53’ 3” Gangwayed Bogie Luggage Van

At Shamrock Finescale our intention is to introduce an assortment of utility vans to accompany our substantial carriage building and freight wagon programme. The 53’ gangwayed bogie luggage van is the first non-passenger stock vehicle offered and can be employed in a variety of ways appealing to both fine scale and standard/coarse scale modellers alike. It was selected because of its close association with the Pullman Golden Arrow train and its extensive utilisation for the best part of 30 years over Southern metals.

53’ Gangwayed Bogie Luggage Van

If there was one look that defined the classic 1950s Golden Arrow Pullman service, then it was the inclusion of freshly painted bogie utility vans. They were required as the train’s new first and second-class parlour brake cars contained only sufficient space for the guard, his table and chair but no space for luggage. And it should be remembered copious amounts of luggage were still carried by post-war European travellers requiring the use of non-passenger stock to convey it. Pullman guru Dr Antony Ford says the Golden Arrow with its luggage-restricted brake stock (funny enough vehicles that didn’t actually look like traditional Pullman brakes) contained as many as three separate secure bogie utility vans topped and tailed at either end of the train.

Whilst a variety of vehicles were employed by the Southern Railway/BR Southern Region, it was the 53’ gangwayed bogie luggage van originally built in the early 1930s that defined both Continental and Southampton Ocean Liner boat trains. On special traffic operations such as The Cunarder or Statesman (sometimes made up entirely of Pullman cars), the luggage vans incorporated destination boards signifying the importance of the premier service. Gangwayed luggage vehicles also played an important role in the speedy distribution of mail and newspapers. Constructed to Southern Railway diagram 3099 with 36’ 3” bogie centres, numbered 2281 to 2330, they had a long life up until 1960 when all were withdrawn.

It will be reproduced in a variety of livery styles:

• SR olive green
• BR crimson lake
• BR Southern Region green (dark malachite green)
• BR umber and cream (Sir Winston Churchill’s funeral train)

The first 53’ gangwayed luggage van release will be in the dark malachite (BR Southern Region) livery.

Bogie luggage van specifications:

• Meticulously researched using original drawings, image material and examples of preserved and modified stock
• Beautiful hand-made solid brass fine scale soldered construction ensuring superb body detail
• Finished in long-lasting and robust oven baked satin paint
• Ball bearing mounted axel boxes for free running bogies
• Solid stainless steel disc wheels with back-to-back set at 29mm
• Conversion pack for standard/coarse scale Hi Rail wheels set at 27.5mm
• Three coupling types: Pullman cars come with standard Kadee style couplings. Conversion packs for screw link drop or alternative buckeye couplings are available. Note the screw link drop coupling is suitable to align with ACE style drop link couplings

The price for individual luggage vans is 395.00. However, when ordering a second or subsequent vans the price of each van is reduced to £375.00.

Each production run, determined by livery style, will be limited to approximately 60 luggage vans.

53’ gangwayed bogie luggage van

SR olive green

BR crimson lake

BR Southern Region green (dark malachite green)

BR umber and cream (Sir Winston Churchill’s funeral train)