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SECR Birdcage Coaches


Bill
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They aren't meant to be the same as far as I know.

The bluebells E4 is apparently incorrectly painted the same shade as the coaches. Would imagine they would go through brighton whereas the coaches went through Eastleigh and works mixed their own different shades hence why theres Eastleigh and Ashford olive

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Guest spet0114

I think those carriages look better behind the C with the simplified SECR livery :) the preserved example looks a bit OTT in miniature...

 

I'd be more than happy to do a side-by-side comparison if anyone is in the mood to sell me their fully-lined C class! :-)

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Bachmann N class arriving at the original Swanage station with a pair of Bachmann birdcage coaches.

 

I bought the two Southern brake coaches from the Swanage Railway shop for £58.45 including a 10% discount. Then the shop closed until 10 February so I bought the composite from Hattons for £59.21 including postage; not always cheaper from Hattons but I was able to display it today.

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I've yet to do it (still awaiting delivery of the composite), but Graham Muz described it here:

Thanks for this bit of info, I have not been able to get the bodies of yet it seems a very tricky operation with a great risk of damaging things, does anyone know to go about this I've tried small screwdrivers and sliding thin plasticard along but with no success any photos of how this can be done will be much appreciated, I don't want to have to buy replacement coach for damage done trying to get the bodies off

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Thanks for this bit of info, I have not been able to get the bodies of yet it seems a very tricky operation with a great risk of damaging things, does anyone know to go about this I've tried small screwdrivers and sliding thin plasticard along but with no success any photos of how this can be done will be much appreciated, I don't want to have to buy replacement coach for damage done trying to get the bodies off

What I've used for Hornby's Maunsell coaches - but NOT YET tried for the birdcages - is a strip of thin brass with a right angle bend at one end ( 2-3mm ) : hook the end into the gap between body and chassis and pull gently while easing the two apart using your other two hands.

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Again, not had my birdcages apart but what I've done is to buy a pack of ten plectrum on eBay for £1.00.

 

I find you can just gently pushy these in wherever you wish and on many models once they are all in (where the lugs are located) the chassis will almost drop away from the body under it's own weight!

 

Hope this helps!

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My set of SR Maunsell green ones came today.  :)  I fitted Kadee number 18s in them, which seemed to work okay with an E4 with Kadee 17s on my layout (which has a 30" radius curve).  I am very short of Kadees at the moment; when I re-stock I might experiment with 17s.

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My set of SR Maunsell green ones came today.  :)  I fitted Kadee number 18s in them, which seemed to work okay with an E4 with Kadee 17s on my layout (which has a 30" radius curve).  I am very short of Kadees at the moment; when I re-stock I might experiment with 17s.

 

FWIW found the #17's a trifle too short. Maybe one end 17 and the other 18 would be perfect? I was using the Hornby H and the Bachmann C for testing. All in SECR colors, absolutely gorgeous.

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  • 1 month later...

Just treated myself to a 3 car set in BR crimson for my birthday. They are absolutely stunning, but Just wondering in BR days what would’ve hauled them. Don’t think it would’ve been a H class is an N class or standard tank suitable motive power?

 

Big james

Edited by Big James
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  • RMweb Gold

Just treated myself to a 3 car set in BR crimson for my birthday. They are absolutely stunning, but Just wondering in BR days what would’ve hauled them. Don’t think it would’ve been a H class is an N class or standard tank suitable motive power?

Big james

I was running my crimson rake behind Q1 33001 today......might not be prototypical but to me it looks good.....

 

Keith

.The Q1 was frequently seen on passenger work,especially on Summer Saturday extras. I have also tried your combination and you are right,it is effective.Why not an H ? Certainly a bewildering variety of eastern sector motive power,including Standard and Fairburn tanks.The Bachmann N is a good bet.

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Just treated myself to a 3 car set in BR crimson for my birthday. They are absolutely stunning, but Just wondering in BR days what would’ve hauled them. Don’t think it would’ve been a H class is an N class or standard tank suitable motive power?

 

Big james

I've seen a photo or two of them behind an H2, also a special working of a Birdcage set with the Brighton Works Terrier

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  • RMweb Gold

.The Q1 was frequently seen on passenger work,especially on Summer Saturday extras. I have also tried your combination and you are right,it is effective.Why not an H ? Certainly a bewildering variety of eastern sector motive power,including Standard and Fairburn tanks.The Bachmann N is a good bet.

 

Ian,

 

Have not put my late BR livery H on the birdcages as it has already been allocated to a two-coach pull-push set :yes:  :imsohappy: 

 

Keith

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My H is allocated to my pull push set to. Ivr been eyeing an ancient L1 for refurbishment to haul it. If not I’ll get a golden arrow version. Although my Adams radial wasn’t sent west and is now wandering round Romney marsh.

 

Big james

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I think almost all these photos with Birdcage carriages in them are from BR days https://mikemorant.smugmug.com/search#q=Birdcage&i=0

Nearly fell off the settee when I saw this one https://mikemorant.smugmug.com/Trains-Railways-British-Isles/SR-and-BRS/SECR-tank-engines/i-PXHW8LG/A

 

Then reading the text I see it was part of a Push Pull set.......

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Nearly fell off the settee when I saw this one https://mikemorant.smugmug.com/Trains-Railways-British-Isles/SR-and-BRS/SECR-tank-engines/i-PXHW8LG/A

 

Then reading the text I see it was part of a Push Pull set.......

The vehicle in that pic, 3324, remained in pretty much original form other than having the pull-push gubbins (technical term) added. Its partner was driving brake composite 6409, which had started life as compo 5418, its regular partner in the birdcage 3-set of the same number, 659. When the third vehicle in that set was written off in a smack-up at Swanley in 1937, the damaged compo was converted to a driving trailer composite. This unique set spent a decade as the Yeovil Town shuttle, aka “Bunk”, but in 1948 moved to SE routes. The set survived until 1961.

 

All info from Mike King’s Pull-Push volume.

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The vehicle in that pic, 3324, remained in pretty much original form other than having the pull-push gubbins (technical term) added. Its partner was driving brake composite 6409, which had started life as compo 5418, its regular partner in the birdcage 3-set of the same number, 659. When the third vehicle in that set was written off in a smack-up at Swanley in 1937, the damaged compo was converted to a driving trailer composite. This unique set spent a decade as the Yeovil Town shuttle, aka “Bunk”, but in 1948 moved to SE routes. The set survived until 1961.

 

All info from Mike King’s Pull-Push volume.

The other Pull & Push sets converted from 'birdcage' stock used existing brake vehicles - shorn of their birdcages - as the driving trailers ......... though this set was the first such conversion you might expect similar mods - but I guess the end of the Compo was in need of a complete rebuild, anyway, after its adventures at Swanley.

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My H is allocated to my pull push set to. Ivr been eyeing an ancient L1 for refurbishment to haul it. If not I’ll get a golden arrow version. Although my Adams radial wasn’t sent west and is now wandering round Romney marsh.

 

Big james

You're getting confused with Golden Arrow's 'D1/E1' body ................. must finish mine someday : not the best moulding, i'm afraid - it's a bit like Emmental cheese ...... creamy yellow and full of bubbles !

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  • 3 weeks later...

There is an excellent letter on page 46 of the November 2017 Hornby Magazine about the birdcage coaches which also shows which locomotives were used to pull them. This probably relates to British Railways but the enclosed pictures show some suitable locomotives for the Southern Railway. It looks like you can use most locomotives that ran on the eastern and central sections.

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Mmm so much Southern delight on one post! =) I think quite often they look better behind tender locos than tank locos, before my H showed up I was enjoying running them behind my N, although I've been enjoying running them behind my E4s and even an M7 on occasion =) just waiting for someone to give us an SECR D, a combination of SECR mania and NRM locos being churned out will surely make it inevitable!

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