Single Coach Trains

[David41283]

Hi,

 

I am building a very small BLT based in the Devon area in the 50's and 60's. I am intending to run one-coach trains as the main passenger service. I have photos of two prototypical such services in the region - the SR Halwill - Torrington service and the WR Yelverton - Princetown train.

 

Single coach trains seem to be a Brake Composite allowing for approx 4 compartments 3rd and 1 compartment 1st class + a guard.

 

The Halwill train appears to use a Bulleid coach and the Princetown an ex Midland region coach. (i know the Hemyock branch used ex-East Region!).

 

The questions I am looking to answer are:

 

What model coaches would be prototypical for this type of service - Bachmann do the crimson, weathered suburban Mk1 brake composite with a WR number which I am tempted by.

 

Would "b-set" type coaches ever have been run on their own? I know actual b-sets were permanently coupled, but I guess there were similar coaches not in fixed pairs too?

 

The withered arm used "p-sets" - their equivalent of a b-set, but using Maunsell coaches. Does anyone know of Maunsell brake composites being used singularly? If so what colour were they? Hornby do the Southern Green and BR Blood and Custard, but 60's pictures seem to be green. Would this have been worn and re-badged SR Malachite, or were they painted the darker BR(S) green and Hornby simply don't do this one!

 

finally - If i am going to run a single corridor coach, the ends are going to need some work - I remember the end doors of early mkII's being orange, or greeny-blue. What did the end doors of older coaches look like - they are going to be really visible and I think this extra detail will really make a difference, as the RTR models are just plain black in this area.

 

Thanks in advance

 

David

 

 

[chrisf]

_{David, you have obviously given this matter a great deal of thought before asking the questions - well done!}

 

_{The Princetowh branch, which lost its passenger service in 1956, managed for most of the time with a single coach as you say.  The nearest RTR vehicle that would be suitable is the Bachmann Collett brake composite.  I'm not sure whether it is available in crimnson and cream, which would be more suitabloe than maroon.  For it to go up to Princetown in maroon the paint would have to still be wet!}

 

_{The B set consisted of two non-corridor brake compiates.  The earlier types, such as those still made by Hornby, could only run in pairs because they had short buffers on the inner ends and a bar coupling.  Later types could be and were run singly, such as on the Kingsbridge branch in its latter years.  If you want one of those you have two choices - kit building or scratch building.}

 

_{Turning now to the Southern and the Withered Arm, there were some Maunsell brake composites that ran singly.  They were built to provide portions to coastal branches off main line trains such as the Atlantic Coast Express.     They must have been used on the Halwill - Torrington line before the later Bulleid designs were introduced post-war but there are enough bods on here who know how the Southern did things to be able to tell you.  Between the introduction of crimson and cream and the re-introduction of green the Southern kept many of its coaches green by revarnishing them instead of repainting.  If Hornby don't do quite the shade of green that you want - buy a paintbrush!!}

 

_{Finally, before I burn the fishcakes that I'm cooking (!), there is no such thing as a BR Mk 1 non-corridor brake composite!}

 

_Chris

 

_.

[Andy W]

Steam-era corridor coaches used end boards, which fitted over the open end of the gangway and blanked it off. They were necessary not only to keep the weather out, but to stop any chunks of partly-burnt coal thrown by the loco exhaust from landing on the gangway and starting a fire. On lines with watertroughs they also stopped a tidal wave from rushing through the first coach if the fireman misjudged lifting the scoop. Of course you will find photos of trains without them, where they've been forgotten or none were on hand when the train was formed up or split. They were painted black.

The inner end of the gangway would have a varnished wood door, but you wouldn't see it from outside because of the end board.

 

Any green loco hauled corridor coaches in the 1960s were BR(SR) green as this had been the regional standard since 1956 - in the mid to late 50's there would also be genuine SR green liveried examples revarnished as chrisf describes . There are quite a few variations of Maunsell stock that Hornby have yet to do in all the possible liveries.

[Oldddudders]

Hornby Maunsells which might fit the bill are :

 

R4341 - 6-compt brake composite in SR Malachite

R4320 - ditto in BR green

 

In each case Hornby made A, B and C versions with different numbers.

 

Elsewhere on RMweb you will find discussions about these greens as used by Hornby, because most of us find the two colours to be indistinguishable. Southern Railway had a habit of revarnishing its coaches quite frequently, which darkened and yellowed the colour, and the conclusion of several knowledgeable members, including Coachmann, is that therefore the two shades could indeed be very similar. Thus purchase of a SR malachite coach and removal of the lettering, to be substituted by BR(S) lettering, really is an option if a BR version is not available.

[stadman]

Tivvy Bumper?

Tiverton Town to Junction, 14xx, autocaoch and no guard.