Rhiw Mk1 caused quite a bit of discussion when it was exhibited, not least the general design which reflected what would likely have existed on a rationalised line in the mid 1980s as opposed to putting in extra sidings and what-have-you to give 'extra operation'.
Another bit of seemingly never-ending questioning was the use (or not) of a brake van. Several knowledgeable people were asked, including ex-drivers from the South Wales area and even they couldn't give a definitive answer. The rescue was obtained by none other than Mr. Flint who got dragged into the argument when the layout was being photographed at Pecorama. He disappeared into the library and returned with a photocopy of a page from a book which outlined the reversing move that takes place on Rhiw. In a nutshell; the move would require a second man to act as lookout at what would be the leading end of the train and would flag or walkie-talkie the driver during the reverse, even with air-braked stock.
We needed a brake van.
It took a while to find one, and although there were plenty of bauxite livered 20t vans still around during the period, I wanted a newer liveried version to pin the date. Eventually this Bachmann one was found for the princely sum of £7.75 and was snapped up. Lamps had already been fitted (at the LH end so as to be visible on exiting the layout) but it wasn't until now that the guard/second man was added using the Airfix lookout figure holding a pair of flags, painted up in jeans and donkey jacket (the orange plastic patch is there, but not visible) and stuck with a dab of UHU.
Go on, you know you want to... https://www.buymeacoffee.com/chrisford2Q
Somewhere I've got an old BR hi-viz of the type that just covers the wearer's chest and upper back....a pair of oily jeans, a donkey jacket and a Bardic lamp (got 2 of those...) and I could be the bloke standing on that veranda!
ReplyDeleteThe guard is the man, who sits in the van, right at the back of the train....
I picked up the GF N Gauge version of this van at Folkestone a few weeks ago (for 25p more than your 00 one!) and was having a similar internal debate about whether I could justify using it on trains as opposed to just being an ornament in a siding, given that the period of the project is 1990 plus or minus a bit. The references I have are the HMRS book on BR brake vans and "Modelling the British Rail Era" (of which SF is one of the authors), both of which have info on brake van usage into recent times. There's even a layout scheme based on Hayling with EMUs and an oil depot with a requirement for 2 propelling brake vans.
Sadly I didn't manage to get a photo of it, but for some years a 20t brake van in Load Haul black and orange livery sat at the Country end of Mountfield Sidings on the Tunbridge Wells-Hastings line, no idea what happened to it and even less what it was used for.
Doubt I'll get to Tolworth now, chest seems to be getting worse rather than better...