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Hornby Royal Mail coach


Mark 37

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I have a couple of the Hornby Royal Mail coaches ( mk1 brake coach I think, feel free to correct me) which I have painted the roofs and coach ends (what a difference it's made). Now looking at them the windows look terrible and I'm thinking about puting proper frames in but the clear plastic window with printed frames don't give much away as how these should really look. Can someone with better knowledge of all things on rails tell me what year of post office carriage these were based on so I can start my google image searches.

 

Thanks,

 

Mark

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I'll try, never done it from my phone before (PC on the blink).

 

Sorry I can't but if you don't mind looking at the link. Here it is.

 

 

http://www.hornbyguide.com/item_details.asp?itemid=1262

 

According to this page the logo's are for years 1965-1997 but Fox transfers list three different sets in this time period.

 

Many thanks,

 

Mark

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Mamma mia...............

 

The picture looks like one of Hornby's old LMS Period 2(?) coaches repainted into a fictitious post privatisation royal mail livery (here's the current Railroad version http://www.Hornby.co...ms-brake-coach/ in LMS red). About as unauthentic as you can get (no that's not a challenge!) I'm afraid.

Edited by brushman47544
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Mamma mia...............

 

The picture looks like one of Hornby's old LMS Period 2(?) coaches repainted into a fictitious post privatisation royal mail livery (here's the current Railroad version http://www.Hornby.co...ms-brake-coach/ in LMS red). About as unauthentic as you can get (no that's not a challenge!) I'm afraid.

 

I believe it is a Period 3 coach, but otherwise you are correct.

 

Adrian

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It does look the same other than colour. I only got them as my son loves red trains and they were cheap (about £6 each). Not like some on eBay..... Buy now £32.95.

 

I have a couple of Bachman coaches as well as a TPO. I could model them on the Bachmann version as long as its not fictitious. I'll go and see what I can find on that.

 

If this is not possible, can someone confirm the type of carriage that Hornby has used as a bassis for this fictitious livery. Was I right in saying a mk1 brake? That way I can look at a more prototypical livery that will fit our layout plans.

 

Many thanks,

 

Mark

 

Edited to correct productive text error.

Edited by Mark 37
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Well my Bachmann ones are mk1 full BG, so thats a none starter.

 

With the Hornby being fictitious, that will explain why I couldn't find any prototype images.

 

Many thanks,

 

Mark

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Guest stuartp

Well my Bachmann ones are mk1 full BG, so thats a none starter.

 

Not necessarily: http://paulbartlett....h973760#h973760 . I think that's a TPO coupled on the right hand end too.

 

If your lad likes red trains you could always buy him a Hornby 75 ton crane and use the Hornby coaches as riding and tool vans, plenty of LMS coaches of that type/era were used for that. .

Edited by stuartp
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The image Stuart has posted above there of the Mk1 BG is currently in Bachmann's range in Royal Mail livery: https://railsofsheff...-JJJA17071.aspx. If it's really just for train set running (which is where my interest in mail by rail started) have you thought about the old Lima version of the Royal Mail BG? It's too long and should be available rather cheaper than Bachmann's version. I know I have a couple sat on a shelf doing not very much. You can also often get the Lima Royal Mail-liveried GUV for under a tenner, and it's a decent enough model.

 

 

If you'd rather model your own the sides on the Bachmann coaches come away nicely for repainting. As he gets older you could even look at using a hurst conversion kit to make a courier van (although you'd need a different donor coach). Here's mine: post-6758-0-07878300-1338985541_thumb.jpg

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can someone confirm the type of carriage that Hornby has used as a bassis for this fictitious livery. Was I right in saying a mk1 brake?

 

The body is that of an LMS Brake Third, but the underframe (as in all of this style of Hornby coach) approximates that of a GWR coach.

 

Adrian

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Well my Bachmann ones are mk1 full BG, so thats a none starter.

 

With the Hornby being fictitious, that will explain why I couldn't find any prototype images.

 

Many thanks,

 

Mark

 

AFAIK the closest prototype livery - with the version of the royal mail logo on the LMS Brake - is on this Bachmann TPO 39-430. I don't think any BGs received large royal mail branding, just the plain red livery as posted by stuartp.

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The body is that of an LMS Brake Third, but the underframe (as in all of this style of Hornby coach) approximates that of a GWR coach.

 

Adrian

 

Wow, Hornby does it again. Thanks Adrian.

 

I do like the idea of utility vans but we already have the yellow crane.

 

I think these will be used as is too keep a little boy happy with thoughts to replacements further down the line and these will be passed on or auctioned or just binned. Well I suppose it goes to show my naivety in all things on rails, but it does keep the wee yin happy. You never know they may even get a second lease of life as doners for future projects although nothing comes to mind.

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You never know they may even get a second lease of life as doners for future projects although nothing comes to mind.

 

Hornby LHCS donor chassis make a rugged starting-point for the different variations of '60s Carflats. Bearing in mind Hornby's own Carflat falls into the same fictitious category as the mail coach in question!

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  • 2 weeks later...

 

 

Be fair, these coaches are 20 years old, or thereabouts!

 

They are, but i believe at this time Hornby had the correct type of coach available in there range (although I could be wrong as I never really had a great interest in railway products at the time). But this must be my 7 or 8th Hornby purchase that are basically wrong. This just creates doubt in the believability of any Hornby product, for me personally. The joy felt on giving my son something he wanted is soon demonised by the fact that they never really were. Just more money wasted IMO. If my son decides to throw himself fully into the hobby I'll have to one day tell him his favourite coaches are just pure fiction/rubbish will totally deflate him and possibly his interest in the hobby.

 

Best regards,

 

Mark

Edited by Mark 37
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  • 8 years later...

The vehicle being discussed was the Stanier brake/3rd that Hornby produced in Royal Mail livery rather than the Travelling Post Office van for which you are probably seeking the instruction sheet.  As well as the TPO van itself, if I remember correctly, it came with a collecting post and bin both on a base that clips to the track, 6 mail bags and two sprung track activation ramps.

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