Wills finecast track cleaning wagon

[locomad2]

Seem to have acquired a habit of collecting old made kits, old die-cast wagons etc and came across quite cheap a 2nd hand Wills die-cast track cleaning wagon, having read about it in the HD "bible" took a chance and purchased it. Not really seen many about perhaps too useful.

 

 

Surprised to see Peco type T wheels designed for triang track, need replacing plus is there a box fitted to the outer side lugs?, know the handles 

 

 

 

 

 

Picked up too a GF wagon didn't realise they had tin plate roof easy to repaint

 

 

[BernardTPM]

Some of the early plastic body GF wagons still retained tinplate roofs and diecast chassis. I found a brake van with one in an old job lot of stuff. The tinplate roofs were still used on their 00 coach kits in the late'60s/early '70s.

[Ruffnut Thorston]

The Wills Track cleaning wagon is said to be  based on one converted to clean the running rails of the incline from Folkstone Harbour to the main line 

 

I think it was an ex SECR wagon.

 

There were two handles, like the hand brake handles on some tenders, that were designed to plug into the two holes in the wagon floor, one above each tube.

These were mainly for looks.

 

At least in some cases, a crew figure was also included!

 

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/OO-Gauge-Railway-Wills-metal-track-cleaning-wagon-/325198616047

 

The two side parts, outside of the two tubes, represent the brushes on the real wagon, that scrubbed the top of the running rails clean, to help with locomotive adhesion on the incline.

 

The tubes are designed to hold filters meant for hand rolled cigarettes.

Boxes of these filters are available, but there are a few different diameters...

 

The filters should be an interference fit.

 

The wagon body, if still "watertight" could have the track cleaning fluid poured in, flowing through the two holes (handles removed) into the filters.

 

Otherwise, the fluid can be put onto the bottoms of the filters.

 

The idea is that the track cleaning wagon is pushed by a locomotive, not pulled.

 

The Wills wagon was available ready made, in a printed box (we have some in our collection).

 

There were different versions made for Hornby Dublo and Tri-ang Railways (T.C 1), with different Peco wheels and white metal Couplings.

 

Tri-ang Railways. T.C.1.

(Internet image. No working link)

 

Hornby Dublo. (possibly T.C.2)

 

 

There is also a version with a peg coupling that I have seen...

 

The peg would probably fit into the 'loop' of a Peco/Hornby Dublo/ Trix/ Later Playcraft coupling.

 

 

It was also available as  a kit.

https://www.hattons.co.uk/376690/wills_kits_wktc_po_track_cleaning_wagon_kit_pre_owned_like_new/stockdetail

 

 

https://www.hattons.co.uk/166132/kitbuilt_kb316_u_wills_finecast_track_cleaning_wagon_kitbuilt_detailed_with_gw_engineering_decals/stockdetail

 

 

The "brushes" and tubes with cigarette filters were copied by Meccano Ltd for the Hornby Dublo Track Cleaning Wagon, based on the diecast 16 Ton Mineral Wagon.

We have an original one of these in our collection. Reproduction Dublo Track Cleaning Wagons have also been made.

 

 

 

http://www.tccincinnati.com/dublo/TrackCleaner.htm

 

See also this other thread...

 

 

🐉🙋🏼‍♀️

 

 

 

Edited May 21, 2022 by Ruffnut Thorston
Images added, and extra text

[Il Grifone]

The ready made one I have has the peg coupling. I understood they all had this as it can be used with Dublo, Trix or Tri-ang couplings. It would be easy enough to alter, as IIRC the kit allowed for  Peco or Tri-ang couplings

I also have one that has been decorated as an SECR open wagon (not by me - before I bought it), though I gather from the SECR volume of the Southern Railway Bible that they were originally ballast wagons.

[locomad2]

Thank you Ruffnut Thorston for the information on the wagon really interesting, I never knew that peco made a different wheel for triang track nor actually came across any.

 

The peco type T wheel will certainly never go though peco streamline code 100 points as a unalterable wheel cannot be adjusted, unlike the triang pin point or even the siding axle, just look the difference 

 

 

 

Nor did mine have pin point on the axle

 

Does the pin for the coupling actually pull out ? And swop for a peco one ?

[cessna152towser]

I had one of those Wills Track Cleaning wagons in the 1960s and re-acquired one in 2020.    

I soak the filter tips in Track Magic.   Propelled by my Wrenn 8F the cleaning action is very effective, just leaving the point blades to be treated manually with the Track Magic pipette.

[locomad2]

13 hours ago, cessna152towser said:

I had one of those Wills Track Cleaning wagons in the 1960s and re-acquired one in 2020.    

I soak the filter tips in Track Magic.   Propelled by my Wrenn 8F the cleaning action is very effective, just leaving the point blades to be treated manually with the Track Magic pipette.

 

 

Track magic read on this forum years ago it was actually ATF (Automatic Transmission Fluid) same stuff put in some power steering bottles in cars.

 

Tried it on one of the tracks, worked wonders, I took advice and found only needed a very small amount cuts down cleaning, less stalls on points

 

Still need a track cleaner, current  2 rail layout has over 75 yards of track and 45 points

[Il Grifone]

New Peco R/T wheels had pin-points like the A/HD type.  They are quite rare as, unlike the A/HD type, they were only suited to coarse scale track and offered no real advantage over the original wheels, which were already insulated. In the case of Trix wheels, they were also of larger diameter (12mm as against 10mm). At 1/4d for two wheelsets, one thought twice before replacing them....

 

AFAIK the coupling fixing on the track cleaning wagon is riveted over and would need drilling out.