Barry J

Roco and other European manufacturers have been achieving close coupling with scale length long body coaches capable of train set curves for many years.

that would suggest that it's an early Mk2z and not Mk2a. My understanding is that all of the pressure ventilated Mk2 in Scotrail livery were Mk2z vehicles, all coming from the former blue/grey vehicles used in the Cl27 top & tail E&G sets.

Delighted to finally see a LL 47/7 from Bachmann and the Scotrail Mk2 coaches. I'm curious with the inclusion of the Mk2 FO. Perhaps it's my memory dimming with time, ( I was a teenager growing up in Edinburgh through the 80's) but I don't recall ever seeing a Mk2 FO in Scotrail - or what I recall being known as Scotrail Express - livery at the time. My recollection is a complete set of 4 Mk2z + DBSO (I believe the last remaining of the old cl27 push/pull E&G sets) which was regularly used for Perth - Glasgow / Peth - Edinburgh services and unsurprisingly known as "The Perth Set" or an occasional mk2 TSO being included within a mk2 aircon set for an Edinburgh or Glasgow - Aberdeen set, but I cannot recall seeing the FO in use. Can anyone help correct my memory? Does anyone have any images of the Mk2 FO in use?

I;d certainly love a "Bathgate pair" in original provincial blue - perhaps a certain Edinburgh model shop might support you there Charile as thier next limited edition model. Roll on the first batch, at least 1 sold here, maybe both!

Looks like the postal platforms (2-6) at the east end of Waverley

Can someone enlighten us as to what the problems are preventing it's use?

Hi Nigel Depends on which region & which timescale you mean, so not so straightforward. is it East Coast, Great Western, Midland Mainline, Cross Country, BR era, InterCity sector, post privatisation as formations have varied over the years & from region to region

Details can be found in the current edition of Hornby Magazine. I believe it is an Ian Allan commisioned L/E

Well, on a brighter note, my 406 has just arrived safe & sound. Compliments to Gaugemaster for the excellent packaging in a box 4 times the size of the model, filled with foam & scrunched up brown paper; perhaps not very ecological, but well packaged indeed!

Gaugemaster website now showing 47 406 in stock & ready to ship

Excellent! Many thanks for that Graham, I had a dim memory that they basically just had a stand alone counter & trolley. I have dim memories of seeing these when I used to travel between Edinburgh & Aberdeen on mk2 aircon sets, so I guess they would also turn up on any Scotrail Express internal Edi/Gla/Abe/Inv combination. I'm guessing that the mk2 brake & mk2c conversions used on the Far North line would be a very similar arrangement. Shouldn't be too difficult to construct something representative out of pastic sheet.

Thanks for the info so far. Can anyone clarify whether the TSOT's just had a stand alone counter or did they have an enclosed buffet area more like an RMB or an RFO? Thanks, Barry

Hi flood, I am indeed meaning the TSOT's. I can vaguely recall the mk2d's used on internal Scottish services in the 1980's as basically having a seating bay removed & an open counter pretty much "plonked" in it's place; nothing like as extensive as the RFB's which I recall having a full enclosed small kitchen with a very small service hatch which I recall being on a diagonal facing the corridor into the adjacent coach. These could only have offered a basic hot & cold drinks service such as todays trollies? I have a couple of RFB's & a TSOT in OO scale which have been converted externally, but i'm thinking about working on the interiors so would like to gather as much information as I can before starting work. Going further back, the Scottish Region also converted some mk1 BSK's into micro buffets by using the first compartment as a buffet counter. These often had the first window either plated over or painted white to block out the buffet counter - I can't recall seeing any of these - too far back for my memories

To help a future project, can anyone help with any details regarding the Br Mk2d/e/f micro buffet conversions. How large were the buffet counters? were they sectioned off from the remainder of the coach? any details on where they were used? any information would be gratefully received. Thanks to all

Bear in mind that all the current releases are of the ammended "mid life" body cl 47; no sign of the original style being re-designed without the cl57 legacy