RNAD Dean Hill - Suitable wagon kits?

[Grampus]

Good afternoon all.

 

Please can I ask for your help with the following project?  I have just purchased the delightful Narrow Planet kit for a Baguley-Drewry shunter with a view to adding a short siding to my OO layout to suggest an MoD facility (such as Dean Hill) just off-scene.  Please can anybody advise me of any suitable wagon kits to accompany the loco?  NB  I am modelling early 1980s.  The photos I have seen on various web-sites all suggest that the wagons were predominantly flats of a fairly simple design:  I don't mind having a go at scratch-building, but if there is something suitable already then that would be preferable.  Alternatively, if scratch-building is the way forward, can anybody suggest a suitable source of underframe parts, axleboxes, etc?  Would any of the Parkside Dundas narrow gauge items be suitable?  As you can probably guess, narrow gauge is not my normal fare ( - I was distracted by the look of the little loco and the modelling possibilities it offers) so any and all advice would be welcome, please.  many thanks.

 

Kind Regards,

 

Paul

[BernardTPM]

There was a useful article on Chilmark in the June 1996 Railway Modeller that included drawings of stock. Parkside Dundas have a post-war Hudson bogie wagon in their range http://www.parksidedundas.co.uk/acatalog/Robert_Hudson_Ltd.html DM65 with the bogies available as separate items DM66. The 009 Society are planning to produce an RNAD van soonish.

[backwaterscotland]

Narrow planet are planning to produce a RNAD crew van to go with the shunter - there are details of the test build for the kit over on the ngrm forum.

 

Andy 8)

[Grampus]

Dear Bernard TPM and Backwaterscotland,

 

thank you both for the info: that sounds quite encouraging.  Having done some further digging on the web this afternoon, the whole system looks quite fascinating.  There is considerable scope for mission creep if I am not careful, I suspect  I am certainly looking forward to the shunter build. 

 

Thanks again,

 

Paul

[backwaterscotland]

Related to this, I was at the Almond Valley Light Railway yesterday and most of the stock is ex-mod from either RNAD Dean Hill or ROF Bishopton including wagons and locos. Unfortunately, WD40 was in the workshop so I could get any good shots but I've put photos of the wagons and other locos onto photobucket here : http://s1151.photobucket.com/user/backwaterscotland/library/Almond%20Valley%20Light%20Railway

 

There is a stock book detailing the stock available for free as a pdf on their website : http://www.almondvalley.co.uk/Railway.html

 

 

Andy 8)

[cornelius]

Thanks for the mentions. The crew van is in progress and hopefully will be ready in a couple of months time. There are a couple of variants of this design which could also be explored.

 

 

 

The 009 Society RNAD vans (with the distinctive angle roofs) are also due towards the end of the year, all going well.

[petethemole]

There are a few ex-Dean Hill vehicles preserved at Priddy's Hard, Gosport, outside the Explosion! Museum; Google Image search brings up several photos.

Pete

[Grampus]

Dear all,

 

thanks for the additional info.  Some useful details.

 

Best wishes,

 

Paul

[creweboy]

Paul

The stock at Dean Hill was mainly a mix of simple 4w and Bogies flats, supplementing this were a smaller number of 4w box vans all of a same design, the 4w personnel carriers appeared to be converted from the 4w vans, other stock included 3 (ish) 4 wheeled ballast hoppers, and possibly some forklift carriers, the stock was similar to other RNAD Ammunition depots including Broughton Moor and Trecwn, indeed some of the disused Stock at Dean Hill came from other RNAD Depots. The Bogie crewvan shown above was built by Hudson was common to both 2' and 2'6" MOD Systems, and was drawn in my June 96 RM Article.

 

One point worth considering is the distance from BR line to the NG was usually via a long SG Spur, before it even reached a transshipment point to the internal NG system.    

 

Regards,

Mike 

Edited July 16, 2013 by creweboy

[mjcampbell]

I spotted a few of the "coaches" at Amberley, here's a couple of variants!

 

 

For the wagons (and ahead of the 009 society kit, or for variety) you could do worse than use the W&L van and open (built it as a flat) from Nine Lines: http://www.nine-lines.co.uk/welcome%20page-frames.html

 

They won't be accurate but have the right sort of look. The flat wagons look like they could be knocked up from plasticard on any suitable chassis - even PECO N-gauge chassis if you prefer, though the wheels would be too small.

[Grampus]

Dear Mike (Creweboy),

 

thank you for the information re specific wagon types at Dean Hill: I have seen pictures now of the flats, the fork-lift carriers and (possibly) the vans, but not the ballast hoppers.  I do take your point about the SG spur from the mainline to access the facility.  I have been past the spur into Dean Hill many times, but had not appreciated the full extent of the system.  A quick recce via Google Earth quickly shed further light.    I am sure I can do something, albeit not yet sure what - whether I need to wait to incorporate my plans into my eventual dream 'roundy-roundy', rather than my current end-to-end project remains to be seen; or perhaps a micro-layout of some sort is the way ahead for the moment.  However, I am certainly enjoying the change from my more usual SG modelling interests and the eventual modelling will be fun.

 

Dear Michael (MJcampbell),

 

Thank you also for the steers towards the Nine Lines kits: they certainly appear worth investigating.  Think I will indeed start with 'proper' OO9 chassis vice N gauge ones - I suspect the small wheels would spoil the visual impact.

 

As a general point, thank you to everybody who has provided me with information via this thread.  I have been really amazed by both just how much information is out there and perhaps more importantly, peoples' willingness to give of their knowledge and expertise.  Much appreciated - I hope to have some pictures to share with you in due course.

 

Kind Regards,

 

Paul

[creweboy]

Paul

Will post pic of Ballast wagon asap

 

Mike

[creweboy]

RNAD 2'6" Ballast Wagon at Dean Hill c.1996

[Grampus]

Thanks Mike,

this gets ever more interesting.  It looks as though a couple of those would be a relatively easy scratch-build, albeit representative rather than 100% accurate.  I am assuming ( - never assume, check!) that they are rebuilds - ie new hopper bodies on older chassis?

 

Best wishes,

 

Paul

Edited July 24, 2013 by Grampus

[creweboy]

Paul

Yes, well spotted, mounted on the 4 wheel chassis of either a former flat of box van.

Mike

[mjcampbell]

Just happened across the Chris Ward site http://www.chrisjward.co.uk/009-ng.html

Noticed he offers a body kit for the RNAD flat wagons to fit a PECO wagon chassis. I think the wheels could be too small but no doubt another chassis could be used if it matters. He can also sell the bomb loads ... not live, I presume!

 

Edited August 15, 2013 by mjcampbell

[decauville1126]

I spotted a few of the "coaches" at Amberley, here's a couple of variants!

 

 

For the wagons (and ahead of the 009 society kit, or for variety) you could do worse than use the W&L van and open (built it as a flat) from Nine Lines: http://www.nine-lines.co.uk/welcome%20page-frames.html

 

They won't be accurate but have the right sort of look. The flat wagons look like they could be knocked up from plasticard on any suitable chassis - even PECO N-gauge chassis if you prefer, though the wheels would be too small.

 

4-wheel one on the left is ex-MoD Eastriggs and always was/is still 2ft gauge. There are two of these at Amberley.

 

The bogie one on the right is ex-MoD (or RNAD) Trecwn and was originally 2ft 6in gauge but is now 2ft gauge. A bit of a heavy regauging job as the bogies are a solid slab of 80mm thick steel with standard Hudson RaleTrux axleboxes and hoops bolted to the underside. Still in Trecwn livery which will be retained when the bodyshell is stripped, shotblasted, and resparayed.

Also it's now airbraked in addition to the standard manual system.

[hartleymartin]

Just happened across the Chris Ward site http://www.chrisjward.co.uk/009-ng.html

Noticed he offers a body kit for the RNAD flat wagons to fit a PECO wagon chassis. I think the wheels could be too small but no doubt another chassis could be used if it matters. He can also sell the bomb loads ... not live, I presume!

 

Would you ever consider modelling a wagon with a 'live charge' to explode or at least "go pop!"?

[mjcampbell]

Traing/Hornby did an "exploding" wagon once, which had a spring causing it to explode into pieces...

Edited August 16, 2013 by mjcampbell

[BernardTPM]

(caps not included)

[Grampus]

Just happened across the Chris Ward site http://www.chrisjward.co.uk/009-ng.html

Noticed he offers a body kit for the RNAD flat wagons to fit a PECO wagon chassis. I think the wheels could be too small but no doubt another chassis could be used if it matters. He can also sell the bomb loads ... not live, I presume!

 

Dear Michael,

 

thanks for the steer on the wagon kits.  I feel a couple of small purchases coming on.  I also note that the range includes a RNAD Hunslett diesel.  This could become addictive.....

 

Best wishes,

 

Paul

[mjcampbell]

Yeah, sorry!

[jwealleans]

These of any interest?

 

 

Edited October 17, 2018 by jwealleans

[Grampus]

Dear Jonathan,

 

interesting looking vehicles, though the thought of moving explosives in them gives me the collywobbles!  Probably a little early for the period I am interested in, but I use 'probably' advisedly! - What I know about the subject to date could be written on a fairly small postage stamp: however, learning about it will be fun. 

 

Many thanks,

 

Paul

[JimO]

Just happened across the Chris Ward site http://www.chrisjward.co.uk/009-ng.html

Noticed he offers a body kit for the RNAD flat wagons to fit a PECO wagon chassis. I think the wheels could be too small but no doubt another chassis could be used if it matters. He can also sell the bomb loads ... not live, I presume!

 

I asked Chris if he could make both the four slat end and the two slat end variants of these wagons for my RNAD Dean Hill layout which is due at narrow Gauge South in April 2014. He has alo made both bomb racks and single bombs which can be used as loads.

 

The detail is excellent but you must bear in mind that they are scale models and the ends are very delicte as a result. I have broken at least one test one. They can be repaired with strong superglue as I know to my cost!

 

Good luck with your model

 

===

Jim