Available now
Conflat plus two containers £25 €28.75
postage included.
Great Northern Railway of Ireland Wagons
6 Ton Cattle Wagon
This wagon was built to Diagram 20 at Dundalk Works from 1903 onwards. The first batch of 151 wagons was completed by 1915; further batches followed - 65 in 1920-23; 20 in 1930 -1; 50 in 1945-1949 and a final 50 wagons in 1952 -5. The side planking was adjusted to the format of our model in about 1938. The diagram is annotated “To carry 6 tons”, presumably six cattle.
They were to be seen everywhere in GN territory and were notably used to transport cattle to Maysfields depot in Belfast from where they were herded through the streets to the cross-channel ships.
I can supply 12 different numbers and those can be amended to give another legitimate number (I can provide a list of required.
This wagon is handmade and to scale.
RRP £28.50 or €32
Pack of three wagons £80 or €90
20 TON BRAKE VAN
Our standard van (right above) is almost exactly as these vans were built in the 1940s. Each van comes with a note of when it was built and where it went after the dissolution of the GNR in 1958. The standard model retains the white roof, although they did become black or grey later (feel free to weather it!) The cream interior appears to have survived to the end of the GN, so is retained on the model, as are the white handrails, even though these were later grey - again, you can always dirty them! It will be pretty close to the official Duffner photo, shown below. A small choice of numbers will be offered and the number will also be carried on the ends, as per prototype as built.
Edward Friel, one of the team which restored No.81 for the RPSI, very kindly provided me with a very thorough resume of the liveries carried at various times. I will include a precis of that with each wagon, so that you can "weather" it to suit your period.
This is not a mass-produced wagon, such as I have produced before. It is a handmade wagon, brilliantly produced in batches to my specifications by Michael Rayner of the Smallbrook Studio. So, the price may raise eyebrows - but you must remember that it is hand made, throughout. AND you get a pretty unique wagon, to boot. Indeed, Alan O'Rourke, editor of "New Irish Lines" said it was the first true ready to run model Irish wagon!
The van is modelled in resin, with Dapol disc wheels and the latest Dapol style couplings, in their NEM pockets.
Available now
Standard van in GNR(I) livery as built
I can usually offer a choice of numbers.
The valid numbers for this type of van were, in order of building -
Price: £40 or €49, post and packing included.
Also Available (strictly built to order only)
IVAN - the restored brakevan
This is IVAN as he was when he won the Heritage wagon prize a couple of years ago - well done the RPSI Youth Team!! Like the prototype van, with white roof and interior, but with the vertical ironwork picked out in black (now being done by Mile Rayner, of Smallbrook Studio), as some of these vans were later in their career. The chassis, as in the RPSI van, is black.
Orders only
£65 or €75 post and packing included.
with Bread Containers (four bakeries now)
The unfitted wagon, No.1957 was one of a batch of 99 in all. A a dab of paint will give you equally correct numbers - 5 ,7 ,9 , 19, or as produced, 1957! Good value?
No.722, the fitted wagon on the right in bauxite was one of just five
built to the diagram. The original was fitted to carry Guinness tank containers (now
there's an idea!!!).
These will be sold with one or two bread containers (your choice of how many and subject to availability, which bakery!). Examples below.
Hughes
Inglis.
Note that the Inglis container has a black roof and a very good rendition of the complex shadowed lettering.
Don't believe me? Look closer!
and now completing the quartet - McComb and Windsor
To come - Stevenson and Brewsters of Derry
The containers are hand-made in resin and jolly heavy - 20 plus grammes each, so useful ballast for the wagon. Likewise, hand painted and transfers applied. Hughes lettering (remember originally it would have been done by a sign writer) goes right across the doors, so there will be slight imperfection where the transfer impinges on the door fastenings and handle - can't be helped. At a distance, you can't really see it, but a digital image is pretty unforgiving and does not show it as you would normally view it on your layout, so allow a little latitude!
I'm delighted with the result and congratulate Michael Rayner of Smallbrook Studio for his work.
The Londonderry bakeries to follow possibly in the summer of 2012.
The carriage of bread by rail container was a unique Ulster thing - I know of no comparable service, elsewhere. The night goods from Belfast invariably had up to a dozen conflats, each with two containers, sometimes for the same bakery, but often mixed. So, a few should look just right on your Great Northern area goods train, whatever GN station(s) you are modelling. They DID stray into Cos Cavan, Monaghan and Donegal.
Prices: including postage
Conflat (either type) with one container
- £19 €21.75
Conflat with TWO bread containers
- £25 €28.75