Commercial brakes

[Tim Lewis]

running number is B951504, which I trust is correct...

 

Yes it is: they even got the lot number and build date correct on the makers plate on the solebar! (So be careful if re-numbering it )

[Pennine MC]

Again overshadowed, but this time by the LNER vans and opens, this year's edition 37-537B is now out. Numbered B952497 in standard pre-64 Gill sans face, but otherwise as per last year's release (i.e., c/w vac cylinder and corrected verandah screens).

 

As I said in my OP, if you want any, get them now, otherwise you'll be on Ebay in a few months paying the same price as the forthcoming Hornby one

[buffalo]

What's the general feeling about converting these brake vans to EM or P4? Is the chassis good enough, or is there a suitable alternative available?

 

Nick

[craigwelsh]

What's the general feeling about converting these brake vans to EM or P4? Is the chassis good enough, or is there a suitable alternative available?

 

Nick

You can fit P4 wheels easily enough ad its a pretty good chassis. The alternative is the Dave Bradwell offering i've used. As the Bachmann body is spot on lengthwise its a perfect fit.

[buffalo]

Thanks, Craig. I'll get one while they're available, then.

 

Nick

[Jenny Emily]

I was in the Modelzone in the Metro Centre yesterday, and they've got dozens of their weathered versions on the shelves, even though they are listed on their website as out of stock.

 

They also had a few other limited editions in stock that are officially out of stock including the TPOs, black weathered tanker three pack, NCB 16 tonners, NCB pannier, NSE class 03 and the two parcels two pack coach sets.

[G-BOAF]

Latest version of the bauxite BR 20t now appearing. From the pics at Hattons is looks VERY nice, excellent work stained condition. Only disappointment would be the roof, which looks like its ex-works!.

Interestingly reverted to the 'planked' inner wall, which is presumably correct for earlier BR built vans? EDIT - short stepboards also featured, which suggests this represents an LNER built van, so this is correct.

 

http://www.ehattons.com/StockDetail.aspx?sid=38591

 

 

BUT - where's the Vac Cylinder - Bauxite means it should be fitted (or would through piped qualify?) (and were the LNER built vans unfitted?)

 

The 20t brakes are great models (got three of the gems, including an LNER liveried version). TBH I can't see that the Hornby version will be worth the extra £10 or whatever...

[brushman47544]

Latest version of the bauxite BR 20t now appearing. From the pics at Hattons is looks VERY nice, excellent work stained condition. Only disappointment would be the roof, which looks like its ex-works!.

Interestingly reverted to the 'planked' inner wall, which is presumably correct for earlier BR built vans? EDIT - short stepboards also featured, which suggests this represents an LNER built van, so this is correct.

 

http://www.ehattons.com/StockDetail.aspx?sid=38591

 

 

BUT - where's the Vac Cylinder - Bauxite means it should be fitted (or would through piped qualify?) (and were the LNER built vans unfitted?)

 

The 20t brakes are great models (got three of the gems, including an LNER liveried version). TBH I can't see that the Hornby version will be worth the extra £10 or whatever...

I agree these brake vans are great models, but TBH I was hoping for something that looked more like the picture on the Bachmann website 37-537C. I certainly won't be pre-ordering either the weathered maroon Mk1 BG or GUV. I want to see the weathering first, in case they aren't like Bachmann's website pictures. You can get away with this heavier weathering on wagons, but coaching stock was rarely this dirty. So a subtler approach is needed.

[Pennine MC]

Interestingly reverted to the 'planked' inner wall, which is presumably correct for earlier BR built vans? EDIT - short stepboards also featured, which suggests this represents an LNER built van, so this is correct.

 

http://www.ehattons.....aspx?sid=38591

 

 

Oh dear, let's see if we can unravel all this before folk get misled

 

It can't be LNER built if it has a B-prefixed number, can it? - it's an early BR build (dia 1/500) to the last LNER design, so the short steps and planked inner end are correct.

 

BUT - where's the Vac Cylinder - Bauxite means it should be fitted (or would through piped qualify?) (and were the LNER built vans unfitted?)

 

It's nowhere near that simple - this van would have been built fully-fitted (as were all LNER 'long' Toads), but it could have lost its vac cylinder and pipes later in life without being reliveried. Most BR builds were piped only, some were fitted; all got bauxite, as did some unfitted vans

[jwealleans]

There's quite a bit of discussion on the LNER van on my workbench thread here. While others are more au fait with later alterations, the handrails are wrong for an LNER van and I'd bet the roof probably is as well. All LNER built ones were vac braked (except some built for the Cheshire Lines), so the vac pipes are missing from the ends. The LNER ones with the concrete end weights didn't have the end handrails, but do seem to have had the trussing. An LNER built one would be numbered in the E series, not the B series.

[The Dorset Wanderer]

Looking at 37-537C, is the fact that the numbers are on a black background correct? Was this applied if the wagon ,although painted bauxite, was non fitted?

In my possible ignorance I thought all bauxite vans had white numbers painted straight onto the side with no black panel.

Steve

[Pennine MC]

Looking at 37-537C, is the fact that the numbers are on a black background correct?

 

Impossible to say without knowing the photo that's been worked from - and they do usually (work from photos). No reason to doubt it though, look around Paul Bartlett's site and you'll find far more mismatched examples of patch-painting than that.

[hmrspaul]

Oh dear, let's see if we can unravel all this before folk get misled

 

It can't be LNER built if it has a B-prefixed number, can it? - it's an early BR build (dia 1/500) to the last LNER design, so the short steps and planked inner end are correct.

 

 

 

It's nowhere near that simple - this van would have been built fully-fitted (as were all LNER 'long' Toads), but it could have lost its vac cylinder and pipes later in life without being reliveried. Most BR builds were piped only, some were fitted; all got bauxite, as did some unfitted vans

 

Plenty of the diagram 500 vans here - http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/brbrakevan500 . Gent E (1999) British Railways Brake vans and ballast ploughs. Pub. By HMRS 92pp. ISBN 0 – 902835 – 16 –5. describes them, including they were vacuum braked. [As others have mentioned BR stopped using VB for most brake vans and built vacuum pipe instead].

 

Paul Bartlett

[Cheshire001]

I have Bachmann 37-537C, No. B950358.

 

BR Wagons: First Half Million gives this as Lot 2051, vac braked.  Built at Faverdale in 1949 to an LNER design.   Diagram 1/500.

 

The model correctly has short running boards.   It is fitted with grab handles above the weights outboard of the running boards.   I can find no photos with this configuration and of course it would not make sense to hold a handrail where there was nowhere to put one's feet!

 

Checking the Paul Bartlett site give above, I found two photos of this van.   It it not fitted with vac. pipes.  The site gives Darlington as it's birthplace.   Bachmann have followed this if you get a strong magnifier on their wagon plate.   Hard to tell on a B&W photo, but I would say it is painted bauxite.

 

I'm going with the idea above that it was originally fitted, but the gear has been removed but the body left in bauxite.   

 

The prototype photo shows two lamp brackets on the veranda end boards, but the model has only one.