So when my attendance at the Llanfair Garden Railway Show was confirmed I was keen to see if I could obtain anything useful from the Accucraft factory scrap bins clearout. I was exhibiting on the adjacent “Rhydypendryn” layout and watched the stock being unloaded. However I got distracted swapping components over to a replacement boiler that Mamod had brought to the show for me, so missed the opening of the clearout. I arrived just before 10:15 when there was still quite a bit of stock although all the IOM 4 wheel coaches had gone. Whilst there was several wagon/van bodies which would have made interesting lineside dioramas I was looking for potential dual gauge runners and ended up with 4 items.
I’ve heard or read online that this sale was somewhat of a rugby scrum but whilst I was there it was much more civilised than the 2 Member to Member Sales at Peterborough that I've attended. Only minor problem I had was when I laid my 4 items down on the table whilst extracting my wallet from a zipped pocket and had to stop someone trying to take my W & L Brake Van.
Ian Pearse was doing a great job of explaining what the item's status was to potential customers, but was very busy. So whilst I paid for my items I just asked what size axle bearings I needed for the W & L Brake Van.
Here’s what I got.
1. Probable development model of the W & L 1 plank match truck (£15)
Interesting to see how the detailing has been added to this basic model, including the yellow bolt heads. It has 45mm wheels mounted in plastic axle boxes (with bearings), is missing 1 safety chain, and one circular face on a chopper coupling was missing (now replaced with a shaped piece of plasticard). I've obtained a set of W & L 32mm wheels and intend to leave it unpainted to show the development stage.
2. Test model of the L & B 4 wheel van (£15)
The roof has yellowed & the gray sides faded. There are no data markings & there was no chopper couplings (just the back mounting plate from one on one end – I've obtained the L & B chopper couplings, just need some screws/bolts to mount the 2nd one). The wheels are interesting and I guess an earlier attempt at insulated wheels.
These were very wobbly running and initially I was going to get replacements. However on taking the van apart I found 2 of the axle box’s were misplaced (one was loose on the horn guide, and the other had been pushed up to one end of the horn guide), so after gluing them back in the right place the van runs OK on 45mm track. Just need to get a set of L & B 32mm wheels.
3. Unfinished W & L Brake Van (£25)
Unpainted, missing some of the detailing, no window glazing, no chopper couplings and 32mm wheels only but no bearings in the axle boxes. I’ve obtained W & L chopper couplings (just need mounting screws/bolts), axle bearings which need gluing in, and need to get a set of W & L 45mm wheels.
4. Stock R19-1C L & B Open Wagon SR Brown, Data only with 45mm wheels only (£25)
I've obtained a set of L & B 32mm wheels.
At the evening steam, beer & burgers session at the WLLR Llanfair station I was told that Accucraft had found more stock to bring on the Sunday. We joked that they had ordered the factory cleaned out and would be parachuting them into Llanfair. In the end they turned up after opening on the Sunday. There was some chassis-less bodies on one end of the stall, several used books/magazines, 2 small plastic boxes with some components and some stock wagons at the other end.
After my running session on “Rhydypendryn” I walked across to the stall. The bodies had gone, the plastic boxes contained some coupling rods & regulator handles, and the stock wagons only had 45mm wheels. I asked Ian if he had any 32mm wheels and finding a set of W & L 32mm wheels I bought an unboxed R19-3A W & L Open Wagon Light Grey (No.17) with both wheelsets for £35 plus a couple of the regulator handles at £1 each.
I watched the stall during the day and with 3 wagons remaining in the afternoon I asked Ian if he would give a discount for buying the remaining 3, and ended up with an unboxed R19-2C L & B Goods Van L&BR Grey (No.7), a boxed R19-1E L & B Open Wagon L&BR Grey (No.10) and unboxed R19-3C W & L Open Wagon GW Dark Grey (No.34161), all with 45mm wheelsets only for £80, and took a couple more regulator handles as well. I've since obtained 32mm wheels for these 3 wagons.
I just need to get some storage boxes now to safely transport this dual gauge rake of rolling stock when visiting other garden railways & shows.
Chris Cairns
