Blue spot fish vans in Express Parcels usage

[Dave777]

There's a good smattering of info around regarding these wagons already both on and off RMweb, but I'm struggling to find some definitive info on the exact differences between the early and later versions - can anyone help?

 

As far as I can work out, the differences on the later versions are...

 

1) Substantial differences in the underframe, including longer brake handle

2) Single, longer door handle

3) Roof ribs

4) Vertical side ribs

5) Diagonal ribs on the ends

6) The 'destination board' on the side was moved slightly towards the door to allow for the vertical side ribbing

 

Is there anything else?

 

 

This all stems from looking at options for the Dapol N gauge model, and that has a rather prominent roundy brake thing on the underside. I don't have a photo to hand but you can see it here on the left side of the wagon:

 

http://www.ehattons.com/images/products/NB051e_27626_Qty1_3.jpg

 

Did this move more centrally on the later BR versions? Photo 19 for example on Paul Bartlett's site:

 

http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/brfish

 

(I'm struggling to find a photo of the earlier version that actually has this feature though)

 

 

Final Q: did the early and late versions run together?

 

 

One half of me thinks it may be easier to just respray the darn thing and have done with it, and the other quite fancies the modelling challenge of the conversion.

 

Thanks in advance for any help.

[Pennine MC]

Final Q: did the early and late versions run together?

 

 

Easy Q, easy A: yes, both in fish and parcels/sundries use, though the later builds lasted longer

 

I've never thought in terms of comparing the detail differences Dave, because it's simpler to consider them as effectively two different vans built to fulfil a common spec - it's not like one was a development of the other as such. The later one is slightly narrower, has a more arced GW-ish roof profile and the ribbed roof; its underframe carries a development of the BR standard clasp brake, whereas the early ones had the LNER pattern with three V hangers. Buffers differed also, short self-contained on the early ones and Oleo or Dowty hydraulics on the late ones (as you'd expect with the BR clasp brake, which almost always went together with a 'modern' design of buffer). I'm sure a reasonable looking conversion will be possible though, certainly in the smaller scale.

[Dave777]

Thanks for the additional info Mr F, I think I might give the conversion a go, especially if they ran in the same trains. Or at least see how the first one goes before tackling the rest...