rapidoandy Posted December 15, 2021 Share Posted December 15, 2021 (edited) Rapido Trains UK is to produce one of Britain’s most enigmatic railway wagons, an inadvertent film star whose history still remains a little cloudy. The GWR allocated the code ‘Loriot’ to flat wagons designed to move earth moving and plant machinery. The first appeared in 1892 and a family look soon evolved, with the wagon’s deck angled upwards at each end to clear the axles. One new ‘Loriot’ was built in 1937. It was built to Diagram G39 and coded ‘Loriot Y’. But it didn’t look like the rest of the ‘Loriot’ family. Originally, the GWR considered it to be an addition to its ‘Loriot W’ fleet. However, it was built from assembled ‘I’ beam girders rather than rolled beams, a feature first used on the ‘Crocodile’ bogie well wagons of 1908. Consequently, it was re-classified ‘Loriot Y’. A second ‘Loriot Y’ was built in 1939. Both were painted with instructions that, when empty, they must be returned to Swindon. They would have run over large areas of the GWR’s network, moving excavators and other plant, particularly during the Second World War. However, records for these two vehicles are few and far between. No. 41989 found fame when it starred in The Titfield Thunderbolt, where it was pressed into service to carry Dan’s house. It is believed to have been scrapped not long after the filming in 1953. Sister ‘Loriot Y’ No. 41990 fared better. It remained in revenue-earning service until at least 1990 at Radyr Engineers Yard. Eventually, as DW41990 (coded ‘ZXP’ on TOPS), it moved to Bescot from where it was condemned in 1994. Saved at the 11th hour, it moved to the Severn Valley Railway where it remains to this day. RRP for each version is £39.95. Models are available to pre-order direct from us at www.rapidotrains.co.uk or from any Official Retailer. Edited December 15, 2021 by rapidoandy 11 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Prism Posted December 15, 2021 Share Posted December 15, 2021 Always a bit strange these weren't classed as Crocodiles. The 'double-ended DCII' was non-standard. (But Loriot and Crocodile brakes tended to be a law unto themselves.) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold zr2498 Posted December 15, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 15, 2021 What period will ‘Loriot Y’ Machinery Truck No. DW41990 be. BR Departmental - pre TOPS? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted December 15, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 15, 2021 31 minutes ago, zr2498 said: What period will ‘Loriot Y’ Machinery Truck No. DW41990 be. BR Departmental - pre TOPS? And which livery will it be in please? (hopefully departmental black early 1960s condition - just a mild hint, to save having to repaint it) 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold gwrrob Posted December 15, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 15, 2021 3 minutes ago, The Stationmaster said: And which livery will it be in please? (hopefully departmental black early 1960s condition - just a mild hint, to save having to repaint it) Did you ever see one in use Mike . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted December 15, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 15, 2021 2 minutes ago, gwrrob said: Did you ever see one in use Mike . I must have seen the Radyr one on quite a few occasions Rob as it lived within about 200 yards of my office at one time Loriots of a different version were in regular use in Engineer's trains to carry Traxcavators which were far easier to get off a low platform wagon at sites but I don't think this one was used for that purpose as Radyr was a PAD (Pre Assembly Depot for track). I v certainly can't recall ever seeing a Loriot in use for commercial traffic. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steamport Southport Posted December 15, 2021 Share Posted December 15, 2021 Here's a bit of info on the SVR one. https://www.svrwiki.com/GWR_41990_'Loriot_Y'_Machinery_Truck Jason 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garethp8873 Posted December 15, 2021 Share Posted December 15, 2021 3 hours ago, zr2498 said: What period will ‘Loriot Y’ Machinery Truck No. DW41990 be. BR Departmental - pre TOPS? More than likely as per photos that Paul Bartlett took of 41990 when she was at Bescot. https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/gwrloriotlowmac/hCD70E6B 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hmrspaul Posted December 15, 2021 Share Posted December 15, 2021 6 hours ago, The Stationmaster said: I must have seen the Radyr one on quite a few occasions Rob as it lived within about 200 yards of my office at one time Loriots of a different version were in regular use in Engineer's trains to carry Traxcavators which were far easier to get off a low platform wagon at sites but I don't think this one was used for that purpose as Radyr was a PAD (Pre Assembly Depot for track). I v certainly can't recall ever seeing a Loriot in use for commercial traffic. Strangely, despite visiting Radyr on several occasions through the 1980s I have no recollection or record of this wagon being there. Admittedly the PAD side of the yard could be a bit touchy about access but it still seems odd. So lucky to find it at Bescot on a very rare and quick visit, on my way home from GoG Telford - permission given by a guy washing his car! Paul 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rapidoandy Posted December 16, 2021 Author Share Posted December 16, 2021 16 hours ago, The Stationmaster said: And which livery will it be in please? (hopefully departmental black early 1960s condition - just a mild hint, to save having to repaint it) The key question is - does anyone have any evidence the vehicle carried this livery? Photos are very few and far between and some anecdotal evidence suggests that it only ever wore its grey livery. Likewise the SVR have said that during the restorations they found no trace of black. Andy 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold zr2498 Posted December 16, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 16, 2021 54 minutes ago, rapidoandy said: The key question is - does anyone have any evidence the vehicle carried this livery? Photos are very few and far between and some anecdotal evidence suggests that it only ever wore its grey livery. Likewise the SVR have said that during the restorations they found no trace of black. Andy Hi Andy So I guess perhaps I should go back to the original question as the ‘Loriot Y’ Machinery Truck No. DW41990 can be preordered but no details on the livery or period. Or is this still up for grabs? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Covkid Posted December 16, 2021 Share Posted December 16, 2021 52 minutes ago, zr2498 said: Hi Andy So I guess perhaps I should go back to the original question as the ‘Loriot Y’ Machinery Truck No. DW41990 can be preordered but no details on the livery or period. Or is this still up for grabs? It would make sense for one of the pair - 41989 to be finished in GWR condition and maybe also with BR early markings, then 41990 in GWR, early BR and late BR condition. I am sure enough will buy it - myself certainly. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted December 16, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 16, 2021 2 hours ago, rapidoandy said: The key question is - does anyone have any evidence the vehicle carried this livery? Photos are very few and far between and some anecdotal evidence suggests that it only ever wore its grey livery. Likewise the SVR have said that during the restorations they found no trace of black. Andy That's interesting Andy. As a departmental vehicle on the WR it would have been very unusual for it to be in anything other than black for at least part of its life unless it was never repainted from GWR days (which might indeed have been the case). 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rapidoandy Posted December 16, 2021 Author Share Posted December 16, 2021 2 hours ago, zr2498 said: Hi Andy So I guess perhaps I should go back to the original question as the ‘Loriot Y’ Machinery Truck No. DW41990 can be preordered but no details on the livery or period. Or is this still up for grabs? This one will be produced in the livery it was seen in during the early 1990's prior to preservation. 1 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rapidoandy Posted December 16, 2021 Author Share Posted December 16, 2021 1 hour ago, The Stationmaster said: That's interesting Andy. As a departmental vehicle on the WR it would have been very unusual for it to be in anything other than black for at least part of its life unless it was never repainted from GWR days (which might indeed have been the case). I am leaning towards it not ever receiving a repaint. Again evidence from the filmmakers suggest that the other one was in GW livery when they repainted it for the film and we believe it was scrapped soon after. The other vehicle seems to have just survived out of usefulness, and other than gaining a vac through pipe does not seem to have go a lot of attention. I would love to see a photo and know otherwise! 2 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdvle Posted December 17, 2021 Share Posted December 17, 2021 13 hours ago, rapidoandy said: I am leaning towards it not ever receiving a repaint. ... I would love to see a photo and know otherwise! Of course that photo will show up the day after the model arrives in shops.... 1 2 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wickham Green too Posted December 17, 2021 Share Posted December 17, 2021 I note that all models are listed with 'disc wheels' ..... yet 41989 looks to have had spoked wheels as built ! 2 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rapidoandy Posted May 27, 2022 Author Share Posted May 27, 2022 This has got a lot of rivets... Yes they have all been counted... 11 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hmrspaul Posted May 27, 2022 Share Posted May 27, 2022 (edited) On 17/12/2021 at 02:19, mdvle said: Of course that photo will show up the day after the model arrives in shops.... Referred to years ago! https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/gwrloriotlowmac/ecd70e6b https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/gwrloriotlowmac/e17358fd8 Paul Edited May 27, 2022 by hmrspaul Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium it's-er Posted June 2, 2022 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 2, 2022 I'd love to see a photo of the underside of the Loriot Y, if that's possible, please. You can see that there are various steel sections that disappear under the deck, but you can't see what they do or how much there is. Also presumably there are brake pipes? It would be interesting to see, even if we won't be able to see these aspects when the Loriot is in normal use on track. John S 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold gwrrob Posted June 2, 2022 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 2, 2022 1 hour ago, it's-er said: I'd love to see a photo of the underside of the Loriot Y, if that's possible, please. Absolutely and if the detail being shewn on their ferry wagon is something to go on then these will be magnificent. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rapidoandy Posted June 5, 2022 Author Share Posted June 5, 2022 Please remember this photo shows the model "as received" from China. Here is the underside of the Loriot. The underside frame sections are metal - its the only place we can get some weight in! As built it was an unfitted vehicle but later (possibly) gained some through pipes. Sadly there isn't enough space to get these underneath, 9 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold 57xx Posted June 6, 2022 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 6, 2022 21 hours ago, rapidoandy said: Here is the underside of the Loriot. The underside frame sections are metal - its the only place we can get some weight in! How much does it weigh? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hmrspaul Posted June 6, 2022 Share Posted June 6, 2022 21 hours ago, rapidoandy said: As built it was an unfitted vehicle but later (possibly) gained some through pipes. Sadly there isn't enough space to get these underneath, My photos clearly show it had through pipes. But, both of mine are the same side. Do you have photos of the other side after pipes were fitted? It is possible (emphasise possible I don't know] the pipe ran along the solebar on one side. This is how many low slung wagons had pipes fitted when there wasn't suitable space underneath. Paul 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Covkid Posted June 6, 2022 Share Posted June 6, 2022 On 27/05/2022 at 19:24, hmrspaul said: Referred to years ago! https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/gwrloriotlowmac/ecd70e6b https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/gwrloriotlowmac/e17358fd8 Paul Thanks Paul. I was going to try and ignore this one, but as you have pointed out evidence of it at Bescot I will have to order one. As always thanks for taking all those useful photos back in the day !!! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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