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Hogwarts Express Coaches


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Hi,

 

I am trying to make a model train to "mimic" the one that we can see in the WB Harry Potter films.

 

I am aware that the book does not specify the train and that Hogwarts Castle is actually a Hall, including the fact that Hornby use a Castle!

 

However I have a Bachmann Hall and a non running Hornby Hogwarts Castle which should be the donor for the Hogwarts Express train board and the Hogwarts Castle name. The other issue is the rolling stock. I have run through the films, and it appears that with one exception, it is three composite's and a Brake. The Half Blood Prince adds a fifth coach which is an open coach. I know they are BR MK1's but are struggling with the "types". My initial call is : -

 

Either 3 CK or SK's and either a BCK or BSK with a SO as the open coach. I am proposing to use Bachmann Mk1's

 

Can anyone help in identifying the types used in the films? If you look at the West Coast Railway rakes in Maroon, it does not help as they have CK, SK, BCK and BSK used on the railtours.

 

The other issue is the Hogwarts Railway logo, and as this is WB copyright Fox Transfers et al will not have them. I do have a pretty large jpeg, but not sure of how to make this into a decal/transfer. Any help would be appreciated. In addition I need the Gold coach numbers. Does anybody know the font used by WCR and if Fox do these?

 

Many thanks in advance.

 

Andrew

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This website claims to know

 

 

An accurate Hogwarts express train consist of the Hogwarts Express locomotive (R2378) pulling 4 carriages consisting of, 3 composite (R4219A) and one brake coach (R4220A) at the back all in a maroon colour. To accompany this train at kings cross station you can also buy the modern GNER Class 92 225 train (R2427 or R2427A) which is also featured in the films in the background.

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Hi,

 

However I have a Bachmann Hall and a non running Hornby Hogwarts Castle which should be the donor for the Hogwarts Express train board and the Hogwarts Castle name.

 

The US issue of Hogwarts trainsets was by Bachmann and uses the correct hall with names headboard etc. I assume it is a licence issue.

 

Cheltenham Model Centre was selling them a couple of years back. I bought some extra coaches for the set I purchased in the states.

 

Packed well for the flight along with all the Thomas locos with moving eyes including the Stirling single).

 

I photographed the complete set with Hall up front, 31 on the end, at Tring on its way to KX for filming. It was a seven coach set then.I suspect that the first coach with its roller doors was a support vehicle.

 

Regards

 

Mike Wiltshire

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post-9992-0-68912500-1313351509_thumb.jpg

post-9992-0-41413000-1313351528_thumb.jpg

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The US issue of Hogwarts trainsets was by Bachmann and uses the correct hall with names headboard etc. I assume it is a licence issue.

 

It's not quite correct as it's the ex-Replica Modified Hall rather than a plain old Hall. Still closer than a Castle though.

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It's not quite correct as it's the ex-Replica Modified Hall rather than a plain old Hall. Still closer than a Castle though.

 

I've always thought, though, that the Howgwarts Caslte locmotive ought by rights be a Caslte Class, not a Hall.

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Thanks to all, particularly to Merf and Mike for going to the trouble of posting pictures, it is much appreciated. To me the brake looks like a BSK. i have the details now for Precision.

 

The call for me is still CK or SK for the three corridor coaches and BCK or BSK for the brake. Probably back to the DVD's again. Does anyone have any quick tips to tell the difference between CK and SK(third door in coach centre as opposed to slightly offset?) and also BCK and BSK (is it five large windows as opposed to four?). I understand the basics, but any tips for a novice on the easy to see difference would be appreciated.

 

Andrew

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Does anyone have any quick tips to tell the difference between CK and SK(third door in coach centre as opposed to slightly offset?) and also BCK and BSK (is it five large windows as opposed to four?). I understand the basics, but any tips for a novice on the easy to see difference would be appreciated.

 

Andrew

 

compartment side of CK: door, toilet, 3 windows, door, 4 windows spaced wider apart, toilet, door

corridor side of CK: door, plain panel, 2 big windows then 2 doors separated by big/small windows, panel, door

SK: toilet, door, 4 windows, door, 4 windows, door (other side's the same but toilet obviously at the other end)

BCK compt side: guards van with 1 set of double doors, guards door, door, toilet, 3 windows spaced wider, 2 windows, toilet, door

BCK corridor side, reversed with panels instead of toilet windows

BSK: guards van has 2 sets of double doors, 4 big windows, that's all you need to know for that

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  • 1 year later...
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In case you still wish to know, the train consists of the following, in the following order:

 

Hall Class No.5972 Hogwarts Castle

BSK No.99723 Brake Second Corridor Coach

SK No.99716 Second Corridor Coach

SO No.99317 Second Open Coach

SK No.99721 Second Corridor Coach

BSK No.99312 Brake Second Corridor Coach

 

As far as I can tell from my research, this is the correct formation as used in the Half Blood Prince movie when Harry listens in on Draco's conversation.

 

Edited to correct coach numbers

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I haven't observed any CKs in the trains in any of the movies. Hornby don't currently make any SK or SO/TSO coaches, so could not offer a "correct" formation anyway. That situation is going to be remedied when they release their new mark 1 coaches this year.

I settled on the Hornby set with two BSKs and two CKs, all with different numbers.

The reason they used a Hall in the movies was, I believe, simply because no suitable Castles were available at the time. With that in mind, the Hornby 'Hogwarts Castle' represents what might have been, or even what should have been! :D

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The obvious difference between a SO/SK and a CK is that the second class coaches have the toilets at one end, whereas the composites have them at the ends of the compartment sections (one/class). The other difference is that the seconds have eight bays/compartments and the composites only seven (4x 1st, 3x 3rd).

 

The nearest coach in the present Hornby range to a second is the miniature buffet (RMB), which has the same shell, with some windows blanked off. I did start converting one, but gave up as not worth the trouble.

 

The Bachmann set I have has two ex Mainline coaches (CK and BSK IIRC). The coaches in the photos are BSKs.

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If I recall rightly, when the producers were looking for a suitable locomotive for the 'Hogwarts Express', they were offered several - including a WC pacific, but decided that it was 'too modern'. Someone showed them 'Olton Hall' and they went overboard with joy - really 'old-fashioned' and suited their ideas exactly.

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I suppose they called it 'Castle' because 'Hogwarts' is a castle, maybe they couldn't find a suitable castle locomotive to use?

I was told the Hall was picked simply because it looked 'right' - suitably British, and perhaps a little quaint?

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DavidR is indeed correct. Olton Hall was picked because it looked old fashioned enough. The WC pacific they were shown was Taw Valley when it was painted red to promote the books, but did agree it was too modern.

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GWR locos of numerous classes have had clearance issues when "away from home" simply because of the angle and shape of the cylinder block.  

 

The compartment stock used in the moves features steam-heat controls (rotating knobs on the wall beside the external windows) which were later adapted on one side only to control electric heating.  Those vehicles have not therefore been modified internally since the late 1970s at least.  Blue-check seating is shown as is three-a-side seating (evidenced by the arm rest positions and three, not four, seat number plates) which was not the case in all SK / CK coaches - those built for some regions were fitted with 4-a-side second class seating without armrests.  

 

It's not authentic but I have used a rake of old Mainline coaches behind "Hogwarts Castle" here on those rare occasions when it makes a layout appearance.  Those coaches are now "withdrawn for disposal" though the loco remains in case young children visit.  Any future use will see it coupled to Bachmann Mk1 coaches in BR rather than WCR maroon.

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FWIW, I had the Bachmann Hogwarts set, purchased very cheaply from the US via ebay, as I wanted a Modified Hall. Although the loco was up to the standards of the time, the coaches were definitely not. Plastic wheels, no interior and the shade of red was near PO red. In this respect, the Hornby set was superior.

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Cheltenham Model Centre had a lot of the Bachmann USA coaches.  They are actually the old Mainline bodies, but with Bachmann bogies, and couple with a 1mm gap!  No interiors, but Replica Railways supply good ones.  I have a five-coach rake, derived from three sets bought in Trainworld in New York City, with the extra BSK donated to my nephew, who was delighted.  I did try to fit the SE Finecast flush glazing, but the heavy undercut on the plastic means it takes ages to fettle it to get it in.  The alternative, if you are worried, is to deepen the windows, cut out the bars, and put-in Replica flush glazing, which looks good.  I enjoy running my Hogwarts Express, even if the Hall is a modified one, and my children both like seeing a red engine at the head of a train for once!

 

Paul

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  • 3 years later...

In case you still wish to know, the train consists of the following, in the following order:

Hall Class No.5972 Hogwarts Castle

BSK No.99723 Brake Corridor Coach

SK No.99716 Composite Corridor Coach

SO No.99317 2nd Open Coach

SK No.99718 Composite Corridor Coach

BSK No.99312 Brake Composite Corridor Coach

As far as I can tell from my research, this is the correct formation as used in the Half Blood Prince movie when Harry listens in on Draco's conversation.

Edited to correct coach numbers

Stumbled across this old thread, and wanted to ask what is the exact shade of red used on engine and coaches?

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