After watching a British Railways Transport film on shunting freight, I was struck by the fact that these Southern Railways brakevans wandered all over the network in the 1950s, ideal for a layout that didn’t favour the southern part of the country.

The van ride it is well documented was very bad, noisy, cramped and above all dismal, due to a lack of window space, but they did have good brakes, eventually. Southern Railways Wagons Vol. 4 published by OPC tells the full story.

I had noticed that, disappointingly, there wasn’t any other diagrammed version of this model in 7mm scale available. They all represented right hand lookout duckets. I decided to convert the only available model kit, which is in plastic by Parkside Dundas and is the right-hand ducket version, to this diagram. However, there is a similar diagrammed RTR vehicle available from Dapol although it has a number of small inaccuracies and is also more expensive than the kit. A different and better and more accurate version can be attained with a little patience and enjoyment by kit building. To convert the Parkside Dundas kit to a left hand ducket was too difficult, which is the one I preferred so I had to settle for a compromise. I also wanted to convert it to a through vacuum version, thus necessitating a change in diagram number to Diagram 1582. An increase of an additional inside end window gave the interior a rosier view on life no doubt. The vacuum pipe to the guard’s release valve is positioned vertically up one side of the van. These vans’ builds dated from the end of 1947 to the end of 1948 and were unevenly planked which is a (2+2) pattern and were also devoid of any sandboxes from their inception. They also had a modified form of brake gear designed to evenly pull up on all eight brake blocks, a great improvement on the previous designs. Some, it has been noted, were a ton or two lighter in tare weight than the rated amount, but this model S 55659 is just 1cwt below the 25t ‘correct’ figure. It was built in mid 1948 and ran until late 1967.

Once this has been satisfactorily completed, the A Southern Pillbox A conversion study on the Southern Railways Brake Van, Diag.1579. extra end windows in the end cab inside walls have to be measured up and small holes are drilled just under the dimensioned window size in order to aid the cut through the surface of the plastic. Incidentally, the plastic that Parkside make their kits from is a soft version and thus makes it easier to cut. This is tidied up with a fine file. See Photo 1. Now, the centre brake linkage system has to be made up and attached. The best drawing that shows the positioning of the brake levers, cranks and rods is available in OPC’s Southern Wagons, vol.4, on page 97, figure 47. Working from this, the positioning of the brake linkage can be ascertained. Before this is marked up on the under-floor, the two existing moulded troughs must be filed off to allow for the re-siting Photo 1. Scrawker and sides with 2+2 planking. A new frame is made up around the window together with a new vertical centre piece or mullion on the right hand window. (Evergreen 142 – 1.0mm x 1.0mm, and the window framing from Evergreen 103 – 0.25mm x 1.5mm strip), using double strip for the horizontal frame and a single strip for the vertical frame. This should leave a smooth surface to the frame. In fact if you’re careful with your cutting, you can eliminate the need to build in the mullion and cut next to the kit’s mullion representation. Again, see Photo 1.

Cut the plastic card packing larger than the buffer mounting plate, 6 x 11mm should suffice. Mark the centre of the card through the buffer housing centre. Drill a 1.5mm hole at this centre. Gradually enlarge it with substantially larger drills, so as not to split it, with the largest hole being 4.1mm. Attach the packing to the mounting plate rear and trim around accordingly. See Photo 2.

Now, the centre brake linkage system has to be made up and attached.

The best drawing that shows the positioning of the brake levers, cranks and rods is available in OPC’s Southern Wagons, vol.4, on page 97, figure 47.

Working from this, the positioning of the brake linkage can be ascertained. Before this is marked up on the under-floor, the two existing moulded troughs must be filed off to allow for the re-siting and attachment of two more cranked cross shaft brackets, part 42. See Photo 2. This makes four in all. Extras are to be made up or obtained from Parkside. Their end positioning of these brackets is 17mm from the left hand wheel well on one side and 31.2mm the other.

The two cross shaft cranks have to be modified by cutting and rounding off one end and then inserting the cross shaft through the large hole on part 42. The double linkage brake screw levers are modified from part 41, removing the screw on this part. Two of these are now formed and glued to two cranks with the screw shaft vertically protruding into the body floor after having made a suitable hole. See Photo 2. I know this sounds complicated but it is clarified when viewed in the photo.

Now came a problem. Whilst ‘guessing’ where the brake assembly was positioned and already fixed, I came to realise that this was not its true position because when the brakeman’s pipe bent under the solebar it came up against this assembly and couldn’t possibly lead to the vacuum pipe running the length of the chassis. There are sadly no drawings of this assembly and since it was a modification at the time by SR/BR, they were probably used and then destroyed. So the shafts were shortened and the end mounts repositioned the other side of the vacuum pipe, which seems more logical to me.

A ‘D’ shaped BR vacuum pipe of your choice is now added to each of the buffer beams. Since this is a through vacuum system, the beam pipes are placed directly opposite each other. Although I used pipes made from ABS, (becoming more and more difficult to obtain), these are white metal castings and as such are quite brittle. So I advise lost wax or brass examples which are more expensive but more durable. 1/16th brass piping is now laid between beam pipes. Again, see Photo 2.

The brakeman’s pipe to the brake gear is now positioned down one side, opposite to where the brake gear is mounted below the cab and nearest to the through vacuum pipe. This is made up from both lost wax and plastic or brass tubing parts, so long as the pipe looks the part. I used brass tubing 1/16th or 1.6mm, 28.9mm in length.

I was at first at a loss as to where I could obtain a suitable part to simulate the elbow joints that are present on both the top and bottom of the pipe. I was looking through the loss wax parts list that Laurie Griffin publishes on the internet and came across a loco vacuum pipe hose (part# 32-010) that fitted the bill by cutting off each elbow joint on the hose and boring a hole in one end and soldering a brass peg on the end to take the tube piping. This was repeated on the base end of the pipe after suitably cutting the pipe to length, 28.9mm, but adding a peg to both elbowed ends. See Photo 2.

Another pipe leads to the vacuum pipe from this joint, butting in at a right angle once the vacuum pipe is fitted. Remember, this vehicle is through vacuum-fitted and as such has no vacuum cylinder, as there is a through vac. pipe to add. This runs from each end of the buffer beam and has a connection via a ‘T’ junction to the brakeman’s cut off pipe, as has previously been mentioned. The cab can now be attached to the frame and the side pipe can now be attached to the through vacuum pipe See Photo 3. When fixing the roof, this must have the chimney on the same side as the brake man’s vacuum pipe.

The vehicle of course has to be painted in BR bauxite with black sole bars and buffer beams, correct for this diagram and period but, as usual, there were always variations. Some vehicles sported a cream coloured top half to the door/window panel wall.

Differing surface accruements are visibly prominent on many vehicles. This can also apply to the two roof vents. Some were typically Southern with flattening rounded tops and others were more of the LMS and LNER design with a much more rounded top. Again, photos are essential.

Before adding the vents and guttering, I covered the virgin roof with a layer of gloss dark grey or black paint and, before it dried, I added a sheet of 1 ply plain tissue paper cut roughly to roof size and tamped down. This will adhere to the surface as the gloss surface paint will take longer to dry. When all is dry, the surplus tissue is trimmed around the roof edges and the roof can now be painted with matt dark roof grey. I think this gives a better and more life-like surface as you can add the odd slight wrinkle that is so often seen.

The guttering and ventilators can now be added with your usual liquid poly and painted at the same time. Also, please note the positioning and number of the lamp irons. There are usually three positioned on the outside wall but this can vary and again photos are a necessity. In addition, there are always two permanently at each end on the vertical cabin stanchions.

In order to help strengthen the fragile bottom steps, I added a piece of brass wire suitably bent to size and shape. This was fixed into the chassis base and glued to the undersides of the bottom step, in line with the vertical step supports and out of sight.

I have deliberately not added a number to the works solebar plate, as often these were indistinguishable due to heavy general weathering.

One of the last touches is to add screw link couplings, although some vehicles in later life seemed to be fitted with instanters. Again, those photos are needed. I used a new addition to the ever increasing range of O gauge bits, namely Dapol 7A-000-004, 5 pairs of screw link couplings. These are already somewhat blackened straight out of the packet and are very nicely detailed. Remember, this is a through vacuum version.

Roof guttering appears to differ with each van I have seen. Some slope towards the front and others away; much later there were examples of no guttering at all. It all depends on what happened whilst in the shop when an overhaul was completed. Photographs of your chosen subject are a must. In this case, mine slope away from the front … but I must ‘brake’ here!

Parkside Dundas kits are now part of the Peco range and are now known as Parkside Models by Peco.
Photo 3 Diag. 1582 front and Diag. 1579 rear.