End handrails and fillers
Heather Kay
Western Thunderer
I distinctly remember the fuel bowsers like the one you are building.
Thank you for the kind words, Ian. Sadly, for various reasons, the refueller has been moved to the Shelf of Doom for a while. It may be finished one day, but not right now.
Finally, the mojo returned, sufficiently refreshed that I could begin to construct the end handrails and fillers. It’s a slow old job, because each installation is bespoke, not helped by my past self neglecting to work it all out before getting to the stage current self is at. The story of my life.
Here’s one of the BTK van end installations. Things are always complicated because of my removable roof fetish. You’ll be pleased to know the handrail does unclip from the roof.
And this is the other end of the same coach. As built, a poor railway worker armed with either watering cans or a hose had to clamber up on to the roof and fill the WC header tank. From my reading, after Mr Bulleid took over and as these coaches went through the works, the end handrails were converted to pipes so the tank could be filled from ground level. Anyone familiar with the BR Mk1 installation will instantly spot the similarities. Thanks to the SREmG web site, there is a fairly clear image along a preserved coach roof that shows how the modifications were made, and I’ve attempted to make it look about right. The split so the roof can be removed falls on the support blocks up by the tank.
I think it looks okay, and will look better once painted. Now all I have to do is repeat this lot twice more, and then four sets of pipes for the compo. I may be a while.