Bread containers & their wagons - plus butter to go with the bread...

[David Holman]

Here's a little tester for the historians out there.

Recently got hold of a copy of the Fermanagh's Railways book, where there are several pictures of flat wagons loaded with one or two bread containers. Captions say they took bread from Belfast to outlying communities. Pics show them at Enniskillen and also in sidings at Irvinestown. It seems to me that this could make an ideal piece of extra traffic on my fictional SLNCR branch, but, first I need to know if such things ran in the Republic, as it seems the pictures I have are all GNRI. So, any views gratefully received, but then, if in the 'positive', need to know a few more details in the hope of trying to construct a model. I have a side on picture of the flatwagon, from which it should be possible to work out general dimensions & likewise the containers themselves - but liveries are a problem because pics are monochrome. 'Brewster' and 'Stevenson' are two names, so an idea of colours would be much appreciated.

That said, if they didn't run in the Republic, then the project is probably a non starter. Interesting vehicles though, for which I've not seen anything in print before.

Then there are the Butter Vans. Did any of these run in the Republic? Alphagraphix do a card kit, but there is no mention of where they ran.

Will look forward to hearing what people know.

[Hunslet 102]

David-re the bread containers,check out Provincial wagons website under GNR(I) wagons,Leslie has produced all of the bread containers that ran on the GNRI for 00 scale,I know not your scale but the pictures show their colours.Although the bread containers all relate to Ulster bakeries and most of this traffic would have been contained within Northern Ireland,Leslie states some did stray into Cavan,Monaghan and Donegal.This would make sense as the GNRI lines crossed the border,with some lines going back and forth along the border between each country,so I think you would be ok having bread vans.There is a link to Provincial Wagons website at the bottom of the home page in the manufacturers section.

With regard the butter vans,I am positive they ran on both sides of the border,so I think you would be ok modelling one of these also.

[Mayner]

Dave Send me a PM and I will forward drawings of the GNR bread container flats & butter van. The SLNCR & MGWR had similar double sheeted vans for butter/meat traffic. Most Irish North and Mullingar-Sligo line passenger trains seem to convey van traffic.

[leslie10646]

David

 

You can tell that I'm in catch-up mode after the summer when I work for "real" pay.

 

I have NEVER seen a picture of a bread container on the SLNCR, oddly enough as it was connected to Enniskillen which saw lots of them!

 

I assume you have checked the SLNCR photo book by Neil Sprinks?

 

But, heck, man, you're MODELLING - so on YOUR railway anything goes?

 

I've still got supplies of both Stevenson's and Brewsters containers at the original prices - see my website.

 

I assume you've got some SLNCR cattle wagons (also on my website - a very few left).

 

Leslie

[David Holman]

Thanks - Sprinks album is my bible, while have five cattle vans to date, all scratch built. Are yours 4mm or 7mm? Mine are the latter.

Bread wagons currently on hold as may not have room in the fiddle yard. One day though...

[leslie10646]

David

 

4mm, of course!

 

I trawled the Sprinks album myself this morning and there is not a sign of a bread container anywhere!

 

Leslie

[David Holman]

David

 

4mm, of course!

 

I trawled the Sprinks album myself this morning and there is not a sign of a bread container anywhere!

 

Leslie

 

Wrong size, shame! Though am sure the majority will appreciate the 4mm. Think the bread containers will be on the back burner for now. Will cast some more GN vans and also do a couple of semis, plus a horse box. By then the fiddle yard will be full, so have to be choosy.