Garden Railway Forum

The train is running well.
All that it still needs is a matching brake van.
I have already made another RCH type chassis, but what should go on top to match the loco and other wagons?







Ideas, Plans, suggestions welcome.

Scrat wrote: Sat Jun 27, 2026 6:42 pm The train is running well.
All that it still needs is a matching brake van.
I have already made another RCH type chassis, but what should go on top to match the loco and other wagons?

....

Ideas, Plans, suggestions welcome.

Hmmm. You got me wondering with that Q. I didn't recall seeing a brake in Hornby's collection of L&M stock. Railways and braking obviously were in their infancy and I wondered if there were actually any dedicated vehicles at all? Wikipedia, so hardly authoritative but https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brake_van suggests no there weren't any, brakes only came in in the 1840s.

But ... Tiger notwithstanding, the wagons are much more modern. Even if you replaced the car with a horse drawn carriage. I'd suggest you pick a brake van from a pre-Grouping company or even Big Four that you like the look of and repaint/retransfer with your company's initials. Go for cute and quirky!

PS - maybe something like https://rapidotrains.co.uk/lbsc-4-wheel ... rake-vans/ or https://www.kernowmodelrailcentre.com/p ... R-Road-Van?

Whilst not a brake van, I built an early TPO van to go with my own early 1800's set, which has exterior seat for a riding guard.

Thanks for the answers.
I am aware that the wagons are more modern than the loco.
Morton brake was made mandatory for private owner wagons by RCH about 1920 if I am correct.

So my thoughts are on the one mentioned here:

https://www.olddevonport.uk/Railways-Pl ... ompany.htm

What do you think about this one?

Petersfield wrote: Sat Jun 27, 2026 8:27 pm ...Even if you replaced the car with a horse drawn carriage. ...

This tinplate car has a story of its own. It is a Citroen 11BL.
I bought it many years ago as a load for my GWR Loriot. It had that job until being replaced by a steam tractor.



In September 2024, another "model" of this car turned up in my garage:


Citroen 11BL, 1955, 1911 ccm, 57 hp

Is that fate?

Scrat wrote: Sun Jun 28, 2026 9:55 am Thanks for the answers.
I am aware that the wagons are more modern than the loco.
Morton brake was made mandatory for private owner wagons by RCH about 1920 if I am correct.

So my thoughts are on the one mentioned here:

https://www.olddevonport.uk/Railways-Pl ... ompany.htm

What do you think about this one?

It looks fine to me. Suitably 'vintage' and different. Though I have to say I'm taken with Mr B's Royal Mail van too! One of each?

Scrat wrote: Sun Jun 28, 2026 10:01 am

Petersfield wrote: Sat Jun 27, 2026 8:27 pm ...Even if you replaced the car with a horse drawn carriage. ...

This tinplate car has a story of its own. It is a Citroen 11BL.
I bought it many years ago as a load for my GWR Loriot. It had that job until being replaced by a steam tractor.

In September 2024, another "model" of this car turned up in my garage:

Citroen 11BL, 1955, 1911 ccm, 57 hp

Is that fate?

It sometimes feels that way. I like both the load and haulage!