Exley

[amdaley]

Thanks for the advice David & Garry.

Its appreciated.

[Il Grifone]

Brake fluid might be better for aluminium. As stated, caustic soda will corrode it very quickly. Alcohol (IPA, meths or ethanol*) will quickly shift acrylic overpainting. Enamel needs something stronger. Cellulose thinners will often work (highly inflammable take care - as are alcohols of course).

 

* Sold as BBQ fuel.

[Golden Fleece 30]

Hi Tony, the LMS red I used was Ford Nouveau red which is a slight metallic but not noticeable especially after varnishing.  One photo shows it next to an Exley lined out coach which was the reason I painted an LMS loco.  It was mentioned how it compared to the Dublo LMS so I did the comparison one, this photo maybe a little dark but it shows both locos at the same time.

 

My BR Duchess/City's are Diablo pearlescent red which again is a metallic but looks good to me.

 

With reference to stripping I used to always use Nitromors but since Health and Safety got involved it seems the "stripping" part of the mix has had to be removed as it is totally useless now, well nearly totally.  I have never tried Brake Fluid as it was supposed to be good for plastic (all the other solutions in the 60's and 70's "melted" the plastic) but used Peco Modelstrip to good advantage and maybe this will work on Exleys, I will have to try some one day.

 

Garry

[Golden Fleece 30]

It never ceases to amaze me how many different variations of Exleys you can get.

 

I was lucky enough to acquire another maroon sleeper and kitchen car from someone living three villages away today, and, cheaper than mentioned on the phone.  The Sleeping Car is the late version with a tin base and plastic underframe.  It is a different shade being more red than the deep maroon of the previous one.  Due to being the later version it has perspex windows. A little bit of work cleaning up, new windows and new bogies will do the trick.  What is surprising is that the 1st and 3rd doors have been changed from one end to the other.

 

The Kitchen Car again is the later style tin base and plastic underframe.  This one does not have the ribs pressed into the roof, a rectangular vent is in a different position and the colour is again more red. One side is completely different to its equivalent older one.  This is only the second one I have come across where the plastic end has a hollow plastic gangway with a different style card/paper gangway.

 

Both coaches have their "embossed" identities in different places compared to the older ones and neither have any window vents on the perspex like the glass ones do.  I would have thought the later ones would have had these pressed out of the aluminium as that is one thing I do not like with other main line coaches.  Usually if I spot this I do not look at purchasing them unless it is really mint or something special.

 

 

[amdaley]

Lovely photos & descriptions.

Thanks for that Garry.

[Golden Fleece 30]

Not quite Exley coaches as such but how I have made some corridor connectors to fit onto ends with either missing ones or replacing poor condition ones.

 

Black paper/card was bought from the retail shop "The Range", no doubt it is available elsewhere.  It is slightly thicker than Exleys but as my curves do not allow for these to touch when reversing it is not an issue.  Pieces are cut at 22 x 22mm and 9 x 45mm.  The square ones should be about 1mm or so bigger in one direction but being square is easier to fold. Two pieces of thin brass are used to keep all the folds the same and each piece is placed centrally over the paper then both sides folded over.  Once a few pieces have been folded then it is just a question of inserting them into each other.  I have standardised now on 5 sections as opposed to 6, when the last one has been done I glue the flaps down. Black plasticard is cut to 12 x 26mm and two corners rounded off before gluing to a gangway.

 

It was too much like hard work to be involved making all the small string loops so these have been omitted for mental health's sake.

[Il Grifone]

Back in the fifties these, used to be available in model shops (10d a pair IIRC, in LMS (round top) and LNER (square top) styles*). I fitted them to my Dublo coaches. Something similar was available pre-war for Hornby 0 gauge bogie corridor coaches. These look rather ridiculous (IMHO) due to the huge gap between the coaches and being a single concertina doesn't help.

 

I've been meaning for ages to experiment with a small arc of thin black rubber (from balloons) to cover the gap at the top. I've just bought the second pack of balloons.......

 

* I don't know who made them, Hamblings? My favourite shop (Salanson's in Bristol) sold Merco and Bilt-Eezi, of which I made great use but not 100% successfully.....

[Golden Fleece 30]

Hi David, I like the idea of the black rubber over the top, good excuse for a party needing the balloons  .

 

In the old days you could get most things at a lot of model shops, now you cannot get spares for new items as such at the few shops left. We had a local model shop (long gone) that used to sell what you mentioned.  I don't know if the thin cord was an Exley only item or if others did this too.

 

Modellers Mecca sells some (when you can get them) but quite expensive as does York Modelmaking hence making my own. The Ebay ones were not as good for these coaches.

 

Hamblings I think had links with Exley and Anbrico for coach parts but I feel Exley was the one supplying all the others although I may be wrong on that.

Eames of Reading and Kings Cross used to sell these too.

 

Another version was 2 long strips folded concertina wise, one piece cut half way up in the centre of the folds, the other cut down and then the pair were interlocked.  To me the appearance was not as good and harder to keep everything the same size.

 

Garry

Edited October 12, 2015 by Golden Fleece 30

[Golden Fleece 30]

Here is a link to the old Tri-ang Lord of the Isles with 5 brand new Exley suburbans having their very first run..

The wheels have been machined to allow the loco to go through Dublo pointwork (reverse point work shown early on in the video) as well as modern Peco track.

A second set of wheels was purchased to give me 4 non insulated ones so no worries about rail collection.

As can be seen in the video this loco will pull 9 Exley coaches without any difficulty , there is a very small, and I mean small amount of lead on the cab floor. Full description is on YouTube.

Please ignore the slow cooker, the tea was lovely though, and, the boiler dome is waiting until I can get a spray can of brass. I did try to paint it but did not like the look of it (see the safety valve to know what I mean) .

Garry

[amdaley]

Hi Garry.

You've done an excellent job with that Lord of the Isles.

They weren't great runners because of those wheels & poor pickups.

​Did you spring that front bogie as I remember when I had one it always wanted to lean forward. The loco I had was two rail.

I like those Exley suburbans too.

[Golden Fleece 30]

Hi Tony, 

 

Thanks.

 

The front bogie has just been fitted with a very light spring, a phosphor bronze strip I use under the collectors although not cut in half.  It is very light as I was worried about it lifting the only drive wheel off the rails.

 

My parents bought me the original set when it first came out which included loop, signal box, signals etc and 3 short clerestory's but as you say it was poor even with its magnadhesion and would slip with these coaches.  I did try to repaint it a few years later and made a mess of it so bought another (this one).  This did have the later plated wheels but I do prefer the old non plated ones so used the old original set and managed to buy a spare set only this week.  Before this I had opened the wheels on the axles of the plated set 0.6mm and used electrical paint to short out the insulation.  This was a tight fit in the frames even though it was only 0.6 so that is when I decided to see about turning down the flange backs only.  This worked fine allowing the wheels to be set with the fronts correct again.

 

Using a second set has done away with any wheel pick-ups so I have since been turning the flanges on a few other Tri-ang (Hornby) locos and ordered a lot of non insulated wheels for replacements on one side. Turning them down does have the advantage of making the flanges narrower and not as deep as well.

 

The suburbans are nice, probably as they were unused until yesterday.  I still have about 3 or 4 corridor ones waiting for their first ever run.

 

Attached is the pick-up shoes of my own in 3 different styles and the bronze springs I bought.  Also a photo of the pick-up on a "tender" drive A3 where I have fitted a motor in the loco as I do not like tyres so the tender drive is no more.  This A3 will be in a video later.

 

Garry

Edited October 22, 2015 by Golden Fleece 30

[Golden Fleece 30]

Here is a link to a few more Tri-ang, and Hornby, locos that have been modified to run on Dublo but mainly my 3-rail layout.  A full description is on the video.

 

https://youtu.be/BI7TedPUt8E

 

As usual all coaches are Exleys as those are the only loco hauled ones on my layout (apart from the Pullmans).

[Gilwell Park]

Hi.  Many years ago I used to look at a couple of Exley coaches on display in the local model shop. I could never hope to afford one then but now days they are going on Ebay for less than a full fat Hornby coach.  However they are all the wrong period.  Did Exley not recognise nationalisation because I have never seen one in BR livery.?

 

Thanks

 

Roger

[Il Grifone]

I've just cleaned two Dublo wagon bodies of stubborn paint (my usual brake fluid had struggled and they've been left with patches of old paint for ages*). The residue came off without problems with caustic soda. It has however taken the sheen off one (a red breakdown crane packing van**) and left a sort of whitish effect. The grey grain wagon is fine. It must be something to do with the red pigment, as I had the same thing happen with a bauxite (brown really) Tri-ang low sided wagon several years ago. Not really a problem if the item is to be repainted, but not good for restoring collectibles. Varnishing might help.

 

* Read years.....

** Replaced originally with a Wrenn one (identical and possibly old Dublo stock?)

 

Further to this, I've decided to repaint one of my Airfix B-sets into BR livery. Needless to say, the chocolate showed through the crimson, so it had to go. Caustic Soda removed my handiwork without any problem, but wouldn't touch the Airfix finish. Brake fluid to the rescue!

 

Now do I sort out all those door handles and grab irons or just pretend I can't see them?

 

IIRC Exley coaches started at around 40/- in the fifties (about £50 in today's devalued currency) or about three to four times the price of a Dublo coach.

Edited November 12, 2015 by Il Grifone

[Il Grifone]

Here is a link to the old Tri-ang Lord of the Isles with 5 brand new Exley suburbans having their very first run..

 

omis

 

Please ignore the slow cooker, the tea was lovely though, and, the boiler dome is waiting until I can get a spray can of brass. I did try to paint it but did not like the look of it (see the safety valve to know what I mean) .

 

omis

 

Garry

 

I've found that gold gel pens give a very good finish for safety valve casings etc. (I use 'Pilot' but other makes may be as good). but have still to try as large an area as a Dean Single dome. Eventually my Single will have her tender articulated on the rear drawbar to weigh it down (i.e. the two leading wheelsets will 'go around for the ride' in a separate 'bogie'). (Yet another stalled project! - must actually finish some...)

Edited November 15, 2015 by Il Grifone

[Golden Fleece 30]

Hi Roger, Exley did BR coaches, if you look on page 1 or 2 you will see my blood and custard 12 wheeler. The blood and custards are very rare but BR maroon come up a fair bit. I have about 15 BR maroon including a Buffet Car.

 

David, I did use the Pilot style pens on the Dublo safety valve castings which was not bad but did try it on the Dean and stopped before half was completed due to appearance which as you say could be because of its size. It will be interesting to see the articulated mod when it is done.

 

Garry

[amdaley]

Hi Roger, Exley did BR coaches, if you look on page 1 or 2 you will see my blood and custard 12 wheeler. The blood and custards are very rare but BR maroon come up a fair bit. I have about 15 BR maroon including a Buffet Car.

 

David, I did use the Pilot style pens on the Dublo safety valve castings which was not bad but did try it on the Dean and stopped before half was completed due to appearance which as you say could be because of its size. It will be interesting to see the articulated mod when it is done.

 

Garry

 

Hi Garry.

 

Have you any idea when Exley produced BR stock ?

I haven't seen any in the few catalogues I have.

 

Regards.

Tony.

[Il Grifone]

Hi Roger, Exley did BR coaches, if you look on page 1 or 2 you will see my blood and custard 12 wheeler. The blood and custards are very rare but BR maroon come up a fair bit. I have about 15 BR maroon including a Buffet Car.

 

David, I did use the Pilot style pens on the Dublo safety valve castings which was not bad but did try it on the Dean and stopped before half was completed due to appearance which as you say could be because of its size. It will be interesting to see the articulated mod when it is done.

 

Garry

 

Hi Garry,

 

I did the safety valve casing of a Kitmaster Stirling single, which came out well, but it's still rather smaller than the Dean dome. This project ha sbeen on hold for years - there are some photos of her on RMweb, but they are rather old. (Not that anything has been done since. The new Hornby drivers I purchased for her are still sitting in a drawer....

[Golden Fleece 30]

Hi Tony,  Here is a copy from my only Exley catalogue from 1961-1962 (only bought this year not then) which shows the coaches available in BR livery.  There is a note at the side saying "BR livery is current maroon" which must mean the next colour scheme used after blood and custard.

 

Roger, here are two Buffet cars, one in LMS maroon and the other in BR maroon.  The Exley difference is the yellow band above the windows.  In LMS days there were two that were wide apart but in BR days just one although there should have been a thin black one side of it.  Some times Exley put black between the two lower lines but not that I have seen one put on the top. The BR versions did not have a roundel on, it is something I put on my original 7 in the early 70's, they were the first ones I ever had and were second hand to me in 1968.  Likewise the Buffet Car transfers were done at the same time.  I will say those 7 are the only ones as originals that I actually modified body transfer wise.  A few needed their roofs respraying, some SR ones still do.

 

One person I have written to has 5 different versions of the Engineers saloon and one of those is BR livery.  I only have 3 different LMS ones.

 

Please excuse the dust which shows up more so in close up, I am afraid it will nearly always be around due to the coaches left on the layout being in use.  I do like to have my stock out to be run but there are too many to have them all out at the same time.  Later it will be on a rotational basis.

 

As David has said these were a little more pricey than Dublo who's S/D coaches at the time were 12/6d so Exleys were at best more than 3 times as dear

 

Garry

Edited November 17, 2015 by Golden Fleece 30

[Golden Fleece 30]

Here is my recent acquisition, an LNER Tourist Buffet Car.  This is as bought and at the moment I have only cleaned the tyres and it runs lovely on these LNER bogies so I may leave these in situ and just add some Kadee couplings.  The roof might need a clean or possibly a respray but at the moment it will stay as it is.

 

Although a BR man (with lots of LMS/GW/SR coaches ) I do like this colour scheme so only about 4 or 5 more needed .  My excuse is these have not been in to the workshops for their general overhaul so still in group colours.

[Il Grifone]

Nice! I'm envious!

 

I see from the price list, that I remembered the price more or less correctly. (Does it include bogies? these were often an optional extra!) The tax was 33 1/3%, calculated on the wholesale price, so there is a mark up of 100% which seems to have been a  fairly normal practice. Less than today's 20% on the retail price (and less need for accountants and room for fraud, as it was only charged once, not on every transaction as VAT is.) The twelve wheel Restaurant and Sleeping cars are definitely pricey - most Dublo locos were less than that at the time. It probably explains their rarity.

[amdaley]

Very nice buffet car.

I always liked that livery as well.

[Golden Fleece 30]

Hi David, the list says a coach painted but without bogies were £1/6/8d with tax 4/5d.  This and the next page are  attached and just see their prices from 1962, a full Dublo train set plus controller was cheaper.

 

I have just mentioned to someone that people then, and collectors like us now, had a really good choice/selection of coaches compared to the Dublo and Tri-ang offerings in the day.

 

I was told the other day that Exley made a DMU as well and I hope to see a photo of it soon, in the catalogue I thought the BR version mentioned was the EMU without Southern on the sides.

 

As far as I can remember I have only seen the 69' 12 wheeler that I have ever advertised, I was lucky with that one so yes, these are rare.  Mine came without bogies so I fitted modern Hornby ones although I do now have 3 pairs of Exleys to use when/if I get other bodies. The few 12 wheelers around now for sale are all 57' very much over priced and some in not too good a quality. 

 

Garry

 

 

[Golden Fleece 30]

I have just been shown a page, and hope Tony can attach it as it will not let me copy it, from the 1968-1969 Exley catalogue showing all the same Exley coaches as mine from 1962-1963 although at a higher price.  I have read that a fire in Bradford destroyed all the tooling in 1964 so 00 ceased production.  If this was correct how can these still be advertised  4 or 5 years later?  If the date was correct was there a large stockpile kept somewhere else?

 

There is a comment about "all being handbuilt in brass" but I have not seen any Exley coaches in brass only aluminium.  Were these done possibly by Anbrico ,who used brass shells themselves, or, was the fire at a later date and Exley started using brass?

 

In my cupboards I do have a PeeJay (I think its called that) brass shell factory painted in blood and custard.  This shell is without the window ventilator bars though and no roof vents are pressed in.  The paint finish is good although the roof will need doing after drilling and fixing vents.

 

I have had another thought, could Westdale have made shells for Exley as their profile was similar?

 

Garry

Edited November 18, 2015 by Golden Fleece 30

[amdaley]

Hi Everyone.

 

These are the photo's Garry referred to. Hope they are of some use as information.