SPOILing the Ulstermen?

[leslie10646]

 

 

 

This is the pre-production prototype of my next KIT - the iconic Northern Ireland Railways spoil wagon built in the mid 1960s by Cravens for the Maghermorne Spoil Contract, which ran from 1966 to 1970. They place in history is safe as the last British freight stock to be steam-hauled in regular service. Trains of twenty of these wagons, topped and tailed by Class WT 2-6-4 tanks engines ran around six times a day between Maghermorne and the shore of Belfast Lough. Their legacy is the M2 Motorway running North out of Belfast, which is built on the land reclaimed from the sea by the spoil.

 

A few of the wagons continued to be used as ballast wagons by NIR for some years after the contract finished.

 

This wagon will be available as a kit of around 25 parts - the chain is maybe an optional extra, as we have yet to source a suitable chain - but doesn't it set the wagon off? Note that the final kit will have the hopper as a single casting, the door side being another - unlike this prototype (you can see the joins!).

 

I hope that you agree that my modeller, Michael Rayner of Smallbrook Studio, has surpassed himself with this superb model - I replied to the e-mail sending the photo to me last night with the single word - "WOW"!

 

We hope to have the kit available in quantity by June, price still to be set but between £22 and £25. Obviously, I'll be taking orders at Bangor, or by e-mail, of course!

 

Thanks for looking

 

Leslie

[BosKonay]

Bloomin heck that's blooming gorgeous!!!!

[Kirley]

Having attempted to scratch build these wagons I really appreciate the detail included. Well done to the Model Maker and to you Leslie for coming through with this unique wagon.

[Dunluce Castle]

Wow, absolutely beautiful, I cannot wait see her in the flesh at Bangor, she's amazing, well done to all involved.

[heirflick]

Leslie - stunning wagon! were they ever at any stage pulled by a CIE diesel?

[jhb171achill]

Never CIE, Heirflick. I've an idea they werent allowed past Dundalk. They very rarely strayed onto the GNR at all, though it have seen at least one photo of one in a ballast train at Portadown.

[heirflick]

John - how about the ex cie metros bought by nir?

[Riversuir226]

Yes, they ran with the mv's, saw a pic on Facebook with 104 and 2 of these wagons in tow.

[jhb171achill]

Correct, some of the NIR "C"'s had them occasionally. I'm not sure which locos it was, though.

[heirflick]

thts great lads! looks like i may be ordering a few......

[iarnrod]

https://www.facebook.com/groups/741913609175327/permalink/742024489164239/

 

Pic here shows an MV loco hauling these wagons.

[iarnrod]

https://www.facebook.com/groups/741913609175327/permalink/742020652497956/

 

Here is another pic showing these wagons with the newer type ballast wagons hauled by an MV.

[heirflick]

great find iarnrod -many thanks for posting:tumbsup:

[Blu Bianco]

Beautiful models Leslie. Time and effort well spent there!

[steventrain]

Spoiling wagon at Ballymena 1990s.

 

Note some different.

 

https://www.flickr.com/search?text=northern%20ireland%20spoil%20wagon&sort=relevance

[heirflick]

Spoiling wagon at Ballymena 1990s.

 

Note some different.

 

https://www.flickr.com/search?text=northern%20ireland%20spoil%20wagon&sort=relevance

 

cute pussies - cant see any wagons though:confused:

[Riversuir226]

cute pussies - cant see any wagons though:confused:

Crazy cat lady page;), don't show the page to Glenderg memories of his nicked southern fried chicken drumstick might come back to haunt him.

[Hunslet 102]

Great job Leslie,you have captured the prototype brilliantly.

[Glenderg]

Crazy cat lady page;), don't show the page to Glenderg memories of his nicked southern fried chicken drumstick might come back to haunt him.

 

Was too busy chuckling away at HF's comment to care about the ginger sod. Think these were the shots Steve refers to.

 

Very fine work too Leslie, really admirable wagon to tackle given the complexity. R

[NIRCLASS80]

Here is areal classic shot from 1992. Enjoy

 

[Mayner]

Nice looking job of a difficult prototype, Smallbrook Studios do some interesting stuff http://www.smallbrookstudio.co.uk/.

 

I remember reading a piece in Irish Railfans News that a number of spoil wagons were trialled as ballast wagons on CIE. I understand that the spoil wagons belonged to the NI Department of Transport rather than NIR. After the contract the Department was anxious for a buyer as NIR did not have a need or have the means to pay for the wagons.

[jhb171achill]

Mayner, that's interesting re ownership. You are right in that the N I Government technically owned them, yet they were lettered "U T"!

[leslie10646]

Nice looking job of a difficult prototype, Smallbrook Studios do some interesting stuff http://www.smallbrookstudio.co.uk/.

 

I remember reading a piece in Irish Railfans News that a number of spoil wagons were trialled as ballast wagons on CIE. I understand that the spoil wagons belonged to the NI Department of Transport rather than NIR. After the contract the Department was anxious for a buyer as NIR did not have a need or have the means to pay for the wagons.

 

John (s)

 

That reflects my memory as well - they existed to build a ROAD after all!

 

Now - see the real colour - my photos of the prottype today in the sun!!!

 

Leslie

[Dunluce Castle]

Beautiful

[jhb171achill]

Those are stunning - very true to life!

[Flying Scotsman 4472]

Fantastic model Leslie, great to see it in the flesh today

[heirflick]

leslie - do you do a weathered version?

Edited April 13, 2014 by heirflick

[NIRCLASS80]

Saw it in the flesh yesterday, very nice, the highlight of the show.

[colmflanagan]

I think Leslie himself would confirm that at present he intends to produce a kit only - that was his info to me at the Bangor show where the prototype was on show. However it will not be a complex kit to build - which is good news for those of us who want a decent length train. We will have to wait for the final prices, though I expect (and hope) they will be broadly similar to the present wagon range.

 

Colm

[leslie10646]

leslie - do you do a weathered version?

Seamus

 

As I only intend to do it as a kit, YOU can paint it whatever colour you like!

 

The prototype is in roughly duck egg blue, which is seemed to accord with the memories of the folk who have seen it (and are as ancient as me).

 

Photographs show the inside as both painted and unpainted!

 

Needless to say, they got VERY dirty and dented (THAT will be a nice challenge for you all!).

 

Glad to say, the model got a VERY good reception at Bangor.

 

Nice to see some of you, as well, of course!

 

Leslie

[Weshty]

Leslie,

 

that is a stunning looking kit, I may have to get a sample or two just for the collection, even though strictly speaking it won't be able to run on my Mallow layout!

The detail is just joyous. Well done. Some judicious weathering will really do it justice.

[jhb171achill]

Others have commented here on the "duck-egg blue" colour of these yokes.

 

Having had a lifelong interest in liveries, I remember the first time I saw a spoil train "in the flesh", which must have been late '69 or so. The first thing I thought was, "What colour are they? What markings have they?"... As every wagon was so dirty that nothing at all could be discerned.... Dented sides as well, which as pointed out would be some challenge even for the very expert "weatherers" here....

 

See, I lived on the GNR side. Not this strange land of the NCC, where there were no proper goods trains, no "Enterprise" and thus no diesel locos, and what passed as goods was noisy railcars, no two alike, many of which were converted and even non-corridor steam stock, hauling brown vans or CIE vans to Derry! Quainter than fiction, this latter day 5'3" gauge Donegal-method operation....

 

Odd; odd indeed. But what wouldn't we give to see such a CDRJC-inspired collection of railcars, trailing wagons, today! Especially with filthy Jeeps rattling along a scenic shoreline with even filthier spoil wagons!

 

And those of us here who have been witness to more than a certain number of birthdays will reminisce; we thought it would last forever....

 

Just like ICRs today.

 

Hmmm.

Edited April 17, 2014 by jhb171achill

[Dunluce Castle]

[video=youtube_share;ek4iTbCmG6g]

[video=youtube_share;fbr6I-mRo28]http://youtu.be/fbr6I-mRo28

Here's some really fantastic footage of the spoil wagons and powerful jeeps in action, makes me wish I was born then to see them, such atmosphere it's amazing.

[leslie10646]

Others have commented here on the "duck-egg blue" colour of these yokes.

 

Having had a lifelong interest in liveries, I remember the first time I saw a spoil train "in the flesh", which must have been late '69 or so. The first thing I thought was, "What colour are they? What markings have they?"... As every wagon was so dirty that nothing at all could be discerned.... Dented sides as well, which as pointed out would be some challenge even for the very expert "weatherers" here....

 

See, I lived on the GNR side. Not this strange land of the NCC, where there were no proper goods trains, no "Enterprise" and thus no diesel locos, and what passed as goods was noisy railcars, no two alike, many of which were converted and even non-corridor steam stock, hauling brown vans or CIE vans to Derry! Quainter than fiction, this latter day 5'3" gauge Donegal-method operation....

 

Odd; odd indeed. But what wouldn't we give to see such a CDRJC-inspired collection of railcars, trailing wagons, today! Especially with filthy Jeeps rattling along a scenic shoreline with even filthier spoil wagons!

 

And those of us here who have been witness to more than a certain number of birthdays will reminisce; we thought it would last forever....

 

Just like ICRs today.

 

Hmmm.

 

John

 

I reckon the blue is not far off correct. If you look at the photo on Page 33 of Tom Ferris' Irish Railways in Colour you can see a new wagon at the top of a train which looks very blue against the ones behind it which have been in service for a while. On the bottom of the same page is a train of new wagons unloading and they look a very bluey grey.

 

Leslie

[leslie10646]

Nelson

 

Thanks for the link to this wonderful cine film! The commentary is rather wayward, mind you.

 

Those of us who were around then were a blessed generation - born just after the terrible World War; caught the end of real steam (I travelled behind EVERY Class WT, have done eighty with two of them in regular service), travelled behind a Class VS (I think about them every day, it seems); then on moving to England did 10,000 miles behind Bulleid Pacifics (with over a dozen runs with speed in the mid to high nineties - never quite the hundred!); then the end in Germany (eight years of THAT, 10,000 miles in Schleswig Holstein alone) and enjoyed the RPSI right from that first night in September 1964. Then, of course, there were The Kinks, The Stones, The Moody Blues and some lot from Liverpool. I won't mention the rest of it - you may be taller than me, but you're too young!!!!

 

Keep up the modelling and searching out these gems.

 

Leslie