Coaches in Dark Red LMS livery - recommendations?

[neilmack]

I would like three or four coaches in the dark red (is that "crimson lake" or maroon, or are they the same thing?) livery of LMS. I'm not modelling any particular period or line, so the only requirements are that they look smart, have metal wheels (does this rule out Railroad models?) and they are cheap.

 

Although I have put this on the Hornby section, Bachmann models are equally acceptable.

 

Any recommendations gratefully received.

[tractionman]

These are good value and decent quality 

 

https://www.modelrailwaysdirect.co.uk/rolling-stock-passenger/Hornby-r4926-midland-commuter-coach-pack/

 

The pack will be released soon, the individual coaches are more expensive to buy separately but are available now.

 

cheers,

 

Keith

[adb968008]

R3299 From Hattons, £150 you will get 3 staniers in LMS and a Black 5 included, all super detailed.

 

If budget is really an issue, Dapol do 57ft LMS staniers around £15 each, its a 40 year old tooling and plastic wheels but its not the worst out there.

[tractionman]

some interesting discussion on RTR LMS coaching here too

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/137990-napkin-list-of-rtr-00-stock-that-is-broadly-accurate/

 

cheers,

 

Keith

[jacko]

Search on Ebay for LMS coaches under collectables. usually a few hundred listings on there. I've built quite a collection of Hornby and Lima coaches very cheaply. all awaiting weathering and general fiddling with.

 

Graeme

[ejstubbs]

If budget is really an issue, Dapol do 57ft LMS staniers around £15 each, its a 40 year old tooling and plastic wheels but its not the worst out there.

 

The plastic wheels are easily swapped eg for Hornby metal 14.1mm two-hole or disc wheelsets (I don't know which is correct for those particular coaches).  Or, with a bit more surgery, you can swap out the bogies for Bachmann LMS bogies with metal wheelsets.

 

The Airfix and Mainline versions of these coaches can also sometimes be picked up cheap via eBay or second-hand dealers.  They tend to be slightly darker in hue than the Dapol ones (which might suit the OP), otherwise they're identical.  In the case of the non-corridor ones they can be better, because the Dapol ones all use the same roof moulding after the Airfix mould for the brake 3rd roof became damaged beyond repair.  There's also something awry with the ventilators on the composite roof.

Edited October 31, 2018 by ejstubbs

[adb968008]

The plastic wheels are easily swapped eg for Hornby metal 14.1mm two-hole or disc wheelsets (I don't know which is correct for those particular coaches).  Or, with a bit more surgery, you can swap out the bogies for Bachmann LMS bogies with metal wheelsets.

 

The Airfix and Mainline versions of these coaches can also sometimes be picked up cheap via eBay or second-hand dealers.

Agree, R8264 is what i use, amazon used to have these at under £10.

[No Decorum]

These are good value and decent quality 

 

https://www.modelrailwaysdirect.co.uk/rolling-stock-passenger/Hornby-r4926-midland-commuter-coach-pack/

 

The pack will be released soon, the individual coaches are more expensive to buy separately but are available now.

 

cheers,

 

Keith

 

Nice coaches but the truss rods are extremely fragile. So fragile that I broke mine without even realising.

[neilmack]

Nice coaches but the truss rods are extremely fragile. So fragile that I broke mine without even realising.

The modern super-detailed stuff is absolutely stunning in its fine modelling, but as you say, the components are terribly fragile. Is there such a thing as too detailed? I'm increasingly reluctant to handle my best locos, and am wondering if I wouldn't be happier on Planet Railroad.

[tractionman]

The modern super-detailed stuff is absolutely stunning in its fine modelling, but as you say, the components are terribly fragile. Is there such a thing as too detailed? I'm increasingly reluctant to handle my best locos, and am wondering if I wouldn't be happier on Planet Railroad.

I've got LMS coaching stock from Hornby and Bachmann over recent years, plus older second hand stock and of the latter I'm particularly partial of the Mainline 57' coaches which are sturdy and easily sourced for not a lot of cash eg

 

https://www.hampshiremodels.co.uk/products/mainline-37-109-37-110-oo-gauge-lms-57-corridor-coaches-x2

 

Cheers,

 

Keith

[melmerby]

I've got LMS coaching stock from Hornby and Bachmann over recent years, plus older second hand stock and of the latter I'm particularly partial of the Mainline 57' coaches which are sturdy and easily sourced for not a lot of cash eg

 

https://www.hampshiremodels.co.uk/products/mainline-37-109-37-110-oo-gauge-lms-57-corridor-coaches-x2

 

Cheers,

 

Keith

I have a few of the ex-Mainline coaches and they are quite good considering the original tooling was made 40 odd years ago.

Not as detailed as more recent stuff but still quite good.

The earliest Bachmann releases still have the Mainline couplings and plastic wheels but later ones have smaller screw-on tension locks and metal wheels and IMHO the decoration is better.

 

Keith

[TheSignalEngineer]

The Bachmann ones have separate roof vents and corridor connections as opposed to the moulded on Mainline ones. Replica also did a run like the Bachmann version but the corridor connections seem to go a bit brittle on some of those, maybe it is how they have been stored

[The Johnster]

There is nothing wrong with the detail provided by a tooling from 40 or in some cases more years ago, nor is there anything inherently superior about modern toolings.  Modern RTR stock achieves higher standards of realism because the Chinese production model lends itself very easily to assembly of very small disparate components which, in earlier times, would have been moulded with the main body to save costs (Labour mostly, not production or assembly).  This is part of the reason for the rising prices we all moan about; the Chinese assembly workers not unreasonably want a better standard of living or they won't work, so the trade has improved itself into a marketing corner, where product of the standard we have come to expect for a given price has gone up 3-fold in as many years and is still increasing in selling price.

 

The 'period 1' 57 footers from Mainline were good models in their day, but look a bit dated now.   They can be 'worked up' by a modeller of fairly minimal skill, though; carve off the moulded handrails, replace the bogies with something where the brake blocks are in line with the wheels, paint the interiors, add 'first class' and 'no smoking' labels to the windows, and get some decent buffers, and the model is lifted very consdierably.  Same goes for the ex-Airfix non-gangwayed, but these are available RTR to modern standard.

 

I would avoid the earlier incarnation of the Hornby Staniers, the ones with the silver roofs, as their windows are hopeless, but early Airfix Staniers can be worked up in a similar way to the 57 footers.

 

The exact difference between, and definition of, maroon and crimson lake liveries is a famous bone of contention.  The colour is notoriously difficult to pin down, and seems to be prone to 'subjective interpretation'.  I will refrain from further comment except to say that Airfix's purple version was well off, Hornby's wasn't bad, and Mainline's was spot on, but this is only my very subjective opinion and my main interest is in the best shade of BR crimson or BR maroon I can achieve.  

Edited November 3, 2018 by The Johnster

[Barry O]

Hattons have some LMS painted coaches for sale in their second hand list. The Airfix ones are OK. You can improve them by modifying the underframes (new vacuum cyclinders, battery boxes, dynamo and move the truss rods inwards, add the cross trussing etc).

 

I timed myself the  other day . I can knock out a ex LMS coach from Comet/247 sides/ cast whitemetal ends, Comet underfarme and/or a pcb based underframe quicker than modifying an ex Airfix or Bachmann (or Mainline) donor.

 

Etched coach sides don't always fit the Airfix sides.. don't know why but just check before gluing!

 

Baz

[TheSignalEngineer]

Comet sides are a different profile from Airfix on the Brake 3rd. I was going to use one as a base for a Period 2 BTO but have abandoned at the moment as it was too much of a faff.