Can you tell me about these coaches?

[Chubber]

Could I ask this knowledgeable group to give me chapter and verse on these two models? They came in two Hornby boxes marked R.122 and R.123 and are fitted with plastic wheels. Despite the poor photography, they are both the same colour.

 

 

 

 

The main thrust of my question is to determine whether or not they would have been used on a branch-line in 1930s. Whilst I'm very happy with the 'IMR' principal as this is a non-travelling home layout, I'd like to know!

 

Thanking you in advance,

 

 

Doug

[Kris]

Airfix models. If i remember correctly they don't match any prototype exactly, but that said similar stock was still found on the GWR main line in the 1930's so finding it on a branch would certainly be possible.

[Penrhos1920]

According to the GWR Modelling Website they are diagrams D29 and C15 bogies gangwayed clerestories by Hornby. The D29 design was built in 1899 so would probably have lasted until WWII. But the coaches you have got are in the pre-1908 livery. The 1930's livery did not have the black lining between the windows or above the doors. I also suspect that most branch line stock would have been non-gangwayed coaches or 4 wheelers built at around the same time or more modern B-sets and the like. These coaches would have remained on secondary mainlines until the end of their days I think.

[Adrian Wintle]

Despite what the GWR modelling website says, I believe that the brake coach is actually based on a D25, not a D29. They are Hornby originals (not ex-Airfix).

 

See http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/35161-are-these-Hornby-coaches-accurate-for-the-period/

 

Adrian

[Mikkel]

Just to add a bit to what has been said above, you may have noticed that these coaches lack real panelling. This is a problem in most other liveries they have carried (including the 1930s period you mention), but the livery version you have here (which I believe was the original one when the model was first released) actually works quite well visually, I think. The bogies aren't the bee's knees though!

 

There is a (rather small) photo of the version with non-panelled livery here: http://www.modeltrains.net.au/Hornby/item_details.asp?itemid=1870

 

247 Developments have various etched brass replacement sides available if you want to add real panelled sides and paint them in 1930s livery: http://247developments.co.uk/

 

In fact Adrian has some pictures in his thread of one of these conversions, near the bottom of his first post in this thread http://www.rmweb.co....__fromsearch__1

 

BTW, these coaches shouldn't be confused with the old Triang coaches (also present in Adrian's thread), which had real panelling and were shorter (no actual diagrams, through they looked the part): http://www.tri-angra...org.uk/gwr1.htm

[RJS1977]

Of course, the old Triang ones are now back in production as "Old Slowcoach" and I think they're also in some of the sets with the single wheeler.

[Chubber]

Thank you all for your time and patience in replying to my post, very imformative, I'm not sure how I will use them now, it seems a bit of a shame to make them into camping coaches, or the like!

 

I'm definitely not up for re-siding and re-painting, I'm like a cow with a ukulele when it comes to that sort of thing!

 

 

Doug

[Coach bogie]

I do not know where your branch line is set, but you could consider the pair as a through coach portion from Paddington. Some west country branches often has a summer Saturday portion. It could be as little as one brake compo, but for busiier traffic a van third and a compo would provide all the needs. As most summer Saturday traffic to the west was reservation required, Old Oak could plan the coach requirements in advance.

 

The CRE has through coaches to St Erth, Falmouth, Newquay, (dropped off not slipped). It was not unknown for the CRE to run as three sparate trains as businesss was so good. Anything that rolled would be pressed into service including the clerestories. Photographs show the St Ives single coach extending to five, quite a shunt at it's destination.

 

A set of appropriate roof boards can be created on the PC 'PADDINGTON, JUNCTION STATION, BRANCH STATION' etc

 

It's your trainset -you can create your own history.

 

I agree with Mikkel, the 247/Bettabitz overlays painted in plain 1930's livery make a huge inprovement to the appearance. Most photos of the 30's period show the centre footboards had been removed by them.

 

Enjoy

 

MIke Wiltshire

[melmerby]

In Harris's GWR coaches there is a picture of a clerestory coach leading what appears to be a concertina(?) behind 6017 KE IV. Interestingly although the clerestory is in a later simplified livery it still has white roof panels in contrast to the following coach which looks grey.

The date is 1935

 

 

EDIT: R122 were made 1982-85 according to Hornby collectors guide.

 

Keith

[57xx]

...but the livery version you have here (which I believe was the original one when the model was first released) actually works quite well visually, I think.

Yes, they are indeed the original livery that was released back in 1982, I still have the ones I bought when I was 15 upstairs.