Jump to content
 

Farish Hawksworth coaches


Crepello
 Share

Recommended Posts

  • 3 weeks later...

I have just received my first consignment of Hawksworth coaches. Detail is almost comparable to Hornby's 00 gauge version, only the bogies are less refined. I look forward to Farish's highly detailed GWR locos to pull them.

 

A thumb's up to Farish for a range of very fine models, Hawksworth the money I paid for them!

  • Like 3
Link to post
Share on other sites

These coaches really do look the biz. I can't even really justify having any as my layout although WR, is set '69-'72, but if they get round to releasing them in maroon I think I will have to have a Brake composite or something to chuck on the local set as a rancid peak-time capacity boost for the commuters. Paint peeling, covered in steam-gunk, still lingering on from the days of yon... I currently have a Bullied vehicle which performs this purpose quite nicely.

The full breaks will definitely make a welcome addition to the parcels fleet however!

Link to post
Share on other sites

The initial availability in era 3 & 4 liveries only is perhaps the only disappointment. I am sure Maroons would sell well and a handful of passenger vehicles even made it into blue/grey livery. Plenty of full brakes went blue too of course.

 

Arguably, blue and maroon liveries are easier to repaint than 2-tone liveries if anyone is really keen.

Link to post
Share on other sites

By 1960, Hawksworths were no longer used on principle expresses and Mk1 stock was widespread. This meant they were probably not a high priority for repainting. I would not be surprised to see 1 or 2 lingering in crimson and cream mixed in with maroon stock. However, checking pictures is always the best way to tell for certain.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Looking through published photos of WR steam and diesel-hydraulics, there was still some GW-design stock around in blood & custard in 59/60, but all survivors were maroon by 62/63. There were a few Mk1s in blood & custard as late as Summer 1963, but no older stock. Guessing these would have still been wearing their new-build paintwork

 

Are Farish doing what Dapol did a decade ago with the Colletts and deliberately leaving the most popular livery until last in the hope of selling more coaches?

Link to post
Share on other sites

Are Farish doing what Dapol did a decade ago with the Colletts and deliberately leaving the most popular livery until last in the hope of selling more coaches?

Your guess is as good as mine. I assume they have an impression of sales from the Hornby models in 00 gauge. It is worth noting that anything in chocolate and cream seems to sell disproportionately well so this is one case where Maroon may not be the obvious choice it appears. Early reports suggest that GWR liveried examples are shifting quite quickly and the Brake 3rd has already sold out in some shops.

 

I have lots of maroon Colletts and Mk1s so I am not in too much of a hurry here. I have picked up some choc and cream examples and I will wait to see if the carmine and cream ones get a bit cheaper.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Surprised by the lack of traffic congratulating Farish on these. Come on, share the positives people.

 

In my opinion, farish have pulled off a stunner with these coaches. Coach of the year in my humble - and shows what a beautiful design Mr Hawksworth came up with.

 

Currently working on a model of Tintern -circa 1956/7 inspired by Neil Parkhouse's West Gloucester and Wye Valley Lines (see the thread in special interests the railways of the Forest of Dean for the raving reviews on the book).

 

Lots of evidence of maroon Hawksworths on Secondary services in Gloucestershire - but having seen these in the flesh at KS Models in Stevenage, (a cracking old fashioned model shop with limited opening hours so check before going), I just had to apply modellers licence number 1 and get the full brake.

 

Still......I'm working on the premis the Bridges over the River Wye were strengthened after the war to allow Dapol's 78xx and DJ models 53xx mogul to appear when they're ready.......

 

Ttfn

 

Matt W

Edited by D826
  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

I agree, the new Hawksworths are fantastic. They are by far and away the best GWR coaches in N gauge and possibly the best coaches overall. The best part is the consistency as Farish seem to have nailed the quality across the board. Dapol do some great models but occasionally fluff little details like the "No smoking" labels on the recent Maunsells. I only have 2 Hawksworths so far but I will be getting more as finances allow.

Link to post
Share on other sites

"Steam on West of England Main Lines" by Peter W Gray

 

Page 34 at Langstone Rock in 1960 - Is the fourth coach (in blood & custard) a Hawksworth or a Collett?  Difficult to tell.

 

The three preceding coaches are a maroon Gresley, a chocolate & cream Mk1 and a much older ex-GW vehicle in maroon. Suspect modellers are far more keen on uniform rakes of matching coaches than the prototype ever was.

Link to post
Share on other sites

The GWR's pattern seems to have been very roughly to build a new family of stock for its principle expresses every 5 years or so. Those named expresses would have a good chance of being (fairly) uniform rakes. Once displaced by the next generation, these coaches would then be mixed into the general pool and used fair indiscriminately.

 

Hawksworth stock was something of an exception to this pattern as the post-war shortages of both manpower and materials meant Swindon was only able to turn out 1 vehicle per week on average. This was not enough to equip complete trains from new so the coaches were largely used to replace the last of the clerestory stock. 1 exception was the CRE which received a complete rake of Hawksworths in 1946. However it lost them again in 1948 to be replaced by a rake of older Sunshine stock painted in the experimental Plum and Split Milk livery.

 

After nationalisation, there was some effort to group Hawksworth stock in rakes on principle expresses. I know the Bristolian had a matching set until at least 1954. catering stock was a different matter as no Hawksworth catering vehuicles were built so older Collett and even Churchward vehicles lingered on in these rakes. A shot of 5076 'Gladiator' approaching  Harbury Tunnel in 1955. The train is composed almost exclusively of Hawksworth stock and looks very smart. The exception is the obligatory catering vehicle about halfway back the train.

 

gwrhc92.jpg

 

From the mid-50s onwards, increasing deliveries of Mk1 stock signalled the end of the use of Hawksworth stock on the WRs crack expresses and the lot were then largely used indiscriminately with earlier collett vehicles.

  • Like 4
Link to post
Share on other sites

I love the Hawksworth coaches.  I'd rather have some in BR Maroon as that better fits my preferred era but I've got one in Crimson/Cream to mix in with my maroon Mk1 and Collett stock.  In fact I was so impressed I bought one of each of the GWR livery coaches and a N Gauge Society Collett BG to run together.  I know Dapol and Graham Farish sometimes have different interpretations of nominally identical liveries (since the real things weren't always uniform should this matter?) but the colour match between the Collett BG and Hawksworth coaches is very good.

 

Where do I go for a suitable GWR catering vehicle?

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Whilst they'd been displaced from most first-line duties by the Mk1s, there was one diagram at least that used a Hawkesworth BSK until about 1968. This was coupled behind the loco on the Up Cornish Riviera Express; I believe it was because the compartment doors were wide enough to take a catering trolley for stowage. One of the 'Heyday' series of photo albums has views of a maroon-liveried one in the early 1960s with chocolate and cream Mk1 stock (P15, Heyday of the Hydraulics), whilst another album has a blue and grey Hawkesworth at the head of the CRE, formed of mixed maroon and b/g stock ( Heyday of the Warships, p49, photo dated 29/05/1967)

Link to post
Share on other sites

I'm looking forward to getting a BSK in maroon for my local Peak Time capacity boost vehicle to run with my Blue/Grey Mk1s, that otherwise sits about the place, neglected and filthy. If anybody asks, one survived in the Bristol area into '69 still in Maroon... Okay?

I might repaint one into blue and grey if I gain the confidence to carry out such wanton destruction to such an excellent model.

Benn.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Where do I go for a suitable GWR catering vehicle?

I built an H38 Restaurant composite from a TPM kit. As far as I know, Bernard has not restarted production since his house move but it might be worth dropping him a line to see if he has any left. He also produced an H39/H40 twin set.

 

blogentry-887-0-69920900-1361572449.jpg

 

Ultima used to do an H25 Toplight restaurant coach but this is now out of production and not offered by Etched Pixels as far as I know. Maybe Worsley works do some side that could be used?

  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

Worsley do H35, H35, H37, H43 and H44 sides. How easily these could be put onto an existing coach body I don't know. You need to look in the 2mm section rather than the n gauge section to find these. 

Link to post
Share on other sites

The H43/44 pair are centenary stock for which there is nothing similar on the market. The H35, H36 and H37 are 61' bow-ended vehicles so from the same family as the Dapol B-set coaches. You might be able to use the sides as overlays for the B-set, add appropriate bogies, corridor connectors and gas cylinders. This is basically what I did with the TPM H38 kit.

There are a few complications, IIRC the H35/36/37 has recessed doors which might be tricky to do (although possibly in N gauge you could just leave it out as too small to see from normal viewing distances). The other issue is that these 3 vehicles formed a dining triplet of kitchen car, 3rd diner and composite diner. They operated together and usually only on the heaviest routes. This is fine if you can run scale length trains but might be overkill if you are representing lighter services.

 

BHE do a kit for the H33 restaurant open (a stand-alone vehicle). This was a 57' coach and I do not know of any suitable donor coaches so you would have to do a full kit-build. Still, at only £12 for the kit it might well be worth a bash.

 

Just realised, Etched Pixels offer a 57' bow-ended bodyshell on Shapeways which should make life a lot simpler.

 

http://www.shapeways.com/product/8ZWWKUPVT/gwr-bow-ended-shell-57ft?li=shop-results&optionId=8448276

 

And comet do the kit in 00 meaning you can use their diagrams to work out roof vent position etc.

 

http://www.cometmodels.co.uk/data/Catalog/pdf/W29.pdf 

Edited by Karhedron
Link to post
Share on other sites

Thanks for the tips about available GWR Kitchen/Dining coaches.  I've never built a coach kit so one of those could be my first.

 

As for BR Maroon, it seems like a 'no brainer' for Graham Farish to get these out as soon as possible.  My impression is that maroon coaches always disappear first from the shops.  I'd certainly buy at least one example of each coach in maroon.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I've always assumed that Farish will be doing the coaches in maroon at some point, but have yet to commit to a date. When first announced they were in blood & custard only, the GWR livery was announced the following year, then in the end they delivered both at the same time.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 2 years later...

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...