The GWR ‘Bloater’ vans were built for fish traffic from 1916 onwards, to replace an ageing fleet of older designs used to transport fish. Due to the nature of the cargo, the vans were reserved solely for fish traffic and worked mainly from the major fishing ports in Cornwall and Pembrokeshire. Classed as Non-Passenger-Carrying Coaching Stock (NPCCS), the vans were through-piped for steam heating and were rated to run at express speeds with passenger trains. Three variants of the ‘Bloater’ are covered by these all-new EFE Rail models – the Diagram S8, S9 and S10. Within these diagrams could be found vans fitted with vacuum brakes and those fitted with both vacuum and Westinghouse air brakes – the latter were coded ‘Bloater A’, but by the early-1930s these had seen their air brakes removed and were recoded to ‘Bloater’.

Longer than a standard goods van, the ‘Bloaters’ sported three pairs of doors on each side and the first, the Diagram S8s as depicted by this model, had louvres in the body sides and ends. Gas lighting was fitted to aid loading in the dark and the gas light tops can be seen modelled on the roof, with the gas cylinder mounted below the solebar. The detailed underframe features brake gear and pipe runs, whilst footboards are separately fitted to each side of the van and metal spoked wheelsets are employed. At either end can be found sprung buffers, along with tension lock couplings which are mounted to a close-coupling mechanism via NEM pockets.

MODEL FEATURES:

• EFE Rail OO Scale
• Era 2
• Pristine GWR Brown (GW) Livery
• Running No. 2168
• Sprung Buffers
• Accessory Pack
• NEM Coupling Pockets
• Close Coupling Mechanisms
• Length 128mm