1909 ORTON 22FT ROAD/RAIL WAGON
I first came across this wagon in 1995 in Julian Wolf's yard when he was helping me with my first model. It was quite an impressive wagon and I tried to imagine what it must have looked like when it was new. At that time it seemed way beyond my capabilities so I put it out of my mind and got on with the model that I was working on but each time I saw it I was tempted to have a go at making it.
When the first model was completed I made up my mind to have a go at making the Orton using some of my newly found "expertise".
I decided to find out as much as I could about the wagons history.
It appears that it started it's working life in Boston in Lincolnshire travelling with George Aspland's bioscope in the ownership of Mr & Mrs Ben Howden. Ben Howden was George Asplands business manager as well as being his brother in law. It later travelled with their Gondola Switchback which is in preservation at the Thursford Museum in Norfolk. When Ben Howden died in1933, the wagon had a spell in private ownership before being purchased by Billy Ashley from Nottingham. It travelled with his Gallopers until sometime in the 1960s. The Ashley Gallopers are still steam operated and are travelling with Jack and Judith Schofield.
The wagon went into private ownership again and had a number of owners before I first came across it. At various stages of its life it underwent a number of changes. It was put onto pneumatic tyres as were many of these wagons, it also had the main windows changed from the old sash type to hinged opening ones. This was done by cutting the glass vertically down the middle to make it into two windows with hinges at the side. The turntable was boxed in and fitted with mudguards. The belly boxes were extended to cover the length of the wagon and enclose the rear wheels.
The interior alterations were mainly in the bedroom but the parlour did not escape completely. The ceiling suffered the most by having a large oval shaped hole cut in it to accommodate electric lighting. This was covered by frosted glass with a pattern cut into it, the glass was held in place by a carved wooden frame but the whole thing destroyed the large painting which was the main feature of the ceiling. The lower parts of the mollycroft roof originally had floral paintings but someone obviously thought it would look better if these were removed and replaced with cut glass mirrors. The introduction of electric lights resulted in the removal of the Angel Lamps and the ceiling vents above them. The other change in the parlour was the fire surround. This had been changed with one from another wagon. This was not obvious unless you had a good look at it and you could then see that a small area had been removed at one end to allow one of the drawers to open. The only parts of the bedroom that appear to be original are the chest of drawers and a number of the wall paintings of which there are many. The ceilings had received the same treatment as the parlour.
Julian Wolfe decided to sell the wagon and it was purchased by Alan Rundell from Boston in Lincolnshire where it started its working life almost 100 years ago and is now undergoing restoration work. The last I heard was that it had been put back on wooden wheels and new sash style windows had been fitted although I have not seen any photos to know how it looks. The ceiling has been repainted by Anna Carter and it was discovered that the original ceiling had been covered by a second one at some point in the wagons life and featured Bluebirds. The Orton had a spell in Kent and during its time there it was lucky to survive a serious fire that broke out in a wagon parked next to it. The fire brigade were unable to save the blazing wagon so concentrated their efforts on saving the Orton. The only real damage was caused by the vast amount of water that was applied to the exterior.
Cut glass mirror replacing original painting in the Orton.
Electric light let into original painted panel in the Orton.
The Orton with it’s new owner leaving Sussex for Lincolnshire.
The Orton window converted from sash to hinges.
The wash basin in a similar Orton.