Hornby Wagon Set #R6228-PO04

[Railtwister]

I just obtained the above wagon set (second-hand) and it has prompted me to ask these questions. First, does anyone know when Hornby released this set, it has 3 open wagons, a GWR container wagon with furniture container, and a LowMac depressed flat car? My second question is what are the eras of all these cars, would they possibly have ever been found together in the same train on the prototype? I know the LowMac is a fairly recent prototype, and the container car being lettered for GWR probably predates the BR eras but I’m not completely sure on that. These two cars look to have been originally made by Airfix, is that a correct assumption? Also, how does one determine the era of a particular car if it is not stated on the package or the seller’s website? Are there books that show photos of the various liveries of different cars and when they were used? I am an American who has recently become fascinated by the British Railroads, which seem particularly well-suited for modeling and operating on home layout-sized curves.

Bill in FtL

[LCDR]

It is probable that the whole set of wagons was R1037 from 2003. 

 

The Lowmac wagon as modelled in that set is a Lowmac EU which in real life originated on the LNER before the War as an updated version of similar wagons going back many years. Specially constructed wagons (a class that Lowmacs belonged) were not very numerous and were made in a number of carrying capacities and configurations. They were known as Machinery Wagons intended to carry farm machinery and construction plant on wheels such as combine harvesters and road rollers, and there was two basic versions, one with a very low deck, Lowmac, and another not so low, Hymac. The loads could be driven on and off at an end loading dock over the buffers. All the railway companies had their own versions.Machinery wagons were always four wheelers, eight wheelers were coded  Rectank, after wagons built in the First World War to carry armoured fighting vehicles called tanks.  These were the only low height wagons which could be loaded over the ends.

 

The word 'Lowmac' is the telegraphic class code which was used as a shorthand method of describing the type. The letter code after the code name indicated a version, and a handbook was issued to staff describing the carrying capacity of each type so they could order the correct one for the load to be carried.

 

Here are a few of my photographs.

BR/LNER type Lowmac EP

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BR/GWR type Lowmac WE

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BR/GWR type Lowmac ET

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BR/LMSR Lowmac AB

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To get the lowest loading height some had the deck inset between the side girders although that then limited the width that could be carried. The Lowmac ET illustrates that configuration.

[LCDR]

There are quite a few books but many are now out of print. A useful book about wagons is British Rail Wagons: The First Half Million by Don Rowlands which you may be able to get from Amazon.

 

To find details of models previoiusly made try Ramseys British Model Trains Catalogue, published in two volumes which lists all the model trains sold in the UK with dates and estimated second hand prices.

[walkingthedog]

Great reply, again, LC. British Rail Wagons: The First Half Million is available on Amazon and eBay.

[Ruffnut Thorston]

I believe that the GWR version of the Lowmac was originally coded as Loriot.

 

GWR Special wagons - Lowmac, Loriot W...

 

The GWR had many different Loriots, some with a curved outline. BR rebranded these as Lowmac WN, Lowmac WV, Lowmac WL, Lowmac WR and Lowmac WP. Some were rebuilt for specialist use, such as crane runners.

[/Quote]

 

From...

 

 https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/gwrloriotlowmac

[NWR-Gordon-4]

It sounds as if you bought this wagon pack from Hatton’s Model Railways, as they customise product numbers, by adding ‘-PO’ and then two numbers on the end.

 

The ‘PO’ stands for pre-owned and the number identifies the exact product to send the customer if, they have more than one used example of the product.

 

The product the number of the wagon pack you own railrwister, is R6228 on it‘s own.

 

GNR-Gordon-4 (HF)

[LCDR]

Telegraph code name  'Loriot' applied to both Lowmacs and 4 wheel Flatrols. The Loriot W and Loriot Y were flatrols without the sloping area over the wheels.  Then just to confuse the issue the GWR classified some Lowmacs and Hymacs as 'Hydras'.  Flat topped car carrying wagons were called 'Serpents' at first but later the more prosaic Cartruck. 

 

The LNER used the code Mac, but by the time BR was formed Lowmac and Hymac became the standard  code. 

 

BR used the suffix codes to indicate the owning region rather than the design origin. So the GW design Lowmac WN (the 'curly' Lowmac diagram 2/245 ) which belonged to the Eastern Region were coded Lowmac ET..

[Railtwister]

Thanks for the replies and suggestions, gents. I ordered a copy of the Rowlands book from Amazon, and an older (3rd) edition of the Ramsey’s catalog just to see what it was like, since it was fairly low priced. I saw that Hattons is sold out of the 9th edition, but RofS still has it in stock, but the two volume set is pretty expensive. I’ll gauge if the 3rd edition catalog is useful for my purposes and if so, I can order the latest edition in the future. In the meantime, thanks again.

 

Bill in FtL