours to the vans (grey) and wagons (red), could they have been done by the same people or was it based on fact?

 

Sorry for raising the subject again but as I wish to get a few GWR and other company wagons built this year I'm getting fully absorbed in everything mentioned here on this thread.

 

My thanks to all participants.

 

Jim

Edited January 7, 2017 by aberdare

[wagonman]

Just referring back a few posts to the colour tinting of postcard views I remember posting this link in my thread a couple of years ago of a coloured view of Hemyock,http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/h/hemyock/index.shtml

 

I find it interesting that two places quite some distance apart (over 100 years ago) have similar colours to the vans (grey) and wagons (red), could they have been done by the same people or was it based on fact?

 

Sorry for raising the subject again but as I wish to get a few GWR and other company wagons built this year I'm getting fully absorbed in everything mentioned here on this thread.

 

My thanks to all participants.

 

Jim

 

 

In the Hemyock photo the GWR open is coloured green, as indeed is one of the coaches, which probably gives a good idea as to the accuracy of such things.

Edited January 8, 2017 by wagonman

[aberdare]

In the Hemyock photo the GWR open is colouredngreen, as indeed is one of the coaches, which probably gives a good idea as to the accuracy of such things.

 

Ah! Well I am colour blind so that is easily explained Thanks for pointing that out, it's not the first time I've got it wrong and it won't be the last.

 

Let's just hope none of the Colourists were or we're really in trouble.

[Compound2632]

It’s high time I posted some more of my efforts rather than pontificating on other peoples’ threads…

 

There’s some progress in my dining-room version of Viaduct Works, Earlestown: mostly in the paint shop – I’m bracing myself for an evening of going completely squint-eyed applying diamonds, running numbers and tare weights. The three Mousa wagons are stopped in the shops as my pot of Roket Max cyanoacrylate has gone solid – replacement on order. The London Road Models brake van has been on hold too as my soldering corner has been too cold – though that’s no longer an excuse. I also picked up another Ratio ‘Permanent Way’ wagon set from a local second-hand model railway dealer for just £8 – that’s £2 per wagon (before fixtures and fittings) – so the dumb-buffered D13 timber wagon pair is on. It’s an early version of the kit – the number is 755 rather than 575 and it comes with lengths of rail rather than the plastic girder load.

 

Meanwhile, I’ve been distracted by some ebay purchases – a slippery slope… These include another Slaters/POWSides Morris & Shaw Birch Coppice wagon – a find as the transfers aren’t currently available in 4mm from POWSides – and Slaters’ Chas. Roberts tar wagon – a kit which I’ve never tried before:

 

 

I’ve also turned my thoughts about Huntly & Palmers wagons into action – having made some rather superior and disdainful remarks about bogus biscuit vans on the Peckett thread, I’m feeling obliged to rise to brian777999’s challenge . My inspiration comes from this photo from the Reading Museum Huntley & Palmers Collection website but I’ve also been greatly helped by wagonman's posts #1633 #1640 & #1641 in the Peckett thread. From his information, Huntley & Palmers’ wagon stock can be summarised:

 

Nos. 1 – 5: Birmingham Wagon Co., April 1873 – 10 ton, dumb buffers.

Nos. 6 – 10: Birmingham Wagon Co., 1889 – 10 ton, iron underframes and sprung buffers.

Nos. 11 – 20: ditto, April 1903 – as before but with steel frames.

Nos. 21 – 25 (presumed): Gloucester C&W Co., October 1908 – 10 ton.

 

The Gloucester wagons are their standard 10 ton, 6-plank design; the former Slaters kit 4035 is spot on though I’ve yet to track one down. The forthcoming Hornby wagon isn’t so very far off either – though wrongly numbered!

As can be just about made out from the photo, the Birmingham Wagon Co. wagons are all 4-plank wagons with, at least for the iron framed ones, rounded ends. Wagonman pointed me to a recent article in Pannier (the Great Western Study Group Journal) No. 39, pp. 6 – 16. This has a photo of a dumb-buffered Birmingham Wagon Co. wagon on hire to the Great Western c. 1903 – 1911, which looks similar to the H&P wagons apart from having an end door. The side door looks to me to be the same three-plank high design as the H&P wagons. I hope it is acceptable use for research purposes to post this crop from the Pannier photo:

 

 

The Pannier article also has a line drawing of a similar wagon after conversion to sprung buffers. This has a 3-plank high door but with catches on the top plank. The drawing also gives dimensions including length over body, 15’, and 9’ wheelbase – though Wagonman suggests 8’6” or 8’3” for the dumb-buffered wagons as built. One further point of reference is this 8 ton wagon though it has a full-height side door. Note the rather chunky buffer housing – also on the Pannier drawing – are these self-contained buffers (with an individual internal spring) used for converting dumb-buffered wagons?

 

Looking around for a suitable starting point, the easiest seemed to be the Cambrian Models Wheeler & Gregory kits C53 and C74, so one of each was bought, along with their RCH 9’ steel underframe kit, C35. These are the right length and height. Detail differences aren’t too clear from the website photos. Neither kit has the right profile of rounded end but those in C74 were more amenable to shaping to the smooth arc seen in the photos of the Birmingham Wagon Co. wagons – though possibly still a little bit low at the centre. C53 has a full-height side door, so has been rejected – I’ll be on the look-out for a suitable prototype. C74 has a 3-plank door but with catches on the top plank (like the drawing in Pannier). Both the Cambrian kits have external diagonal strapping: my impression from the H&P photo is that the dumb-buffered wagons have the diagonal strapping but the metal-framed ones don’t.

 

My first attempt is a wagon with an iron or steel frame:

 

 

The photo is definitely a ‘cruel enlargement’ showing there’s some cleaning up needed…

 

The solebars and headstocks are from the RCH steel underframe kit, trimmed to length – in the case of the headstocks, trimmed square to match the width of the wagon (29 mm – 7’3” per the Pannier drawing). I scraped off the ribs of the RCH buffer housings to make a more 19^th-century looking shape, ignoring the evidence for fat buffer housings – I’m assuming that wagons built new with sprung buffers would have a more conventional design of housing…

 

Conveniently, Cambrian make their solebars as separate pieces, with a W-iron/axlebox/spring moulding that is attached to the rear – so it’s easy to mix’n’match, fixing the ‘Gloucester’ moulding from the Wheeler & Gregory kit to the RCH steel solebar. Peering at the H&P photo, I thought the axleboxes looked round at the bottom, so I carved and scraped the square-bottomed Gloucester boxes to shape. The Warwickshire Railways photo shows square axleboxes – clarification required!

 

On wooden-framed wagons, it’s usual for the side-rails to overlap the solebars, with notches at the ends to fit round the headstocks. Studying photos of 19^th-century iron/steel framed wagons (in the Keith Montague/OPC Gloucester book), the side rails look less deep (same thickness as the floor planks, presumably) and don’t overlap the solebars – it’s not quite clear how they are supported. Anyhow, I sliced about 0.75 mm off the bottom of the sides, using the headstock cut-outs as a guide. I scraped and skrawked the away at the diagonal strapping and bodged to make something that vaguely resembles the side door arrangement in the photos.

 

One point of doubt is the wooden end pillars – photos in the Gloucester book show metal T-section pillars on metal-framed wagons. I’ve tried to represent the bits of metalwork around the base of the pillars, visible in the Pannier photo and drawing.

 

Brake gear (one side only) is from the Slater’s tar wagon kit, as the moulding is crisper than Cambrian’s. The brake lever is a bit too angled at the outer end – I didn’t notice that until too late.

 

The remaining question is whether the POWsides transfers – designed for the diagonal lettering of No. 21 – can be re-arranged to fit. I did also get Cambrian’s RCH wooden underframe kit, thinking that the longer solebars might be a good starting point for a dumb-buffered wagon but it won’t do, so I’m re-thinking that.

 

While we’re here, a comparison of the Cambrian (upper) and Slater’s (lower) versions of the Gloucester C&W Co. solebar and running gear:

 

 

The Slater’s moulding is sharper all round and I think the bit of diagonal strapping is more correctly positioned. The Cambrian version has the square-bottomed axlebox which I think is the later pattern – from c. 1900 onwards? One place where the Cambrian version scores is the V-hanger; because the solebar is a separate moulding from the W-iron/axlebox/spring unit, the rear hanger is part of that and the front hanger part of the solebar moulding. On the Slater’s version, the front V-hanger is moulded together with the brake lever and is rather thick and lacking in bolt head detail. On the other hand, for brake-one-side-only wagons, the V-hanger has to be scraped off the Cambrian solebar but just cut off the Slater’s version.

 

 

 

 

Edited September 3, 2022 by Compound2632
Images re-inserted

[Compound2632]

It’s about six weeks since I last updated this thread – pressure of non-modelling activities I’m afraid. However, it’s become timely to post progress on the Huntley & Palmer wagon fleet – even though what progress there has been was several weeks ago. Sunny conditions today finally encouraged me to take a photo:

 

 

Huntley & Palmers wagon No. 6, one of a batch of five built by the Birmingham Wagon Co. in 1889. Construction was detailed in my last post. Paintwork is Halfords red primer with a well-thinned wash of Precision LSWR purple brown – a very old tin; I’ve no idea why I’ve got it. But purple brown is the description of the colour of the Gloucester-built wagon No. 21 of 1907. Ironwork is Humbrol matt black, applied using a small brush and a steady hand but also before the purple brown – it’s easier to get a good straight edge by painting up to the raised ironwork. This being an iron-framed wagon, the solebars are black too. As noted above, I suspect the end pillars ought to be T-angle iron rather than timber…

 

Transfers are POWSides – designed to replicate the diagonal lettering of No. 21. I’ve rearranged the letters, cutting out each letter of HUNTLEY & PALMERS individually to get the right spacing! The L of LTD is cut down from the same height as the main lettering, so looks a bit chunky – I’ll come back to this next time the purple-brown is out to see if I can touch it up. The wagon was sprayed with Humbrol gloss varnish before lettering and Humbrol matt varnish after. There’s some transfer film still visible – not so noticeable in the flesh. Buffer heads are 12” diameter from 51L and need a bit of toning down. I believe I need to add an oval Birmingham Wagon Co builders plate at the right-hand end of the bottom plank, as in this photo.

 

I’m still planning further Huntley & Palmer wagons from the other batches. I have a plan for the dumb-buffered 1873 batch, using another Cambrian kit C74 and modified Gloucester underframe. From wagonman’s information, I had assumed that the 1903 batch of ten steel-framed wagons from the Birmingham Wagon Co were literally ‘same again’ – i.e. four planks, raised ends, but this photo from the Huntley & Palmers collection clearly shows a couple of 6-plank steel-framed wagons, the nearer one having an oval plate on the right-hand end of the second plank – the arrangement of the lettering is clear too, but alas the number is out of sight at the left-hand end. So now I need to track down at least two of the former Slaters kit 4035 for the Gloucester 6-plank side-door only wagon – one for a wagon from the 1907 Gloucester batch and another as the basis for conversion to one of these 1903 Birmingham wagons. The only ones I’ve seen on ebay were pre-printed kits (distressing to repaint!) which went for more than I was prepared to pay.

 

Thanks once again to wagonman for providing the info on builders and dates for the Huntley & Palmers wagon fleet.

 

Edited September 3, 2022 by Compound2632
image re-inserted

[Compound2632]

North Western round-up – or Earlestown rodeo?

 

The imminent arrival of Aston shed’s Coal Tank No. 1054 has got me back on track with my small fleet of LNWR wagons, half-a-dozen of which have finally emerged from the paint shop. First, the D53 four-plank 8 ton coal wagon, converted from the Ratio D54 five-plank 10 ton wagon, along with the D4 four-plank 7 ton open, the latter directly from the Ratio kit:

 

 

The two D3 two-plank dropside wagons – on the left, my second attempt with correct square-ended headstocks and cranked brake lever:

 

 

 

The D12 timber wagon and the D2 two-plank wagon with scratchbuilt sides and ends, started last July:

 

 

These close-ups show some wonky tare weights and one or two numberplates that need a bit more bedding down – Microsol? I need to crack on with the D16 brake van!

 

I still have material for another ten more LNW wagons! First up should be three Mousa Models resin kits, as previously advertised: D1, D2 and D32.The hold-up here is getting the top off my bottle of Roket Max thick cyanoacrylate… There’s a D1 single-plank wagon already assembled from parts of the Ratio 575 kit that yielded the D2 two-plank wagon with scratchbuilt body and the two D3 dropside wagons featured above – this D1 is intended to be fully sheeted over, hiding the bodywork (such as it is) but I’ve not sourced a suitable sheet yet.

 

I picked up another Ratio Permanent Way set from a local second-hand model and militaria shop for just £8 – that’s £2 per wagon including wheels an bearings! It must be a very early example as it’s numbered 755 rather than 575 (see posts #123 and #130) and comes with lengths of bullhead rail as load for the bolster wagons rather than the plastic moulded girder sections in the current kit. Also, what I’m sure I’ve not seen before, two sets of Pressfix transfers rather than the usual waterslide transfers – but identical in layout and content. These have already been pressed into service for numberplates and the “TONS COAL WAGON” on the D53 – the “8” along with the diamonds came from the HMRS Pressfix sheet.

 

My plan for this kit is to build a dumb-buffered D13 twin timber wagon pair (is that two wagons or one?) to join my D12 singleton. The D12 used the longer solebars; the D13 pair will use one pair of long solebars for the dumb-buffered end and one pair of short solebars for the inner ends, which have conventional headstocks. The wagon body (such as it is) is asymmetrical about the centre-line of the wheelbase and bolster:

 

 

This will leave solebars for one 15’6” wagon and one 16’0” wagon but sides and ends for two 16’0” D62 ballast wagons (or more conversions to D3 dropside wagons). I’m mulling a plan to modify one set of sides and ends as another way of making a 15’6” D2 wagon.

 

Finally, I’ve been making up for my recent lack of modelling time by indulging in the dangerously compulsive game of ebay bidding, which has resulted in a stockpile of Slater’s MR wagon kits. (I intend to re-assert my credentials as a Midland modeller!) However, I couldn’t resist Ratio kit 753 – another D54 5-plank coal wagon (to be converted to D53) and a D64 4-plank loco coal wagon, which takes me back to where I started this excursion into Ratio LNWR wagon kits back in post #123.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 26, 2022 by Compound2632
Images re-inserted

[Edwardian]

North Western round-up – or Earlestown rodeo?

 

The imminent arrival of Aston shed’s Coal Tank No. 1054 has got me back on track with my small fleet of LNWR wagons, half-a-dozen of which have finally emerged from the paint shop. First, the D53 four-plank 8 ton coal wagon, converted from the Ratio D54 five-plank 10 ton wagon, along with the D4 four-plank 7 ton open, the latter directly from the Ratio kit:

 

LNW D53 & D4.JPG

 

The two D3 two-plank dropside wagons – on the left, my second attempt with correct square-ended headstocks and cranked brake lever:

 

LNW D3 pair.JPG

 

The D12 timber wagon the D2 two-plank wagon with scratchbuilt sides and ends, started last July:

 

LNW D12 & D2.JPG

 

These close-ups show some wonky tare weights and one or two numberplates that need a bit more bedding down – Microsol? I need to crack on with the D16 brake van!

 

I still have material for another ten more LNW wagons! First up should be three Mousa Models resin kits, as previously advertised: D1, D2 and D32.The hold-up here is getting the top off my bottle of Roket Max thick cyanoacrylate… There’s a D1 single-plank wagon already assembled from parts of the Ratio 575 kit that yielded the D2 two-plank wagon with scratchbuilt body and the two D3 dropside wagons featured above – this D1 is intended to be fully sheeted over, hiding the bodywork (such as it is) but I’ve not sourced a suitable sheet yet.

 

I picked up another Ratio Permanent Way set from a local second-hand model and militaria shop for just £8 – that’s £2 per wagon including wheels an bearings! It must be a very early example as it’s numbered 755 rather than 575 (see posts #123 and #130) and comes with lengths of bullhead rail as load for the bolster wagons rather than the plastic moulded girder sections in the current kit. Also, what I’m sure I’ve not seen before, two sets of Pressfix transfers rather than the usual waterslide transfers – but identical in layout and content. These have already been pressed into service for numberplates and the “TONS COAL WAGON” on the D53 – the “8” along with the diamonds came from the HMRS Pressfix sheet.

 

My plan for this kit is to build a dumb-buffered D13 twin timber wagon pair (is that two wagons or one?) to join my D12 singleton. The D12 used the longer solebars; the D13 pair will use one pair of long solebars for the dumb-buffered end and one pair of short solebars for the inner ends, which have conventional headstocks. The wagon body (such as it is) is asymmetrical about the centre-line of the wheelbase and bolster:

 

LNW D13 sketch.jpg

 

This will leave solebars for one 15’6” wagon and one 16’0” wagon but sides and ends for two 16’0” D62 ballast wagons (or more conversions to D3 dropside wagons). I’m mulling a plan to modify one set of sides and ends as another way of making a 15’6” D2 wagon.

 

Finally, I’ve been making up for my recent lack of modelling time by indulging in the dangerously compulsive game of ebay bidding, which has resulted in a stockpile of Slater’s MR wagon kits. (I intend to re-assert my credentials as a Midland modeller!) However, I couldn’t resist Ratio kit 753 – another D54 5-plank coal wagon (to be converted to D53) and a D64 4-plank loco coal wagon, which takes me back to where I started this excursion into Ratio LNWR wagon kits back in post #123.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brilliant, and good to see in the pre-1908 livery, which, I find, is not so commonly modelled.  I must try to emulate you. 

[Compound2632]

Brilliant, and good to see in the pre-1908 livery, which, I find, is not so commonly modelled.  I must try to emulate you. 

 

Very kind of you. Now, if anyone's modelling post-Great War and wants LNWR lettering without diamonds, I might be able to help you out...

[Spitfire2865]

Looks good.

Cant wait to see the Slaters kits built up. Batchbuilding them might make adding internals a little more bearable.

[Compound2632]

Looks good.

Cant wait to see the Slaters kits built up. Batchbuilding them might make adding internals a little more bearable.

 

There's a fundamental reason why internals are a no-go on Slater's MR opens as will be revealed in due course...

[Mikkel]

A very attractive line-up of LNWR wagons. Funny how LNWR liveries sound sombre on paper, but look so elegant when applied. Diamonds are forever! With a Coal Tank in front and more of those kits behind it will be a very impressive train. 

 

Good luck with the Roket Max bottle... 

[Jol Wilkinson]

A 17" Goods 0-6-0, a.k.a. a Coal Engine, would be even better. The Coal Tanks tended to be allocated for passenger workings as the loco's vacuum brake system wasn't very efficient. The 17" Goods were never vac. fitted and were a true goods loco.

 

Besides, since the introduction of the Bachmann model, every Thomas, Richard and Harold will have a Coal Tank 

[Edwardian]

A 17" Goods 0-6-0, a.k.a. a Coal Engine, would be even better. The Coal Tanks tended to be allocated for passenger workings as the loco's vacuum brake system wasn't very efficient. The 17" Goods were never vac. fitted and were a true goods loco.

 

Besides, since the introduction of the Bachmann model, every Thomas, Richard and Harold will have a Coal Tank 

 

Sticking my neck out here, but I wonder if you could you use the Bachmann chassis under a 17" Goods body?