Miss Prism Posted June 1, 2014 Share Posted June 1, 2014 I have read that some 'sack truck' doors had the top plank bevelled on the inside face, to ease getting truck wheels onto the doors when the doors are in the lowered position on a platform. Also, it seems that such doors are (often/always?) characterised in having the bottom plank of the door angled on the front face, which would presumably indicate the bottom plank was similarly angled on the inside face, possible to better align the inside face of the door with the wagon floor when the door in the opened position. Concerning the bevelling of the inside face of the top plank, I have never seen this on a prototype, although pics of the insides of Opens are notoriously rare. See, e.g. these two, which seem not to indicate any bevelling:https://www.flickr.com/photos/svr_enthusiast/3646154001/http://www.gwr813.org/97398.htm Regarding the angling of the bottom plank of the door, I can't recall seeing any evidence of this either (and certainly not in model kits). Possibly Adrian Swain or other wagon experts can advise. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
buffalo Posted June 1, 2014 Share Posted June 1, 2014 I don't recall seeing a photo showing a bevelled top plank, but I thought the lowest plank and the hinge straps were actually angled relative to the rest of the door, so that the plank is either horizontal or makes a transition between door and floor when resting on a loading platform. According to Atkins et al. the feature was introduced on O18, built 1919-24. Nick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Flying Pig Posted June 1, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 1, 2014 A bevelled top plank is clearly visible on the door of an LMS D1666 open illustrated in LMS Wagons (OPC two-volume edition). D1666 did not have a "sack truck" door and the bottom plank in the prototype photo is plain. The 3H kit for this type had bevelled top and bottom planks however so perhaps construction varied. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hmrspaul Posted June 1, 2014 Share Posted June 1, 2014 The setting of the lower plank at an angle can be seen on these open doors http://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/bropenmerchandiseowvcorrugated/ee3fdb65 http://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/prenatclayliner/e839eb70 No sign of modification of the top plank. Nor on this closed one, http://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/bropenmerchandiseowvcorrugated/e103e5831 which shows the difference in sheeting of the sides and the lowest plank of the door. This shows the bevelled top plank of the early LMS opens, with the bottom plank being plain http://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/lmsopen/e2a3f4789 - quite noticeable that several of my photos of them in very late life have the top part of the door plank broken off - possibly the chamfer weakened them. Paul Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin parks Posted June 1, 2014 Share Posted June 1, 2014 Mmm. Just looking at this subject prompted me to have a look at one of my brother's Cambrian SR Dia. 1345 open kits. It does indeed have the bottom plank of the door angled outwards as can be made out in this shot: I have been pestering my brother to make a kit of this wagon type as they were long-lasting on the SR. Many ended up in the engineers' fleet and were often to be seen at Newhaven. (Well I would say that, wouldn't I?!) Colin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Market65 Posted June 1, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 1, 2014 Hi, Miss Prism, in the book 'LNER WAGONS - Volume4a' by Peter Tatlow, on page 31, Open Merchandise Wagons - 12Ton 17ft 6in Long 6-Plank High-Sided Open Wagons With 9 Foot Wheelbase, it is both explained and illustrated about the bevelling. The author states that the falling side doors of LNER open wagons were constructed with ramps to the upper and lower edges so that a barrow could be run right into the wagon's interior. Therefore the doors were bevelled (tapered) on both the top edge and giving it protection with a thin folded steel plate. The hinges were appropriatley re-shaped. The lowest plank was sloped outwards - when the door was lowered the bottom edge was flush with the floor. There was a timber infill on the kerb rail between the hinge trunnions. The drawing on page 34 has a cross-section where this can be seen clearly. There are excellent photo's on pages 27 and 33. I hope that this is of some further help. All the best, Market65. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted June 1, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 1, 2014 A possible reason for some companies having the beveled edge and some not could lie in the size of the sack trolley wheels. Larger wheels would make it easier to cross a ledge due to the shallower angle where the wheels contact the door. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwealleans Posted June 2, 2014 Share Posted June 2, 2014 I can't recall seeing any evidence of this either (and certainly not in model kits).Miss P, you've not been looking. Two of these are Cambrian, but the lower right one is 3H, which goes way back. I have some half built Coopercraft GW opens at home but no photos. I'm sure some of them have the same feature. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
buffalo Posted June 2, 2014 Share Posted June 2, 2014 ...I have some half built Coopercraft GW opens at home but no photos. I'm sure some of them have the same feature. I doubt it, all of the Coopercraft GWR opens are pre-WW1 diagrams and, as I said above, this type of door was introduced in or after 1919. Nick edit: ps. The Ratio open does, however, have the sloping bottom plank. It is closest to diagram O29 of 1931. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwealleans Posted June 2, 2014 Share Posted June 2, 2014 I wonder if it's a Ratio one I have, then? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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