Minerva Model Railways announce the production of a series of fine-scale RTR, injection-moulded 0 gauge models of the Great Western Railway (GWR) MINK wooden-bodied goods van in 7mm scale (1:43.5, for 32mm standard gauge). It follows Minerva’s successful GWR MINKS, Gunpowder vans and Opens
The Great Western Railway built a huge number of vans of different sizes, designated eventually by the Code V and they became widespread throughout the United Kingdom.
Minerva’s models will depict a total of 3 different diagrams, to be released over the next 12 months, the first becoming available in the spring of 2021( Covid permitting). Fitted with DC3 brake-gear, some went on to be vacuum fitted and many survived into the early British Railways period.
The model will include optional vacuum cylinders, vacuum pipes and tie bars for the W irons, with DC3 brake gear.
Three diagrams will be available initially, the V4 as per the CAD drawing below, V12 with the end vents in the closed position and V14 with the twin end bonnets.
It will be available in three liveries: 1903 Great Western, 1923 GW and British Railways unfitted. Different numbers for each livery will be offered.
The models feature a plastic injection-moulded body and chassis, metal-tyred wheels on shouldered axles fitted in compensated axle-boxes, sprung buffers and hook draw-gear with three-link couplings. A removable steel ballast weight is clipped to the floor to ensure good running.
All versions will be £48.00 each plus £4 carriage per order. Orders for five or more vans will be £45 each. The first release is expected to be in Spring 2021 as tooling is already well advanced.
The models will only be available direct from Minerva Models via mail and telephone order or the Minerva website.
Advance orders are being taken, a purpose designed form is available to download at https://www.minervamodelrailways.co.uk/how-to-order/ or below
Further information is available from the Minerva Models website www.minervamodelrailways.co.uk and you can follow us on Facebook. You can also contact us via e-mail to sales@minervamodelrailways.co.uk or telephone 02920 531246
As there is a special offer if we go for 5 or more, will there be any different numbers as per some of the other models please?
Have just seen that two alternative number available on the downladable order form, so thanks and the order is on the way!
hello, hope you’re well. looking forward to these. the one photo you’ve posted is of the smaller V5 by the way. can see several possibilities for modification. when you get round to doing ballast wagons on this chassis, how about P15 rather than P14, as there are already 2 kits of that diagram. best wishes
Well spotted Martin
It is the only photo I could find showing the lack of vents…..
As for P15 ballast wagons, Minerva have never announced items that we intend to produce many years from now :-))))
The GWR wooden body / steel underframe covered wagon is a nice choice and I shall be ordering in multiples as I did with the covered iron wagons. For those who order five of the same wagon diagram then one may expect reasonably to have each wagon with a different number. When I collected the iron vans from the late Chris K I was given ten wagons with the same number and an apology for the pending effort required to remove the printed details.
regards, Graham
Hi Graham
Sadly it is not possible to produce 5 different numbers for each livery, as this would lead to overstocking. We will produce a minimum of two different numbers for each livery, possibly 3, but on the first batch, this is as many as we can do. We will of course do different numbers if and when we do a second run.
Best wishes
Chris
I see the V4 was made with two different heights 12ft 2 3/4 ins rail to roof and 11 8 3/4 ins. Which height are you planning to produce please?
The 11’8 3/4″ height is the one we have gone with, but even this seems to have up to a couple of inches difference.
I wish you well with this project and look forward to the vans being produced. However the whole subject of GWR vans seems extremely complicated with variations within diagrams not to mention in service modifications during their long lives. Most noticeable differences I have found so far are ventilators, which you are obviously aware of, and axleboxes.
You are going to have to be careful to find running numbers that match your particular wagon. In particular my understanding is that all V14 were vacuum braked and that V16 was the unfitted version. Are the BR unfitted livery vans going to have V16 numbers instead of V14?
(Source John Lewis article in Great Western Railway Journal)
Thank you Andrew.
We are offering optional vacuum brake gear, together with tie bars on all variants, as it appears that this was often added in later life, and occasionally removed as well! We will try and ensure that appropriate numbers are placed on the models.