Llanbourne North Wales in the 80s.

[P.C.M]

Two coaches off the workbench today and one older model in for a new kadee.

A Bachmann mk2 BFK used to strengthen a 3 coach set which I use on a Manchester Bangor and return. The MK1 FK with motorail branding will will be used in Cardiff/ Crewe to Bangor/Holyhead trains. I have see more than one picture of a Motorail branded coach being used on these trains so though I would do one.

Last up an old Replica FO declassified to an SO fitted with flush glazing and used in my Trans Pennine rakes. 

 

Cheers Peter.

[ISW]

7 hours ago, P.C.M said:

Two coaches off the workbench today and one older model in for a new kadee.

 

Peter,

 

I'm not sure if your posting is a true reflection of your coaching stock, but it does seem to contain an excess of 1st Class seating. A problem I'm also stuck with, although I am attempting to rectify the situation by increasing my TSO & SK population. I know it's only anecdotal, but it does seem that manufacturers have always produced more FO, FK, CK & BFK coaches, plus BSO & BSK, than the more common (on the real railway) TSO & SK. As a result it's not uncommon to see MK1 TSO & SKs commanding a higher price than the others.

 

Ian

[61656]

Whilst it’s certainly true that the model manufacturers under produce full seconds (currently exemplified by the lack of blue grey TSO air cons), BR did have the same issue. A quick scan through my 1986 platform 5 shows probably over 100 declassified vehicles of one type of another. Including some mk2f former FOs, which might help solve my problem above. There were a lot of adhoc declassifications too, usually with a well hidden sticker in the window of a suspiciously quiet first class coach in a busy train!

 

All of which is only slightly relevant to the great weathering work on Pete’s coaches! What’s the underframe colour and how have you achieved the ‘thin dirt’ application on the body sides?

[43110andyb]

The Motorail MK1’s look great (I have done two myself for the Motorail service on Charwelton).

       What is good is the fact they were predominantly if not all first class coaches on the service so picking up the surplus firsts was easy and relatively cheap!

[P.C.M]

16 hours ago, ISW said:

Peter,

 

I'm not sure if your posting is a true reflection of your coaching stock, but it does seem to contain an excess of 1st Class seating. A problem I'm also stuck with, although I am attempting to rectify the situation by increasing my TSO & SK population. I know it's only anecdotal, but it does seem that manufacturers have always produced more FO, FK, CK & BFK coaches, plus BSO & BSK, than the more common (on the real railway) TSO & SK. As a result it's not uncommon to see MK1 TSO & SKs commanding a higher price than the others.

 

Ian

Hi Ian, my coach rakes are typical of what was running on the North  Wales coast during the mid 80s. So I have plenty of TSO and SK stock in my rakes. 

Cheers Peter.

[P.C.M]

2 hours ago, 61656 said:

Whilst it’s certainly true that the model manufacturers under produce full seconds (currently exemplified by the lack of blue grey TSO air cons), BR did have the same issue. A quick scan through my 1986 platform 5 shows probably over 100 declassified vehicles of one type of another. Including some mk2f former FOs, which might help solve my problem above. There were a lot of adhoc declassifications too, usually with a well hidden sticker in the window of a suspiciously quiet first class coach in a busy train!

 

All of which is only slightly relevant to the great weathering work on Pete’s coaches! What’s the underframe colour and how have you achieved the ‘thin dirt’ application on the body sides?

My air con takes are the old Dapol model and I have do a declassified FO as you say there were a few about.

Underframe is Weathered using Humbrol enamels matt black and two browns some times a bit of white added.bodysides are the same colours just thinned down and run into the doors and hinges.

 

Cheers Peter.

[P.C.M]

2 hours ago, 43110andyb said:

The Motorail MK1’s look great (I have done two myself for the Motorail service on Charwelton).

       What is good is the fact they were predominantly if not all first class coaches on the service so picking up the surplus firsts was easy and relatively cheap!

Thanks, I had trouble trying to find a decent pic so went with what I had, I don't think there were many FKs with the motorail branding though I did find a nice pic of one in inter city livery.

 

Cheers Peter.

[61656]

42 minutes ago, P.C.M said:

My air con takes are the old Dapol model and I have do a declassified FO as you say there were a few about.

Underframe is Weathered using Humbrol enamels matt black and two browns some times a bit of white added.bodysides are the same colours just thinned down and run into the doors and hinges.

 

Cheers Peter.

I made the mistake of buying one Bachmann mk2f, which just makes the other previously acceptable ones look quite primitive. 
 

What thinners are you using? I’ve found both Humbrol and B&Q white spirit leave a distinct white colour. 

[P.C.M]

7 minutes ago, 61656 said:

I made the mistake of buying one Bachmann mk2f, which just makes the other previously acceptable ones look quite primitive. 
 

What thinners are you using? I’ve found both Humbrol and B&Q white spirit leave a distinct white colour. 

I was tempted to start replacing my Dapol models with the Bachmann MK2fs but it was going to cost a small fortune so I decided to stick with my Dapol ones they don't look too bad. 

I have been using Turpentine to thin my Humbrol paints.

 

Cheers Peter.

[G-DIMB]

From the research i have done it would seem there was no fixed way to coach and stock formation. Almost in some cases it was all they had lying around and formed together in a rake. I assume there was a booked load however not what the make up was. Not a problem for me however, just the confusing set up of locomotives.

 

[43110andyb]

8 hours ago, P.C.M said:

I was tempted to start replacing my Dapol models with the Bachmann MK2fs but it was going to cost a small fortune so I decided to stick with my Dapol ones they don't look too bad. 

I have been using Turpentine to thin my Humbrol paints.

 

Cheers Peter.

Absolutely agree! Thought long and hard about the prospect of buying new but decided the Newcastle- Poole we were recreating would be from my ancient Dapol collection including Mainline buffet. Quite a bit of work but saved £100’s. 

[phil-b259]

On 29/05/2021 at 19:56, ISW said:

 I know it's only anecdotal, but it does seem that manufacturers have always produced more FO, FK, CK & BFK coaches, plus BSO & BSK, than the more common (on the real railway) TSO & SK. As a result it's not uncommon to see MK1 TSO & SKs commanding a higher price than the others.

 

 

The issue is that manufacturers work on a batch production basis - and for a run to be economical it has to be a large figure.

 

Consequently when a coaching range is launched you will find an equal number of each type is made - even though in real life the number of 2nd / 3rd class coaches far exceeds the number of 1st. Naturally this means that shops quickly sell through the 2nd /3rds and the 1st get left on the shelf.

 

One solution to this of course is to produce further batches of only the 2nd / 3rd coaches in further years - but unfortunately the mentality of model manufacturers (or their accountants) tends to be one of 'but we haven't sold out of the first batch yet' without appreciating thats probably because whats left is mostly 1st vehicles.

 

Even when the 1sts do sell out there is a tendency to simply release the entire range all over again which of course just re-creates the problem.

[saxokid]

Just had good catch up here Peter

 

many thanks neil

[HillsideDepot]

11 hours ago, G-DIMB said:

From the research i have done it would seem there was no fixed way to coach and stock formation. Almost in some cases it was all they had lying around and formed together in a rake. I assume there was a booked load however not what the make up was. Not a problem for me however, just the confusing set up of locomotives.

There certainly were fixed stock formations, laid out in the Passenger Marshalling Instructions, based on the Circuit Working of Carriage Sets. From research I've been doing of the 1970s Western Region documents (available via brcoachingstock.groups.io) they even specify detail such as which way round CKs should be, which end the kitchen should be in restaurant cars and that where two BSK, BCK etc are marshalled together the van ends should be adjacent. A train could be made up of several sets, and a set could be as small as one coach. Fascinating and very complex stuff, which I am hoping to replicate on my next layout. Of course not everything went to plan, such as the time a group of four of use travelling together were reserved seats around a table, but the coach used only had 3 seats around the table as the gangway took the space of the 4th seat to give space for the loo in the vestibule!

@P.C.M those coaches look great, I especially like the orange curtains. May I ask how you did those?

[P.C.M]

12 hours ago, G-DIMB said:

From the research i have done it would seem there was no fixed way to coach and stock formation. Almost in some cases it was all they had lying around and formed together in a rake. I assume there was a booked load however not what the make up was. Not a problem for me however, just the confusing set up of locomotives.

 

Most services had set formations but I agree some sets would be made up of what was available.

 

Trans - Pennine services were generally made up of  5 x MK2ab and c TSOs 1 x MK2 a or B FK and 1x MK1 NEA or NEX. depots providing the stock for these trains would have spares, but I have seen MK2 D air cons in Inter - city livery being used  for replacing MK2  FKs. and sets often had MK1 SOs which were declassified FOs replacing MK2 TSOs. Most of the time the Trans- Pennine rakes were formed the same way TSO, TSO, TSO, TSO, TSO, FK, NEA. 

 

Cheers Peter.

[P.C.M]

12 hours ago, 43110andyb said:

Absolutely agree! Thought long and hard about the prospect of buying new but decided the Newcastle- Poole we were recreating would be from my ancient Dapol collection including Mainline buffet. Quite a bit of work but saved £100’s. 

They look great looks like you have done a bit more to yours but as you say they look pretty good for an older model. 

I remember seeing the Newcastle - Poole back in the day went out for it a few times hoping for a Peak north of Brum.

 

Cheers Peter.

[P.C.M]

6 hours ago, saxokid said:

Just had good catch up here Peter

 

many thanks neil

Thanks Neil still a few bits going on.

[P.C.M]

49 minutes ago, HillsideDepot said:

There certainly were fixed stock formations, laid out in the Passenger Marshalling Instructions, based on the Circuit Working of Carriage Sets. From research I've been doing of the 1970s Western Region documents (available via brcoachingstock.groups.io) they even specify detail such as which way round CKs should be, which end the kitchen should be in restaurant cars and that where two BSK, BCK etc are marshalled together the van ends should be adjacent. A train could be made up of several sets, and a set could be as small as one coach. Fascinating and very complex stuff, which I am hoping to replicate on my next layout. Of course not everything went to plan, such as the time a group of four of use travelling together were reserved seats around a table, but the coach used only had 3 seats around the table as the gangway took the space of the 4th seat to give space for the loo in the vestibule!

@P.C.M those coaches look great, I especially like the orange curtains. May I ask how you did those?

Thanks Adrian, 

The orange curtains are painted paper just cut out and stuck behind the window. I did do some a while ago with Orange paper but couldn't find any.

 

Cheers Peter.

[P.C.M]

I was given this NEA a few years back it was missing some buffers wheels and a battery box on one side. I finally got  round to fixing it up and thought I would paint the lower bodyside the correct shade. One of the Trans- Pennine  NEAs has the marking so I added them.

[61656]

8 hours ago, P.C.M said:

I was given this NEA a few years back it was missing some buffers wheels and a battery box on one side. I finally got  round to fixing it up and thought I would paint the lower bodyside the correct shade. One of the Trans- Pennine  NEAs has the marking so I added them.

Is the BG on the left in RR rather than TP livery? I recall the lower band was a different colour. 

[P.C.M]

5 hours ago, 61656 said:

Is the BG on the left in RR rather than TP livery? I recall the lower band was a different colour. 

That's right, I have been running it like that with the thought that I would paint it one day, now that I have done the other one it's going to get done along with two RR livery mk2s.

Cheers Peter. 

[P.C.M]

Two more coaches finished off tonight.

This pair started out in  regional railways livery. I Repainted the lower bodysides and added railtec trans Pennine transfers.

One coach has corridor connectors from a vac braked coach and the brake shoes have been removed from the bodies and disc braked fitted to represent an ex Scotish push pull coach which were used before the MK3s arrived.

[P.C.M]

Anther new addition to the loco fleet is Inverness based 47492. It started out as a 47541, I got the body from a mate who was going to Repaint it blue so we did a swap. He had already removed the Inverness stag and Scotrail branding so I replaced these in the correct positions for 492. A few other added details including engine cut off's and some pipework which it seems Bachmann will be adding to their new class 47.

Although a Scottish based loco these machines still managed to get out and about all over the country. I used to see ED & IS 47s heading down and back from Poole on interregional services back in the day.

[Southwich]

Very nice Peter! Enjoyed catching up on your last few posts. The 47 looks superb.

 

Hope you’re well!

 

Kind regards,

 

Will

[P.C.M]

2 hours ago, Southwich said:

Very nice Peter! Enjoyed catching up on your last few posts. The 47 looks superb.

 

Hope you’re well!

 

Kind regards,

 

Will

Thanks Will, Going ok, but a bit over Covid lockdowns because certain people keep doing the wrong thing. 

It does give me some extra time in the garage so I am getting a few things done.

 

Cheers Peter.