Match wagon for Graham Farish Class 03 Shunter

Match Wagon with Class 03 Shunter

Class 03 shunters were frequently coupled to match wagons, it seems to increase the apparent length of the shunter to ensure that they operated track detection systems. Some examples of the match wagon in use are shown in the photos in the links below. It is clear that there is no single design of match wagon and they were probably produced by each depot from an old wagon, usually a Conflat A or L.

A fairly common feature is painting of wasp stripes on the ends and sometimes on the sides. The all-over wasp stripes (e.g. this photo), I find particularly ugly and I decided to go for the type used in Newcastle which has wasp stripes only on the end.

The model

The basis of the wagon was a Peco kit (KNR-20) for a Conflat A with container. The kits are inexpensive and easy to put together. In this case, the container was not needed. The underframe was painted in matt black and then weathered with an earth colour acrylic paint(from a testpot). The body was originally painted in BR bauxite, but some research on the internet showed that the colour was probably darker but very weathered. I therefore toned down the bauxite on the top with track colour paint.

The wasp stripes on the ends were produced from a photo of the end of the 03 Shunter. This was rescaled and printed out on ordinary (80gm2) paper. A strip was cut out to cover the end of the wagon body from the area in the centre that was free from windows, handrails, etc. A second print gave the strip for the other end. These strips were fixed with Johnsons Klear to the body. The image below is what I used and can be copied for your own use.

Waspstripes

The sides have a wagon number on the left, a notice in the centre generally giving the restriction of use and numbers on the right giving the weight. An image was designed in Paint Shop Pro as shown below.

Side

I tried printing on paper but the definition of the text was inadequate. I then printed out on matt photo card which was better and cut the sides to fit. They were glued to the sides with multipurpose glue after some of the detail had been sanded off to make it flat. The white edges of the card were painted in bauxite to match the colour of the sides.

Match wagon for class 03

Weathering

The underframe components were given a coat of dirt/rust with an earth-like colour (Nutmeg - a Wilkinsons Testpot).

References

Photographs of Class 03 Match wagons. Note that, in most cases, the photographer has concentrated on the 03 shunter so the match wagon may not be fully represented.

More images of type used in Newcastle Area

Article dated: 14/01/2013