How prototypical is/was the Hornby R415 Operating Ore Wagon Set and Consett Iron Co Wagons

I have one of these (used on my layout during the eighties). I know they are no longer made but they do seem to crop up on e-bay fairly regularly and this got me thinking

I was wondering if the gantry and the wagons had any basis in reality, either in relation to "Consett Iron Co" or otherwise

If so, what era would if apply to - I am assuming post war?

Presumably the receiving wagons would need to be the same capacity as the dropping ones, unless in reality, the flow could be controlled (unlike the model where the whole wagon is emptied in one go)

Its not clear to me why you would want to transfer ore from one wagon to another of the same track guage (as opposed to a gauge transfer, unloading/unloading MGR style or intermodal) - why not just load the receiving wagon direct at source and send it to its destination?

My internet reseach has references to Consett wagons moving to/from Tyne dock using special wagons but that is about it

Any thoughts, insights welcome

Regards, Qu1cks1lva

No resemblence to the prototype Consett operation, which from the 1950s used very Germanic-looking bogie, side-emptying hopper wagons. These had air-operated opening lower sides, worked originally by Class 9F 2-10-0s fitted with Westinghouse pumps and later by pairs of Class 24 diesels. The complete train would run on to an elevated section of track, the side doors would be opened, and the entire load emptied on to stacking areas on either side of the track. Thence the ore would be taken to the blast furnaces by conveyor belt. The Hornby wagon resembles (and nothing more) one of the

24.5t hoppers used for the trial merry-go-round operations. In short, the Hornby wagon is about 'play-value' and nothing else. One might sometimes find systems where standard gauge wagons might bring product to a storage or processing area, after which the product might be taken on by other standard gauge wagons, but I can't think of anywhere where a direct trans-shipment might take place. Brian