Revolution Trains' newly tooled range of 'Cartic' articulated car transporter wagons have now arrived into stock here at Rails!
This comprehensive new range caters for these unique double decker car transporters in conditions throughout their lifespans, incorporating tooling variations for both open and enclosed vehicles. There are multiple liveries to choose from too including British Rail and private owner examples. Each pack includes a prototypical 4-wagon set, with a robust close coupling mechanism between each car.
In stock Now
Product Features
Quad pack of Cartic-4 wagons (each individually numbered and with prototypical livery variations
Tooling variations for as-built vehicles with open sides and roof, vehicles fitted with side screens and vehicles fitted with both side screens and roofs
NMRA RP25 wheelsets on 12.25mm axles
NEM close couplers with kinematic coupler sockets
Choice of set numbers – set A or B (each quad set will feature different numbers)
Each quad set measures 420mm over buffers
Prototype Information
The fleet of double-decker Cartic-4 car carriers were built jointly between British Rail and Ford, following the Beeching Report of 1963. The report urged that British Rail focus on efficient block trains for freight and adpot fast, air-braked bogie wagons to replace ageing & slow 4-wheeled stock.
The Cartic was revolutionary for its time, comprising a permanently coupled four-part vehicle in which the inner cars were linked via shared bogies on articulated joints. Each set could carry 34 (1960s sized) cars at speeds of up to 75 mph. The majority were built for private vehicle transporters MAT-Transauto, Tolemans and Silcock & Collings (later STVA UK), however some were built for BR for use on Motorail services from 1966. The Motorail network allowed passengers to take their car on holiday between cities including London, Birmingham, Sheffield, Scotland, the South West and North Wales.
Over time, modifications were made to the wagons including the installation of side screens and roofs to protect vehicles from stone chips. The vehicles lasted in use until the early 2000s, when the final examples were converted to single-deck carriers for light commercial vehicles, before being scrapped in 2013.