GWR Loriot W (G41 / BR D.900-902) Engineers' well wagon

Unusual design of well wagons used by the Permanent Way Dept. Includes "buffing struts" (not shown).

PROTOTYPE: there were two of the GWR wagons which were a slightly altered version of the G.27 wagons built in 1931 (Nos. 41987 & 88).

The original wagons had the sloped part of the end plates continued down to the floor, rather than the "cranked' style of the later wagons. The G.27 wagons also had D/C brake levers.

Modelling these wagons requires only altering the end plates with plasticard strip & fitting D/C levers (not supplied). 

The wagons built by British Railways were built in 4 batches. D.2/900 - DB998000-002 in 1949, DB998003-005 in 1951; and D.2/902 - DB998007-010 in 1957 and DB998011-012 in 1958.

The two BR diagrams are said to refer to whether there were buffing struts or not. Some of the BR wagons certainly had brackets for these, but were photographed without the struts. The load that could be carried was 20tons (distributed) or steam rollers/traction engines up to 15tons.

(The reduced load without struts is unreadable on the GWR drawing). The GWR wagons would have carried the wire rope style of excavator (a photo shows one of these tracked diggers with a wooden 'body' and the arm/bucket resting on a pile of sleepers on the end platform).

BR wagons in later years carried hydraulically operated diggers & bulldozers such as Drotts (bulldozer / front loader) and 360° diggers of the Hymac type (580C). At least two wagons (e.g. DB998010) had extra posts fitted on one platform to prevent sideways movement of the digger arm. DB998001/002 (ZXP) and DB998007/009 (ZVP) survived beyond 1994, and may have been used after 2000.

Alan Gibson Wheels compatible : 12mm 8 spoked, 12mm 3-hole