sub39h

seems odd to me that Hornby would have specially moulded an RFM just for W&S livery? maybe we'll see a Chiltern Mainline one in the future and i'll just have to repaint that or I suppose I could go for Hurst models kit, but as with everything else on their website it's not in stock. do they even trade anymore? of the half a dozen things I need seriously nothing is in stock.

it's more the need for an RFM for one of my loco hauled services. i have one of these :http://i.ebayimg.com/t/Lima-OO-BR-Mk3-Buffet-Coach-Intercity-Livery-/00/s/MTIwMFgxNjAw/z/3V4AAMXQ6BRRZBr~/$T2eC16dHJF8E9nnC8HWWBRZBr-yRZw~~60_35.JPG but it looks like that's a HST car because it only has 3 windows

thank you both for that very helpful information. My intended layout is going to feature a fictional North London terminus that serves both the ECML and Midland Main Line (so basically a "King's Cross-St Pancras. station) based around the early 90s. I am going to have a couple of loco-hauled Mk3 services for variety but this is going to be a quirk of "my" railway and I won't otherwise feature any WCML services so I should be ok with my windowed power cars. are there any 00 models of the TRSB and TRUK out there? because I have Lima restaurant cars in Exec and Swallow but both of them have 3 windows.

i don't really fully understand the differences between the Mk3 Kitchen/Buffet cars. here is a prime example - what is the difference between a TRFB and a TRFM then? and what are TRUKs? Did TRSBs exist after the Swallow livery was introduced?

so it was running with a TRSB rather than a TRFB? I wasn't aware that any of those were in Swallow livery Edit: it seems I can't read properly. Never mind!

So some power cars lost them when they were painted in I/C Swallow? Those pictures would be very helpful, thanks. I only have a couple of photos led by 43072 and with 43051 trailing. The impression I got from the description of the photos (taken by a railway worker in Sheffield) was that it was always these cars that pulled the Master Cutler? But this seems unlikely as BR had already made the decision that it was unfeasible to permanently couple two power cars permanently?

Perfect. Thank you. When you say later refurbishments, I take it you mean after privatisation when fleets were life-extended? So they all were in original form in I/C Swallow livery?

Hi guys, I am trying to acquire a Hornby I/C Swallow HST pack which I want renaming and renumbering to ECML numbers. I note that in the Swallow pack one of the cars has a window for a guards' compartment and one doesn't. I just wanted to make sure that I picked suitable running numbers for the power cars. One will be renumbered 43051 "Duke and Duchess of York" and from photos it seems as though this one had the extra window. I wanted the other numbered 43072 and make a Master Cutler set but again info online reveals that 43072 should have a window too. The link http://www.therailwaycentre.com/Pages%20Loco/Recognition%20loco/Illus_43A%20HST.html indicates that cars after 43152 were no longer built with guards' windows. I wanted to confirm that it is indeed correct that all running numbers greater than 43152 did not have guards' windows. I am aware of (and have participated in) another thread which gives details of all the ECML HST running numbers so I just need to know whether the above info is correct. Many thanks

oh my... i wish i had even 5% of the talent of either of one you

change of plan - i've totally abandoned the idea of using Class 25 motors. even at the bargain basement price I got for factory 2nd 25s at Ally Pally's Bachmann stand it would be cheaper to use a Hornby donor vehicle and run a single power car. I spotted a new Virgin Hornby HST super detail on eBay for £85 delivered and decided that would be the new underpinnings of my HST as per the guide below. (please be aware that clicking on the link below causes my Avast anti-virus to throw up an alert. proceed at your own risk.) http://users.on.net/~kachevy/Projects/XPT_Conversion/ the only thing i'm unclear about is why he's used the Black Cat Tech light board instead of using the one from the new unit. I suppose I'll have to work that out when my HST pack comes.

thanks for the above. looking at the amount of work that is needed to do the conversion, i'm back to thinking that simple remotoring like above is the right thing to do besides, getting enough Warship wheels and 158 worm gears from Bachmann is proving tricky. they can only supply enough for 2 locos and i ideally want power cars at either end

thanks for that, i linked that company above and asked for reviews. in the end i plumped for some cheap Bachmann 25s from Ally Pally. I'm pot committed now.

thanks for the above. i would have probably gone for the ModelTorque option originally if it still existed! looks like i got into the hobby a few months too late. anyhow, the reason i want to quieten it down is i plan on adding DCC sound at a later date. it's all well and good being noisy, but i want the right noise! it will be a massive project, i've got ahold of an old Model Rail issue with an article on adding directional lights. i think once i'm finished with adding the new motors and lights the Hornby option may well have been cheaper. I don't suppose anyone has a couple of spare cabin inserts they'd be willing to sell me?

lol the one in the photo has been heavily modified mate. i do really like the original too tho! but i understand what the chap who modified it was getting at. it is labelled as a BHA, but the underframe looks more like a KHA. it's too short to be a KHA and too long to be a BHA, so in terms of prototypical modelling it's not the greatest show. i think it's very attractive all the same

thanks for the above. i have put a bid in on eBay for a few more. i might end up with the entire fleet at this rate! i think they're a very attractive wagon tho. they don't seem to be very prototypical. the length doesn't bother me, but the underframes are all wrong. i guess on my railway this will be the "working" version that in real life never made it into production

that's brilliant, thanks for that and the link. the canopies come off, so I could run them either way

ok the wagons have come. they look great! (except for the MASSIVE couplers they have haha!) they say that they're BHAs on the side of them. so that gives me a basis to get some more information.

Well I've managed to pick up three reasonably priced 25s at Ally Pally today so the project with 25 motors continues!

iirc Peco 3rd radius is the same as Hornby 4th radius i.e. 572mm, Peco 2nd = Hornby 3rd = 505mm i think tracksettas are better for HO layouts as they work with a distance of 2" between lines. whilst i think this is meant to be closer to prototype in the UK i think that it is functionally a problem with OO gauge rolling stock which have overhangs on curves that could conflict.

thanks for that. at £12 each or whatever it would be cheaper to buy two of those than it would another Class 25 motor. It would also be less hassle as I have to change the worm gear and the wheels and fabricate a new mounting system. haha I had one of those. i traded it for some Eurostar middle coaches and a Bachmann TEA a couple of weeks ago. Hornby did do one, but it was with the old style power cars. the chap I traded it with had one in the shop. i will give that a go, thanks. I saw a drive unit from a new Hornby car on eBay but it was £39 + P&P or something which was a little rich for my blood.

Just a bit of a bump on this thread. I have acquired a Bachmann 25 motor courtesy of James. I have had a look at what would be required and whilst I feel I am up to the task, I still would like to run 2 power cars and finding another cheaper 25 motor has been troublesome. I managed to come across a company that provides new modern motors for the Class 43. I'm surprised I didn't come across it before. The website is a little shoddy which always makes me wary, but I was wondering if anyone had any experience of the company/motors http://www.diesel-trains.co.uk/lima_motor_kits.html Thanks again

Thanks for the above. All 4 I have are the red variety. Thought they'd look good running behind a Railfreight Red Stripe Bachmann 37 I bought recently.

good eyes! thank you

Hi there, Apologies as I don't even know where to begin to search, so I haven't had much success finding an answer. The photo itself is from RMWeb (found through Google Images) but there is limited information attached to the photo. I've managed to win 3 of these off eBay, and had one in the loft from when I was a boy. I was planning on running them with some Bachmann steel carriers. I like the look of them, so whether they're prototypical or not I don't really care, but was just wondering if anyone could give me any information about what they're called, where they ran and in what sorts of rakes and whether there are any major discrepancies in the model. (My understanding is that the one in the photo has been modified.) Many thanks, S.

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