Bachmann Railway Containers

[NORTHDUK]

Some years ago, I looked for railway containers that I could use as loads for lorries in 1/76 scale.  I was sold a pack of three containers made by Bachmann.  Two of the containers were finished in the liveries of pre-war railway companies and the third was left in bare grey plastic.  They were nice mouldings but scaled out at 16 feet long whereas I wanted a 14 foot container to fit a model I was working on.  I later bought a Merit container that scaled out to 14 feet and suited the model.

 

I came across the Bachmann containers in the loft a while ago and I now wonder if they actually represent any form of pre-war or later container and, if so, when it was in use and who would have used it.  They might form loads for 6-wheeled lorries.  Does anyone have any information?

 

Best wishes,

 

Gordon McLaughlin

Edited January 29 by NORTHDUK
Minor corrections.

[PhilJ W]

The Merit container was nearer to HO scale. 

[Cwmtwrch]

16 ft over the body [excluding fenders] was the standard size agreed between the four grouped companies in the mid-1930s for B/BC/BD/BK containers, which was continued by BR. Earlier containers had been more variable in size and generally smaller. Containers with corrugated ends, however, were an innovation by BR, produced from 1949; they would normally only be seen on road vehicles owned by BR. The Bachmann ones are BR type BD, and have some flaws, including the "gaps" between planks [the prototypes looked almost flush sided at any distance] but there aren't a lot of other options available.

 

As Philj W says, the Merit one is undersized for 1/76.

[BernardTPM]

14 foot in 4mm scale is 56mm. 56mm in 3½mm scale is 16 foot. The odd thing about the Merit container though is having doors at both ends.

Edited January 29 by BernardTPM

[Cwmtwrch]

On 28/01/2024 at 23:15, NORTHDUK said:

They might form loads for 6-wheeled lorries.

Sorry, I missed this bit earlier. The maximum load for a 16ft container was 4 tons, and its Tare [empty weight] was less than 2 tons, so under 6 tons fully laden. They commonly travelled on single axle 16ft to 20ft semi-trailers, although suitable four-wheel flatbeds were also used. Tractor units could be four-wheeled or the 6T capacity versions of the Scammell Mechanical Horse or Scarab.

Edited January 30 by Cwmtwrch
error correction

[NORTHDUK]

First, my thanks to everyone who replied.  It has been an education!

 

When I went looking for 14 foot containers I thought, for some reason now forgotten, that this was the most common size for containers.  The Merit model seemed to me to be ideal and I thought  the Bachmann models were either over-scale or represented some other type of container.  My ignorance of the subject was extensive. 

 

Armed with the information now provided, I need to re-think the possible uses for the Bachmann models.  I've been thinking of converting the Merit kit of the Thornycroft PB lorry to the versions with more conventional cabs as used by the GWR, for example.  Photographs in Kelly's book show these PB 4-tonners carrying containers which overhang the rear of the bodies by a couple of feet or so.  If I can replace the corrugated end of a Bachmann container with 20 thou card scored to represent narrow planking, it would be a suitable load for the model.  Otherwise, I have a Dapol / Airfix Scammell Scarab in the loft and might put a Bachmann container on that.  The Merit container will join the scrap pile unless anyone can suggest another use for it.

 

Thanks again for the useful information.

 

Best wishes,

 

Gordon McLaughlin

Edited January 31 by NORTHDUK