Oxfordrail Wagons

[Rail-Online]

But it still doesn't have the top door that the original had! Nor the end door hung from a bar across the top of the door.

 

Paul

I know Paul! It does have Ellis oil axleboxes like the prototype though. If I had any matching transfers I would change the running number as Fear Bros appeared to have a mixed and varied fleet. Could make it No5 easily though.........

 

Tony

[hmrspaul]

I know Paul! It does have Ellis oil axleboxes like the prototype though. If I had any matching transfers I would change the running number as Fear Bros appeared to have a mixed and varied fleet. Could make it No5 easily though.........

 

Tony

Yes the axleboxes are very nice and distinctive.

 

Paul

[Simon Moore]

Just out of curiosity has anyone else got one of these which has bowed inwards on the sides ??

[Garethp8873]

Received a message from my supplier at AGR Model Railway store, to say the latest Oxford Rail wagons along with the weathered Bachmann LMS Fairburn and two Hornby K-Type Pullmans were on their way to me...!! They should start to arrive with suppliers now...

[Rail-Online]

Yes indeed they are on their web site http://www.oxfordrail.com/76/OR76MW%20Release%20Notes.htm

 

They really have messed up with the Shirebrook wagon. There are lots of photos of these in all the PO books and they have simply gone along and produced a fictional version of the livery. No POs had empty to instructions on the top plank. As I said before it is like China were jut sent a set of POWsides transfers with no instructions.

 

The Facer also looks wrong with the Advise Repairs top center above the door opening, I suspect it is a rubbish livery too.

 

VERY dissapointed with Oxford Rail, the body is pretty OK with some nice details on the underframe but there are no excuses for silly livery errors.

 

Tony

[GWRtrainman]

Just been emailed, releasing next week:

OR76MW7009 1226 Shirebrook Colliery Mansfield
New Livery

Scale: 1:76
Retail Price: £8.95
Barcode: 5055530116740

OR76MW7010 505 John Facer & Co London
New Livery

Scale: 1:76
Retail Price: £8.95
Barcode: 5055530116757

[JohnR]

Has there been any response from Oxford Rail regarding these livery errors?

[Garethp8873]

Another set of Oxford Rail wagons have been announced again...!!

 

76MW7011 Oxford Rail 7 Plank Open Wagon number 1027 - Crippins

 

 

76MW7012 Oxford Rail 7 Plank Open Wagon number 1482 - Bamfurlong

 

[Rail-Online]

Another set of Oxford Rail wagons have been announced again...!!

 

76MW7011 Oxford Rail 7 Plank Open Wagon number 1027 - Crippins

 

 

76MW7012 Oxford Rail 7 Plank Open Wagon number 1482 - Bamfurlong

 

Oxford need to invest in some books.  The Bamfurlong & Mains should be a red body. The wagon is in a pre WW1 era livery (later changed) so again inappropriate for a RCH 1923 wagon. The company went into receivership around 1930 and were absorbed into Wigan Coal Corporation and therefore any remaining wagons re-painted.

 

I have no details of the Crippin's wagon - does anyone?

 

Tony

[Adams442T]

Yes, I agree.  I think it's a great shame Oxford didn't go for the 1907 RCH wagons, and adding anachronistic and spurious liveries makes things even worse.

 

Jolly looking wagons undoubtedly sell well to those who either don't know or don't care, but with a tad more research they would have a product that would be selling to everyone.

 

POW sides might be more expensive but they'll be getting all my future purchases.

[asmay2002]

Well at least we now know why they are cheap...

 

Makes a mockery of their "in pursuit of excellence" tag line though.  

[autocoach]

Well at least we now know why they are cheap...

 

Makes a mockery of their "in pursuit of excellence" tag line though.  

Not bad wagon bodies though for my use. I was comparing to my old copy of the 4 MM Wagon and they are better than I could build.  Easy to strip and repaint. I have one on my workbench now ready after priming and painting in raw wood color. Now to age the wood and apply small private owner reporting marks as per WW II pool and pre-BR. My other example is a very weathered Fear Bros. 

 

I have fully dismantled and am surprised at what is a separate part.  This includes the non-door end supports. They are attached to a small projection on the main body and pull off after stripping the excess paint. I have  Re-wheeled with Gibson OO smaller flange non-split spoke wheels as the Oxford supplied wheels are pizza cutters to satisfy all the toy market runners. Not quite North American  NMRA profile but that has to be lived with when modelling UK. 

 

In defense of Oxford, they are excellent for what they are. RTR just a cut above the toy market.

 

I honestly don't find the gaudy liveries of early 20th century coal merchants that interesting. I care more about time and place and am willing to put in the effort for my 1947 setting.

[Osimabu]

Oxford need to invest in some books.  The Bamfurlong & Mains should be a red body. The wagon is in a pre WW1 era livery (later changed) so again inappropriate for a RCH 1923 wagon. The company went into receivership around 1930 and were absorbed into Wigan Coal Corporation and therefore any remaining wagons re-painted.

 

I have no details of the Crippin's wagon - does anyone?

 

Tony

 

Crippins Bryn Hall Colliery Co. is covered on page 72 of A J Watts' 'Private Owners Wagons from the Ince Waggon & Ironworks Co', published by HMRS. The wagon Oxford have modelled (it's the one in that book) was one of thirty 15 ton wagons ordered from Ince in July 1906. The livery was red with white lettering and black ironwork.... Looks like someone at Oxford might need their eyes testing!

 

If you haven't come across it, the PoW index to be found from the link at the top of this web page might be useful:

 

http://lightmoor.co.uk/category.php?&section=CatPrivateOwner

 

It will no doubt be updated when Keith Turton's final volume and the other PoW books promised in Lightmoor's 2016 catalogue are published.

[Rail-Online]

Crippins Bryn Hall Colliery Co. is covered on page 72 of A J Watts' 'Private Owners Wagons from the Ince Waggon & Ironworks Co', published by HMRS. The wagon Oxford have modelled (it's the one in that book) was one of thirty 15 ton wagons ordered from Ince in July 1906. The livery was red with white lettering and black ironwork.... Looks like someone at Oxford might need their eyes testing!

 

If you haven't come across it, the PoW index to be found from the link at the top of this web page might be useful:

 

http://lightmoor.co.uk/category.php?&section=CatPrivateOwner

 

It will no doubt be updated when Keith Turton's final volume and the other PoW books promised in Lightmoor's 2016 catalogue are published.

Thanks - don't know why I missed that.

I am starting to wonder if Oxford have just got hold of some HMRS photos (Black & White of course) and are just guessing at the colours!

 

Tony

[melmerby]

Thanks - don't know why I missed that.

I am starting to wonder if Oxford have just got hold of some HMRS photos (Black & White of course) and are just guessing at the colours!

 

Tony

It's a bit like when Bachmann produced a wagon that in the official photo was labelled as "Lead Colour" and made it red lead when it should have been lead grey.

 

An easy mistake to make as if I was asked what colour lead paint was I would have also said red! (Based on familiarity with said colour)

 

Keith

[autocoach]

I am beginning to like these wagons.

 

This started off as a OR76MW7004 7 plank wagon 16 "Weymouth & District Co-op" in green. After stripping it turned out to be green plastic. The brake gear and end braces were easily removed. The buffer housing was pulled out releasing the underframe. The wheels were replaced with solid spoke Gibson 12 mm. 

 

A little paint and  aging with a lot of rust and it is now a bit different. 

 

 

Now, please, does anyone know of white Coop Wholesale Society small transfers for 1940's lettering to give this wagon an identity?

[Edthefolkie]

Oh dear, the "Shirebrook" wagon arrived the other day, didn't notice the "return to" script in the wrong place. I knew it looked a bit weird but couldn't put my finger on it. An excuse could be that I was aged one when the railways were nationalised. I shall argue that the 4mm scale painter came in with a headache that day.

 

I'm afraid I'm one of those unlearned dilettantes - I buy/occasionally model Nottingham area wagons, which can stretch to S Yorkshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire. Where my Powsides "Kodak" wagon fits I have no idea. Maybe misguided Kodachrome nostalgia.

[Pandora]

There are a lot of experts  on this forum.

 

Can anyone tell me the name of the Wagon Builder/Repairer who occupied Orchard Street Balby Doncaster?

 

 

It was  not Sam E Stevens Ltd,  of Stevens Road Balby Doncaster.   Stevens was sold in the 1930s possibly to Charles Roberts of Wakefield and then possibly to Wagon Repairs Ltd.

It would be easy to confuse Stevens with the Orchard Street  concern, the two premises were adjacent, both seeem to shut down in the late 1960s.

 

Please help, I'm trying to refresh a few childhood memories.

[Osimabu]

The 'John Facer & Co of London' wagon which it seems is now out, is puzzling me. I can find John Facer & Sons of Luton, but no reference to '& Co' of London. Does anyone have any information about them please?

 

S E Stevens were taken over by Charles Roberts in 1937, although they're listed as Hexthorpe, Doncaster rather than Balby (apologies if they're close, I'm not a local). Thomas Burnett are also listed as Hexthorpe, and there were a few builders called Bell in the area too. Those are all I can find from a quick flick through Chris Sambrook's Lightmoor book on the subject.

[Edwardian]

As my interest in the post 1923 years is focussed on a single long-term project, none of the liveries were a particularly good fit.  That, plus present impecuniosity, has discouraged me from buying any of these.  From what I read, I may have had a lucky escape.

 

In general, I would offer the following observations, for what they are worth, to Oxford and anyone else for that matter:

 

• We have had a strange steam-era market for years - locomotives and coaches reflecting the considerable dominance of the '50s and '60s, but with wagon releases containing a very high proportion of colourful pre-war private owners.  With, for the sake of illustration, say three-fifths of all layouts BR steam/transition, one fifth blue diseases and one fifth left for everything else, who buys all these splendid ex-works PO wagons?  In this strange world, who is to say we do not need more PO wagons? 

• I agree, however, that we need more company wagons, particularly open.  The ubiquitous 5-plank has always been strangely under-represented.  In the case of the LNER 6-plank equivalent, Oxford are to be commended for a Really Useful release and they show signs of leading the way here.

• I would like to see earlier PO wagon designs.  Interest in Grouping and Pre-Grouping is, I suspect growing and represents a rich vein of opportunity. Build it, and they will buy. Not just RCH 1907 wagons, but earlier designs.  These are essential to the Pre-WW1 scene, and would represent a reasonable proportion of inter-war traffic.  It may be possible to argue that we have too many 1923 RCH PO wagons on the market, so the earlier designs are where Oxford has an opening.

• Finally, I would welcome pre-grouping company wagon designs, preferably, for me, late Victorian and early Edwardian designs, but I have a use for all or any in either pre-Grouping or Grouping guise. Again, opens are more necessary. Again, I see that Oxford leads the way here with the NB open, which I believe is an 1896 design of great longevity, so perfect.

Did I have a point from all that?  Well, I suppose it leads me to conclude that these 7-plank private owners were the wagons I, and I dare say, the market needed least.  So, little harm done. The same might be said of the Adams Radial.  We have a Hornby one, so we do not need to mourn over-much the lack of daylight under Oxford's boiler.

 

Oxford are going from strength to strength with locomotives and wagons, however, and I eagerly anticipate the Dean Goods as I eagerly anticipate the wagons they have announced.  

[Garethp8873]

• Finally, I would welcome pre-grouping company wagon designs, preferably, for me, late Victorian and early Edwardian designs, but I have a use for all or any in either pre-Grouping or Grouping guise. Again, opens are more necessary. Again, I see that Oxford leads the way here with the NB open, which I believe is an 1896 design of great longevity, so perfect.

Did I have a point from all that?  Well, I suppose it leads me to concluded that these 7-plank private owners were the wagons I, and I dare say, the market needed least.  So, little harm done. The same might be said of the Adams Radial.  We have a Hornby one, so we do not need to mourn over-much the lack of daylight under Oxford's boiler.

 

Oxford are going from strength to strength with locomotives and wagons, however, and I eagerly anticipate the Dean Goods as I eagerly anticipate the wagons they have announced.  

 

I whole heartedly agree on seeing more pre-grouping wagons appear on the market. The first wagon that comes to mind when I think of a pre-grouping wagon is actually the LNWR Dia.88 Goods Van. Whenever I look at a photo of a typical goods yard in the Pre-Grouping/Grouping era (even early BR on rare occassions), it is almost guaranteed you can see one of these LNWR Vans somewhere. Very well travelled, a long life span in the LNWR, LMS, BR, MoD and many survivors in preservation. I think it to be a very iconic pre-grouping wagon that would look great.

 

We certainly do lack a variety of Opens nowadays and I do fully welcome the North British 4 plnk and LNER 6 plank as some of you will have seen on the other threads. Keep the ball rolling Oxford and introduce more variations on the Open wagon please...!!

 

As to the Dean Goods and wagons that relate to it, I personally think of the GWR Iron Mink van and a typical GWR 4, 5 or 7 plnk Open. Even the early GWR Outside Framed Vans would look great...!!

[J C Fenton]

I watch this new entrant with interest, and, I have to say, a growing sense of awe.

 

With Hornby's financial worries and inconsistent standards, Bachmann's backlog, DJM somewhat too small to take on too much more, Heljan still with a relatively small steam-range, Dapol still fighting shy of a substantial return to OO and all of them traditionally offering only patchy coverage of pre-Nationalisation subjects, I would say Oxford has a lot to play for and may be the one to watch.

 

As mature returnees, we are increasingly on the Blue Diesel nostalgia trip, and Oxford would do well to cater for this market. 

 

In terms of steam-age, however, where do we/Oxford, go?

 

Interest is bound to wane in the 1950s and 60s, with, perhaps, the Death Steam Cult as its last, bizarre, hurrah.  People in magazine articles are still found complaining about the 1970s obsession with Great Western branchlines (it obviously hurt deep for non-GW fans in those days), but there will come a time when people just get heartily bored of 8 of 10 layouts they see being BR steam or transition.  I have already reached saturation point, so the question is, will steam age modelling (1) continue to obsess with dirty black engines, even for those too young to remember mainline steam, or (2) be confined to modelling the preserved scene, which is rather like trying to make an accurate model of an inaccurate prototype (!), or (3) die completely, leaving the manufacturing world with a lot of expensively redundant tooling!

 

I hope the answer is (d) to foster interest in earlier, golden ages, by making them more accessible through well-planned RTR releases. Oxford, with its Radial, Dean Goods and NB open could be in a good position to steal a march here.

[Edwardian]

Well, I don't know that many here would share the sentiment that we are satiated with BR Steam-Transition Era layouts, indeed, given what you say, it can hardly be the most popular view point!

 

But, there is much in what you say concerning 'what comes next' and I am curious about what Oxford, who have consciously planned to enter the RTR market at this time, see as the most fruitful avenues.  From the releases and the announcements, it sounds like 'a bit of everything' but they all seem to me to be useful, welcome and intelligent choices so far.  So 'well done' Oxford.

 

For my part, I would certainly welcome more models of pre-Grouping prototypes (coaches seem to be the huge omission here, and GW Toplights would be a good place to start!) in both pre-Grouping and Grouping guises.  But then, that's me; I practically live in the Pre-Grouping - Special Interest section of this site and that remains a relatively small area, at least in terms of active posters!  Groupers could use almost all likely pre-Grouping models, however.  Survival past 1948, let alone, survival to be scanned, should not, IMHO, be the limiting criteria for selection as a model.

 

Go Oxford!

[Garethp8873]

Well, I don't know that many here would share the sentiment that we are satiated with BR Steam-Transition Era layouts, indeed, given what you say, it can hardly be the most popular view point!

 

But, there is much in what you say concerning 'what comes next' and I am curious about what Oxford, who have consciously planned to enter the RTR market at this time, see as the most fruitful avenues.  From the releases and the announcements, it sounds like 'a bit of everything' but they all seem to me to be useful, welcome and intelligent choices so far.  So 'well done' Oxford.

 

For my part, I would certainly welcome more models of pre-Grouping prototypes (coaches seem to be the huge omission here, and GW Toplights would be a good place to start!) in both pre-Grouping and Grouping guises.  But then, that's me; I practically live in the Pre-Grouping - Special Interest section of this site and that remains a relatively small area, at least in terms of active posters!  Groupers could use almost all likely pre-Grouping models, however.  Survival past 1948, let alone, survival to be scanned, should not, IMHO, be the limiting criteria for selection as a model.

 

Go Oxford!

 

From what I've seen, the current trend tends to be how many liveries would a wagon would've had from being built until their end of their working lives. That's usually been the case with most of the current RTR wagons over the last several years and any upcoming ones. This maybe why pre-grouping hasn't had a much a glance due to the limited range of liveries. However now Oxford have took the leap, I hope this will make the others think twice when it comes to the pre-grouping scene and what it can offer to modellers...

 

From what I've been told and I've seen, the head of Oxford Rail is a very clever man and one I think keeps his cards very close to his chest so to speak. He's certainly been listening to what modellers want and is working to that. The LNER Cattle wagon was almost a predicted model following Hornby announcing the SR Maunsell/Bullied Cattle wagons last year and Bachmann doing a GWR and LMS versions (although I hope we soon see a better LMS D1661, D1840 or D1944 soon). Certainly looking forward to seeing what else Oxford Rail have got in the pipeline now...!!

 

The day someone announces the GWR Toplight coaches, is the day I throw a party..!! As I said above, hopefully following Oxford Rail announcing the North British 4 plank we may just see more pre-grouping stock start to appear over this year and the next few years...

[Dunsignalling]

 Survival past 1948, let alone, survival to be scanned, should not, IMHO, be the limiting criteria for selection as a model.

 

 

Unfortunately, disregarding such a large segment of potential buyers brings a greatly increased chance of not selling enough to break even or taking too long to do so.

 

Not scientific, I know, but I asked a long-established retailer to estimate the proportion of his customers and local club members who model pre-1948 and even I was surprised at the low figure he came up with; roughly one in eight.

 

Not surprisingly, given that most people model a period they can remember, that was much reduced from when he started in the business.

 

When I enquired about pre-1923, he started mentioning people by name and counting on his fingers!

 

No doubt manufacturers and would-be manufacturers conduct more structured market research, but I'd expect the outcome to be broadly similar.

 

John