CONVERSIONS remain as important a part of rollingstock modelling as kit building and this one is fun to do. Conversions allow the modelling of differences within wagon types and to replicate conversions made by the railways themselves. Bachmann’s ‘OO’ gauge VDA van model provided the basis for several conversion projects including RLA/REA runner wagons and OTA timber carriers with the original VDA van ends. Until Bachmann offered that very type as a ready to run model.
One wagon which remains to be offered on the VDA van underframe is one of the ZCA ‘Sea Urchin’ ballast and spoil wagon types which were built on both the short brake lever type (200xxx number sequence) and the long brake lever type (210xxx number sequence) VDA underframes. It is worth noting that there was a batch of VDA vans equipped with experimental ‘Taperlink’ suspensions numbered 20100-099 which are quite different to the Bachmann model.
Variations exist within the various Sea Urchin wagons seemingly built on the same underframes. When researching the ZCA, be aware that similar wagons were built using the underframes of similar but different wagons, including VAA and VBA air braked vans together with former OAA, OBA and OCA open wagons, yet still coded ZCA Sea Urchin, making the use of reference photographs and records important.
Furthermore, the fleet was added to by EWS – the newer conversions being painted in EWS maroon livery and built on various ex-revenue wagons including SPAs and with different body details. The techniques in this article can be used to model any of the ZCA variants built after the first VDA van conversions.
The prototype
This story is from the June 2020 edition of Rail Express.
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This story is from the June 2020 edition of Rail Express.
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