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Dapol 4F-027-020

Silver Bullet ICA Ermewa 33 87 7898 010-6

Manufacturer catalogue image - please note that pre-release images may be CAD renders or CGI/AI images rather than photographs

Prototype Eras
Era 8 (1983 to 1994) British Rail Sectorisation
Era 9 (1995 to 2004) Initial Privatisation
Era 10 (2005 to 2015) Rebuilding of the Railways

Manufacturer description

China Clay or Kaolin has a wide variety of uses including the production of Porcelain and in certain cosmetics where it is used as whitener and pigment. The biggest use for China Clay however, is for making paper where the China Clay imparts a fine surface finish.

The main areas where China Clay is mined are China, Malaysia, and Cornwall and it is generally extracted from the ground by ring high pressure water jets to form slurry. In the UK, this slurry is collected and commonly transported using the ICA China Clay slurry wagon, commonly known as Silver Bullets due to their distinctive shape and colour.

Silver Bullets are a common sight leaving the South West of England up to the large paper mills in Scotland. Each wagon has a maximum capacity of around 90 tonnes and they commonly travel in rakes of more than 10 wagons.

NACCO is the main operator of Silver Bullets and liveries include NACCO with English China Clay (ECC) branding and NACCO unbranded.

MODEL DETAILS

The Dapol model of the ICA Silver Bullet features:

• NEM pockets
• Profiled wheels
• Superbly printed livery and details
• Highly detailed body and chassis moulding
• Many added extra details with etched hand rails and ladders

SPECIFICATIONS

• OPERATOR ICA ERMEWA
• RUNNING NUMBER 33 87 7898 010-6
• COUPLINGS NEM
• PAINT FINISH Pristine

MEASUREMENTS

• LENGTH OVER BUFFERS 189mm
• WIDTH 33mm
• HEIGHT 50mm

Catalogue listing

Model details

Dapol Silver Bullet ICA Ermewa 33 87 7898 010‑6 is a OO‑scale model of an ICA China Clay slurry wagon, often called a “Silver Bullet”. The model carries the ICA Ermewa livery and represents the period of the initial privatisation of the network.

The model is produced to a length over buffers of 189 mm, a width of 33 mm and a height of 50 mm. It rides on profiled wheels, uses NEM coupling with a tension‑lock, and has a minimum curve radius of 2 units. The manufacturer part number is 4F‑027‑020 and the paint finish is listed as pristine.

Key details of the model include NEM pocket couplings, highly detailed body and chassis moulding, a superbly printed livery, and additional etched components such as hand‑rails and ladders.

In real service the Silver Bullet wagons are high‑capacity (approximately 90 tonnes) slurry wagons used to transport China Clay from the South West of England to paper mills in Scotland. They are most commonly operated by NACCO, with liveries ranging from NACCO branding to English China Clay (ECC) and unbranded versions.