Sometime around 1990, Mk1 BSK 35469 was converted to an ETH Generator Vehicle for Flying Scotsman Services and ended up in regular use on InterCity Land Cruise services to the Highlands for the next few years, carrying the number '196'. This conversion started off life as Farish Mk1 BSK ref. 374-187 and had the conversion treatment including additional boxes underneath the solebar, Commonwealth bogies to replace the BR1s, removal of the coach end steps, etched grilles to represent the ventilatio
The latest installment to the Corridor Brake First (BFK) upgrade family is 17144 in InterCity Executive livery. This one is based on the Farish Mk2F BSO model (374-692). Railtec transfers were used for the First class stripe, First Class door numbers, First Class / No Smoking Logos and bespoke coach numbers. Interior seats have been cut out and a corridor insert added, with an interior rail on the corridor side and curtains added in the compartments from tissue paper. Purists will note that the
Whilst awaiting the Farish Mk2A TSO in Regional Railways livery (374-712), I converted a Farish NSE BSO (374-682) to Scotrail BFK 17064 using the same process as per my other BFK conversion here. I found that Phoenix No. 179 NSE Dark Blue was a better match to the Farish shade than the Provincial Dark Blue (154) which came out a little more purple in colour (albeit possibly more prototypical). The tiny Railtec First Class and No Smoking transfers were added to the windows to finish off. The wind
No, this isn’t a full repaint! This is a cut-and-shut of two NSE BSK bodies that I had spare from another project (married to a repainted BG underframe and roof) and I decided it would be just as easy to make a BG this way than to fully repaint one. The join isn’t perfect but it’s passable at normal viewing distance. This example represents 92315 with Commonwealth bogies (number transfers from Railtec and fitted with 2mmFS wheels) and will run with the NSE Mk1 corridor rake.
The two
To complete the carriage types needed for the late 80s Thames NSE rake I upgraded a Mk1 BSK and created a Mk2A BSK to run with the Mk2A FK and Mk1 SKs.
The Mk1 BSK (35475) had some minor tweaks from the existing Farish 374-193 model. NSE logos were removed and replaced at the right hand end of the passenger windows, a parcels cage added from another Farish BSK and roof vents changed to the later, in-line pattern above the compartments. The orange cantrail stripe was also removed. The p
Following on from the FK repaint, the next Farish coaches for attention were the Mk1 TSO (cat 374-016) vehicles which needed to turn into Corridor Seconds in the 18XXX number series (1986-88 condition, following their BR repaint from Blue & Grey livery).
Work here included: changing the open interiors for corridor interiors; moving the Network SouthEast logos to the right-hand end of each coach and the coach number to the left-hand end; removing the orange cantrail stripe; removi
For my current project I need a Paddington/Thames Valley commuter rake in late 80s condition so this week’s upgrade is the first of a few coaches to get a NSE rework. These services primarily consisted of Mk1 SKs (later replaced by Mk1 TSOs or strengthened by Mk2 TSOs), a Mk1 BSK or Mk2 BSK/BFK and a Mk2 FK. Fortunately, for NSE’s 30th Anniversary, Farish released TSO, BSK and FK Mk1 coaches, followed by a Train Pack which included Mk1 RMB, Mk2 TSO and Mk2 BSO all in the earlier, lighter blue va
Given Graham Farish produce a Mk2A BSO it’s not surprising that they haven’t produced another half-brake variant. The BFK is a very useful model though; it was a staple of many loco-hauled services on secondary routes and appeared in a range of liveries during its life.
Fortunately converting a coach from BSO to BFK is a fairly straightforward business. I took a second-hand Farish model (cat no. 374-680), applied yellow line transfers to half the length, added ‘1’s to the passenger doo
Here's the first coach to break cover from the Workshop and one that's been worked on in the background for a number of weeks. This started off life as a Farish Mk2A BSO in Blue & Grey livery and it's had a number of mods, including the open interior swapped for a corridor interior, roof vent alterations and water tank added, toilet window amended and vent added, first class/no-smoking signs added (thanks to Railtec for introducing the 2mm-3007 transfers), wheelsets swapped for 2FS and a ful
