WELCOME WAGONS B.R. Brake Van

This kit will cover the early BR brake vans to diagram 1/500 by shortening the footboards by 21mm at each end and no handrails on platform ends, but with tall vac pipe. Or the brake van to diagram 1/504 with full-length foot boards but the platform ends require shortening by 2mm and handrails need fitting to platform ends with low vac pipe, (some had tall vac pipes). Both of the above diagrams built with LNER style axleboxes and RCH buffers taken from photo evidence.
Dia 1/500, 20-ton goods brake van to LNER design.                  Notes from photos.
Lot 2051         290 built         B950250 - 950539   1949               RCH buffer, plate box, Tall vac pipe
Dia 1/504, 20-ton goods brake van to LNER design.
Lot 2136         250 built         B950616 – 950865  1950
Lot 2206         160 built         B951116 – 951275  1951               RCH buffer, plate box, Tall vac pipe
Lot 2207         240 built         B951276 – 951515  1951
Lot 2741         400 built         B952716 – 953115  1955
Total 1050 built. All above built at Faverdale.
The kit will also cover diagram 1/506, built as Dia 1/504 but some with RCH buffer and split type axlebox and some with oleo buffers and roller bearing axleboxes.  If you require the latter then contact us In The Sidings.
Dia 1/506, 20-ton goods brake van standard BR design.
 
Lot 2137         250 built         B950866 – 951115  1950
Lot 2349         200 built         B951516 – 951715  1952
Lot 2350         150 built         B951716 – 951865  1952
Lot 2477         140 built         B951866 – 952005  1953
Lot 2478         160 built         B952006 – 952165  1953               RCH buffer, Split a/box   
                                                                                                            No Vac pipe.
Lot 2605         350 built         B952166 – 952515  1954
Lot 2606         200 built         B952516 – 952715  1954               RCH buffer, Plate a/box
                                                                                                            No vac pipe.
Lot 2868         300 built         B953116 – 953415  1956
Lot 3012         260 built         B953416 – 953675  1957
Lot 3129         845 built         B953676 – 954520  1958   Oleo buffer,Roller type axlebox
Total 2855 built.  All above built at Faverdale.  

For research photographs of this wagon click here.

EMKDE Catfish Hopper Wagon 

Built in the mid 1950’s all vacuum braked with end platforms unlike the older designs such as the trout.  The ballast hopper catfish was rated 19tons with centre discharge only.  It was lower and longer than the herring, requiring one operating wheel only.  The original livery was black with yellow lettering.  All variants were built to Diagram /586, 716 built by Metro Camell.  They were wheel hand braked and has a vac cylinder mounted on the opposite end to the operating platform.

This wagon was often used in conjunction with the plough brake van and these were christened “Shark”

For research photographs of this wagon click here.

EMKDE Riveted & Welded Coal Hopper Wagon

The original LNER riveted wagon design was instigated in the 1930’s, 2000 wagons being build in 1936.  None were actually built by the LNER the work being done by such companies as Head Wrightson, Hurst Nelson and Metropolitan Cammell.  All the early vehicles had riveted bodywork and all had heavy duty brake gear involving 4 brake shoes per wheel but on one side only and complete with long brake lever handles as diagram1/143.

Some wagons were built unfitted with clasp brakes and plate front axle boxes for example 450 by Head Wrightson being built in 1950 (B413250-B413699) Tops code HTO and were painted grey. Early examples of the stronger welded construction wagon were built in 1952, One Thousand being built by BR Shildon Works (B413950-B414049).

 A total of 16,800 welded wagons were built to diagram 1/146 between 1952-1959 and painted bauxite. Five hundred of these were built in 1957 by Fairfields most fitted with roller bearing axle boxes the majority being unfitted (B422250-B422749).

The riveted LNER design was adopted by BR. they had them constructed by outside constructors and Shildon Works, some 33,500 wagons built between 1949-1959, the main difference from the original LNER design was the fitting of BR axle boxes and grab rails replaced end platform ladders. There were many combinations of grab rails each builder doing their own thing (modelling tip!).

Both the riveted and welded version survived well into the seventies being re-plated quite frequently (A modelling tip to capitalise on). In the mid seventies a great deal of the riveted wagons were re-bodied loosing their characteristic five vertical side supports in favour of the stronger two vertical side supports and welded construction and were painted freight brown.

For research photographs of this wagon click here.

EMKDE Coke Hopper Wagon

The original wagon was built by the L.M.S.  These coke hoppers consisted of, wagons with wooden raves and ends, split axle boxes and RCH buffers           (kit reference MKD 3LMS).  200 L.M.S. plus 600 or so from private owners made up the first B.R. batch.  A further 2200 were built by B.R. to the same basic design but with a number of detail variations. These are as follows.

The first B.R. derivative came from these early L.M.S.  They were fitted with plain front axle boxes and had metal side raves and end raves, tie bars and RCH buffers (Kit reference MKD 3EBR).  These were given the diagram 1/150 (lot no. 2309) and 400/500 wagons were built at Shildon in 1949.    

 After this due to corrosion problems they reverted back to wooden side raves but with full height metal sheet ends.  They were fitted with front plate axle box, tie bars and mostly RCH buffers (Kit reference MKD 3BR).

 The last version to be built at B.R. Shildon in 1958 was 550 diagram 1/152 (lot nos. 3122) these had no raves but instead had full height sheeted sides and ends.  Some were of a welded construction and some riveted.  They were fitted with roller bearing and some still sported RCH buffers                                      (Kit reference MKD 3LBR).  Some were fitted and some were unfitted but the majority had two shoe brakes both sides and tie bars.

I have tried to be as accurate as possible but know that there are certain contradictions, if anyone can expand on this please contact me In The Sidings.

For research photographs of this wagon click here.

Welcome Wagons Conflat "A" Wagon With Container
 

B.R. produced no fewer than six main types of conflat wagons between 1951 and 1958, with the most numerous being the conflat A, for which six different diagrams were issued. All had a common body length of 17ft 6ins with a wheelbase of 10ft and automatic vacuum brake fitted to all.
The kit covers diagram 1/062 built in 1951/2 with split axlebox 2200 constructed, and diagram 1/067 built in 1955/6 with plate type axlebox 4500 constructed, these were all fitted with RCH type buffers and four shoe brakes. For the later diagram 1/069 which had oleo buffers and were eight shoe braked (Slaters conflat kit covers this diagram), but check your chosen wagon against a photo for the running number as it seems they were built not necessary to the issued diagram.

Dia. 1/062
Lot 2266         400 built         B735400 – 735799              1951 Swindon
Lot 2323         500 built         B735800 – 736299              1952 Swindon
Lot 2493         800 built         B736300 – 737099              1953 Swindon
Lot 2500         500 built         B737100 – 737599              1953 Swindon
Dia. 1/067
Lot 2688         500 built         B700000 – 700499              1955 Swindon
Lot 2836         500 built         B700500 – 700999              1956 Derby
Lot 2837         500 built         B701000 – 701499              1956 Derby
Lot 2853         1000 built       B701500 – 702499              1956 Ashford
Lot 2854         1000 built       B702500 – 703499              1956 Ashford
Lot 2869         1000 built       B703500 – 704499              1956 Swindon
 
Livery of the wagons in steam period was wagon body Bauxite with solebars and all under black.
  Container Notes
  The suitable container for this kit is the  type A built to lot 3/003 with all wooden design with tongue and grove side and ends.  These can be found in our Wagon Loads section.   Click Here

Alternatively container type A to diagram 3/001, which had pressed steel ends, is produced as a kit by Slaters)

Lot and running Nos. for Diagram 3/003 containers.
Lot 2335         530 built         No. A681        to        1210B                        1952 Wolverton
Lot 2374         100 built         No. A1211     to         1310B                        1952 Eastleigh
Lot 2958         400 built         No. A2916     to         3313B                        1956 Cowlairs
Total built 1030.
 

Container Livery
Livery of the containers when first introduced was BR carriage crimson with yellow lettering, but this gave way towards the end of the 50s to BR bauxite with white lettering and the words BRITISH RAILWAYS being replaced with the arrow and the words DOOR TO DOOR to the right of the arrow on the door or side of the container.
 If you require any of the 4mm burnished chain supplied with this kit, which has further uses, please follow the link to Malbut 4mm Burnished Chain


For research photographs of this wagon click here.

EMKDE Dogfish Hopper Wagon

These were built in the late 1950's and were built to Dia 1/587, 1249 were built rated at 20 tons.  This ballast hopper was an enlargement of the catfish, fitted with side chutes, it requires three operating wheels and it also has like the catfish a handbrake wheel and a single vac cylinder mounted on the opposite end to the operating platform.  The livery was originally black with yellow lettering like the catfish but some later ended up with the olive green departmental livery. 221 were later modified for the conveyance of slag.

This wagon was often used in conjunction with the plough brake van and these were christened “Shark”

For research photographs of this wagon click here.

Welcome Wagons Lowmac Wagon

The Lowmac, code name for a low machine wagon was the most popular or all the special wagons built by BR, totalling 510 examples. These wagons were spread over fourteen different diagrams (240 to 254) and thirty different lots, at which this kit covers diagrams 242/243. Running Nos. and lots

Dia. 2/242 Vac fitted, Lettered Lowmac EP, Lowmac SC
Lot 2187 38 built B904500 - 904537 1950 P W McLellan
Dia. 2/243 Unfitted, Lettered Lowmac WP, Lowmac ER
Lot 2268 28 built B904538 – 904565 1951 Swindon
Lot 2593 58 built B904572 – 904629 1954 Swindon
Lot 2693 20 built B904642 – 904661 1955 Swindon
Lot 2876 20 built B904675 – 904694 1956 Swindon

Total built 126

This kit covers Dia. 2/242 fitted with vac pipes and vac cylinders, but will cover Dia. 2/243 the non vac fitted wagons by leaving of the vac pipes and vac cylinders and also removing the vac cylinder drive lever of of the X-shafts.

For details of reference books please click In The Sidings

Welcome Wagons 21T Mineral

In the early 1960s with a lack of continuous braking of trains, of ex-private owned coal wagons and the early BR 21ton types, a new design was drawn up for a vacuum braked version of the 21ton mineral, and some 4950 wagons were built to this new design. The main difference over the early designs were the small flap doors above the main side doors, they had roller type axleboxes, were fitted with 8 shoe clasp brakes, vacuum fitted and diagram 1/120 was fitted with self adjusting brakes.

Running numbers.

Diagram 1/119

B310000 – 310999 Lot 3387 Shildon 1961
B313500 – 314499 Lot 3438 Shildon 1962
B314500 – 314999 Lot 3439 Derby 1962
Total 2500

Diagram 1/120 fitted with S.A.B. (self adjusting brake) see casting DW-93

B311000 – 311949 Lot 3390 Derby 1961
B312000 – 313499 Lot 3430 Derby 1962
Total 2450

Welcome Wagons Pipe

The pipe wagons were built to four basic diagrams sharing the same basic dimensions. The first 300 pipe wagons were built at Derby works to diagram 460, and to what appears to have been an LMS drawing. Then they were followed by a further 300 wagons to diagram 461 at Faverdale works, these were virtually the same but to a LNER drawing but fitted with automatic vacuum brakes. The next four lots were back to diagram 460 and it remained that way until 1956 when Wolverton works began building a new diagram No.462 which were fitted with vacuum brakes. A further diagram was issued No.463 in 1957, which covered twenty wagons fitted with hydraulic buffers. The pipe wagons has been found to be very useful for conversion to many other uses.
 
Running Nos. and lots

Dia. 1/460 13 ton pipe Wagon
Lot 2004 300 built 8740000 -740299 1949 Derby *
Lot 2305 50 built 8740600- 740649 1951 Cambrian
Lot 2329 50 built 8740650 -740699 1952 Swindon
Lot 2458 200 built 8740700- 740899 1953 Wolverton
Lot 2545 200 built 8740900 -741099 1954 Wolverton
*four shoe brakes
 
Dia. 1/461 13 Ton Pipe Wagon (as 460 vacuum fitted)
Lot 2046 100 built 8740300- 740399 1949 Faverdale
Lot 2047 200 built 8740400- 740599 1949 Faverdale
 
Dia. 1/462 12 Ton Pipe Wagon lettered Pipefit, (as 461 but with short buffers and reduced capacity).
Lot 2712 350 built 8741100- 741449 1955 Wolverton                                                Lot 2845 60 built 8741500 -741559 1956 Wolverton
Lot 2846 170 built 8741560- 741729 1956 Wolverton                                                Lot 3070 50 built 8484150 -484199 1957 Wolverton
Lot 3335 200 built 8741750- 741949 1961 Wolverton *
* Fitted with spindle buffers
 
Dia, 1/463 12 Pipe Wagon lettered Pipefit, (fitted with hydraulic buffers)
Lot 3167 20 built 8741730 -741749 1958 Wolverton

For research photographs of this wagon click here.