I like to run my goods trains loaded but I'm not sure about these?
I think that the rear two are pipe wagons, in which case I can cut some plastic or brass tubing to size and paint accordingly.
I guess they may also have been used for ballst or aggregates maybe?

However, I'm unsure what the first two, behind the locomotive, would have carried.
Maybe they have been used to carry vehicles or machinery?

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Many thanks
Martin

Hi Martin

Plate wagons were used for odd loads, like cable drums, bits of machinery,

tube steel https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/brplaterunner/e21e731b4

Gun barrels https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/lnerplate/e1023a3c2

Other wagon bogies https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/brplate/e3d98bf49

and these things - large toilet roll holders 

https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/lmsplate/e1567b63

The world seems to be your oyster when it comes to loads.

Bob

Thanks Bob

I rather like the look of that toilet roll holder 

It seems that I could put just about anything on those wagons.
Watch this space.

Cheers
Martin

Quote from: Bob G on January 19, 2026, 02:39:34 PMand these things - large toilet roll holders 

https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/lmsplate/e1567b63

I always thought a 'long low' was something a moo cow did

You've got plate and pipe wagons there. Tube wagons were usually shorter (refer to Farish Tube wagon).

As well as metal pipes, the pipe wagon could also be found loaded with casks of beer, aluminium slabs or crates of "stuff" for the military.

The plate wagons would normally carry metal plates - a low stack of thin card painted a steel colour would work. They'd also be used for a wide range of other loads, as mentioned above.

You'd find both in engineers use - sleepers, concrete cable troughs, signalling equipment, oil drums, gas bottles etc.

You could of course run them "empty" - a bit of left over wood packing and a couple of bits of sewing cotton for ropes would make for an interesting alternative.

On wagon loads I am looking for solution as loads for these NER quads.



The challenge is that except for the second quad from the right which is a whitemetal kit, these are 3D prints which means they are ultra light so I need heavy loads. The top right vehicle now has a PD Marsh whitemetal pipe load wrapped in tissue paper and painted so just now needs chains added. It now has the needed weight not to bounce off the tracks. However next I am searching for something appropriate for the middle and second from left. Of course  the left hand vehicle without bolsters ( although I guess I could add some... ) will be fine with a whitemetal vehicle.

So, I have two issues - finding something era-specific (basically inter-war) and something *not* plastic or 3D printed. Even Ten-Commandments type cast stone loads would be a little light for this use.

Clearly cargo made up of steel products make sense however obviously not modern-era coils - perhaps a representation in whitemetal of something on the lines of rolled I / H beams might be appropriate - wondering if anyone has ever seen anything like that? I have looked at the websites of the usual subjects (PD Marsh, Langley etc. and can find nothing). Thoughts from other forum members?

BTW - I have the same challenge regarding the NGS Boplate kit which is also a bit on the light side - something suitably weighty and "format appropriate" in its LNER era guise,

Thanks in advance for thoughts,

Cheers,

Colin.

Quote from: cmason on Today at 03:06:10 AMOn wagon loads I am looking for solution as loads for these NER quads.



The challenge is that except for the second quad from the right which is a whitemetal kit, these are 3D prints which means they are ultra light so I need heavy loads. The top right vehicle now has a PD Marsh whitemetal pipe load wrapped in tissue paper and painted so just now needs chains added. It now has the needed weight not to bounce off the tracks. However next I am searching for something appropriate for the middle and second from left. Of course  the left hand vehicle without bolsters ( although I guess I could add some... ) will be fine with a whitemetal vehicle.

So, I have two issues - finding something era-specific (basically inter-war) and something *not* plastic or 3D printed. Even Ten-Commandments type cast stone loads would be a little light for this use.

Clearly cargo made up of steel products make sense however obviously not modern-era coils - perhaps a representation in whitemetal of something on the lines of rolled I / H beams might be appropriate - wondering if anyone has ever seen anything like that? I have looked at the websites of the usual subjects (PD Marsh, Langley etc. and can find nothing). Thoughts from other forum members?

BTW - I have the same challenge regarding the NGS Boplate kit which is also a bit on the light side - something suitably weighty and "format appropriate" in its LNER era guise,

Thanks in advance for thoughts,

Cheers,

Colin.

I remember seeing a video and there was a train transporting a dissasembled gantry crane on what looked like bogie bolster E's. They really stood out as they were yellow amongst the greys and browns of the 50's and 60's. So there is that.

Rob.

You can hide weights in the bottom of a lot of loads but I've sometimes found it's a lot more stable to hide a small amount of weight in the bogies themselves and better running than a heavy load up top. Alternatively swap plastic bogie mounts for white metal or similarly heavy castings or ones made out of brass screws.

Obvious candidates for a bit of load though would include scrap rail (track offcuts), slabs of anything undefined (wrapped old wagon weights etc). For beams looks at larger gauge rail. O gauge rail is fairly solid and looks like a hefty girder, OO a lighter one.

Another option is pipes which can be modelled using metal tube or even random bits of plastic tubing wrapped with thin masking tape in places to give bulges for ends or joins and with weight stuffed out of sight down the middle.

In really problematic cases white metal or etched bogies with hidden weights internally, metal wheels and in desperation the old white metal couplings will give you really quite heavy bogies.