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The Mainline Restaurant Buffet – Part One, Flush Glazing

Silver Sidelines

Entry posted by Silver Sidelines

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My first Mainline Restaurant Buffet came from the Cheltenham Model Centre in 1986 for the princely sum of £5.50. For the time it was a well detailed model and far superior to previous Mainline Mk1s which had holes in the sides to aid assembly.

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Original Mainline Restaurant Buffet – with re-painted roof

I parted with my first Mainline RB in 2008 and upgraded to a Bachmann Restaurant Unclassified with metal wheels, wire handrails and close couplers. However there was a slight problem. The Bachmann maroon RUs only come with E or W prefixes. If you want an M prefix on a ready to run restaurant car with kitchen facilities it seems to me that it has to be the old Dapol / Hornby twelve wheeler.

Fast forward to 2015 and there has been some correspondence on RMweb about the old Mainline / Replica Railways Restaurant Buffet Cars and in particular what to do about the recessed glazing and the raised window surrounds. I would take a second look at a Mainline 37-114.

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Mainline 37-114 – Disassembled

Unlike the Bachmann and Hornby Mk1s with their separate sides, roof and under frame, the coach body on the Mainline/Replica Mk1 RB is a one piece moulding which clips onto a black under frame. To my mind this must have made production very complex with three different paint colours all to be applied to the same moulding prior to adding transfers. No wonder that my models were not painted as well as the latest Bachmann products.

I would comment that with age something seems to have happened to the roof ventilators. It seems to me hat the glue has not been stable. The ventilators on my most recent model were covered with a sticky deposit and could easily be pushed out of the roof. The ‘stickiness’ was removed with white spirit and the ventilators were given a coat of Matt Cote before being glued back in position with Butanone.

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New wire handrails and buffer heads filed down

A quick comparison with the Bachmann RU (E) 39-101 was quite encouraging and prompted me to replace the moulded handrails on the coach ends in wire. I would also use a file on the Mainline rounded buffer heads and thin them down to a produce a flatter profile similar to the heads on the Bachmann coach.

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The first side Flush Glazed – note the strips of double sided tape ready for the second side

The glazing on my Mainline RB was already loose so it was a relatively easy decision to go ahead and add some Finecast Flush Glazing. I last used Finecast glazing on some Lima Mk1s. I had been quite pleased with the overall result but had been slightly disappointed with the appearance of the tiny top windows. I did not use any glue. Instead the Finecast glazing was held in place by the existing Lima combined roof/window glazing. For the Mainline RB I would use a similar approach and hold the Finecast glazing in place with the original Mainline clear window plastic. The Mainline plastic is quite rigid and in order to provide an even pressure to all the Finecast glazing I made some ‘sticky fixes’ out of 6mm strips of thin clear plastic sheet covered on both sides with double sided tape. These were positioned in the same places as the glue used originally by Mainline. This way the Mainline clear plastic could be firmly attached to the coach sides without any flexing between fixing points.

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Both sides fixed

 

I was pleased. I would say it is all about angles and viewing distances!

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Back together

What about those window surrounds? For interest I have included a view of a prototype RB as running recently on the Severn Valley Railway. This is just one a number of images of Mk1 catering vehicles courtesy of Hugh Llewelyn whose Flickr stream has over 9000 images of current and extant BR rolling stock. Amazing – thank you Hugh.

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Cropped from Hugh Llewelyn's Flickr Stream

For comparison another view of the Mainline model – this time running with a Bachmann Mk1.

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Bachmann Mk1 (left) – Mainline RB (right)

 

Just a thought –IF Bachmann were to produce a new RB would the window surrounds turn out like the ones on their Derby Lightweights?

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Another approach – raised window surrounds on Bachmann Derby Lightweight

 

So far so good – Part Two will detail the addition of Bachmann Close couplers.

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I think the old Mainline RB looks good from this angle and at this viewing distance!

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Silver Sidelines

Thanks

Could be one for Shawplan's Laserglaze range, maybe?

Yes - the vacuum formed Finecast Glazing is perhaps approaching its 'sell by' date.  I did wonder whether to sacrifice a Bachmann RU and borrow that glazing - I would only be one large window short.  Not really a clever idea.

 

Regards

 

Ray

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YK 50A

Hello Ray,

 

I've always been a fan of the Mainline RB.  There weren't many RUs left by the late 70s, most having been refurbished and given buffet counters.  Spot on with the window surrounds, later builds left the works that way and the earlier ones would have had them retrofitted.  I think also replicated by Tri-ang but not by Bachmann with their respective RMBs.  That might give you an indication of what Bachmann will do if they '...produce a new RB'.

 

Great work as ever!

 

All the best,

 

Alun

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Silver Sidelines

Thanks Alun

....  That might give you an indication of what Bachmann will do if they '...produce a new RB'.....

Yes - after studying the images on Hugh Llewelyn's Flickr stream I was thinking that some of the Bachmann models were  less than correct.  There is also an issue with regards to the corridor ends and the presence or not of steps.  Something for the next installment.

Regards

 
Ray

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YK 50A

There is also an issue with regards to the corridor ends and the presence or not of steps.  Something for the next installment...

 

I hadn't considered the steps, most people like removing them, but you need to add them!  The gangways, 2 different types.  How far will you go?  That's today's cliffhanger!

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sub39h

Great run through. I'm still in two minds about whether to invest in some SE Finecast glazing for my two RBRs or sacrifce a Bachmann RU as you were considering. I have one RU that is surplus to requirements. 

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Silver Sidelines

Thanks sub39h

.. I'm still in two minds about whether to .. sacrifce a Bachmann RU as you were considering. I have one RU that is surplus to requirements. 

If you went down the RU route you would need to source an extra large window for the RB - I was thinking I might use some old Ktimaster glazing.  Also I have not checked to see how the Bachmann  (or Kitmaster) glazing fits the Mainline openings.  Obviously the sections of plastic for the top windows would need removing - would there be more filing or even filling needed?

 

The leaflet from Finecast suggests that 'you might like to make the little windows from clear plastic' - but that wouldn't overcome your dislike of the raised edging to the Mainline windows.

 

Regards

 

Ray

 

PS My packet of Finecast Flush Glazing seems to have enough windows for two RBs.

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Mark.....

Regarding the raised window surround on the Mainline and Replica RB, this is prototypically correct.  When built new in 1961 by Pressed Steel, these vehicles were fitted with double glazing.  I believe that they were the first production Mk. 1 stock to be so fitted.  To accommodate the extra thickness required by the double glazing, the thick window frames were extended about one inch outside the body panel.  Hence the raised rim seen on the models.  The outer pane of glass was essentially flush with the frame. The use of Commonwealth bogies on these coaches is also prototypically correct.  There is a brief full page announcement article, with photographs, on these coaches on page 27 of the January 1962 issue of Trains Illustrated.

 

I agree that this Mainline RB model was way ahead of its time in terms of the detail and finish it had compared to other contemporary models, especially the other Mainline Mk. 1 stock with their trademark pockmarks (body to underframe locating holes) and thick gold (brass coloured) and black lining.  When Replica took over the former Mainline Mk. 1 coach range, they greatly improved them by getting rid of the trademark Mainline pockmarks, improving the paint finish and particularly the lining and by adding all the little markings that we now expect at a standard comparable to Bachmann's much later Mk. 1 stock.

 

Nice work and nice photos!   :)

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Silver Sidelines

Glad you found the Post of interest.

... There is a brief full page announcement article, with photographs, on these coaches on page 27 of the January 1962 issue of Trains Illustrated.

There is a copy of the Trains Illustrated article in a later Post that covers the Chocolate and Cream RB.  I fitted this latter coach with B1 bogies which I am told was correct for the early examples.

 

Speak again

 

Ray

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