Category: Sturgeon

Revolution Trains has received painted samples of its forthcoming BR Sturgeon departmental wagons.

These long lived vehicles – with their distinctive low decks – were a vital part of the engineers fleet for more than five decades, being first introduced in the mid 1950s and still in service in the early 2000s.

Originally delivered with four or seven dropside doors, the vehicles also had hinged ends and were designed to carry complete 60′ track panels or other engineers’ supplies.

The doors and ends were fully removable, and not surprisingly these soon went missing, meaning that large numbers of Sturgeons spent almost their entire lives operating purely as flat wagons.

Revolution is offering both types – with doors in original black livery, olive and CE “Dutch” and without doors in black, gulf red and CE yellow.

In the late 1970s and 1980s many received air brakes and were given the revised fishkind name “Tench.”

Naturally the Revolution models will incorporate era-correct braking arrangements.

The models incorporate NEM couplers in kinematic sockets and a large part of the underframe is a solid metal casting, making the models surprisingly weighty.

End panels on the models with doors are removable, while the end door parts will be supplied separately with the flat wagons so customers can depict whichever configuration they require.

The Revolution Sturgeon also has a correct representation of the underfloor racking originally intended to allow the doors to be stowed, along with an incredibly fine depiction of the checker plate deck surface.

And the versions with doors have separately pairs of fitted wire handles – 14 on each side!

We think this could be our most detailed model yet!

You can order your Sturgeon models here.

The order book will remain open on these wagons for a short while longer, then it will close and the models will be produced.

We will have them on display on our stand at the York show over the Easter weekend Saturday April 20th – Monday April 22nd.

The first samples of our forthcoming Sturgeon engineers wagon have arrived and barring a few minor changes we’re really pleased with the quality of the samples.  We’ve got a bit more work to do in finishing the assessment and completing livery diagrams, but in the mean time here are some pictures.

They look even nicer in the flesh and we’ll have them on display at our stand at Model Rail Scotland at the SEC from 22 to 24 February 2019. Please feel free to come and have a look for yourself!

The CAD for our N gauge Sturgeon wagon  is complete and these wagons are ready to start tooling.  The order book is now open and we can confirm that the price is £35 per wagon. We issued discount codes with our Class B tanks and IZAs but as the CAD took us longer than anticipated some of the codes have expired, so as a result we have discounted the Sturgeons for everyone automatically (ie no need for a code) by £2/wagon ie £33/wagon until 21 December 2018.  We thought that was the fairest way as some people will have old discount codes that they might have lost etc…plus it meant we could offer a £2/wagon discount on singles and triples (the discount codes would have only given £2 off a triple pack not £2/wagon).

If you are interested in these models please don’t delay ordering – the faster we reach the funding target the quicker we can get them tooled and into production.  One reason the Cargowaggons took less than a year from announcement to production was that customers stepped up very quickly with orders.

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CAD work is almost completed on the forthcoming Revolution Trains Sturgeon engineers wagon.

Versions with and without the dropside doors are being offered.

When delivered some had four bodyside doors, but the majority were fitted with seven.  These were completely removable, and in use many wagons ended up permanently separated from their doors!

The upper end section is also demountable, and on version without doors this will be removable.

A minor adjustment is still needed to the inside panelling, then the model will be ready for tooling.

As with all our models, the underside has not been neglected.

Some Sturgeons were fitted with air brakes and recoded “Tench” and we are offering this too.

Once final CAD amendments are made we will be opening the order book; the sooner customers order these models the sooner we can begin tooling and commence delivery of these interesting, useful and imposing wagons for your collection.

Revolution has received preliminary images of the CAD for the forthcoming Sturgeon model in N.

The CAD is now being assessed and any modifications or amendments can be made.

The Sturgeon is our second model aimed primarily at the transition era modeller, having been introduced in the mid 1950s and lasting until the early part of the 21st century, with some in private use even now.

This CAD shows the 7-door version with ends; on the prototype the doors were removable and the ends demountable, and many Sturgeons ended up as flat wagons.  We will be offering this variant too.

The order book for this model is expected to open shortly and  tooling will begin once sufficient orders have been placed.

We are pleased to announce a new project – the Sturgeon engineers wagon – our second model for transition era N gauge modellers.  Over 900 Sturgeons were built from 1952 to 1960 by Head Wrightson and BR.

Sturgeons were based on an earlier LNER design adapted for BR’s engineering department as bogie rail, sleeper and ballast carriers.  Most had 7 dropside doors but these and the ends were removable and many wagons had them taken off to carry 60′ track panels.  In later years some were fitted with airbrakes and recoded “Tench”.  These versatile and rugged wagons lasted in mainline service until 2003, with some in use within depots beyond 2010.

Revolution Trains is keen to support the transition era modeller following the success of our Class B tankers which are due in the UK shortly, and the Sturgeon is an attractive and distinctive wagon which ran across the UK for over 50 years.

In service Sturgeons would be seen in all manner of departmental trains alongside Salmon track carriers and Dogfish, Sealion, Seacow or Grampus ballast wagons.  Some were even fitted with cranes.

Our model of the Sturgeon will be from the Sturgeon A batch which made up the most common variants of Sturgeon, many of which were later converted into air-braked “Tench” wagons.  We are delighted to be able to offer versions with and without the side doors.

The models will feature NEM couplers, a diecast chassis unit to add weight and our usual high levels of detail and finish.  Our model will be available in a variety of liveries: black, Indian red, olive green, departmental yellow and “Dutch” grey/yellow.  Variants with and without side doors will be available along with a variety of single and triple packs.

As ever our models will only go into production if we receive sufficient orders and the models will be produced to pre-orders with our early backers receiving the lowest price.  We are finalising the model research and expect the model to cost in the region of £28-£30 per model.