Not-quite-Minks

[D5158]

On 17/03/2023 at 06:58, thetalkinlens said:

 

Any idea what sort of consist a train would have been made up with gunpowder van(s) for quarries? I'm asking on an N.E.R. angle, but would imagine it would be similar for most companies? Would you expect to see them in a pickup goods with a barrier wagon or a dedicated train of their own?

Darryl seems to have covered the 1933 era.

 

I do not have an answer but am intrigued to have an NER Gunpowder Van as they must have served the local iron stone mines.  Lingdale Mine for an example had a designated siding outside of the complex.  It was trailing for incoming traffic as the line was uphill.

[Compound2632]

4 hours ago, D5158 said:

I do not have an answer but am intrigued to have an NER Gunpowder Van as they must have served the local iron stone mines.  Lingdale Mine for an example had a designated siding outside of the complex.  It was trailing for incoming traffic as the line was uphill.

 

No loose shunting:

 

 

[Embedded link to catalogue image of Midland Railway Study Centre item 11560.]

 

I take it that means, always coupled up to the engine / train, not allowed to roll free.

 

One would have to look up the Railway Clearing House regulations, I suppose:

 

 

[Embedded link to catalogue image of Midland Railway Study Centre item 17155.]

 

Presumably the guard had the key, while the wagon was in transit:

 

 

[Embedded link to catalogue image of Midland Railway Study Centre item 17595.]

 

But what was the protocol for the key, once the van had been shunted into the quarry's private siding?

Edited November 6, 2023 by Compound2632

[Johan DC]

Don't need one, don't have a use for one, no idea what I would do with one. 

 

 

 

Anyway, I bought a couple... Can't wait for them to arrive here on the continent!

[Garethp8873]

Can anyone give me the range of running numbers that the new Blue Circle Cement example alongside the other Rapido cement vans (BPCM and Ferrocrete) would have been numbered in please? I have four of the Ferrocrete and I want get several of the Blue Circle for renumbering at somepoint...

[Compound2632]

13 hours ago, Garethp8873 said:

Can anyone give me the range of running numbers that the new Blue Circle Cement example alongside the other Rapido cement vans (BPCM and Ferrocrete) would have been numbered in please? I have four of the Ferrocrete and I want get several of the Blue Circle for renumbering at somepoint...

 

Looking here and the linked pages: 

https://www.warwickshirerailways.com/misc/misc_hcw174.htm

one can see Nos. 262, 20?, 208, 177, 292, Rapido having picked 262 and 208 from these photos, I suppose. One of the linked pages shows wagons in Ferrocrete and Blue Circle livery running together in 1953.

 

So I would have thought any numbers in the range 177 - 292 would be a good bet. As far as I can see, the Blue Circle wagons were the Ferrocrete wagons repainted, The two liveries were adopted contemporaneously in 1948 (see following post), being repaints from the BPCM livery, so it would be unwise to run together two or three in different liveries but carrying the same number! 

 

There's also a 1925 photo showing 242 in Greaves livery, which I assume was an alternative style to the BPCM livery, in the 1920s:

https://www.warwickshirerailways.com/gwr/gwrls4062a.htm.

Edited November 8, 2023 by Compound2632

[Compound2632]

Adding to that, BPCM wagons are written up in Keith Turton, Private Owner Wagons an Eighth Collection (Lightmoor Press, 2009) p. 20, with a photo of BPCM not-mink No. 168, built by Birmingham RC&W Co. in 1921; unfortunately the size of this batch isn't mentioned.

 

The same photo is also reproduced in John Arkell, Private Owner Wagons of the South-East (Lightmoor Press, 2016) p. 139. There, there also reproduced photos of some of the firms wooden vans, 112, 124, 134, and 143 in BPCM livery in 1927 and 132 and 147 in Ferrocrete livery together with 121 and 125 in Blue Circle livery, thought to be in 1948 when these two liveries were adopted. (So they were contemporaneous rather than one being repaint of the other; I have amended my previous post.) So that helps confirm that you want numbers in the high 100s or the 200s.

[Darius43]

Just received two of these.

 

 

Cheers

 

Darius

[Miss Prism]

https://www.warwickshirerailways.com/gwr/gwrhj2260.htm

 

(the number of the nearest vehicle seems to be 208)

[MarkSG]

I've found an early colour photo of a gunpowder van making a delivery...

 

[thetalkinlens]

Can anyone recommend links for three link couplings which will fit through the hole on the Rapido bufferbeam hooks? Metal ones that can be used as for actual coupling. I usually use Smiths, but the links are too thick to fit through the hole. Possibly the finescale Smiths links are a bit thinner and will fit?

Edited February 17 by thetalkinlens

[gwrrob]

24 minutes ago, thetalkinlens said:

Can anyone recommend links for three link couplings which will fit through the hole on the Rapido bufferbeam hooks? Metal ones that can be used as for actual coupling. I usually use Smiths, but the links are too thick to fit through the hole. Possibly the finescale Smiths links are a bit thinner and will fit?

 

Is it possible to drill the hole bigger so they do go through.

[thetalkinlens]

52 minutes ago, gwrrob said:

 

Is it possible to drill the hole bigger so they do go through.

 

Maybe, but there isn't much there to make them bigger, so finding some finer chain links would probably be preferred.

[NHY 581]

Hey Corbs ( @Corbs )could we see a SE&CR Gunpowder van at some point I wonder ? 

 

 

Diagram plucked from An Illustrated History of Southern Wagons-Vol 3: SECR. ( OPC ) 

 

Rob. 

 

 

[thetalkinlens]

After a bit of measuring, I realised it only needed a whisker of opening up the hole to fit the Smiths links. 0.55mm increased to 0.6mm.

 

Hopefully the plastic hook is strong enough, as it doesn't look straight forward at all to fit a metal hook.

 

[Garethp8873]

Has anyone on here re-numbered their Blue Circle or Ferrcrete Iron Minks yet? If so what transfers did you use?

[fulton]

On 18/02/2024 at 22:09, thetalkinlens said:

 

 

Hopefully the plastic hook is strong enough, as it doesn't look straight forward at all to fit a metal hook.

 

I fitted Smiths three links to the Rapido PO open wagons, I think the general construction is the same, had to cut out a section of the sub floor to clear the hook end, the opening had to be enlarged as well, the supplied hooks are very fragile, some were only a push fit, yours look very good but I think will fail if used in a train. 

[thetalkinlens]

6 minutes ago, fulton said:

I fitted Smiths three links to the Rapido PO open wagons, I think the general construction is the same, had to cut out a section of the sub floor to clear the hook end, the opening had to be enlarged as well, the supplied hooks are very fragile, some were only a push fit, yours look very good but I think will fail if used in a train. 

 

Thanks, that's useful to know, I'd certainly prefer it to have metal Smiths hooks if it can be done. They're easier to hook the links over too.

I've had at least 10 whitemetal wagons hung off the back of it on gradients and so far no problems.