I'm looking to get a couple of these neat looking and useful wagons and am torn between the Farish 377-776 which I believe to be era 4 and so fine for my transition era, or the weathered Peco NR7EW which is almost half the price of the Farish one. Trouble is, I've been searching around and can't find what era the Peco one is. Can anyone help with this please?
Also, what have folks used for scale N gauge pipes please?

Hi Mick

I use brass tubing that you can pick up in metre lengths from B&Q.
Cuts nice and easily into wagon length pipes.

Martin

Meant to be Era 5 Mick, however I think they should be grey for era 5.

These in bauxite I think carry markings more suited to BR blue.

I have a few grey and used 1.5mm copper rod with a 1mm collar of 1.5mm plastruct rod on the end (has a larger OD and fits over the end of the copper) to represent the socket end on clay underground pipe, painted a shiny brown colour to mimic salt glaze.

I use drinking straws with thin strips of masking tape wrapped around the ends to make the thicker connecting bit for my pipes.

Quote from: exmouthcraig on January 15, 2020, 09:49:26 PM
Meant to be Era 5 Mick, however I think they should be grey for era 5.

These in bauxite I think carry markings more suited to BR blue.

I have a few grey and used 1.5mm copper rod with a 1mm collar of 1.5mm plastruct rod on the end (has a larger OD and fits over the end of the copper) to represent the socket end on clay underground pipe, painted a shiny brown colour to mimic salt glaze.

Yeah - they are bauxite but have no brake piping so would be unfitted?
Seems to confound the 'grey = unfitted' and 'bauxite = fitted' theory

Thanks to you @exmouthcraig @port perran @zwilnik for your suggestions.
I do like the idea of drinking straws/masking tape as I have all the materials to hand and, more to the point, cheapness!!

Quote from: Newportnobby on January 15, 2020, 10:25:04 PM

Yeah - they are bauxite but have no brake piping so would be unfitted?
Seems to confound the 'grey = unfitted' and 'bauxite = fitted' theory

Thanks to you @exmouthcraig @port perran @zwilnik for your suggestions.
I do like the idea of drinking straws/masking tape as I have all the materials to hand and, more to the point, cheapness!!

wrap them entirely with masking tape and plug the ends (tape/clay/plasticine etc.) and they make great logs too

Mick, I don't think the Peco ones are actually real Tube wagons. If you look at Paul Bartletts wagon site you will see that the tube wagons he has photoed are a bit different https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/?q=tube%20wagon . None of the wagons here seem to have the lower centre section. The picture of the wagon on Hattons shows an anchor so that's a ferry wagon perhaps not what you want.

You takes your choice .....

Towards the end of steam and the run down of the non braked wagon fleet I believe all wagons got painted bauxite at overhaul, even non braked ones so things got confusing from a livery point of view.

Quote from: tunneroner61 on January 15, 2020, 11:02:33 PM
Mick, I don't think the Peco ones are actually real Tube wagons. If you look at Paul Bartletts wagon site you will see that the tube wagons he has photoed are a bit different https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/?q=tube%20wagon . None of the wagons here seem to have the lower centre section. The picture of the wagon on Hattons shows an anchor so that's a ferry wagon perhaps not what you want.

You takes your choice .....

Thanks, Norman. The description of the Peco one is a Ferry Tube wagon........
https://railsofsheffield.com/products/17822/peco-nr-7ew-n-gauge-nr7ew-ferry-tube-wagon-bauxite-weathered-

Quote from: tunneroner61 on January 15, 2020, 11:07:52 PM
Towards the end of steam and the run down of the non braked wagon fleet I believe all wagons got painted bauxite at overhaul, even non braked ones so things got confusing from a livery point of view.

That's a fair point

The

Quote from: tunneroner61 on January 15, 2020, 11:02:33 PM
Mick, I don't think the Peco ones are actually real Tube wagons. If you look at Paul Bartletts wagon site you will see that the tube wagons he has photoed are a bit different https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/?q=tube%20wagon . None of the wagons here seem to have the lower centre section. The picture of the wagon on Hattons shows an anchor so that's a ferry wagon perhaps not what you want.

You takes your choice .....

The Peco kit ones are more like the old GWR ones in Paul Bartlett's photos I think.

Hattons list it as era 6 which is pre-TOPS BR blue; the wagon does carry a TOPS code though so should be at least era 7. The TOPS code and other markings suggest it's trying to be a dual braked ferry wagon.

Peco's N Gauge wagons have never been factory fitted with brake pipes so looking for them whilst looking for a grey or brown paint scheme is a waste of time.

That said, being brown and mucky it won't look out of place on an era 5 layout. Buy it and enjoy it.

Steven B

Great info. Thanks All.

I am not sure how accurate any of the PECO wagons are.  Most seem to have been designed to fit a standard 10 or 15 foot chassis.  Having said that, the are cracking little models and reasonably priced.

Also, you can buy the excellent PECO wagon kits for well under £10 if you feel up to a bit of modelling.

Kind regards

Paddy

Quote from: Paddy on January 16, 2020, 12:54:34 PM
I am not sure how accurate any of the PECO wagons are.  Most seem to have been designed to fit a standard 10 or 15 foot chassis.  Having said that, the are cracking little models and reasonably priced.

Also, you can buy the excellent PECO wagon kits for well under £10 if you feel up to a bit of modelling.

Kind regards

Paddy

Under a fiver! The photo shows how easily they fit together.

I'm a big fan of these models. On Wrenton, @rogerDB 's used these kits without worrying too much about numbering, etc and they really do look at home.

Mike

I have built a lot of Peco kit 7 plank and tank wagons using Robbie's Rolling Stock transfers

They turn out really nice, and are less than £6 each including the transfers

The odd thing is their 9ft wagon kits are expensive!