cages_cage

It would be nice. While such a variant is - easy enough to do with transfers - not a variant I would think Hornby or Bachmann would consider "worthwhile," both manufacturers have produced incredibly specific variants of Southern Region coaches. The prime example... Hornby produced two runs of Green Mk1s with the roundel, which (to my knowledge) only were used in one train: The Royal Wessex! It was not until 2020 where they released a run or "common," roundel-free green Mk1s.

The Bachmann Mk1 roofs have all been ribless since around ~2015. Is the coupling pocket height changed on this upgraded run of Mk1s? From the pictures provided, the couplings appear to remain "stepped" and at the incorrect NEM height.

The 4Fs had a second run with the MR and BR (weathered) liveries. Moguls had only one run, but moved slowly. 1Ps had one run .. and sold quickly? I do not quite remember. I do recall the plain LMS black 1P hanging around, as is traditional for that paint scheme.

Are the coupling pockets at the correct height on the Heljan/EFE Rail Hymeks - that is, can a Kadee be fitted well in the NEM pocket? I see that the Hymeks (and many other Heljan-tooled locos) come with stepped couplings. I do see people fitting Kadees on these Heljan locos without any apparent issue, though...?

In addition, the Sleeper cars and the Post Office vehicles have the NEM pocket in the close-coupling mechanism at the correct height. All other Bachmann Mk1 vehicles have a "long stepped" coupling... which is different than the "short" stepped coupling that appeared on wagons from the 2000s!

Someone had pointed out... the real 5741 had a top feed, so the Accurascale 5741 as illustrated really is "Duck"! Edit: per the post below, 5741/"Duck" did not have a top feed as-built - but did 5741 gain the top feed by the time it gained the GWR livery...?

Though I am "merely" someone who presently only has the capacity to run a "toy train set," my biggest piece of advice regarding Kadee couplings on UK stock: do not convert everything to Kadees. Way too expensive, for one. Two, most freight and passenger stock do not run optimally with NEM Kadees. NEM Kadees 19/20 give far too much slack within a rake and are not close coupled enough, 17s are too short for many curves, and 18s couple almost as closely as the short Bachmann tension locks anyway. NEM Kadees are, IMHO, a non-starter the inner couplings of most passenger stock without major modification. I follow the basic mindset of those who do small, fixed sets or fixed sets: Kadees on the outer ends, optimal couplings in the middle. For freight, the small Bachmann tension lock (NEM or otherwise) is my preferred coupling. This also allows me to easily stick older wagons with Mainline couplings/Bachmann stepped couplings in a rake without any modifications. For passenger stock, I prefer the mixing the Roco-style couplings (Hornby R8220 and the genuine Roco article) within rakes. Well, when they can be used easily... cursed awkward stepped couplings!!! Roco have the adjustable height NEM coupling, but it is imperfect as a solution; it has to slide very far down

I don't think the Bachmann 08s ever had stepped couplings, so that is a good start for Kadee conversions. One possible fix for this height issue may come from adding a paper shim (or two) underneath the coupling inside the NEM pocket. This solution has proved satisfactory for many models; the Kadees have fit the standards of the height gauge, and they have less vertical slack within NEM pockets which have a lot of room. ...hmmm, perhaps there should be a thread compiling nuances of NEM Kadee conversion of OO RTR stock....

How do the R7398 Buckeye magnetic couplings fare between Bachmann Mk1s and Hornby stock? Do they compensate well for the incorrect height of the Bachmann CCMs? Also, is the gap between coaches too large/too small for reliable running?

Perhaps most importantly (in my eyes, ha!) would be addressing the incorrect height the NEM pockets have perpetually been at on the older Mk1 models. I would think changing the drawbars would have been an easy task on the many Mk1/Mk2 rereleases that have happened over the last 20-some years. It is only a single part, and the pocket on the drawbar needs to be moved down, not up; nothing is obscuring its move down. Despite what seems like a simple change - and newer Mk1/Mk2 stock from Bachmann having drawbars with NEM pockets at the correct height - Bachmann has never altered the drawbars on the older tool Mk1/Mk2s. Dealing with these drawbars has been enough of a headache that I've refrained buying the older-tool Mk1s secondhand (or firsthand, for that matter). I found many possible solutions to this coupling quagmire to be unsatisfactory, too invasive, or too expensive. I hope any major upgrade to the existing tooling would come with a NEM pocket height change!

No close-coupling mechanism; Hornby Mk1s have a NEM pocket insert mounted on the bogie (where, naturally, a NEM pocket sits). There are some upsides to this: derailments have happened less with the mounted coupling, and the Hornby Mk1s have the pocket mounted at the correct height unlike Bachmann's perpetually incorrect drawbar height. Mixing a Hornby R8220 coupling and a Roco 40270 coupling to connect coaches results in a fairly good close coupling. Two Roco 40270 couplings pull the coaches too close together to get around any curve. Duller finish on the Hornby coaches Hornby Mk1s are lighter in weight than Bachmann Mk1s In my experience, Hornby Mk1s (and most Hornby coaches, for that matter) are harder to disassemble/reassemble without breaking anything. Hornby's construction relies on clips that are a part of the glazing, which can break off very easily. Bachmann Mk1s may require more steps to get into, but in my limited experience, they can be disassembled/reassembled without fear of breaking bits. Perhaps the most important point: Hornby and Bachmann's renditions of BR Blue/Grey are radically different. Hornby's BR blue/grey is closer to a dark blue-green/white than blue/grey. A Hornby blue/grey coach would stick out like a sore thumb in a rake of Bachmann blue/grey coaches, and vice-versa.

Hello, I was wondering how much mixing (if any) happened between the several types of Mk2 coaches (A/B/C/D/E/F) happened in train formations. I have some Hornby Mk2Es and Mk2Fs, but I am unsure if they should be running together in the same train.

The Hornby Mk1 range has a blue/grey range that is not too hard to find right now. However, the B/G colors of those coaches may be a dealbreaker - the grey is too white, and the blue is too dark. On the flipside, I have found the Hornby Mk1s to be more reliable runners, and have couplings that are easier to work with. This is because the NEM pocket is at the correct height. Most Bachmann Mk1s, and all Mk2a coaches have the pocket at the wrong height, making typical coupling solutions (such as Roco-style couplers or Kadees at the end of rakes) more annoying to achieve! Bachmann has an extensive range of B/G Mk1s (I think the only type Bachmann has never made, but Hornby has, is the BSO), as well as Mk2a coaches. Since Bachmann seems to produce their offerings in smaller numbers than Hornby, their range can be harder to come by. You'll need to search for many items in second-hand condition. Kernow has some B/G coaches in stock, as does Hereford Model Centre. Looking around various outlets may lead you to the coaches you need. Some coach types, such as TSOs and SKs, can be hard to come by. Also of note - older Bachmann B/G coaches have a different, slightly greener shade of blue than the ones manufactured from around 2009-onwards. I believe any coaches with the current style of Bachmann's packaging will have the 'current' shade of blue. The difference between the old and new Bachmann B/G colors is noticeable when placed in a rake together, though not earth-shattering at all. However, Hornby's B/G coaches will look very out of place when put up against a Bachmann B/G coach!

I'd bet a lot of money on Hornby announcing a Mk1 RB in WR chocolate/cream.... unless I am mistaken, and they never ran in that livery!

Finding the NEM Kadee with the best fit will vary greatly depending on each piece of stock and how tight the layout's curves are. #19 Long Kadees are a fairly safe option on locos and wagons; it is also a safe bet to use #18 Mediums Kadees on typical 4-wheel wagons. #20 Extra-Long Kadees are only a good choice on stock where the NEM pocket is far back. Of important note: quite a few Heljan and Bachmann items do not have the NEM pocket at the correct height: a method to get the Kadee at the correct height must be used (e.g. moving the NEM pocket down, gluing the NEM Kadee to the underside of the pocket). I do not know which Heljan are affected by this design issue. Bachmann's older wagons had the pocket at the wrong height, and some locos (Standard 4MT Tank, GWR Small Prairie) and coaches (most MK1s and MK2s) still are being produced with NEM pockets at the incorrect height. Thus, the Kadee height gauge is an important item to buy! Kadee markets an on-the-rails magnetic uncoupler, though other, smaller magnets can be used for uncoupling wagons. What stock do you have? That would help with suggesting which coupler to use for each piece of stock.