Oxford Rail announces - OO gauge Mk3 coaches

[Opelsi]

From what I saw at Glasgow, the Blue and Grey MK 3's look very nice indeed.

66738

 

Oh good!

 

It seams like an age waiting for these - though patience is a virtue.

 

One rake eagerly awaited, will they beat the Hornby BR Blue 87 to my door?! 

 

Appreciate it matters little in the scheme of things though it is nice to have something to be excited about and look forward to.

[adb968008]

I be found the couplings on the OR mk3’s can become detached from the frame, theirs a minimalist spring holding the coupling assembly unit balanced by a 0.5mm lip on the front inside the chassis, that’s only secured from springing out by a minimalist screw (3mm) holding the seat interior on top of it.

Something as simple as a tight corner or a derailment can separate the coupling unit leaving it dropping.

 

Yesterday, I replaced all the couplings with Roco couplings to bring the coaches closer, and lessen the strain the standard coupling has, even on straight track, with massive impact.

Similarly, I cut off the end of the corridor interior floor ends and secured it over the coupling assembly unit adding a dab of glue to hold it to the coach frame edges, making it very secure, I also used a slightly longer 4mm screw. Instead of the 3mm screw used by OR.

 

Then replaced the coach interior secured again by a slightly longer screw in the centre.

 

This seems to have done the job.

Edited August 12, 2018 by adb968008

[Tiddles47]

Does anyone have pics of Kadee v Roco couplings to show how close they are and compare them?

[tractor_37260]

Does anyone have pics of Kadee v Roco couplings to show how close they are and compare them?

 

The gap will depend on which Kadee's you fit - 17/18/19/20's and also the min radius of curves used. A better plan is to perhaps use a fixed bar coupling like the Hornby 40270 coupling or the slightly shorter Roco 40271 version especially if your planning to push the coaches.

[No Decorum]

The gap will depend on which Kadee's you fit - 17/18/19/20's and also the min radius of curves used. A better plan is to perhaps use a fixed bar coupling like the Hornby 40270 coupling or the slightly shorter Roco 40271 version especially if your planning to push the coaches.

 

Note also that the Hornby and Roco couplings provide a rigid fore-and-aft connection – there is a little slop in Kadees.

[raetiamann]

Has anyone tried the Bachmann fixed couplings in them?

[JSpencer]

Note also that the Hornby and Roco couplings provide a rigid fore-and-aft connection – there is a little slop in Kadees.

 

I love those ROCO couplings. Brilliant idea. Keeps the coaches rigidly connected but allows you to easily take the train apart for storage and transport.

[Richie Kynaston]

I love those ROCO couplings. Brilliant idea. Keeps the coaches rigidly connected but allows you to easily take the train apart for storage and transport.

Sorry for the question, but are these the Roco 49270 couplings referred to earlier? Presume they are NEM coupling?

 

This may have been asked before, but other than buffers and couplings is there any visual difference between an HST trailer and Mk3a or b vehicle?

 

Richie

[GordonC]

An obvious one is the roof vent details above the vestibule - HST has a larger square vent in the centre of the roof like the lima/Hornby coaches while loco hauled have the 3 roe vac vents across the roof arc

[Natalie]

An obvious one is the roof vent details above the vestibule - HST has a larger square vent in the centre of the roof like the lima/Hornby coaches while loco hauled have the 3 roe vac vents across the roof arc

Additionally the mk3a RUB/RFB, Sleepers and the Mk 3b stock have HST style central square vents instead of the 3 roe vac. The sleepers and 3b stock also have electric tail lights on the ends. The layout of the skirt panels differ between types too. Finally the loco hauled varieties have RCH carriage lighting jumpers. Edited August 30, 2018 by Natalie

[njee20]

So where did the mk3a operate? Photos I've found show the SLE/SLEPs with the central vent, as above, plus Chiltern, the 442 mk3s, One/West Anglia ones all having a central vent, and thus presumably being mk3bs?

Were the 3as converted to 3bs?

[Bob Reid]

the original Mark 3 and Mark 3a designation was purely to distinguish between those built for the HST's (Mark 3) and those built for loco-hauled services (Mark 3a) as on the WCML, neither of which was electrically compatible with the other  The later build Sleeping Cars were given the Mark 3a designation as they were built for loco-hauled services although they have many of the later features incorporated in the Mark 3b as noted above.  The late build Mark 3b's were still loco-hauled but were given that designation to distinguish them from the earlier but compatible Mark 3a's.  In 1979, BR Scottish Region had a number of Mark 3a SO's and FO'd transferred from the LM for the E&G service.

[adb968008]

Sorry for the question, but are these the Roco 49270 couplings referred to earlier? Presume they are NEM coupling?

This may have been asked before, but other than buffers and couplings is there any visual difference between an HST trailer and Mk3a or b vehicle?

Richie

I used Roco 40243, the loop coupling. Made difference enough to my rake, I just left 1 std coupling at either end of the rake.

[JSpencer]

Sorry for the question, but are these the Roco 49270 couplings referred to earlier? Presume they are NEM coupling?

 

 

 

Yes they fit in NEM pockets. You push the two coaches together and they click to join. The result is a rigid bar between then that ensures correct functioning of the close coupling system (you can only use them on NEW sockets that move side to side). To uncouple you have two semi circle hoops underneath to release them.

 

This is better than the solid bars often supplied in Hornby coaches because the solid bars make it hard to break the train up. Other couplings (tension locks, Kadees etc) do not rigidly lock the two vehicles together, meaning that on long trains (and occasionally on short ones), a close coupling unit might fail to return to the centre of the coach coming out of a curve, the bogie then cannot straighten up and it then derails.

Edited August 31, 2018 by JSpencer

[andyman7]

Yes they fit in NEM pockets. You push the two coaches together and they click to join. The result is a rigid bar between then that ensures correct functioning of the close coupling system (you can only use them on NEW sockets that move side to side). To uncouple you have two semi circle hoops underneath to release them.

 

This is better than the solid bars often supplied in Hornby coaches because the solid bars make it hard to break the train up. Other couplings (tension locks, Kadees etc) do not rigidly lock the two vehicles together, meaning that on long trains (and occasionally on short ones), a close coupling unit might fail to return to the centre of the coach coming out of a curve, the bogie then cannot straighten up and it then derails.

It's Bachmann that supplies the solid bar couplings, I've not seen them included with Hornby coaches

[ThaneofFife]

have OR dropped the lighting idea altogether or are they still umming and arhhing.?

[adb968008]

have OR dropped the lighting idea altogether or are they still umming and arhhing.?

The coach is designed to support lights, with channels and holes in the wall of the toilets to reach the bogies, which also have predrilled holes.

[ThaneofFife]

so for those who have purchased - are you pleased with them ?  

 

personally i think if Hornby had the same ends, 3a roof vents, silver window frames ( where applicable) and a close coupling their coaches would sell in greater numbers due to the undernourished bogies and incorrect angles of the modular underframe.

 

BTW - did Hornby acquire OR - ive missed a few meeting on that or was it just rumour?

[JSpencer]

It's Bachmann that supplies the solid bar couplings, I've not seen them included with Hornby coaches

My bad!

[lyneux]

so for those who have purchased - are you pleased with them ?  

 

personally i think if Hornby had the same ends, 3a roof vents, silver window frames ( where applicable) and a close coupling their coaches would sell in greater numbers due to the undernourished bogies and incorrect angles of the modular underframe.

 

And you can add to that list the RCH jumpers.

 

I think the single biggest issue for me is the lack of the two-part (inner and outer) window frame which means that Intercity livery will never sit well on them as the thin silver inner frame can't be reproduced.

 

Still, they are cheap for a base model from which to work, so I'll probably buy more. For me, to get to 1988-1992 condition (if I ever do them!) the work list then becomes:

 

1) Remove door locking lights

2) Correct the angle of the under-frame module (butchery!)

3) Add Shawplan etched window frames

4) Repaint with correct shades

 

I'll be ignoring the door droplight issue that Jon pointed out... seems a bit too hard to correct.

 

Guy

[tractor_37260]

so for those who have purchased - are you pleased with them ?  

 

personally i think if Hornby had the same ends, 3a roof vents, silver window frames ( where applicable) and a close coupling their coaches would sell in greater numbers due to the undernourished bogies and incorrect angles of the modular underframe.

 

BTW - did Hornby acquire OR - ive missed a few meeting on that or was it just rumour?

 

OR Rail claim "In the pursuit of Excellence" well they missed the boat by a long way with the first available MK3a's - all discussed previously.....!

[frobisher]

2) Correct the angle of the under-frame module (butchery!)

 

Possibly not. Are the underframe modules separately fitted from the body and/or underframe? If so, perhaps some enterprising soul could produce replacements via the likes of Shapeways…

[lyneux]

Possibly not. Are the underframe modules separately fitted from the body and/or underframe? If so, perhaps some enterprising soul could produce replacements via the likes of Shapeways…

 

I'll have a fiddle with the one that I have and report back in a few days.

[adb968008]

so for those who have purchased - are you pleased with them ?

 

 

Yes.

 

https://youtu.be/OAM3R1vILkk

 

Would like lights, I changed the couplings to Roco, and the vestibule floors to hold the coupling mechanism better.

For the price they are an ok coach and i’m retiring my Lima’s after nearly 30 years service on my layout(s).

 

It’s scary to think I still have a Lima deltic, that’s been in my service 2 decades longer than BR had deltics in their service, still with original motor and brushes.

Edited September 4, 2018 by adb968008

[gazwire]

And you can add to that list the RCH jumpers.

 

I think the single biggest issue for me is the lack of the two-part (inner and outer) window frame which means that Intercity livery will never sit well on them as the thin silver inner frame can't be reproduced.

 

Still, they are cheap for a base model from which to work, so I'll probably buy more. For me, to get to 1988-1992 condition (if I ever do them!) the work list then becomes:

 

1) Remove door locking lights

2) Correct the angle of the under-frame module (butchery!)

3) Add Shawplan etched window frames

4) Repaint with correct shades

 

I'll be ignoring the door droplight issue that Jon pointed out... seems a bit too hard to correct.

 

Guy

 

I can't seem to find the shawplan etched window frames, does anyone gave a link?