The Nth Degree Posted November 29, 2012 Share Posted November 29, 2012 I've got a few kit vans, which I'll also expand upon, but I'm looking for a supplier of appropriate open goods wagons. I've tried the plastic kits but I don't really like the 'feel' of them so I'd like to try metal kits. The only source I can think of are ABS white metal kits, but I have no idea of their stock range as they don't have a website. I know they have a price list but I'm not in possession of it. As the Reading show is coming up I wondered if anyone had any ideas as to which supplier I could try. I'm looking for a variety of 3-5 plank wagons for general goods, rather than a specific cargo/load, like coal wagons, for example, although I will need a few of these too. I'm modelling 1958ish on the East Suffolk Line and branches. Cheers in advance, Steve Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hmrspaul Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 ABS do a good range, the LMS/BR 5plank open merch with corrugated end, LNER/BR steel open merch, LMS 3 and 1 plank. Slaters also do the steel open as well as 5 plank shoc open with corrugated end. Beware their Lowfit has the late BR clasp brake rigging, not introduced until 1958. Parkside the SR 8 plank and GWR 5 plank. Paul Bartlett Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Nth Degree Posted November 30, 2012 Author Share Posted November 30, 2012 Thanks Paul. A better search term in Google has found that Powsides produce a 3 and 5 plank wagon but with mixed reviews. I don't have any experience with this producer, having only Connoisseur, M&M and Lochgorm kits. Gladiator also do a 10T 5 plank with trestle bar, similar to M&Ms 13T open, which I have. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buckjumper Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 The Powsides brass 3 and 5 plan wagons are of GER origin, early Holden period, and extinct by 1941. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Nth Degree Posted November 30, 2012 Author Share Posted November 30, 2012 Thanks Adrian, good to know. Unfortunately! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenglade Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 Yes +1 thanks Adrain as I'm building during 20's, possibly early 30's era.. cheers Pete Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buckjumper Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 A quick revision to the earlier figures: In 1930 there were 107 3-plank fixed sides (dia.18), 180 3-plank dropped sides & ends (dia.68) and 800 of the five plank (Dia.16) wagons in revenue earning service. By 1938 the numbers had dropped to just 5 dia.18, 75 dia. 68 and 39 dia.16. Dia. 18 and 16 were both made extinct in 1941, and 13 of the dia.68 made it to 1947. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Nth Degree Posted November 30, 2012 Author Share Posted November 30, 2012 Nice one Adrian. A natural progression from that statement would be what was is circulation in the late 50s? Avoiding PSD and Slaters plastic kits, where should I be looking for my open wagons? I'm now in possession of an ABS price list (thank you very much!) but are there any other suppliers I should look at? Cheers Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenglade Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 A quick revision to the earlier figures: In 1930 there were 107 3-plank fixed sides (dia.18), 180 3-plank dropped sides & ends (dia.68) and 800 of the five plank (Dia.16) wagons in revenue earning service. By 1938 the numbers had dropped to just 5 dia.18, 75 dia. 68 and 39 dia.16. Dia. 18 and 16 were both made extinct in 1941, and 13 of the dia.68 made it to 1947. Great info Adrian... thanks for that it will help me a lot.. Pete Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buckjumper Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 Nice one Adrian. A natural progression from that statement would be what was is circulation in the late 50s? Avoiding PSD and Slaters plastic kits, where should I be looking for my open wagons? I'm now in possession of an ABS price list (thank you very much!) but are there any other suppliers I should look at? Bearing in mind that the 1950s are 50 - 60 years too modern for me, so I'm not entirely au fait with everything available to you. However, Slater's PSD and ABS (which is an amalgamation of several ranges) are the big three in terms of open wagons suitable for your period. I know you're not too happy with the plastic wagons, but with care they can be made into nice models, but they do need weighting (liquid lead between the framing underneath) to give them some mass and inertia. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 I will back up what Adrian has said. The Parkside kits make up into nice models and are fairly straightforward to build. Slater's kits are sometimes a bit more of a challenge - it's not unusual for one of their kits, mostly plastic, to include etched brass and cast components. they do look very good when they are finished, though. Parkside make a LNER 6 plank, a LMS 5 plank, a GW 5 plank and a BR 16T mineral Slater's make a 7 plank mineral that was used by both the LMS & LNER, they also make a BR Shock open and one of those LNER all steel opens with the dimples on the side All these wagons would have been around in the fifties, and in dwindling numbers in the sixties. The 16T mineral seemed to replace most (all?) the timber coal wagons before steam vanished. I don't know much about the ABS range as I prefer plastic or brass to white-metal. I have only built one POWsides wagon, a tanker. I won't be building any more. Chaz Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Nth Degree Posted December 2, 2012 Author Share Posted December 2, 2012 I won't be building any more. Chaz Well, I may be slightly relieved about that. Had Powsides had any in stock at Reading I would have bought a rake of 3 of them! I had the cash in hand at the counter but he didn't have any. He did offer me a deal if I were to order them there and then but I said I'd rather see them. I've built a few plastic kits but I just don't like the feel of them. It's an odd feeling that I can't describe. I've sold all my made plastic kits (only five of them) and I'm now concentrating on brass and WM. I do still have a couple Slaters BR brake vans that I may still build, but my inner self says sell them and replace them with Connoisseur or M&M brass equivalents. I bought a couple ABS LMS opens to try out so I'll see how they go and maybe get more. The chap on the ABS stand was lovely and had all the time in the world for me. I like that. I feel like buying more just for the customer service dedication and effort. I still need that 3-tank rake of LNER milks so I guess it could be back to plastic for those. What was the problem with the Powsides tanks - could you be more descriptive? Cheers Steve Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buckjumper Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 The only Powsides tanks I've built were a pair of the acid carriers. They turned out well enough, but there was quite a lot of remedial work needed on the resin from lost detail, and mis-cast parts. I wouldn't build any more to commission as the time taken to bring them up to an acceptable standard in my eyes is not financially viable. However, if I needed one for my own purposes (though they're a decade and a half too modern for me) I'd bite the bullet. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Nth Degree Posted December 2, 2012 Author Share Posted December 2, 2012 That's good to know Adrian, thanks. I'm not averse to a bit of bashing so I'll keep my options open for now. I'd love to see the resin castings before I buy though. Maybe I'll catch them at Bristol. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 What was the problem with the Powsides tanks - could you be more descriptive? It was a small tanker like the one that Adrian posted. What was the problem? How long have you got? Seen from the side the underframe was banana shaped. I was told to put it in hot water and it would straighten - it didn't. I even screwed it down to a piece of pine to hold it flat and then poured very hot water over it. Still curved when I released it. The resin tank was so far from being round, and the rivet detail so poor that in the end I chucked it away and made a new one from brass. I soldered two bolts to the bottom of the new tank and used them to pull the underframe flat, passing them through the saddles. It turned out reasonably well in the end but I might as well have scratchbuilt it. I do still have a couple Slaters BR brake vans that I may still build, but my inner self says sell them and replace them with Connoisseur I've built both the Slater's and Connoisseur kits - if I was doing another I would choose the brass kit myself. They both make accurate models but I found the brass one more fun to build. Chaz PS - can't comment on the POWsides opens, as I haven't built one, but if the tanker is an example of their general standard....... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Nth Degree Posted December 2, 2012 Author Share Posted December 2, 2012 Aha, well you may have inadvertently solved the problem of choice for me. I assumed/guessed that everything except the tank was brass etch/WM. If the majority of the kit is resin then that would place it well behind a Slaters kit, which I would have to bash to reallocate to LNER prototype. Thanks. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 Aha, well you may have inadvertently solved the problem of choice for me. I assumed/guessed that everything except the tank was brass etch/WM. If the majority of the kit is resin then that would place it well behind a Slaters kit, which I would have to bash to reallocate to LNER prototype. Thanks. I think I'm right in saying that the body and underframe of a POWsides open is a single resin casting, to which the various white metal castings (axleboxes, brakegear, buffer housings etc) are glued. A friend of mine does SDJR circa 1890 and has built some. To be fair they do look good. Chaz Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buckjumper Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 PS - can't comment on the POWsides opens, as I haven't built one, but if the tanker is an example of their general standard....... Ah, well the brass Powsides GE opens have a different provenance, being ex-Wagon & Carriage Works of Sawbridgeworth, and though I've not yet found any identifying marks on the brass frets, I suspect Tim Hughes (Meteor) may have had something to do with them. I've got half a dozen here and ordered four more at Reading, and they make up into nice models, and with a little extra detailing are a good representation of the prototype. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Nth Degree Posted December 2, 2012 Author Share Posted December 2, 2012 ...ex-Wagon & Carriage Works of Sawbridgeworth... How uncanny, I lived there for a couple years. Mind you, I wasn't into model railways at that time. I'm guessing these GE opens are wayyy too early for my late 50s plans? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buckjumper Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 How uncanny, I lived there for a couple years. Mind you, I wasn't into model railways at that time. Funny, someone else at Reading yesterday said much the same, or are you one and the same ? W&CW was my local, just 15 minutes over the fields from me, and sorry, but yep, the GE ones are a little bit late for you. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Nth Degree Posted December 2, 2012 Author Share Posted December 2, 2012 Funny, someone else at Reading yesterday said much the same, or are the one and the same? It was my local, just 15 minutes over the fields from me. And sorry, but yep, a little bit late for you. Haha, yes, it's me! Sorry, thought you knew. Cheers for the info! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buckjumper Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 Ha! It hadn't clicked (head in the clouds as usual), and as you can see, you caught me mid-edit too! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
3 link Posted December 3, 2012 Share Posted December 3, 2012 Ha !! The penny has just dropped this end as well, your the guy from my neck of the woods and you usually frequent " the dark side" . Good evening to you as well Adrian, it's good to put a face to an avatar. ATB, Martyn. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Nth Degree Posted December 3, 2012 Author Share Posted December 3, 2012 Good to meet up with you the other day. I may take you up on the Bristol offer once I get a confirmed pass from The Keeper of Passes! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buckjumper Posted December 3, 2012 Share Posted December 3, 2012 Good evening to you as well Adrian, it's good to put a face to an avatar. Martyn. Good to meet you too Martyn. You look nothing like yours...different hair colour for starters... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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