Mk3 standard class correct 76 seat layout replacement interiors

[fiftyfour fiftyfour]

The bad news- if you have any 4mm scale Mark 3 carriage depicting any livery since the original blue/grey then the interior seat layout in your standard class coaches is either totally wrong, badly wrong or quite wrong dependant on manufacturer! This will be instantly noticeable when you look through the windows and will stand out enormously if you add interior lighting.

 

The good news- here is the solution! A one-piece 3D printed replacement interior which simply replaces the old seating unit. After their first refurbishment in the mid-1980s all standard class Mark 3 carriages received this 76 layout with just 10 tables of four per coach and the remaining 36 seats as airline layout pairs of seats. This replacement interior is superbly detailed, the shape and height of the real IC70 type seats that were fitted to the Mark 3 coaches has been correctly replicated, the tables are mounted to the outer edges leaving an empty space underneath each table and all the fixed arm rests are individually depicted. End bulkhead walls, vestibule areas and central draught screens have been included. When inserted in your model you will instantly see that the prototypical seat to window misalignment distinctive to the standard class Mark 3 during the bulk of its working life has been faithfully reproduced. The whole unit comes in white allowing the modeller to easily add the seat colour appropriate to the exterior livery on the model prior to installing.

 

I am selling these on eBay using my personal account; linky... https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/184545028334 

I am charging £11.00 each and £4.10 P&P for 1, 2 or 3 interiors. If you buy four or more they will ALL be P&P free.

 

This replacement interior is correct for HST TS vehicles and locomotive hauled TSO vehicles in the following exterior liveries;

-Inter-City “APT” style often known as “executive” as used  on all routes including ECML HST, Midland Mainline HST, WCML loco-hauled, Great Western HST and Cross-Country HST.

-INTERCITY “Swallow” style similar to above but with the classic italic logo.

-GNER as applied to ECML HSTs from 1997 onwards until interiors changed after 2006 when ‘Mallard’ interiors replaced the original seats.

-Virgin Trains West Coast as applied to both WCML loco-hauled TSO and 12 HST TS vehicles with different seat moquette on both fleets, interior layout continued unmodified when ex Virgin vehicles were used by numerous subsequent operators including ScotRail (North Berwick 90’s), Anglia, Chiltern, Cargo D (charters) and the “Pretendolino” Class 390 substitute train later operated by Virgin Trains.

-Great Western and First Great Western as applied to GWML HSTs from 1996 onwards until interiors were changed from 2006 onwards to a higher density layout, at the same time the exterior livery changed to “dynamic lights”.

-Anglia, One Railway, National Express East Anglia and Greater Anglia who used an unchanged interior layout from when vehicles were cascaded into fleet (apart from a very high backed thin pair of seats which replaced the pair of seats at the extreme end of each saloon) until they were changed to the higher density layout from around 2015 onwards.

 

This replacement interior is very nearly correct for vehicles in the following exterior liveries;

-Midland Mainline (both styles), East Midland Trains and East Midland Railway HST TS vehicles as used from 1997 onwards. Interior requires the removal of one pair of airline seats adjacent to the central bulkhead and a small luggage rack installed instead. Note- this interior is not correct for ex Grand Central HSTs operated by EMT/EMR from 2018.

-Virgin Trains Cross Country HST vehicles as used from 1997 onwards. Interior requires the removal of two pairs of airline seats adjacent to the central bulkhead and a large luggage rack installed instead.

-Selected HST TS and loco-hauled TSO vehicles, some earlier but more commonly after privatisation which were modified to TSD, TSOD or TSOW by the addition of a wheelchair accessible toilet or wheelchair space which resulted in a change to the adjacent seating area.

 

The replacement interior is not suitable for Greater Anglia (post 2015 high density refit), GNER and subsequent (post 2006 ‘Mallard’ refit), First Great Western and subsequent (post 2006-2008 high backed seat ‘refresh’), Cross Country (post 2008 HST revival), Arriva Trains Wales and subsequent ‘W.A.G.’ sets, Grand Central, Wrexham & Shopshire and subsequent use on Chiltern or any sliding door vehicles of any operator.

 

To fit the replacement interior to a Lima coach simply remove the roof and glazing piece and swap the seating units over, no alteration of any kind is required. To fit the replacement interior to a Hornby scale length coach remove the chassis unit, cut the five small seat unit locating lugs down on the chassis (otherwise the seat unit sits too high) and secure in place with a small blob of blu-tac. I do not own any Oxford Rail coaches so I don’t know easy it will be to swap the interiors over on these. If you have a Lima coach which already had Extreme Etchings Lazerglaze flush glazing installed you will need to cut the old seat unit out by slicing it down the aisle using a utility knife and remove it in two halves. The replacement seat unit is just over 2mm narrower than the original Lima unit so will fit inside the coach without disturbing the flush glazing.

 

Check out the eBay link https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/184545028334

[fiftyfour fiftyfour]

First complete upgraded Lima eight car HST rake almost ready to hit the rails, photos taken just before the roofs went back onto the standard class coaches and the curtains fitted to the first class (materials awaited). For the TGS I cut one of the replacement seating units in half, which by damn good fortune and the fact that BR arranged the seat layout in the TS/TSO vehicles so each half was a mirror opposite means one sliced up seat unit can upgrade two TGS vehicles. The Lima/Limby layout stays correct for the van half as the loss of a window bay prevented a higher density layout on the real thing. 

In case any keen eyed readers are wondering, I've used Lazerglaze down one side only and will retain Lima on the other, with over 70 Mk3's to process I decided to cut the glazing bill per rake down from £72 to £36, you can only look at one side a time!

[fiftyfour fiftyfour]

The Great Western Trains HST rake has now been done, new 76 seat interiors in the standard class TS vehicles captured yesterday before the glazing was installed.

[MGR Hooper!]

Looking good mate! A lick of paint really transforms them... 

[fiftyfour fiftyfour]

36 minutes ago, MGR Hooper! said:

Looking good mate! A lick of paint really transforms them... 

Thanks. After doing 12 interiors (912 seats) in IC red and then doing 12 interiors (also 912 seats) in GWT green and 4 interiors (288 seats after luggage rack mod) in Virgin XC green/grey I was glad to reach the end of my fleet!!

 

[fiftyfour fiftyfour]

I'm selling off the last of my stock of these replacement interiors as part of a clear out before I move house. £30 for four, including free P&P. You need them if you've got Oxford Rail Mk3's (INTERCITY "swallow" or Virgin), Hornby (InterCity as per this years release, INTERCITY "swallow", most post privatisation liveries) and Lima (again, everything between blue/grey and mid 2000's refits). Not correct for sliding door era.

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/185824420447

Edited March 22, 2023 by fiftyfour fiftyfour

[resluke]

On 21/03/2023 at 12:16, fiftyfour fiftyfour said:

I'm selling off the last of my stock of these replacement interiors as part of a clear out before I move house. £30 for four, including free P&P. You need them if you've got Oxford Rail Mk3's (INTERCITY "swallow" or Virgin), Hornby (InterCity as per this years release, INTERCITY "swallow", most post privatisation liveries) and Lima (again, everything between blue/grey and mid 2000's refits). Not correct for sliding door era.

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/185824420447

Hi @fiftyfour fiftyfour - appreciate this is an old post and you'd mentioned you've since moved. Have you (or perhaps, would you) be producing any more of these Mk3 interiors? I'd be keen on upgrading my Lima Mk3 stock. Thanks! Luke