HOW TO CREATE A REALISTIC CABLE DRUM WAGON LOAD
Aspiring towards an enlarged Departmental wagon fleet, George Dent builds the ideal load for a re-purposed open wagon.
PHOTOGRAPHY: GEORGE DENT
Since we launched our exclusive Ruston & Hornsby ‘PWM’ locomotives (see page 103), I’ve been slowly assembling a motley array of engineers’ wagons to complement my BR Departmental yellow version. While the larger track panel-carrying vehicles and crane are the most eye-catching, there’s also a need for some more humdrum examples.
OO
GAUGE
Model: Bachmann 38-326Z BR 13t High-sided wagon S&T Cable wagon (KMRC Exclusive) Price: £24.95
Availability: No longer available new, but available pre-owned from dealers
Having picked up one of Kernow Model Centre’s exclusive Bachmann 13ton high-sided open wagons a few years back, complete with factory weathered finish and S&T (Signal & Telegraph Department) markings, I’d been pondering the creation of a suitable load. Inspiration duly arrived with a fascinating plastic kit from the Polish MiniArt brand.
As featured in our News Extra pages in MR336, the 1:35 scale kit provides parts for six cable drums (or spools). Initially, I assumed that these would be suitable only for ‘O’ gauge, being close-ish to 1:43.5 scale. However, after assembling the smaller (28mm diameter) drums, they looked right at home within a ‘OO’ setting.