It’s a Peco, don't you recognise it?

Whilst reading my well thumbed copy of the first ‘Freight Only’ Annual I stumbled upon a photo I’d paused on previously. A class 37 is reversing a rake of open wagons into a limestone quarry in County Durham, nothing too unusual - but the wagons themselves are unfamiliar…

Yet also familiar… as if straight out of the pages of the Peco catalog. A mixed bag of original height and cut-down hybar ferry opens - and more, painted in Railfreight flame red and grey! Further research produced a TOPS code (OJA/OJX) and Paul Bartlett had some photos… these opens had found use on various traffic but these examples seemed to see out their days on agricultural lime traffic to Scotland, via Speedlink. Perhaps I could justify one for Paxton Road… the rabbit hole had reached a buildable conclusion…

What you’re looking at, at a raw component level is a Peco KNR-10 and a rather lovely Coventry Railworks 15ft chassis. Will’s first product, an upgrade to these old kits is well designed, well manufactured item crafted with a drive for quality - in both aspects. This rolls on some equally lovely Mosskito 3 hole disc wheels and is finished off with DG couplings and a sprinkling of scratchbuilt detail.

The biggest job was cutting the body down for this example - performed, carefully, with an Expo tools razor saw in my old Exacto handle. The strengthening ribs were also cut out of the inside and the hybar fittings cut off, filled and smoothed. Once mated with the chassis I added door bangers and tie downs with etched brass fret scraps. Paint followed my usual methods, primer, hand mixed shades applied by airbrush. Most of the decals are Fox from various sheets, the TOPS panels I drew up and had custom made especially for the project. 

The weathering started with 98/33 wash, but once thoroughly dry I used 28 to simulate the lime load and staining… note this also is evident on the top surface of the buffer shanks, careless loading or overspill?

The final result is curious - I’ve no evidence of how or where these travelled in Speedlink, and it’s certainly something a little different. As a prototype it reminds me of the MODs ODA opens, another wagon I’d like to tackle at some point. For now though, I’ll enjoy this unique model in shunting sessions on my tiny slice of Scottish Speedlink… creation itself the journey and destination. Until next time, more soon…

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