Rail Express – September 2019

Abrand-newmodel of the 102t TEA bogie tankwagon

with Gloucester bogies has beenreleased in ‘N’gaugeby

Bachmann, sold under its GrahamFarish label.

End platforms and ladders are

composed of etched metal and are

fine in appearance. Grabrailsare

shaped from metal wirewhilst the

walkway is made of plastic.

The tooling is completelynew and

brings contemporary levels of finishing

to amodel of acommonwagontype

includingwell modelled brakeequip ment

and afine underframe moulding.

One of the three

models is finished

in ClassAgrey

with Esso and BRT

markings as No. BRT

20062 (BRT84062).

❒

£

GAUGE

N 2mm:1ft ERA

1967-

circa

2010

FEATURES WE LIKE

■Etched end platforms and ladders.

■Gloucester bogieswell represented.

■Underframe detailed with accurate

brak efittings.

■Close coupling cams.

■Finelytooled underframe.

Acloser viewofthe bogies and full width section

of the underframe. The discharge pipe assemblies are

missing thevertic al pipe.

Good models of Gloucester bogies arefitted complete with metal

discwheels. Close coupling cams areintegral with the underframe.

M30 RAIL EXPRESS Modeller September 2019 Supplement No. 185

REVIEWS

TopTEA from

Graham Farish

ABRAND-NEW model of the once
common 102t bogie tankwagonhas
beenprom isedbyGraham Farish for
afew years; with tantal ising images
of th eBachmann ‘OO’gaugemodel in
theGraham Farish catalogue tokeep
‘N’ gaugemodellers inastate of keen
anticipation.
Threeversions of thewagonhave
nowbeen released, includingthe
featuredmodel whichposes as oneof
the BRTTEA and TEB 102t GLWbogie
tankwagons(373-560) .Theywere
built by Norbitt-Pickeringand Metro-
Cammellfor BR Tbetween 1967 and
1968;numbered BRT20000-099 and
subsequently re numbered as BRT84000-

99. Theywereleased to several
    companies including Esso, Phillips
    petroleum and Gulf Oil. The model does
    not represent those BRTwagons of the
    samebasic design whichwere de-lagged
    andotherwise changedtosuit specific
    commodities includingstyrenemonomer.
    Closeexamination of photographs
    of th efull-si ze BRTwagonsshows
    somedetail differences including the
    endladdersand posit ion of th ebrake
    wheels.Essentially, mostdetai lfits well
    includingthe position of dischargepipes,
    andthe lo adinghatches. Underframe
    fittingsare also correctfor thetypeof
    wagonrepresented.Regardingthe Gulf
    Oiland BP versio ns of the model, this
    reviewcannot make anycommenton
    them as no sampleswere re ceived.

Tank barrel
Mostoft he structural strength of the
TEAtankwagon sist hrough thebarrel,
with theunderframe beingusedfor
mounting thebogiesand supporting
brak eequipment.Thebarrel is 18mm
in diameter equating toascale nine
feet in diameter.Itiswellmoulded with
separately fitte ddished ends andneat
fram ingabove the bogiearea of the
underframe.Endladde rs andplatforms
arefitted as etchedmetal parts whilst
thelongwalkway is moulded from
plastic.The joinbetween th ebarrel and
dished endsisalittle too pronounced
eventhough thewelded join on the
full si ze wagons is bein gexploitedasa
natural joinforthe parts.

Underframe
The complexshape of the underframe
member has beenwell tooled and is
fineisappearance.The innersection

is fitted with fine

mouldingsforbrake

cylinders, air tank

andlinkages. The

brak ewheels are

separate fittings

andlocatedtowardsone

endofthe underframe.Tank di scharge

pipes arealso fittedas separate parts

andare neatlymoulded with capdetail

andsupport bracket modelled at the

ends. They aremissing thevertical

linking pipe locatedint he middlewhich

would be connected to the underside

of the tank.

Noteworthy is thecorrect taper

of thesolebars where theyangle out

from the inner membersto the full

widthframingoverthe bogies which

have the comple xdropinboardof

the headstocks. Headstocksare the

correctshape and fitted withgood

representations ofovalbuffers. Air

pipes and coupling hooksare supplied in

the boxfor the modeller to fit.

Bogiesand couplings

Gloucesterbogies arefitted,with a

resemblance to the Mk.3 t ype. Spring

detail is nicelytooledand theframing

hasthe correct shapetoo.Brake

shoesare moulded as partoft he bogie

side frames, just inboardgiving the

impressionofbeing linedupwith the

wheels.They arepartial ly alignedwith

the metalwheels whichwere found to

roll smoothlyint he bogies. The outer

face of the wheels ha sahint of abrake

disceventhough theyare paintedblack.

Closecouplingcams are

incorporatedint he underframe and are

sprung lightly enough to bereasonably

smooth in their operation. NEM 355

coupling pocketsare fitted with

standard‘N’ gaugecouplingswhich

coul dbeexchangedforfixedbars when

running thewagonsinablock rake.

Finishing

The livery appliedtothe reviewmodel

is Class Agreywith redsolebarsand

adorned with Essoand BRTmarkings.

No TOPS panel is appliedand the

wagonisnumberedasNo. BR T20062

indicating thatit represents thewagon

earlierini ts working life.The markings

aresharp and legible,particularly

on thesolebars includingthe ‘Earth

Here’labels.Aslightl ysoftedgewas

detected on the longred band and there

wasasmudge on th eedgeofone of

the Esso logos.Ith as aneggshell finish

readyfor some dirtyinguptomatch the

trulyoilyconditionofmanyBRT TEAs

operated in the1970 sand 1980s.

Whilst notevery difference

between theTEA/ TEB wagons canbe

incorporated in an off-the-shelf model,

it le avessome scopefor modellers to

detailand adapt to bettermatchthe

BRTwagonsit is intendedto represent.

Forits part, Bachmanncould tool the

otherbogie typesfoundunder many

60ft ClassATEAssuchasESC and David

&Lloyd bogies.Makingthebogies and

wheelsavailableassparepartswould

furt herhelpmodellersand beabenefit

to thehobby.

Finall y, issuingmorethan one

number per livery in anygiven catalogue

would b ewelcomedby modellers

wanting to assemble long blockrakes.

RRP £42.95.

Producedby Bachmann Europe

http://www.bachmann.co.uk