Peco OO9 GR-330 Side Tipping Skip Wagon - Brown
Robert Hudson Ltd of Leeds are one of the best-known British suppliers of industrial narrow gauge and contractors' railway equipment. The 'Rugga' skip was probably their most numerous product, with several hundred still to be found on narrow gauge heritage lines, often still delivering ballast for the permanent way gang!
The familiar Rugga V-Skip tipping wagon design was introduced in the 1930s, developed from earlier designs dating back to the earliest railways and similar wagons ordered from Hudsons for WW1 trench railway requirements. They could be supplied to the customer's specific requirements with a skip size ranging from 13.5 to 54 cubic feet (0.38 to 1.53 cubic metres) and in most track gauges. The company boasted that at any one time several thousand could be supplied from stock!
The design allows the skip to tip in either direction, perfect for small industrial railways that needed to move and unload materials quickly and efficiently.
The Peco models are supplied in packs or 3 skips, complete with integral OO9 loop couplers designed for prototypical close coupling. This pack is finished with a brown ship body, possibly a good starting point to recreate the typical well-rusted appearance!