GWR O.13 Milk Brake

[EtchedPixels]

Matthew Pinto asked me to look into producing the O.13 milk brake, and he also figured out it could be plonked straight and accurately onto the old Farish four wheel coach chassis (the one you have spare from putting the body on a Stove-R six wheel chassis  )

They were built in 1921, apparently from WW1 pharmacy cars (although this is disputed in some circles) and lasted until the 1960s, ending their lives in departmental service including brakedown trains, with one (1399) going to the Severn Valley afterwards.

http://www.steampicturelibrary.com/low.php?xp=media&xm=510916

http://www.flickr.com/photos/svr_enthusiast/4001102402/#

I've worked through the drawings and come up with a design for a kit which would consist of the following.

Polished 3D printed shell with pre-formed ventilator holes
Etched sides to glue on for body plus doors, plus guards door
Etched ends to glue on (one layer for plain two layers including steps for other)
Glue on Trussing and V hangar
Gas cylinder
Vacuum cylinder
Ventilators

The price would be £20 for the kit (not including the chassis). But in order to get that price we would need to sell a minimum of 10 kits.

We are not looking for deposits or anything at this stage but would welcome expressions of interest to see if prodution is going to be feasible.

Please let Matthew or me know if you would be interested in buying one (or more ).

Alan

[GrahamB]

I'd be interested although I'm now kicking myself for disposing of the last of my four wheel carriages 

Wonder if there's an alternative chassis.

[EtchedPixels]

Two Peco 15' wagon chassis a hacksaw and some plasticard ought to work. Take one of the chassis saw it in half and splice in a bit of the other one. Remove all the surplus details and glue together with some sort of strengthener then add the footboards.

Alan

[Jerry Howlett]

How about the shredded wheat carriage chassis?  No suitable coupling but though I am not into said design I have one if anybody wants it.

[GerryB]

I would certainly be interested in one, Alan.

Gerry

[Karhedron]

Quite promising. Between replies on here and on the N gauge yahoo group, we are up to 6.

Just 4 more to go for a viable run. 

[Sea Mills]

I might be interested, but know nothing about the prototype.   Why would milk trains need a special brake?   However, I love the look of the SVR example and would consider buying one for departmental use.

David

[Karhedron]

I might be interested, but know nothing about the prototype.   Why would milk trains need a special brake?   However, I love the look of the SVR example and would consider buying one for departmental use.

Milk trains needed special brake vehicles because they ran at express passenger speeds, otherwise the milk would have gone off by the time it arrived. A Toad would not be rated to run that fast.

One option (which was used widely) was to use an old full-brake that had been cascaded down from express services. However this could be wasteful as a Milk train rarely carried much in the way of luggage or parcels so most of the vehicle was empty.

So the GWR built some small brake vehicles specifically for the purpose. They provided accomodation for the Guard but not much else. (The LMS and LNER both built compact 6-wheeled brakes for these sorts of duties).

I have only found one shot of W1399 in departmental use but it does not seem to have been modified, just painted grey.

If there is demand, I can enquire about getting some transfers made up to suit.

[steam-driven boy]

Hi,
I'm certainly up for one, I've a big 'to do' drawer that needs feeding 

Regards, Gerry.

[GerryB]

If there is demand, I can enquire about getting some transfers made up to suit.

That would make life much easier, and would be much appreciated. 

Gerry

[Tim E]

I would also be interested in one for departmental use.  Add me to the list 

[alibuchan]

Hi,

Put me down for one.

Cheers

Alistair

[Karhedron]

If there is demand, I can enquire about getting some transfers made up to suit.

Looks like Cambridge Custom Transfers already produce a sheet for these vehicles. Sheet C85.

http://www.cctrans.freeserve.co.uk/products.htm

[ToothFairy]

If you're willing to ship to the antipodes, put me down for one (and of course I'll pay postage).

- Michael

[Karhedron]

If you're willing to ship to the antipodes, put me down for one (and of course I'll pay postage).

Sounds fair enough.