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MTK Class 404 4-GRI


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I've just had a look in my copy of Michael Welch's 'A Southern Electric Album', and on Page 17 there is a photo of 4-GRI No. 3086 on a Portsmouth Harbour to Waterloo service, dated 16th October 1966, and that is in green with small yellow panels. Hope that is of use.

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I am reminded that 53 years ago tomorrow the DAA 4-Gri tour took place, with 3086 and 3087. The swan-song for these lovely units, and my only ever railtour! Some 4-Cor units soldiered on for another year or two, but they were the last of the Pre-war main-line designs. 

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44 minutes ago, Oldddudders said:

I am reminded that 53 years ago tomorrow the DAA 4-Gri tour took place, with 3086 and 3087. The swan-song for these lovely units, and my only ever railtour! Some 4-Cor units soldiered on for another year or two, but they were the last of the Pre-war main-line designs. 

Is this the train? I came across a photo on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1513662615439289&set=pcb.2649206025170508

 

 

 

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On 03/02/2024 at 17:38, Darius43 said:

Chassis constructed.  I used a spare Hornby motor bogie.

 

IMG_1910.jpeg.f42f2e348347d183638fdafa4aef7951.jpeg

 

 

 

Have you picked up on the different motor bogies fitted to these units? More info here (and helpfully a photo of a 4-GRI with the same type of bogies you've used)

tl:dr is that they all had equalising beam bogies from new, but some were refitted with the leaf spring bogies from PUL/PAN units, so pick unit number carefully. 

 

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1 hour ago, Geep7 said:

I've just had a look in my copy of Michael Welch's 'A Southern Electric Album', and on Page 17 there is a photo of 4-GRI No. 3086 on a Portsmouth Harbour to Waterloo service, dated 16th October 1966, and that is in green with small yellow panels. Hope that is of use.


Many thanks - I have that book and it’s a great picture.  Also pictures of “standard” 4-COR units with SYPs on pages 15 and 18.  
 

Fantastic.

 

Cheers

 

Darius

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7 hours ago, Geep7 said:

I've just had a look in my copy of Michael Welch's 'A Southern Electric Album', and on Page 17 there is a photo of 4-GRI No. 3086 on a Portsmouth Harbour to Waterloo service, dated 16th October 1966, and that is in green with small yellow panels. Hope that is of use.


Interesting - the caption for that photo describes the trailer first carriage (located next to the Buffet/Griddle coach) as having a small saloon at the end adjacent to the Buffet/Griddle.  MTK provides a Trailer Conposite bodyshell and not this Trailer First.

 

Cheers

 

Darius

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35 minutes ago, Darius43 said:


Interesting - the caption for that photo describes the trailer first carriage (located next to the Buffet/Griddle coach) as having a small saloon at the end adjacent to the Buffet/Griddle.  MTK provides a Trailer Conposite bodyshell and not this Trailer First.

 

Cheers

 

Darius

It doesn't surprise me that MTK would possibly get the bodyshells wrong.....

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25 minutes ago, Geep7 said:

It doesn't surprise me that MTK would possibly get the bodyshells wrong.....


I think CM tooled a “standard 4-COR and then tooled RES, BUF and GRI coach bodies to swap in with the standard ones.  Nuances like the modified Trailer First weren’t accounted for.


Cheers

 

Darius

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From reading Blood and Custard the three 4 GRI units were converted from 4 RES units which all had trailer firsts. The trailer firsts had compartments at one end and the open saloon for meals at the other.

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Yes - just been perusing Hugh Longworth’s BR EMUs to 1975 and there is a diagram of the 4-RES Trailer Restaurant First showing just that arrangement.


At the end of the day it is MTK and one does the best one can…

 

Cheers

 

Darius

 

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2 hours ago, Darius43 said:

Second DMBSO started 😀

 

Good God! Is there no stopping this man?! The historic unbuilt MTK kit mountain (estimated to be some 99.8% of the total kits produced) reduces by the day!

 

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9 hours ago, pete_mcfarlane said:

Is this the train? I came across a photo on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1513662615439289&set=pcb.2649206025170508

It is. Basically organised by railwaymen, for railwaymen, being those working on the 8th and 9th floors of Essex House, the Central Division office building. The genuine gricers on board were perplexed at the increasingly inebriated gangs of people who obviously all knew each other. 

 

The DAA monicker was directed at the gricers, of course, being short for Daft As A***holes, a particularly kind railway term for enthusiasts. When the tour was advertised, the Railway Magazine, knowing perfectly well, rang up and asked what DAA stood for, please? Some quick thinking produced the Diesel Abatement Association, and all was well..... 

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2 hours ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

Do you not sleep?!!

 

Mike.

 

Making full use of 20 hours per day, the only explanation........surely?!

 

(Makes me feel so........inadequate 😞!!)

 

😉 )

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On 05/02/2024 at 20:20, Oldddudders said:

It is. Basically organised by railwaymen, for railwaymen, being those working on the 8th and 9th floors of Essex House, the Central Division office building. The genuine gricers on board were perplexed at the increasingly inebriated gangs of people who obviously all knew each other. 

 

The DAA monicker was directed at the gricers, of course, being short for Daft As A***holes, a particularly kind railway term for enthusiasts. When the tour was advertised, the Railway Magazine, knowing perfectly well, rang up and asked what DAA stood for, please? Some quick thinking produced the Diesel Abatement Association, and all was well..... 

 

This was all before my time, but a late friend once explained to me that back in the '60's there were two main groups of active enthusiasts, specialising in chasing steam or anything else about to meet its maker.

 

One was the DAA, the other being the MNA "Master Neverers Association", so called because they were very skilled at travelling all over the UK without buying a ticket, or if they had bought one ensuring that it was used on multiple occasions (I'm not condoning this BTW).

 

All sounds a bit "Mods and Rockers" to me, although I don't think there was any hostility between the two groups. In any event, ancient history, and I suspect many of those involved are no longer with us.

 

John.

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3 hours ago, John Tomlinson said:

 

This was all before my time, but a late friend once explained to me that back in the '60's there were two main groups of active enthusiasts, specialising in chasing steam or anything else about to meet its maker.

 

One was the DAA, the other being the MNA "Master Neverers Association", so called because they were very skilled at travelling all over the UK without buying a ticket, or if they had bought one ensuring that it was used on multiple occasions (I'm not condoning this BTW).

 

All sounds a bit "Mods and Rockers" to me, although I don't think there was any hostility between the two groups. In any event, ancient history, and I suspect many of those involved are no longer with us.

 

John.

I was drinking with my friend Don Taggart today in the Great western pub Wolverhampton, to celebrate his birthday. The venue is situated between the newly rebuilt High Level station, and Low Level. The latter has mostly  been preserved but is now a banqueting hall. The pub is full of railway memorabilia and has a good selection of beers and food. My point, a number of other enthusiasts were there celebrating with Don. This group included a gent, who had been a prominent member of the  MNA. I had heard and seen the term used many times. I enquired what it meant….only to have the same explanation as given by John.  I gather this involved using services late at night for example. The gent whose name I won’t divulge looked in fine fettle this lunchtime. 
 

As ever great modelling by Darius
 

 

 

 

 

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On 30/01/2024 at 13:23, Darius43 said:


Yes it did - the ones with the folded up edges.  I find making my own from plasticard easier and more user-friendly.

 

Cheers

 

Darius

I have a MTK 4VEP kit and I plan to use Replica mk1 under frames. As there are no easily available spare Southern under frames scratch building is the best option. At least you can make it fit the MTK bodies!

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6 minutes ago, muddy water said:

I have a MTK 4VEP kit and I plan to use Replica mk1 under frames. As there are no easily available spare Southern under frames scratch building is the best option. At least you can make it fit the MTK bodies!

When I was younger, I always wanted to get the MTK Southern EMU kits, as there was nothing else available. The work Paul Wade did with them was always an inspiration. But i've always thought that the face of the SR 1963 Type EMU's looked a bit flat. It could probably do with deeper gangway connections, and the jumper cable boxes drilling out and built up a bit.

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