This delightful little vehicle is a 13 Ton, Dia. AA7 'Toad' brake van - basically a shortened version of the standard AA3 vans, with only a 9 ft. wheelbase, 16 ft over headstocks, and a proportionally smaller veranda. Built circa 1898, and originally stationed at Acton, for use on the Metropolitan Railway's lines into London. Built from a Connoisseur Models kit.
This unusual-liveried loco is No.2225, a Churchward 'County' tank, seen here in its unique, lined crimson-lake livery from circa 1909 - painted thus as an experiment, to match the then-current coaching stock livery. There was some confusion over whether the lining should be gold or yellow, but in the end, this was what my customer wanted. Built from an Alan Gibson kit.
This is one of several designs of tank wagon that the GWR built for taking gas for the lighting of coaching stock to outlying / country stations. Built to Dia.DD5, and codenamed 'Cordon' by the company, seventeen of this particular type were constructed, but due to various modifications over the years, apparently no two vehicles ever ran in identical condition at the same time - there being variations in braking systems fitted, and also the design of pipework just visible on the right-hand end of the twin tanks. Built from a David Geen kit.
Another interesting Great Western 'Toad' brake van. This is a Dia.AA16 version, with outside framing to the bodywork - a legacy of its Victorian origins, but still working in the 1930s, and as can be seen, based at Gloucester. This model was built from an ancient D & S kit, which is sadly no longer generally available, although I have noticed the odd one going on eBay for gold dust !
These vehicles are single bolster trucks, designated 'Mites' by the Great Western Railway, and were designed for the carriage of extra long loads, such as timbers, which would have been too long for one single wagon. They were designed to be used in set pairs, and as such did not have normal couplings between the two vehicles (so therefore did not require buffers inboard either). Both vehicles were able to be built from a single ABS Models kit.