LDEC/GCR 5 plank wagon kits.

I understand from Marc at the Furness Railway Wagon Company that a new batch of the LDEC/GCR/E&WYUR 5 plank opens is now available. So if you want one, order it before they all get sold. This is the 16ft version, GCR diagram 131, which the LDEC numbered 601-680 and the GCR 31903-31982.

I suppose it would also be fun to finish it as an East and West Yorkshire Union Railway wagon, as kits for this little railway with its grandiose name are unprecedented! However given that I am now modelling the circa 1914 era instead of post WW1 I am actually trying to reduce the proportion of foreign wagons. A pity in some ways, as all those different initials are such fun, but it's the Great Central that interests me most.

Marc tells me that the 15 ft version will also be released at the Kettering Show! Now there are actually two diagrams that fit this, diag 130 and 136, and apart from being different batches from different makers, they look virtually identical as diagrams. There may be subtle differences in the general arrangement drawings that should be available from the NRM, LDEC drawing references 32DR for the diag 136 and 38DR for diag 130. I'm not aware of any photos of these wagons - and very few of LDEC wagons in general.

Numbers? diag 130 LDEC 681-780, GC 31983-32082 (Charles Roberts.)
LDEC 781-880, GC 32083-32182 (Midland Wagon.)
Diag 136 LDEC 881-900, GC 32183-32202 (Brown, Marshalls) Goods Traffic.
LDEC 901-930, GC 32203-32232 (Brown, Marshalls) Coal Traffic

Furness Railway Wagon Co are at 10 Duke Street, Dalton-in Furness, Cumbria LA15 8HH

Transfers for LDEC and GC are available from Dragon Models.

Diag 15 Vans

As I had an occasion to take this photograph for another purpose (posting to RMWeb if you're interested) I thought I'd put it on here to enliven what is pretty much a Blog of words alone. They are two diag. 15 GC vans built by me (yes, I do occasionally make things myself!) some time back from D&S kits. The solebar plates are by Guilplates and the small lettering by my missus. The van on the left was damaged in a high speed crash and I've yet to get around to replacing one of the door runners.

These are surprisingly easy kits to build, although there is a lot of detail to add, for which I personally prefer to use a resistance soldering iron. (Yes, I know that a lot of people don't like them, but they work for me!)

They are stood on what passes for a layout, more accurately a development site that waits for me to decide how to progress it.