Bachmann 14T Tank Wagons
The Railway Clearing House wagon design on 10ft wheelbase chassis was confirmed in 1917 and remained unchanged until after the Second World War. Just before the war, wooden frames were dropped and inspection gantries around the tank top manhole began to appear. Many 10ft 14T tank wagons were built during the war for the Petroleum Board and these passed to the private sector after the war.
'B' class tank wagons were painted black. Initially, 'A' class tanks were painted a buff colour with two red bands round the centre of the tank. Just before the outbreak of the Second World War, a silver livery was adopted for 'A' tanks, along with red solebars. However, this colour scheme was too easily seen by pilots of enemy aircraft and, during the war, they were repainted a dark grey and the solebars black. The silver and red returned after the war. Tank wagons used in other industries were painted according to the taste of the user. Sometimes these were quite colourful and this has helped to make tank wagon models a popular subject with collectors.
Bachmann produce five types of 14 ton tank wagon which vary in the style of manhole cover, tank fixing and whether or not gantries and ladders are fitted. The latest releases from Bachmann are all of different types and consist of a National wagon in silver livery as No.757 (37-659A) with gantry and flat top cover, a National Fertlizers tanker in brown livery as No.501 (37-660) with no gantry and a rounded cover and a John Robinson & Co. tanker, also in brown livery, as No.3 (37-683) with large manhole cover and cross bracing.