Review: ‘OO' gauge JSA reviewed
A trio of detailed strip steel coil wagons from the privatisation era is released in ‘OO’ gauge by Accurascale. How do they measure up – inside and out?
Redundant British Steel iron ore wagons with BSC ‘Axlemotion’ bogies were rebuilt into covered wagons TOPS coded JSA for the specialist Strip Products division of British Steel. They provided much-needed protected transport for delicate strip steel coil for various industries. Accurascale has released brand new models of the three types of JSA, which are a useful and welcome development of its successful iron ore tippler wagon model.
JSA WAGONS are covered steel carriers designed to carry delicate strip coil which could be damaged by the weather (until the post-2018 refurbishments). They were built using the underframes and bogies of redundant iron ore tippler wagons once operated by British Steel.
Accurascale has effectively done the same as British Steel and VTG by producing three different models of the JSA wagon models based on the underframe and bogies of its successful iron ore tippler models released last year.
The history of the JSA wagons commenced in 1996 when an initial batch of 56 redundant BSC iron tippler wagons from the Ravenscraig fleet were fitted with a longitudinal coil well protected with sliding covers of welded steel and equipped with conventional draw gear and buffers at both ends, allowing them to work with other conventional wagons.
The conversion undertaken by Marcroft Engineering in Stoke-on-Trent created the JSA, numbered BSSP402076 and subsequently BSSP4091-99.
The three steel sliding covers were of different sizes, allowing them to slide beneath one another to maximise the loading area of the wagon. Operated by the Strip Products division of British Steel, the wagons could turn up in mixed trains, as short trip workings and in block steel trains comprised of different covered wagons and bogie vans.
Their operations centred on the steel works at Llanwern and Margam/ Port Talbot to destinations as far flung as Shotton, Sheerness, the West Midlands, Teesside and Scotland.
They were rebuilt with new lightweight covers after the fleet was acquired by VTG and the fleet number increased with further conversions in the 2000s with the same type of sliding cover sections, numbered from No. VTG4100 onwards.
Refurbishment of the wagons from 2018 onwards provided Accurascale with the third version of the wagon to model, one which brings the model completely up to date.
Certain JSAs, selected from the fleet at random were shorn of their covers to create open strip coil wagons with cut down ends and the longitudinal coil well. They are documented as having worked alongside other open steel wagons on the flow of strip coil from Port Talbot to Corby.
Three models
Accurascale has offered all three of the JSA types as packs of two wagons for a few pence short of £60, which is exceptionally good value for such complex models.
Several packs of each type are included in the range, with the wagons individually numbered, allowing modellers to equip their layouts with a good representation of the fleet.
The JSA with covers is particularly useful for modellers with layouts dating from 1996 onwards. The nature of the wagons and how they were used alongside the earlier design of VTG sliding cover wagons and other steel carrying wagons makes then ideal for mixed trains and short trip workings.
The sliding covers allows the models to be posed for unloading in steel terminals such as those found in the West Midlands and Teesside (Middlesbrough Goods).
Superstructure
Sliding covers make up the bulk of two of the models, but are not the main superstructure of the wagon itself. That role is left to the underframe, which is a completely different tooling compared to the iron ore tipplers.
It is a single piece moulding with deep solebars concealed by the sliding covers. It incorporates the wagon ends, headstocks at both ends, the framing behind the headstocks and the long coil well, which is modelled as if lined with wood. Underframe bracing are separate mouldings fitted to the superstructure.
The tooling is crisp and very rigid, providing an excellent foundation for the smaller fittings, which include the sliding cover rails on the sides of the solebars. Assembly of the underframe components – including bracing, brake equipment and the end panel framing – is neatly done.
Sliding covers
The two different types of sliding cover are well represented and themselves decorated with small details. They fit neatly together and slide along the cover rails reasonably smoothly. They can be left open to allow the interior of the wagon, together with its load bars, to be seen if desired, posed at steel terminals and transit sheds.
The first version of the JSA with its heavier steel covers has tiny grab rails applied as wire details and can be secured with the end catches which rotate on their axis to clip over the sliding door caches.
VTG fitted lighter covers to the wagons after it became apparent that the original ones were troublesome and unreliable. Painted silver on the model, they also are an excellent fit to each other and the model. Again, they may be posed in the open position and sliding them open and shut requires a little care not to dislodge some of the fine details fitted to both the covers and the wagon itself. There is some resistance in the sliding motion which holds them in place when posed on a layout. They would always be closed when working in a train or during shunting.
Open coil carrier
A separate tooling for the superstructure of the post-2018 JSA open strip steel carrier incorporates the cut-down ends and the different lining applied to the coil well. Headstocks and underframe fittings are the same, including the Oleo buffers and the brake equipment. The models are supplied with three large strip coils each finished in bright silver. They will also fit the covered JSAs too, and are available as a separate accessory from Accurascale.
The end panels are fitted with a separate moulding for the framing and a wealth of small metal grab rails. The lamp irons are also separate fittings alongside sprung Oleo buffers. The brake hoses and couplings are supplied in the customer-fit detailing pack (with all three models).
Underframe detail & draw gear
The underside of the superstructure is flat, fitted with injection moulded frame members consisting of a longitudinal frame and five cross frames, two of which are located at the bogie centres and are moulded with the pivot holes. Each piece is crisply moulded and fits neatly into the adjacent parts.
Brake equipment is fully represented with air cylinder and distributor, linked with fine moulded pipework of the correct shape. It is particularly visible on the full-size wagons making it an important visual feature of the model.
At the ends of the framing are softly sprung close coupling cams, which are well secured to the framing with a retaining plate and cross-head screw. There is some slack in the springing, which does not seem to present an issue when the wagons are run in a train. A standard NEM coupling pocket is moulded as part of the coupling arm and fitted with a conventional tension lock coupling.
Bogies and wheels
The same tooling for the BSC ‘Axlemotion’ bogies has been used for the JSA wagons, which is correct. The external detail is well cut in, with good definition of the springs. As reported in the review of the PTA/JTA/JUA iron ore tippler wagons, it was noted that the rear face of the sideframes is completely flat and the end springs are truncated by the flat surface, and do not appear completely circular.
The wheel sets are of the same type as used in the iron ore tippler wagons, composed of metal and with an insulating bush on both wheels. The axle ends are of a smaller diameter than the middle section of the axle, which has the same appearance of bulk as the full-size ones. None of the disc brake wheel inserts or the brake equipment is modelled on the bogies other than the brake wheels.
Build quality and finish
Finishing quality is excellent, with a great deal of time having been put into researching the wagon markings and codes. The BSC symbol on the covers of the blue models is very nicely printed over an excellent shade of BSC blue, while the small letter markings on the load securing bar support rail on the open JSA wagon are fully legible. The tiny lettering in the data panels and maintenance instructions on the JSA covers are so well printed that they will stand close examination with a magnifying glass.
All three wagons are favoured by a wealth of small details, ranging from the cover latches, brake wheels and brake equipment to the cover runners and etched metal load bar rails that run the length of the solebars. Many of these parts are delicate, requiring care in handling when moving the covers and placing the model on a layout. They are neatly fitted with no glue marks, but also may have the merest of securing points, particularly the long metal rails.
Some parts had come adrift from the sample models when they were in transit, so when first opening the box, one should take time to look for stray parts in the packaging. Two of the long internal rails had become detached and one tiny grab rail and a brake wheel threatened to go missing down the maw of the carpet monster. They are easily reattached, but their assembly to the models may require some attention in future runs of the models. The balance between delicate detail and durability is always a difficult one to strike to satisfy the customer and have product arrive intact, too.
The cost per wagon is remarkably good value for money considering the superb finish and the number of parts. An idea of the part count is offered by the exploded diagram on the data sheet. The overall result is a model that has all the character of the full-size vehicles.
❒ Produced by Accurascale www.accurascale.co.uk
£ RRP: £59.95