LMS brake van, worth a bash?

[Classsix T]

Perusing prototype piccies for my East of Cambridge 1959 set layout, I was surprised to find little or no evidence of standard BR 20t brake vans in use but more than a few images featuring ex-LMS pattern vans behind freight on the former GE. Indeed one may still reside at Wroxham.

 

Hornby make what to my uneducated eyes is ostensibly the same, and whilst the similar Southern (R6767) version looks poor, the LMS job on the face of it appears to be a fair starting point for some detailing.

 

http://www.hattons.co.uk/164264/Hornby_R6768_LMS_Brake_Van_730159_in_LMS_Bauxite/StockDetail.aspx

 

Any thoughts on this, or alternative better kits etc?

 

C6T.

[Dunsignalling]

The SR model is of a completely different van - built by the LBSCR and it's extremely unlikely that one would have got to Cambridgeshire! The obvious differences are the lack of any duckets compared to the LMS one and a much deeper roof arc.

 

The Hornby LMS brake is basically the old Airfix model from the late 1970s and is pretty much OK dimensionally but very basic in detail terms. 

 

John

[Poor Old Bruce]

It's not a bad likeness except that the brake blocks are in line with the axleguards and some representation of the ballast box between the wheels needs adding. The model is the one originally produced by Airfix in 1977. Not aware of any kits for that type of van.

[brossard]

I thought the old Hornby LMS brake looked good and upgrades it with a Bill Bedford sprung underframe kit from Eileens Emporium.

 

The u/f kit:

 

 

The underframe:

 

 

Finished van:

 

 

The springing system in these kits is pretty easy to do (I tried an Exactoscale PO wagon u/f kit but gave up on getting the springing done).

 

John

[Classsix T]

Ta John.

I did subsequently notice the more curved roof on the SR van, the lack of duckets being immediately obvious. But also noticeable was the chasms in the body to receive the chassis clips - horrendous!

 

Bruce/brossard

I'm thinking wire handrails, brass strip lamp irons and in-line brake shoes as a starter for the LMS one(s).

Possibly making one a working track cleaner with the rail wipers hidden by the aforementioned ballast boxes.

 

Any more helpful advice welcome.

 

C6T.

[31A]

Here's a simpler 'improvement' that I did to a Hornby LMS brake van:

 

 

The main improvement to my mind is to replace the thick roof with one made from 20 thou Plastikard; this means replacing the chimney and rain strips above the entrances as well.  I also replaced the step board hangers with ones made from thin metal strip, and made a weight box beneath the floor from Plastikard.  Never had the courage to carve away the brake shoes though, I'm afraid!

 

[Dunsignalling]

Lanarkshire Models & Supplies do a conversion kit specifically to turn these vans into track cleaning vehicles.

 

J.

[brossard]

Ta John.

 

Bruce/brossard

I'm thinking wire handrails, brass strip lamp irons and in-line brake shoes as a starter for the LMS one(s).

Possibly making one a working track cleaner with the rail wipers hidden by the aforementioned ballast boxes.

 

Any more helpful advice welcome.

 

C6T.

 

I did consider replacing the moulded handrails but thought slicing them off would be risky.

 

I was told that the rainstrips should be removed and replaced with something with a smaller radius, one of those "round to it" things.

 

I salvaged the W irons from the old chassis but of course the brakes are brass and in-line.

 

I used Lanarkshire buffers.

 

Given its vintage and some of the howlers that Hornby committed at that time, the model is pretty good.

 

John

[31A]

 

 

Given its vintage and some of the howlers that Hornby committed at that time, the model is pretty good.

 

John

 

 

This LMS brake van actually originated with the Airfix GMR range and passed to Hornby (via Dapol, I believe)!  Yes, pretty good for its age.

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

Tangential, but further to Poor old Bruce and Steve's comments on the Airfix/GMR origins of this moulding; among others the Lowmac and five plank general merchandise open in the Hornby range are from the same source, and particularly valuable as they are good models of types otherwise not available RTR.