New tooling 'Vanwide' vent van in 00

[Phatbob]

I 've just purchased one of the new tooling Bachmann Vanwides from my local model shop (Grimy Times Model Railways, Warrington) and can't find a thread for these beasts, so I've started one.
It's a very detailed model I have to say, with lots of separately applied parts by the look of it.  There's even a bag of extra bits to add to the "undergubbins" and airpipes for those variants that need them. 
It looks to me as if Bachmann have produced new wheels.  They're a nice matt black and not unrealistic shinny metal colour.  I approve.
Reassuringly expensive at thirty five quid, but worth it IMHO.
Would recommend.
 

[Covkid]

18 hours ago, Phatbob said:

It looks to me as if Bachmann have produced new wheels.  They're a nice matt black and not unrealistic shiny metal colour.  I approve.

Reassuringly expensive at thirty five quid, but worth it IMHO.
Would recommend.
 

I think the Bachmann wagon wheels were in need of upgrading really, so good news.

 

Price is what it is.  Today I received my pair of Rapido gunpowder vans from the company which with the £5 postage added came to £71.90 in total. No way for us UKers to really avoid the £11.98 VAT so so long as we are happy to pay it to get good models that is fine.  Or we turn to Parkside or scratch.    

Edited March 16, 2022 by Covkid

[hmrspaul]

https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/brvanwide

 

Paul

[Davidjsmith]

Late 1970,s early 80’s The Goods Shed in the North end yard had vans unloaded (I think )with loft insulation .We used to trip them to Bescot yard if I remember correct?I wonder if they were standed vans or Vanwides anyone with any knowledge or pictures would appreciate!I took loads of photos but not of the vans!

[happyChappy]

Can someone confirm if the new wheels/axles are magnetic or not? I use Kaydee couplings and always have to swap out the (usually magnetic) Bachmann wheelsets to avoid the vehicle being 'grabbed' by the under-track magnets.

[Fat Controller]

On 02/04/2022 at 14:01, Davidjsmith said:

Late 1970,s early 80’s The Goods Shed in the North end yard had vans unloaded (I think )with loft insulation .We used to trip them to Bescot yard if I remember correct?I wonder if they were standed vans or Vanwides anyone with any knowledge or pictures would appreciate!I took loads of photos but not of the vans!

From the loads of insulation I handled, the rolls were bundled together and plastic-wrapped, but not palletized, so there'd be no overwhelming reason to use Vanwides. Paul Shannon mentions insulation traffic in the 'Railfreight since 1968' volume that covers wagon-load traffic; typically, I can't find it at present.

 

[Davidjsmith]

Thanks for the little bit of information !If you find the volume appreciate more info!

[ColinK]

I splashed out and bought one too. A bit expensive but when you see the detail it is worth the price.

[russ p]

5 hours ago, happyChappy said:

Can someone confirm if the new wheels/axles are magnetic or not? I use Kaydee couplings and always have to swap out the (usually magnetic) Bachmann wheelsets to avoid the vehicle being 'grabbed' by the under-track magnets.

 

Just checked with mine and none seem magnetic 

[Roy Langridge]

10 hours ago, happyChappy said:

Can someone confirm if the new wheels/axles are magnetic or not? I use Kaydee couplings and always have to swap out the (usually magnetic) Bachmann wheelsets to avoid the vehicle being 'grabbed' by the under-track magnets.

Is it not that the wheels themselves are magnetic, but they can be attracted to a magnet?
 

Roy

[happyChappy]

On 06/04/2022 at 22:14, Roy Langridge said:

Is it not that the wheels themselves are magnetic, but they can be attracted to a magnet?
 

Roy

Thanks to those of you that have replied about the new Vanwide wheels being 'magnetic' (or not). I may have not asked the right question which is, or more precisely, - will these new wheelsets be attracted to under-track magnets? So if you hold a magnet under the wheelset/axle does it stick to the wheelset /axle? Hope this is clearer.

[Covkid]

Have to confess I needed some barrier vans for my pair of Rapido gunpowder vans, so my LHS Topp Trains has obliged me. Beautiful wagons which I will enjoy weathering. 

 

Hats off to Barwell for another great transition era -> 1980s model.  Goes really well with the Sulzer 2s, but if there is a teeny tiny regret for me, it is that Bachmann didn't take the Stanier 20T brakevan design and make it theirs.     

[Torbay Express]

On 15/03/2022 at 17:22, Phatbob said:

Reassuringly expensive at thirty five quid, but worth it IMHO.
Would recommend.
 

Thank god for Speedlink trains, whoever approved the concept deserves an MBE.  Saviour of the wallet implosion and credit card CPR!

 

I don't think there will be many full takes going around.......  My rake of R6179's will live on......and on...... and on...... Back in the day, they were expensive for a very old tooling with an RRP of 7.50, and I didn't bother at first because one Bachmann Catalogue (circa 20 years ago) had part numbers for a Bauxite and Railfreight Red/Grey VEA at 6.85 (I seem to recall).  It probably sets a new record for from drawing board (there must have been some progress/planning for part numbers to be known at that time) to completion!

 

[NorthernGuard]

I decided to fit all the brake gear etc on my Vanwide, but one slight grumble: the instructions seem to be generic for all the variants, so you are helpfully shown 2 positions for the brake 'air' pipes, 'dependent on era', but no indication as to which applies to this model. Time to consult Prof Google... plenty of pics of vans in later life & preservation, but I searched in vain for an old pic showing the vac pipes. Think I figured it: the pipes provided seem to be 'no2s'. As the sheet recommends, I used PVA-based adhesive: Roket card glue.

 

Moving onto the brake yokes & pull-rods... the 4 pieces are similar to, but different from those illustrated which I suspect represent air-braked gear. Once I worked out which goes where, I tried to coax the tiny pips to locate in the barely visible holes in the backs of the brake blocks, which needed gentle pressure (fearing a sudden catastrophic 'snap'...) to keep them in place. At one point, I thought it might be easier if I removed the couplings... "right, said Fred..."). It was, but they couldn't be re-fitted with the brake gear in place! Lucky I used PVA, not cyano!

 

The 8 safety straps resemble elongated staples, but thinner, which straddle the yokes and locate into pairs of tiny holes in the floor. These holes seem to be simultaneously too tight until the wire goes in & then too slack to hold it in place. I found that as I fitted each one, I could apply a blob of PVA with the jaws of pointy pliers acting like a bow-pen... Once I'd done them all, I left the van on its roof for an hour before placing it upright... only 1 of them fell off!

 

All in all a beautiful little model, but to be honest the underside detail is almost invisible when it's running around a layout. I suspect many modellers will leave the bag unopened! I can see why they cost £30-odd: look at the door-runners, locking bars & hand rails, but how many of us can afford to run 30+ wagon trains at these prices? Maybe there's still a future for kit-building, after all!