Here's another brief update on progress with the Western Region Blue Pullman set.

Otther than the incorrect bogies, the Triang parlour cars are a fairly accurate model of the first class type, which are correct for the Midland Pullman. However the WR sets also included two second class cars with different window spacing, and which ride on two types of bogies.

Fortunately, the windows are easily taken care of with the Southern Pride etched inserts, which are a perfect fit in the recess left after the Triang windows have been carefully removed - just make sure you get them the right way around as the windows are handed and different on either side.

Next to be tackled are the interiors, which need reworking to match the new windows. Rather than go down the route of making completely new interiors, I got out the hacksaw and carefully shortened the existing moulding. This needs to be unglued from the underframe first, which takes a fair bit of brute force. Once it was free, I achieved the necessary shortening by removing a small amount between each seat and the table. It's tedious and messy but not difficult. As I started re-gluing the seats and tables back into position, I kept referring to the windows to make sure everything was lining up nicely. Of course you'll end up missing a section of seating, as shown here, so it's necessary to start hacking up a second seat moulding. All is not lost, though, as the kitchen cars won't need full sets of seats so with careful work there shouldn't be any need to use more than six parlour cars.

Finally, here's a shot showing small plastic tabs glued into the window recess to provide mounting points for the etched inserts.

In terms of the bodywork, the real things had ventilators in the bodywork at both ends, whereas the Triang moulding only has the one. It's quite a noticeable detail, especially in the reversed livery - perhaps because they stand out against the pale grey a bit more obviously - but I haven't yet decided whether to tackle them or not. And the underframe detail, being the moulding for the power cars, is largely fictitious. But I'll leave tackling that to a later date, when I have more information and a better sense of which - if any - parts of the existing moulding can be re-used.