No. 167 ‘D’ for Downhill and for Fruit ‘D’
The summer weather has disappeared so an incentive to spend time on railway matters. This Post was initiated by the purchase of a Dapol Fruit D van.
One of Mr Dapol’s Fruit D vans
Over the last twelve months I have been imagining a Welsh themed layout. What better for inspiration but to follow Katerfelto’s pictures on Flickr https://flic.kr/ps/SokUv. I was fascinated by one particular picture which featured an ex GWR Fruit D in the process of being shunted between passenger trains.
Apparently a major source of the old GWR's parcels traffic was market garden produce. Small growers would take their fresh produce and load it into a van at the local station. The vans would then be moved speedily to market at the larger towns and cities. To cater for the fresh produce the GWR provided vans with additional ventilation slats in their sides to allow cool air to circulate. The vans could be attached to passenger trains. The GWR used the telegraphic code ‘Fruit’ for these vans. The ‘D’ suffix referred to in this Post indicates that the wagon was one of the 28ft 6ins designs, being the last and largest fruit vans built by the GWR. As built they were fitted with gas lighting and with removable galvanised wire trays to carry the fruit boxes. A final batch of vans was constructed in the 1950s under British Railways. These later vans were fitted with electric lighting. The vans were vacuum braked with through steam pipes enabling them to be marshalled in front of passenger coaches – hence the designation ‘Passenger’ painted on the side of the vans beneath the designation Fruit D.
I read the words ‘Market Garden’! My Grandfather owned a Market Garden. As a youngster I spent time picking peas, beans and much else. Growing tomatoes, soft fruit, vegetables and cut flowers in the 1950s and 60s involved long hours and hard work. I think I can understand the worry and effort that would have gone into sending produce to market. My Grandfather did not take his produce to market. Instead he combined his market gardening with the collection and delivery of eggs from farm to packing station and then to shops and canteens which provided an opportunity to sell his own produce. I have an old print of him with his ‘new to him’ Austin K8 Three-Way van. “Three-Way” – because it had rear doors, side doors and access inside from the cab.
So far so good. I would buy one (or two) of Mr Dapol’s Fruit D vans.
My stations don’t have names but from the Main Station there is a single track branch which goes via a ‘Halt’ and a ‘Junction’ to what used to be the Branch Terminus which has a Bay Platform – ideal for parking and loading a Fruit D.
Dapol Fruit D in the bay waiting for produce
The Branch is served by a couple of B Sets hauled by a variety of small engines; Earls, 43xx, and Ivatts. The Main Station has a couple of long bay platforms which would be ideal for unloading and storing the Fruit Ds.
Dapol Fruit Ds unloaded and awaiting next turn
However there was an issue!
The layout is around 15 years old and wood dries and moves. Whilst the Main Station looks level the framing has obviously sagged between the supporting legs resulting in a gradient at the end of the platform sidings.
What to do?
Re-engineering the timber support framework was not thought practical. What about a mechanism to stop the wagons rolling down and away from the buffer stops? Could I couple the trucks to the buffer stops? I have a variety of spare couplings, some screw on and some for NMRA sockets. Perhaps I could glue a coupling to the buffer stop? I then remembered that I had replaced some bogies on my Bachmann Mk1s. The Bachmann bogies (39-005A) are distributed so that they can be used with or without a close coupling mechanism. I already had the close coupling mechanism and I didn’t need the cranked bracket and coupling that came with the bogies. As luck would have it the bracket was a perfect height to slot into the platform behind the buffer stops (modified Peco).
Bachmann B1 BR Mk1 bogies (39-005A) showing surplus bracket and coupling
My platforms are constructed with a base of ½ inch MDF and a balsa wood top. I was able to use a small screw driver to form the necessary slot in the balsa wood with no disturbance to the rest of the structure. Brilliant!
Forming a slot
The bracket and coupling are a push fit
Buffer stop back in place
What should have been a very quick operation was unfortunately prolonged. I was using the vacuum cleaner to remove the balsa wood shavings and inadvertently sucked up one of the fire buckets from the station building. I was then delayed by a good half hour whilst I rummaged through the cleaner bag and recovered the wayward bucket.
Fire buckets – back from their holidays.
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