Product Description

Rapido 981013 Ammonium Nitrate / Chemical Tank Wagon – Glasgow Corporation Chemical Department No.42

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In the latter part of the Great War, the Ministry of Munitions commissioned a new ammonium nitrate factory to be built at Swindon, which would facilitate the bulk transport of the chemical between Swindon and Chilwell. To accommodate the safe transfer of this volatile load, the Ministry ordered a fleet of 100 10-ton tank wagons from The Leeds Forge Company in 1916.

Ammonium nitrate is a tricky chemical to transport because it is a crystalline substance which absorbs water vapour and then sets hard like concrete, so there is potential for the load to set hard during transportation. To counter this problem, the wagon’s design featured an airtight tank to prevent water ingress. This door resembled a conventional dished tank barrel end and was designed to open like a smokebox door, with a hinge at the top.

The wagons were loaded through the two manholes on the top of the barrel and were emptied at Chilwell by releasing the end door and lifting them at the fixed end of the wagon to tip out the contents, which was further aided by the conical shape of the barrels. These were highly unusual wagons, as they appeared to be similar to their conventional liquid tank wagon counterparts but instead carried powder. They also featured underframes made from pressed steel components, which was a speciality of The Leeds Forge Company.

Specifications:-

• Chemical Tank Wagon (ex-Ammonium Nitrate)
• Glasgow Cop. Chemical Dept. No. 42
• Fixed End Door
• Split Walkway
• Small Side Discharge Valve
• Split-spoked wheels running in metal bearings
• High level of detail above and below the floor line
• High quality livery application
• NEM coupler pockets
• 1:76 scale, (OO gauge)