by Mel

Having recently done a lot of work on a rake of Hartland chassis goods wagons, I wanted a nice guards van to finish the train off. I came up with a few different ideas, but then I saw IP Engineering's Vale Of Rheidol matchboard van at the Stoneleigh show and couldn't resist buying one. Luckily this van matches the size of the Hartland conversions perfectly.

The prototype was supplied to the VoR in 1923 and was used both in freight and passenger trains (as well as mixed trains of course). The design was so successful that the GWR ordered more in 1937, albeit with windows in the ends rather than duckets (this version is also in the IP range). These guard vans are still in use.

It's been a couple of years since I last built an IP kit and I have to say that they have come on in leaps and bounds during that time. This kit almost fell together, the fit of parts being pretty much perfect. The standard of laser cutting is absolutely outstanding, you only have to look at the unpainted examples of their models in the catalogue or at shows to see the standard of detailing in these modern kits. Another example of this progress are the excellent footboard brackets provided with the VoR van. In the last IP coach kit I built you were given a bag of 1 inch nails to do this job!!

I still have some reservations about the quality of the wheels supplied by IP, but this van has run OK so far and replacement isn't the biggest job in the world.

The van was hand painted using Revell and Humbrol enamels. I hand painted as I was a little concerned that my clumsy spray painting might obscure some of the excellent detailing. The lettering is a mixture of transfers and hand painted. I've wanted to try the Lt Rly idea for some time after seeing photos of the brake vans used by the Cleobury Mortimer & Ditton Priors Light Railway (just up the road from me) that were lettered in this fashion. Finally the whole van received a light weathering using Tamiya acrylic greys and khaki applied via an airbrush.