L&Y Diagram 1 Low Goods Wagon

This simple kit represents an Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Diagram 1 "Low Goods" wagon, a single plank open wagon that saw widespread use on the L&Y throughout its existence. Low Goods wagons made up a significant fraction of L&Y rolling stock throughout its existence, with approximately 3,000 in use in 1850 and nearly 10,000 in 1921. Diagram 1 was the most prolific design, making up in excess of 20% of the wagon fleet throughout their existence, with 7,675 in use in 1921.

This kit is based on the design found in L&Y Drawing 2012, dated 1887, with a wooden underframe and standard 9' wheelbase. The design of the Diagram 1 Low Goods wagon saw only minor modifications, mainly relating to the axle boxes and brake gear, and was still being built to a similar design at the end of the L&Y. A handful of steel underframe wagons were built at various points, but wooden underframes were by far the most common.

Low Goods wagons survived into use with BR in the early 1960s, carrying a range of goods loads. Photographs show the type carrying a variety of large sheeted loads, early LMS containers, folded tarpaulins while returning empty, in use as runner wagons for oversize loads, and converted to match trucks for cranes.

The kit comes as a simple two part assembly, consisting of the wagon underframe and the wagon body. These parts slot together easily and can then be glued in place. Assembly instructions, historical data, and livery suggestions can be found here.

The underframe has two options for brake arrangement. The "brakes same end" version places both handbrake levers at the same end of the wagon, the L&Y's initial response to a requirement for two hand brake levers per wagon. The "brakes right hand end" has a post-1903 arrangement, meeting the new requirement that handbrake levers were always at the right hand side. Most Diagram 3 wagons were built with "same end" brakes, although some were retrofitted at various dates. Occasional retrofitting of vacuum pipes and brakes is also known to have occurred, but fittings for these are not included in the kit.

The underframe also has two variants for the W iron/axlebox arrangement. The "attached" option is ready-to-run with standard pin-point axles - 14.3mm length in N, 26mm length for OO/EM/P4. The "separate" option caters for modellers who wish to provide their own brass W irons, with a cosmetic piece consisting of the axle box and springing provided.

These wagons ran with 8 spoke wheels throughout their life, and should work with widely available ~6mm diameter wheels in N and ~12mm in OO.

Axles and transfers are not included with this kit. L&Y and LMS liveries would be appropriate, depending on the era being modelled.

Optional coupler pockets are provided. In N, standard NEM 355 pockets, in addition to NEM 356/357 couplers. In OO, standard NEM 362 pockets are provided, without couplers.

Historic details for the Diagram 1 wagon are taken from Lancashire and Yorkshire Wagons Volume 1, N. Coates, Wild Swan Publications, and information provided via the L&Y Society website