An exGE medium cattle wagon

[Izzy]

Back in the 1990’s I modelled in O gauge fine scale. With the ever present situation of lack of space coupled with my interest in the railways of my county of birth, Essex, I made a small light railway type layout and built stock to run it as either an independent concern, there were several around the county, or as an exGE one in LNER days.

 

One wagon I had wanted to produce was a smaller cattle wagon but this proved impossible as I could not find a suitable drawing of any description. My aim had been to have an exGE one that had been replaced by the common large types and sold off as surplus. But all I could find were drawings and information of the large ones. So one never got built.

 

Fast forward some decades and browsing a second-hand bookshop I came upon a copy of ‘An illustrated history of Southern Wagons Volume 2 LBSR and minor constituents’. This covered such as the Isle of Wight and what did I find inside, a drawing of an exGE Medium cattle wagon, bought as surplus and used there, apparently chosen because it was Westinghouse fitted, which IWCR used it seemed.

 

Although I now model in other scales, still having some rolling stock along with a box of spare parts I thought it would be nice to actually make one. So I did. A rummage around in the spare parts produced some Gibson split-spoke wheels, Slaters etched w-irons, axle box and spring mouldings and brake gear parts, screw-couplings and buffer heads/shanks.

 

The body I made out of various thicknesses of black & white plasticard. Bolt heads were diced cubes floated into place with glue. It was a very laborious process to say the least but worth it I think. I didn’t think to take many shots as I made it so the few I have will have to suffice. I did decide to build it with ordinary brakes, as if the wagon broker altered it for my light railway who didn’t use, or want, Westinghouse, but just fitted a through pipe instead.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am quite pleased with how it has turned out, the inside roof details and the slats on the floor, and I made the partition moveable with the aid of tweezers. So it could be hired out as small or medium. That’s why large cattle wagons became commonplace of course. Built with movable partitions for small/medium/or large hire to suit the particular livestock requirements.

 

It was given a coat of mid brown with transfers made up from odd bits on the 7mm transfer sheets I have. The inside got a creamy/off white colour. A good wash of white diluted with turps toned it all down and replicated what I felt would be the working state of cattle wagons in lime wash days and how they seemed to exist in the photos I have seen of them.

 

[Mike 84C]

Very  distinctive model and prototype, excellent.

[Izzy]

Just to finish off this little story here's a shot of it being put into position by the small cattle pen on my (very) micro 7mm plank layout I've built, something else that wasn't meant to happen!

 

 

Bob