Tyne & Wear Metro brake van B954553. This van was experimentally rebodied by BR in 1975 but was not a succes and was sold to T&W PTE in 1979 for use on engineering trains on the Metro system. The model started of as a Bachmann flush sided van with modifications to the roof and vestibule doors. As a diagram 1/507 van long oleo buffers and hooded roller bearing axleboxes were also required.

Two medfits from the Parkside kit. One is built as per the kit but the other runs on a Parkside LMS pattern clasp brake underframe. Both are loaded with spoil and run in the T&W engineering train.

T&W PTE no.15. Formerly vacuum braked bogie bolster D B927478 this wagon had the sides and bolsters removed and was used as an open flat wagon on the Metro system. A Cambrain BDA kit was modified with vacuum brake gear, lever handbrakes and David & Lloyd bogies. The lack of any load restraining equipment is quite prototypical and more 'rubbish' will be added soon.

Two rebodied HTV coal hoppers converted from Airfix/Dapol wagons. The wagon on the left was featured on the contents page of Rail Express Modeller magazine.

Another two HTVs, once again converted from Airfix/Dapol hoppers. The one on the left is in original condition while the right hand one is a rebuild. Dave Bradwell etches were used for the door operating levers and the handrail stanchions.

Two VEAs from the Parkside kit. The one on the left represents an early conversion in freight maroon while the one on the right is a later conversion in the much more common red/grey livery. The only mods to these kits was the replacement of the door handles with 0.33mm wire, the removal of the end label boards on the maroon one, and the addition of MJT buffers heads.

RBX runner van made from a Triang VIX ferry van that I picked up the DEMU showcase a couple of years ago for two quid. Most of the work on this van involved gouging big holes in the chassis to make room for Bill Bedford sprung W irons, refining the rather chunky Triang detail and removing and replacing the sliding door apparatus.

Another VIX. This time a new Hornby van was used and has all the mods that were done to the Triang van. A full body repaint was avoided and the body only required touching in where new parts had been added

Another early style VDA in bauxite livery. This one has a representation of the black rubber rainstrip that was fitted to some vans to keep the rain out.

This VDA is from the later batches with the exposed door hinges and carries Railfreight red/grey livery.

One of the fleet of VDAs used on the Rowntrees chocolate traffic. This one is in freight maroon and has the characteristic white roof that was intended to keep the chocolate load cool.

Rountrees VDA. Our VDA fleet is built from Hornby bodies running on scratchbuilt resin cast chassis. All are compensated with MJT internal rockers and have etched brass handbrakes from Colin Craig

This VDA represents one of the later batches and has modified hinges on the outer doors.

This VDA is from a batch of 20 that were built with clasp brakes. All of this batch including 'whitey' was used on the Rountrees chocolate traffic.

Diagram 1/503 brake van based on the Airfix/Dapol/Hornby LMS brake van. Weight boxes between the wheels, brake gear in line with the wheels and 0.33mm wire handrails are the main ingredients in this conversion. A good article on these vans by Ian Fleming was featured in the July 1996 edition of British Railway Modelling

A standard diagram 1/507 brake van from a Bachmann donor. Roller bearing axleboxes, long oleo buffers, new rainstrips and battening around the lookout duckets were the extent off the work on this example. The Bachmann plastic handrails look terrible and really need to be changed for wire ones.

Diagram 1/506 brake van based on the Bachmann example. Plating of the veranda ends, battening around the lookout duckets and new rainstrips were all that was required for this van. Although I've replaced the handrails with wire I've used 0.45 mm diameter wire which is too big. This needs replacing with 0.33mm dia wire instead.

Another 1/507 brake van in Railfreight red/grey livery this time. Roller bearing axleboxes, long oleos and replacement rainstrips are the only modifications here and only the roof and underframe have had to be painted.

Diagram 1/477 bogie bolster C modified from the Mainline/Bachmann bolster. Scratchbuilt bolsters, lever handbrakes, vacuum brake gear and Cambrian Davis & Lloyd bogie sides on A1 frames are the main elements of this conversion. Buffers are ABS Oleos bored out and sprung with 51L 16" heads. I have some 51L stanchion pins to add along with the load restraining chains. As the wagon is vac braked I should really add a lamp bracket too.

Unique white VDA 200987. Rather luckily, the decals for this van were on an old set of Woodhead decals which I had tucked away.