00 Diagram 1/260 Gunpowder van

THE BR Diagram 1/260 11t Gunpowder van was the last build of an RCH design dating back to the 1930s. Of metal construction for both the body (wooden planking on the interior) and underframe, the design was adopted by the LNER, GWR, LMS and Royal Ordnance.

BR built its Gunpowder van from the early 1950s with changes over the original RCH design. As construction continued in small lots through the 1950s, small changes and upgrades were made. A total of 160 were constructed by Swindon and Lancing works, the first 65 being unfitted and the last 25 with 10-foot wheelbase underframes. Vacuum braked wagons received the TOPS code CXV, with some surviving as late as 1983 in departmental use.

Unfitted wagons were converted to vacuum braking in due course and it is this form that is represented by one of the brand-new models produced by Rapido trains to ‘OO’ gauge. The review model is finished in BR bauxite livery with CXV TOPS code and vacuum brakes. Other versions of the model include unfitted BR Diagram 1/260 wagons, pre-Nationalisation RCH and GWR wagons.

While four-wheel BR standard wagons are commonplace and one might think that there is little new innovation that can be introduced in such a model, the Rapido Trains Gunpowder van shows that there is always room for innovation beyond ever finer detail.

Body

Gunpowder vans have a smaller than usual body of steel construction with riveted strapping and two barn doors on each side. These features are nicely modelled with subtle, crisp detail. The roof has a consistent curve to it, while the overall shape is accurate when compared to reference material. The doors are correctly modelled forward of the flat body panels which show no flaws or marks. The shape of the wagon strapping is good along with the door catches and hinges.

Underframe

Metal has, most unusually, been used to good effect in the nine-foot wheelbase underframe for rigidity and to add weight. Metal parts include the axleguards which makes removal of the wheel sets for closer to scale conversions a little tricky, there being none of the flex of plastic ones. The axleguards are straight and vertical, with no signs of them splaying out.

The three-hole disc wheels exhibit no side play in the underframe and the wagon sits perfectly square on a piece of glass.

Headstocks are of the correct profile and in the case of No. B887021 fitted with early Oleo buffers made up of plastic shanks and metal buffer heads. The coupling hooks are also fitted alongside the swan neck vacuum brake hoses which are fitted below the lower edge of the headstocks. NEM coupling pockets are also fitted to the underframe and equipped with the usual tension lock couplings.

Brake details

Four shoe brakes are modelled with the brake shoes positioned close to the wheels, but not actually touching. The curve of the brake blocks matches the wheels well and the alignment is to the outer edge of the tyres which will suit ‘EM’ and ‘P4’ modellers. A single vacuum cylinder is present along with the pipe linking the brake hoses. Externally, finely modelled brake levers are fitted with the correct ratchet detail.

Overall quality of assembly

The Gunpowder van is quite an unassuming wagon like so many of the BR standard vans, yet Rapido Trains has done an excellent job of capturing its relatively small size compared to BR standard 12t vans and has applied a high level of refinement to it with accurate fittings and sharp but subtle tooling of the body.

The shade of BR bauxite is rich and accurate as are the markings applied to the model, although the reality is that the surviving vans soon rusted and looked pretty woebegone for most of their working lives, particularly in the 1970s and 1980s.

Its construction is neat and robust, with no parts showing any signs of becoming detached during handling. It has good weight for its size thanks to the cast metal underframe and axleguards. It will be a popular model, not only to represent gunpowder traffic to mines, quarries and military sites, but also as a departmental vehicle for modellers of the mid 1970s through to around 1983 when the last examples were recorded. The exact date of their final demise is hard to determine.

£ RRP £32.95

One version of the Rapido Trains brand new Gunpowder van is the BR vacuum-braked version representing some of the BR Diagram 1/260 build.

The sample model is TOPS coded CXV and finished in pristine BR bauxite livery, representing the van in late condition after the fitting of vacuum brakes.

Also released recently are the five- and seven-plank SECR/SR open wagons which saw use with BR until the 1960s. The models will be reviewed in a future issue of Rail Express Modeller.

The number applied to the model is from the second lot built by Swindon in 1954 with nine-foot wheelbase underframe.

A detailed nine-foot underframe equipped with vacuum brakes, metal three-hole disc wheels and NEM coupling pockets is fitted to the model.

A close-up view of the printed detail, along with axleguard and axlebox detail, which is composed of cast metal.

Brake levers are finely made and securely fitted to the model. Note the Oleo buffers and detailed vacuum brake hose.