Garden Railway Forum

philipy wrote: Mon Sep 22, 2025 7:30 am
I didn't see any sign of a bot filter though?

It came up the first time I accessed the site, but not since.

Rik

GTB wrote: Mon Sep 22, 2025 5:30 am Yesterday was a miserable day so I spent it in my reading chair with a pile of books and the radio on in the background. The velcro cats as usual decided I needed company.....

A couple more books to check out. 'The Irish Narrow Gauge. Vol. 2 by Tom Ferris' has a couple of photos of the transfer wagons. It also has a pic. of a larger container lettered for the CDR, sitting in a CDR open wagon.

Another book I have is 'The Irish Narrow Gauge in Colour by Norman Johnston'. Colour photos from the period aren't the best, but there's a pic showing a couple of small 'Jacobs Biscuits' containers in a PO colour scheme (a beige box with a red Jacobs logo).

Both books suggest in the photo captions that the CDR used containers to avoid Customs hassles with goods from the Republic passing through Ulster to Donegal.

Graeme

Thanks. Very helpful.
I found the photos in my edition of The Irish NG Vol 2, but I don't have the other book. I also browsed through another couple of my Irish NG books, but drew a blank.

Rik

philipy wrote: Wed Sep 17, 2025 6:51 pm
I have various LMS rolling stock books and I'll have a look when I get chance but I can't get to them atm.

Just managed to get to the book I had in mind, but probably not a lot of use for your purposes.
However, in "An Illustrated History of LMS Wagons Vol 1 by R.J. Essery, there are drawings for 9 container trucks/chassis, most of which only show a nominal outline of the actual containers but a few of those also show nom. dims for the container. There are also some photos of containers on wagons.

The wagons/chassis were all built between 1930 and 1941 to various Diagrams.
BR container 16' 0-5/8" x 7'0"
BM container 16' 0-5/8" x 7'0"
M container 15'6" x 6'9"
FX container 14'7" x 6'8" (FX wood) or 6'2" ( FX boards)
FM container 14'7-1/2" x6'8-1/2"

There is reference to further info in Vol 2 but I haven't got that one. I know that here were half sized containers but maybe they were just in BR days? However, its the width that is potentially the issue and they seem to be pretty standard at around, or just under, 7ft.

philipy wrote: Mon Sep 22, 2025 8:41 am I know that here were half sized containers but maybe they were just in BR days? However, its the width that is potentially the issue and they seem to be pretty standard at around, or just under, 7ft.

I think the 'A' type containers dated right from the start.

Rik

A bit more progress. Not yet explored the transship concept as per the CDR, but I'm please to say the LMS/BR Type A containers are within the loading gauge of the PLR - ie they will pass beneath my overbridges, and so ......

Rik

I thought you'd been a bit quiet lately, now we can see why! Those look brilliant and I love the last piccy with the open doors and crates inside.

They are great Rik and look entirely plausible to me.

The containers look just right, but the screw locks make it all so convincing, well done.

You beat me to it Peter, they do look good especially the screw locks. So often I see nice loads but not lashed down in any way.
The dray looks good in the last pic too.
Grant.

Peter Butler wrote: Sun Sep 28, 2025 9:24 pm The containers look just right, but the screw locks make it all so convincing, well done.

LNR wrote: Sun Sep 28, 2025 10:54 pm You beat me to it Peter, they do look good especially the screw locks. So often I see nice loads but not lashed down in any way.
The dray looks good in the last pic too.
Grant.

Thanks chaps. I did wonder whether to 3D print them but decided they'd be too flimsy and so they are made from various thicknesses of wire.

Rik

These look so good. The containers themselves, lashed to the flatwagons, look superb. But as everyone has said, that last photo with the cart and the open container is the icing on the cake!

ge_rik wrote: Mon Sep 29, 2025 7:14 am I did wonder whether to 3D print them but decided they'd be too flimsy and so they are made from various thicknesses of wire.

I intended to ask where you got them from, I never dreamed you had made them. Brilliant!

Those are excellent Rik. I thought the screwlocks were fishing accessories at first. They look very intricate.

Very nice..
Now, do the doors actually open, or is there a little slight of camera, at work here? - As in, most the doors are closed, but you have modelled some with the doors open..

Phil.P.

Phil.P wrote: Mon Sep 29, 2025 2:07 pm Very nice..
Now, do the doors actually open, or is there a little slight of camera, at work here? - As in, most the doors are closed, but you have modelled some with the doors open..

Phil.P.

Two modelled with doors closed and one modelled with them open. I did consider designing them to open but chickened out.

Rik

I do like the rusted turn-buckles...
They look incredibly realistic, even if you enlarge the image.


Phil.P

Phil.P wrote: Mon Sep 29, 2025 5:59 pm I do like the rusted turn-buckles...
They look incredibly realistic, even if you enlarge the image.


Phil.P

Thanks. Just various thicknesses of twisted wire.

Rik

I love the design and plausibility of these. A transshipment siding would be an interesting feature. Would these be moved via crane to the main line wagons?

ge_rik wrote: Mon Sep 29, 2025 2:15 pm

Phil.P wrote: Mon Sep 29, 2025 2:07 pm Very nice..
Now, do the doors actually open, or is there a little slight of camera, at work here? - As in, most the doors are closed, but you have modelled some with the doors open..

Phil.P.

Two modelled with doors closed and one modelled with them open. I did consider designing them to open but chickened out.

Rik

They do look good and having one with the doors open is easier. Have you thought about dolls house hinges though, as painted up they'd probably look alright, I've seen someone make the TR refreshment coach with them before now.

Thanks for posting the STLs Rik. Containerisation will be coming to the Moel Rhos soon!

It seems you weren't the only one musing on containers on narrow gauge - I've just spotted that Plateway have kits for both Type A and Type B containers - another option for anyone who fancies containerising their railway...