Bachmann 394-085 Ffestiniog Railway Passenger Brake 3rd Coach Number 8 in Crimson & Cream livery - OO9 Scale

Three bogie luggage vans entered traffic with the Ffestiniog Railway between 1873 and 1876, the bodies for which were built by Brown, Marshall & Co. and these were fitted with bogies and brake gear at the railway’s own Boston Lodge works. Known at the time as ‘Turtle Roof Vans’ owing to their uniquely shaped roofs, but now commonly termed ‘Curly Roof Vans’, each van comprised a guard’s compartment with end platform, a large luggage compartment and a small compartment for dogs.

Of the three original vans, numbered 1-3, No. 1 was broken up in 1921 and No. 3 suffered the same fate at the dawn of the preservation-era Ffestiniog Railway in 1955. Van No. 2 however was rebuilt in 1920/1, receiving a new body which incorporated two third class passenger compartments in place of the dog compartment. The resulting van retained its guard’s compartment and external platform but had a reduced luggage compartment and was built with a conventional curved roof. Van No. 2 was later renumbered to No. 10 and has subsequently carried both numbers at various points in history – the vehicle remains in service today, currently as No. 10.

With no surviving ‘Curly Roof Van’ to the original design, in 2004 a replica of Van No. 1 was built thanks to the support of a generous sponsor. The replica van sports all the hallmarks of the originals, including the wide handrails with curved side rails fitted to the guard’s platform. The same pattern of handrail was carried by the original vans, although an alternative narrower version with straight side rails is also known to have been fitted to Van No. 3, and possibly others.

Model

1:76 Scale model of a Brake Third coach decorated in Ffestiniog Railway livery. This model features lots of expertly applied details as based on the prototype, a high level of body detail and excellent running characteristics.

Features

• 1:76 Scale Model
• NEM Couplings
• Highly Detailed Finish
• Vehicle is Preserved
• Pristine Crimson & Cream livery
• Running No. 8
• Profiled Metal Wheels with Curved Spokes

Specifications

Measurements