Rapido staff RapidoCorbs Posted January 27 Rapido staff Share Posted January 27 A step change in GWR open wagon design occurred in 1902 when a fifth plank was added to its four-plank design. The five-plank became the GWR’s standard wagon design and, essentially, variations on the post-1904 version with a 3ft 3in deep and 8ft body continued to be built well into the 1940s. Much like their predecessors, the Diagram O18s have a 10t carrying capacity (later built as 12t) and use a 16ft underframe with GWR self-contained buffers. The only difference was on the drop-side door. Unlike the O11 and O15 which had a flat door, the O18 featured a tapered foot drop door with the bottom plank of the door set at an angle along with adjustments to the metalwork. This feature became standard on many of the later GWR open wagon designs. In later life, many of the original 10t wagons were up-rated to 12 or even 13 tons. The GWR built 2850 O18s ‘Open A’ wagons between 1914-1924. As records are few and far between, it’s not known exactly when the last of these wagons were withdrawn as they slowly disappeared over the years, but they lasted well into BR days. A batch of O18s was also built for the Rhymney Railway and delivered complete with their own lettering – these were identical, except they were provided without the sheet rail. Many wagons were sold out of service into private railway companies including the Port of Bristol Authority, Port of London Authority and Manchester Ship Canal. Thankfully, several O18 wagons have survived into preservation including examples at the Severn Valley Railway and Bristol Harbour Railway. The O18 5-plank Opens feature full external, internal and underframe details including brass bearings for smooth friction-free running, NEM coupling pockets and a high-quality livery application. A sheet rail comes supplied in the polybag with 2 different mountings allowing it to be posed in the up or down position. The sample here sits alongside its O11 brethren: See the full range here: https://rapidotrains.co.uk/gwr-dia-o18-5-plank/ 14 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Compound2632 Posted January 27 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 27 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dungrange Posted January 27 Share Posted January 27 How many were produced for the Rhymney Railway? I don't really need another GWR wagon! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Midland Mole Posted January 27 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 27 Another "close but not quite" GWR wagon from Rapido. Got my hopes up when the blurb mentioned 1902, shame it then had to mention 1914 😄 Still, another nice wagon that I'm sure will grace many layouts 👍 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Compound2632 Posted January 27 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 27 9 minutes ago, Fair Oak Junction said: Another "close but not quite" GWR wagon from Rapido. Got my hopes up when the blurb mentioned 1902, shame it then had to mention 1914 😄 The earlier date marking the introduction of diagram O4, the first 5-plank opens, following on from diagram O5, the last 4-plank wagons. That's something that has long bothered my tidy mind! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold 57xx Posted January 27 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 27 (edited) That's a nice choice of prototype Corbs. I've been slacking in building up my fleet of GWR opens, I have a disproportionate amount of vans, and wagons from other regions, so a couple of these will be a welcome addition. Edited January 27 by 57xx 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penrhos1920 Posted February 7 Share Posted February 7 On 27/01/2024 at 13:35, Dungrange said: How many were produced for the Rhymney Railway? I don't really need another GWR wagon! Only 35 where built for the Rhymney. According to information that I've been given from the GWR wagon registers their RR numbers were: 47, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 61, 62, 76, 273, 274, 275, 276, 279, 286, 292, 294, 328, 345, 358, 364, 381, 389, 392, 397, 407, 416, 423, 428, 433, 438, 439, 443, 459, 463. BUT notice that Rapido have used a number that is not in that list. @RapidoCorbs So maybe they've got different information they would like to share. Below are photographs (taken by John Lewis for me) of the RR and GWR Minute books regarding these and other wagons bought from the GWR at little more information about the van is on my website: https://penrhos.me.uk/RRVans.shtml 1 1 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rapido staff RapidoCorbs Posted February 7 Author Rapido staff Share Posted February 7 4 hours ago, Penrhos1920 said: Only 35 where built for the Rhymney. According to information that I've been given from the GWR wagon registers their RR numbers were: 47, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 61, 62, 76, 273, 274, 275, 276, 279, 286, 292, 294, 328, 345, 358, 364, 381, 389, 392, 397, 407, 416, 423, 428, 433, 438, 439, 443, 459, 463. BUT notice that Rapido have used a number that is not in that list. @RapidoCorbs So maybe they've got different information they would like to share. Below are photographs (taken by John Lewis for me) of the RR and GWR Minute books regarding these and other wagons bought from the GWR at little more information about the van is on my website: https://penrhos.me.uk/RRVans.shtml We need to change the number - likely 294. Unfortunately the article we were referencing had an error in it and someone has flagged this to us. Excellent reference you have there! 3 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Mol_PMB Posted February 7 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 7 Incidentally I can vouch for the authenticity of MSC 5918 based on photographic evidence. This is a 1950s/1960s MSC wagon and livery that would perfectly suit operation with MSC locos of that period (later steam, and diesels such as the Hornby Sentinels). Mol 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold 57xx Posted February 8 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 8 Will you be taking the opportunity to fix the buffer head size on these ones? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rapido staff RapidoCorbs Posted February 9 Author Rapido staff Share Posted February 9 (edited) We can't because they are on the chassis mould which is from the O11. The only way this and the N19 are viable is because they share the chassis from the previous run. Edited February 9 by RapidoCorbs 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold 57xx Posted February 9 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 9 That's a damn shame the error will be there in perpetuity. I was hoping they were plug in to the chassis so you could do corrected buffers and also do laminated spring buffer versions of the underframe too. Oh well, that's me out on both of them. 🙁 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wickham Green too Posted February 10 Share Posted February 10 On 09/02/2024 at 07:09, RapidoCorbs said: ... they are on the chassis mould ... 12 hours ago, 57xx said: ... I was hoping they were plug in to the chassis ... Does 'on the chassis mould' mean they're moulded integrally with the headstock or moulded on the same sprue for plugging in later ??!? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rapido staff RapidoCorbs Posted February 10 Author Rapido staff Share Posted February 10 (edited) 28 minutes ago, Wickham Green too said: Does 'on the chassis mould' mean they're moulded integrally with the headstock or moulded on the same sprue for plugging in later ??!? The buffer heads and the 'lip' of the housing plugs into the hole in the rest of the housing (moulded as part of the chassis). Edited February 10 by RapidoCorbs 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Prism Posted February 10 Share Posted February 10 Doesn't sound too difficult to fashion a round washer (as the new 'lip') and fit replacement heads. (Although drilling out those self-contained stocks is always very delicate because of the diameter of the shank.) Or file off the existing head and fit a replacement? Or fit some new Dave Franks ones? Shapeways does new stocks for the self-contained variety. It's not a deal-breaker for me. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wickham Green too Posted February 10 Share Posted February 10 ... or Lanarkshire Models. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Prism Posted February 10 Share Posted February 10 Dave Franks = Lanarkshire Models 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold gwrrob Posted February 10 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 10 http://www.lanarkshiremodels.com/lanarkshiremodelsandsupplieswebsite_085.htm Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium John Isherwood Posted February 10 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 10 14 hours ago, 57xx said: That's a damn shame the error will be there in perpetuity. I was hoping they were plug in to the chassis so you could do corrected buffers and also do laminated spring buffer versions of the underframe too. Oh well, that's me out on both of them. 🙁 Well - if replacing buffers is a deal-breaker, I have to wonder where the "Modelling" has gone from RMweb! CJI. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenL Posted February 10 Share Posted February 10 3 hours ago, Miss Prism said: Doesn't sound too difficult to fashion a round washer (as the new 'lip') and fit replacement heads. (Although drilling out those self-contained stocks is always very delicate because of the diameter of the shank.) Or file off the existing head and fit a replacement? Or fit some new Dave Franks ones? Shapeways does new stocks for the self-contained variety. It's not a deal-breaker for me. Ideally it would be good to be able to replace just the bit of the head that is a separate part rather than the whole buffer - I wonder if there’s a 3D printing expert out there who could fashion a replacement head? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wickham Green too Posted February 10 Share Posted February 10 File off the head, drill out 1mm and fit an MJT ( or similar ) head of the desired diameter. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenL Posted February 10 Share Posted February 10 9 minutes ago, Wickham Green too said: File off the head, drill out 1mm and fit an MJT ( or similar ) head of the desired diameter. Hmmm, good idea, I guess one of these two could do the job: https://www.dartcastings.co.uk/mjt/2375.php https://www.dartcastings.co.uk/mjt/2371.php Though a bit of a tedious faff when you’ve ordered quite a few of the wagons that need this mod! 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dungrange Posted February 10 Share Posted February 10 2 hours ago, BenL said: Though a bit of a tedious faff when you’ve ordered quite a few of the wagons that need this mod! If you need quite a few, just be grateful that a reasonably accurate model is being produced. It would be an even more tedious faff to scratch build them because other companies are overlooked by the ready to run manufacturers. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenL Posted February 10 Share Posted February 10 13 minutes ago, Dungrange said: If you need quite a few, just be grateful that a reasonably accurate model is being produced. It would be an even more tedious faff to scratch build them because other companies are overlooked by the ready to run manufacturers. I’ll decide what I’m grateful for, thanks 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium John Isherwood Posted February 10 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 10 3 hours ago, BenL said: Hmmm, good idea, I guess one of these two could do the job: https://www.dartcastings.co.uk/mjt/2375.php https://www.dartcastings.co.uk/mjt/2371.php Though a bit of a tedious faff when you’ve ordered quite a few of the wagons that need this mod! "Tedious faff", otherwise known as fulfilling modelling, is what most of us are doing it for. CJI. 1 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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