This twinpack kit is provided with two Peco 10’ chassis, and transfers that cover GWR, LMS (pre and post 1935 style), BR fitted and unfitted, later BR markings with boxed numbers, and a selection of departmental markings. It makes a pair of similar 5 plank open wagons with wooden ends as well as sides, LMS design 1892 and GWR diagram O32. They are 5 ½ standard 7” planks high: to give the extra height the next to bottom plank on the GWR wagons is 11” deep, and on the LMS the top and bottom planks are 9” – this is the only real difference between the two. Both feature the ‘barrow plank’, in which the bottom plank of the door is angled out to make it easier to wheel barrows in and out.
This wagon was the commonest type on BR after mineral wagons. In all nearly 40,000 all-wood opens were built from 1933 to 1950. They were used for goods of all kinds – crates, sacks, planks, barrels, drums, castings, boxes, vegetables – but never coal or other mineral traffic. They frequently had tarpaulins (sheets) over them to protect the load. They are under-represented on most steam era layouts, as until the end of steam they were more common than 12T vans. In 1967 many were reallocated to china clay traffic. Some wagons lasted into the late 70s in revenue use, and they were popular departmental wagons.
Each decals sheet contains enough markings for at least three twin-pack kits for each era (grouping, early BR, late BR, Departmental use).
