Bachmann 5-plank China Clay 33-080A
The model was based on 16’ real china clay open wagons with hoods. The latter were a much later addition on the real wagons and on the models are made of stitched light blue canvas. They are kept in shape by a removable moulded plastic frame that fits into the wagon. The models correctly have an 9ft wheelbase as a larger one would not fit the dockside turntable where the wagons were unloaded into ships using their end doors. The wagons with a yellow stripe carried ball clay which was of an inferior quality but some, like this one, had 'BALL CLAY ONLY' branding on their sides.
The original GWR wagons were nearing the end of their life by the 1950s and so BR set in place a programme for their replacement. This involved making batches of them each year between 1954 and 1960 and these were almost identical in design to the original wagons of 1913. Wood had to be used in their construction to avoid rust contaminating the load. This model is in 'weathered' (white) condition and is numbered 'B743802'. The hood carries the English China Clays (ECC) logo.
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