I’ve got a MK2 rake (Some Bachmann 2a/Some detailed Lima 2bs) but for some time I’ve had an itch that it is not right without a couple of Mk2c BSOs as ran in the early 70s. Although of course the ‘Riviera generally has a BFK as supplied by Bachmann. I could of course bought a couple of kits but time is tight and I was after a quick fix.

Lying around I’ve got a few Lima Mk2b coaches that I don’t use and so after a lot of pondering and studying photographs it struck me that I could probably make a Mk2c BSO by splitting a TSO and using the brake portions from two BFKs. As always with a modelling job it’s the unforeseen that causes most problems, in that case that different batches of Lima coaches had different thicknesses of coach wall but with a bit of judicious filling and sanding and after painting it is not noticeable. The roofs were smoothed and Southern Price roe-vac vents fitted. After fitting flush glaze, transfers and a bit of weathering paint to the under frame they don’t look too bad. I did consider detailing the under frame but in the end just stuck with the original. So after that little diversion it is onto the XP64 rake for the Worcester to PZ motorail of summer ’72.

As an aside after I’d finished this I lined up my rake and noticed that the bottom of the grey window panel, when aligning Bachmann and Lima together, is lower (broader overall) on the Lima than the Bachmann. Oh no - I cursed myself – why didn’t I think to check and repaint my Lima correctly rather than following the original Lima paint line! I was rather gratified to find out when I looked at a few prototype photos that it is actually the Bachmann that is incorrect; their grey paint line is far too close to the bottom of the windows! One among a number of errors of which most obvious to me, and not especially correctable, is the ridiculously over-tinted windows. Also I time-consumingly reduced the ride height of all my Mk2 Lima coaches before discovering that it is actually the Bachmann that ride too low – grrr.