IRM Fert Wagon

[spudfan]

As you know the IRM crowd pride themselves on their attention to detail and model fidelity. So it comes as no surprise that the IRM fertiliser wagon, like it's CIE counterpart utilises plywood in it's construction. So I was wondering what did CIE use to keep their plywood fit for purpose as I'd like to treat my IRM fertiliser wagons with the same stuff. I was thinking of contacting IRM to find out if they intend to sell tins of it as an accessory item.

[murphaph]

Where the doors always plywood? I have seen pictures where the sheeting looks suspiciously metallic. Like galvanised sheet steel. 

[flange lubricator]

14 minutes ago, murphaph said:

Where the doors always plywood? I have seen pictures where the sheeting looks suspiciously metallic. Like galvanised sheet steel. 

As far as I’m aware plywood some of the early ones were steel mesh think wood may have been preferred for corrosion. See 4.20 in this film 

 

[murphaph]

Yeah the pics I mean are from much later Mark. Perhaps the ply was itself substituted later in life, at least in individual cases? I'll have to dig out a couple of the pics but they have all been posted on here I am sure. It could still be ply with just an undercoat applied maybe.

[Mayner]

1 hour ago, murphaph said:

Where the doors always plywood? I have seen pictures where the sheeting looks suspiciously metallic. Like galvanised sheet steel. 

The bogie fertiliser wagons were originally fitted with steel mesh doors and nicknamed "Long Kesh" wagons after the Long Kesh internment camp (Maze Prison) opened in 1972.

Its possible CIE built at least one train of wagons with mesh doors before changing to ply sheeting because the Long Kesh wagon nickname appeared to be common at the time.

The change to sheet metal or ply was likely to have been an attempt to reduce the risk of bags bursting and the wagon becoming unstable in the event of the load shifting, a fairly common problem with wagons carrying palletised loads

[flange lubricator]

1 hour ago, murphaph said:

Yeah the pics I mean are from much later Mark. Perhaps the ply was itself substituted later in life, at least in individual cases? I'll have to dig out a couple of the pics but they have all been posted on here I am sure. It could still be ply with just an undercoat applied maybe.

I think in later years it was always plywood, towards the end of their lives they would appear with doors patched or replaced with plywood unpainted .

[murphaph]

Maybe it was just the unpainted ply silvering that gave me the impression it was metallic.

[flange lubricator]

Warbonnets' picture from page 4 of this thread 

[murphaph]

Pack F sold out now too. Less than 50 units of the other packs remaining. They'll be gone by xmas.

[bufferstop]

I considered very casually preserving one, about 15 years ago, principally because of their location. I took a look at one and I ended up counting 24 or 30 marine ply panels, before I reached anywhere near the end of the wagon. That wasn't including painting them either. Of all wagons, the ferts, would have been a money pit.

 

 

[exciecoachbuilder]

22 hours ago, Mayner said:

The bogie fertiliser wagons were originally fitted with steel mesh doors and nicknamed "Long Kesh" wagons after the Long Kesh internment camp (Maze Prison) opened in 1972.

Its possible CIE built at least one train of wagons with mesh doors before changing to ply sheeting because the Long Kesh wagon nickname appeared to be common at the time.

The change to sheet metal or ply was likely to have been an attempt to reduce the risk of bags bursting and the wagon becoming unstable in the event of the load shifting, a fairly common problem with wagons carrying palletised loads

Hi, I remember that after they changed the mesh on the doors to plywood, they started to have a lot of problems with the runner wheels that the doors slid on because of the extra weight. I recall a few times,  that they would bring in a rake of fertilizers into the carriage for quick running repair, the majority of work being replacing the wheels. The reason for the ferts being brought into the carriage shop, ( because it was not coachbuilding work) is because at that time, the wagon repair shop was just a small area situated within the lifting shop in Inchicore. Also, there were only, as far as I can remember 3 or 4 wagonmakers working there at the time, so they would have been overwhelmed with the amount of work. Eventually, it was decided to do away with the sliding doors, weld plates over the slots where the doors wheeled into, weld the door hinges onto the plates and then you had basically swing doors. There was a lot of body  maintenance on the fertilizers, as the plywood panels were constantly being damaged..... 

[flange lubricator]

2 hours ago, exciecoachbuilder said:

Hi, I remember that after they changed the mesh on the doors to plywood, they started to have a lot of problems with the runner wheels that the doors slid on because of the extra weight. I recall a few times,  that they would bring in a rake of fertilizers into the carriage for quick running repair, the majority of work being replacing the wheels. The reason for the ferts being brought into the carriage shop, ( because it was not coachbuilding work) is because at that time, the wagon repair shop was just a small area situated within the lifting shop in Inchicore. Also, there were only, as far as I can remember 3 or 4 wagonmakers working there at the time, so they would have been overwhelmed with the amount of work. Eventually, it was decided to do away with the sliding doors, weld plates over the slots where the doors wheeled into, weld the door hinges onto the plates and then you had basically swing doors. There was a lot of body  maintenance on the fertilizers, as the plywood panels were constantly being damaged..... 

As always exciecoachbuilder a very informative contribution .

[Darius43]

On 2/12/2022 at 8:04 AM, BosKonay said:

They’re in the UK warehouse, after the BF weekend we should be all caught up today! 

My Ferts arrived today.  Many thanks to all at IRM/IRM(UK)/Accurascale.

Once we get the circuit completed in the shed I can get the 70 Class power car hauling a rake of Fertiliser wagons.

Cheers

Darius

 

[DJ Dangerous]

Lucky bunny here received one or two packs of wagons in the post today...

 

 

[murphaph]

Three of the four packs are now sold out with barely double digits left of the sole remaining pack. 

[DJ Dangerous]

Is it just me, or are the new P42 chassis much tougher than the original runs?

The original run seemed to have their weak spots, the brake wheels in particular were constantly falling off, but these new ones just feel more solid or something.

Did you guys sneak some more work in behind our backs???