Monobloc kit for GWR Dean Bogie.

[John Candy]

Monobloc kit for GWR Dean Bogie.

William Dean produced carriage bogies with an unorthodox method of attachment to the coach body. Instead of a simple pivoted bolster, the bogies were attached to the outside of the solebars via rigid iron scroll links and sprung mounting cups permitting a degree of lateral movement. This makes it rather difficult to model them to look visually correct!

The swing of the bogie has to be addressed and the two methods I have to choose from appear to be :-
1) fix the scroll irons and their underslung dampers rigidly to the solebar(as per prototype)  and enable the dummy bogie linkage to "wander" in their cups (the bogies to be conventionally pivoted at their centres via bolts through the carriage floor).
2) fix the underslung dampers to the underside of the monobloc and have a break in the scroll iron link to the solebar.

Option "1" would be prototypical but the swing of the bogie would be severely limited to just a few millimetres and would limit the negotiable radius.

Option "2" is that used by most models in other scales but leaves a visible gap in the scroll irons.
I intend to experiment with method "1" to see if the arrangement can be tweaked to enable a track curvature of 15ft radius to be negotiated.

I have, initially, produced an 8ft 6ins example (they were made in a variety of shorter and longer wheelbases, up to 10ft) to suit my diagram "A9" and diagram "Z" autotrailers, as well as a planned K14 40ft PBV. If anyone needs a different wheelbase, I am open to requests.

The printed parts are laid out in the photos. the axleboxes being separate components to permit different types to be fitted, if required.

There are holes in the bogie mounting points to take shaped wire; some irons were curved/angled, others more straight, to suit the width of underframe being used . The supplied angled brackets fit to the solebar and hold the irons pointing downwards but some applications saw the irons fitted horizontally onto the solebars and then angled 90 degrees downwards. Photos are essential when modelling Dean stock as the bogie variations are numerous and drawings often vary from photos (supposedly) of the same type/wheelbase.

This bogie can be simply sprung, employing piano wire, as described for use with the previous Monobloc kits.