Farish announce BR Mark 2A coaches

[bigP]

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[justin1985]

Here's a shot from 1991 with 50033 on a Waterloo - Exeter service.

https://geeceesfotts.smugmug.com/Trains/CLASS-50/i-pB6LV7K/0/X2/50033%20WITH%2015.15%20WATERLOO%20TO%20EXETER..08.08.1991%20PASSING%20MILBORNE%20PORT.-X2.jpg

The 50 looks a bit darker than the mk2s, but to my eye the mk2s are in the dark blue, the colour just looks too deep to be NSE Light Blue, especially given the date.  NSE Light Blue was outed in 1988, after just two years of use because it faded horribly.

 

I can't help but think that actually the two blues in this picture are quite different. The 50 is definitely the same shade that Farish have used for the Mk2s, but the the coaches, even if they don't look faded, just don't have the same "depth" of blue as the loco. 

 

I think its probably mainly a question of scale colour, but I don't think I've ever seen a prototype photo of a loco-hauled mk.2 looking as dark as the colour that Farish have used, even if the darker blue is technically correct. The perplexing bit is that locos often DO appear to be a considerably darker shade. Perhaps the effect of perception of colour against windows etc against relatively solid areas of colour on locos?

 

Justin

[47475]

Exactly what I thought. I just cannot find a photo that convinces me that the coaches were repainted in the same blue as the later loco repaints. They really do look very dark on the models.

[47475]

This video shows a close up comparison at around 1:13 of 50002 in the revised NSE livery and it's first MK2 coach. Whilst the coach looks ever so subtly lighter, it can probably be explained as fading but to me these appear to be in the same (what must have been revised) shade of NSE blue. It still looks very dark on the models and in reality they would have still faded quickly to some extent, so seeing them as dark as the models appear would have been unlikely.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9TovmzmW9U

[bigP]

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[47475]

That is a great example for comparison. Thanks for providing the link. There is no question for me now that the coaches did get the same shade as the later loco livery.

 

Even if the Farish loco and coaches are a little bit on the dark side, I can live with that - as long as the Dapol 33 and 50 are the same shade!! ;-)

[kintbury jon]

From my memory there were a few mark 2's with the darker shade of blue.  There weren't many though and I think they were Thames based ones only of the mark 2 variety.  The 2A's and 2B's on the West of England line used the lighter shade of blue.

 

We had this discussion when the OO gauge versions were released a few years ago.  I ended up respraying the blue.  

[bigP]

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[Bomag]

AKAIK the 2As in the Dark Blue were originally all on the Liv St-Kings Lynn services.  The introduction of the 321s saw them cascaded and (I'm told) Thames & Chiltern got their pick first and anything else/left went to WoE.  Interestingly one of the NSE RMBs went to Old Oak and went around in Loco Hauled Intercity services out of Padd for a while, still wearing its NSE Dark Blue.

 

47475:  Dark Blue was introduced in July 1988, so anything painted from then on will have received Dark Blue.  'Revised Livery' came in August 1987 and simply meant the loss of upsweeps on locos and 121s as well as the intoduction of 'curved' lower corners to the upsweeps on multiple units.  The Blue remained Light however.

 

 

Cheers,

Paul

 

Kings Lynn stock was vac braked excpet for one RMB which was dual. Therefore they were Mk2 not MK2a. This is why the went to the outer London services as Exeter services were air braked.

[bigP]

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[acg5324]

Does anyone know of source of blue / grey Mk2 FK,s everyone seems to be sold out and GF have not done an FK version with the second release only the TSO and BSO.

The reason is this recently acquired slide.

http://andygibbs.zenfolio.com/p483082284/h67489232#h67489232

 

Fits in a treat for my Olympia layout.

[bill badger]

As a recent convert to N gauge, looking to model a 'what if' scenario based on Hellifield in the late 80s, I'm going to need supply of both Mk1 and non-aircon Mk2 coaches. Mk1s are obviously no problem, but I'm a bit confused about the Farish Mk2A situation - can someone put me right please.

 

It looks like a second batch of blue/grey Mk2a, inlcuding Second Opens, was scheduled for release at some point during 2015, but I can't see any sign of these in the shops, apart from some brakes amongst others. Was this second batch delayed with remnants of the first batch currently hanging around on the shelves, or has the second batch been and largely gone? If the latter, is there another run, particularly of TSOs, in the pipeline? Would be gutted to have missed out, especially as I haven't seen any 2nd hand TSOs come up for sale since I started looking.

[John M Upton]

The second batch of blue/grey Mk2 TSO's were released but were sold out very quickly.  They are usually in very high demand and many retailers are usually sold out within days if not hours.  You may be able to find one or two lurking on smaller retailers tables at shows otherwise it is Ebay time and there you may need to be prepared to pay a lot more than the original going rate.

 

The same problem used to arise with the Mk1 TSO's as well but that situation seems to have eased a little and some of the latest release of those can still be found.

[bill badger]

Oh dear, that is a disappointment, although I guess I'm not surprised. Managed to find one from a shop on the Buy & Sell listings, but that's all. Anyone know if some more are due to head across the High Seas in the near future; I would have assumed that would be good business sense if the first 2 batches went like hot cakes?

[John M Upton]

Probably won't be another batch on the shop shelves (for a matter of days if that) for eighteen months to two years based on past form.

[Stuart A]

Pretty sure Arcadia in Shaw had a few of the second batch of B/G Mk2s in, when I purchased one of them a couple of weeks ago.

[mjkerr]

Does anyone know of source of blue / grey Mk2 FK,s everyone seems to be sold out and GF have not done an FK version with the second release only the TSO and BSO.

The reason is this recently acquired slide.

http://andygibbs.zenfolio.com/p483082284/h67489232#h67489232

 

Fits in a treat for my Olympia layout.

374-950 

I was not aware these had now sold out, most retailers still had them last time I looked 

They occasionally appear on eBay UK 

 

I currently have two spares, for a pending project 

If I am not going to be needing these, then I will post them on eBay UK

[John M Upton]

Second attempt at a ScotRail Mk2a TSO just rolled off my work bench this afternoon:

First attempt went wrong as I used the awful Fox Transfers lining transfers that just simply do not work, this time I masked and painted the stripes on and the result is far far better.