Sonic Models VEA van
◆ GAUGE ‘N’ ◆ MODEL Sonic Models NVEA-001B VEA ‘Vanwide’ 230019, BR brown; NVEA-002B 230063, Railfreight red/grey; NVEA-005B 230498, Railfreight Distribution grey/yellow ◆ PRICE £19.95 ◆ AVAILABILITY Revolution Trains stockists or www.revolutiontrains.com
It’s sometimes very difficult when writing a review not to come across as overly ‘gushing’. But what else can you do when faced with a really good model? The English language only has a finite number of words and a quick search in a thesaurus for ‘superb’ doesn’t reveal any words that we at Model Rail don’t already use in our reviews (although it is debatable whether ‘splendiferous’ is actually a word). The model that has prompted such musings is the first offering from Sonic Models. The name may be new but, as you’ll see in the accompanying panel, the man behind the venture has a proven track record in producing quality Britishoutline models.
You might be left wondering why a newcomer in the ‘N’ gauge market has chosen the 12t vent van, given how extensive Graham Farish’s own vent van range is. But Farish had left quite an obvious opportunity, which Sonic has filled, well, splendiferously.
BR’S standard 12t van must be one of the most recognisable goods vehicles of all time, thanks to its corrugated ends and distinctive angled ventilators. It was actually an LMS design which was also adopted by the LNER and BR turned them out by the thousand. Fitting 9ft wide sliding doors increased the van’s capacity, particularly with palletised goods, and
1,894 were built in 1961/62. Officially, they were Diagram 1/217 but they became known as ‘Vanwides’.
Road competition forced BR to build longer wheelbase, airbraked vans, which could carry more at higher speeds.
But there were plenty of yards and depots unsuitable for long wheelbase vans, particularly military depots and so BR decided to upgrade 50 ‘Vanwides’ with air brakes and new suspension that allowed them to run at 75mph. Ashford Works created 50 of these new VEA vans in 1978 and a further 500 were produced up to the end of 1983. So it’s this, the VEA van, that Sonic has produced. And what a good job it’s done.
SMALL AND REFINED
First impressions are that though this model is small, it’s very refined. The body shape is excellent and captures the distinctive character very well. They match photographs on
PAUL BARTLETT wagon expert Paul Bartlett’s website (www.paulbartlett. zenfolio.com) almost perfectly although, arguably, the body corners ought to be a touch more rounded.
The end corrugations look the part, as do the vents, and though they’re moulded all the door handles are crisply defined. However, those door grab handles are separate metal parts.
It’s below the solebar where the quality of this model really hits you. Sonic has done a superb job of reducing the size of the NEM coupling box to a minimum, which improves the visual aspect no end. Pull away the Rapido coupler and the NEM pocket simply blends into the rest of the underframe detail. What’s more impressive is that those pockets are mounted on the same cam arrangement that you would normally find on an ‘N’ gauge coach. What can you say about the underframe detail? It really is very impressive. The brake gear and suspension fittings are all present and correct and produced in some very fine mouldings. The brake rodding and pipework is commendably thin, yet it feels remarkably solid – you don’t feel as if it will fall to bits if you breathe on it.
The VEAS proved reliable in operation too. They followed a Farish Class 47 around our test track with no fuss and could even be propelled through tight Peco pointwork at high speed.
The printing and finish is top notch. The colours match published photographs and it
was perhaps no surprise to find that all but the very smallest lettering is clear and legible under a glass. There’s even been an attempt to include works plates on the solebars, which have been obscured by the side footsteps. The only issue was that spots of red on the red/grey version had found their way onto parts that should have been grey. What makes this model even more impressive is that you get change from £20 – and that makes it a tiny bit cheaper than Farish’s 12t vent van. Sonic’s follow-up model, the GWR ‘56XX’ 0-6-2T, looks set to match the same high standard as the VEA so we await further developments with interest. In the meantime, go and buy a VEA van – they really are brill, bodacious, barry and belting! (RF)