Branch passenger stock.

[lakeview770]

Hi I was wondering if there is any kit or rtr passenger stock available that would be suitable for the period 1945 to 1955. Also is there any suitable parcel stock available.

 

Andy

[rcmacchipilot]

Hi Andy,

 

I would have thought that any of the Stanier or Maunsell coaches would have been more than appropriate for that time period. There are plenty of these in the RTR range. Im quite certain that MK1's also ran on the mainline, so I am guessing that they would have also gone up the branch. Branch line railways (although in 1963) shows Mk1's go up as well I think.( someone please correct me if I am incorrect)

 

Looking at photo's taken by Ivo Peters Maunsells were plenty, however quite a range of coaches ran on the line. Im not a coach expert so I cant say exactly what each of the coaches were from the pictures.

 

Im less certain, but I think some of the Thompson coaches also made it over the line.

 

I hope that helps.

[Combe Martin]

For the BR period up to 1955, photographic evidence shows most services using a 2 coach set of ex LMS 'suburban' (i.e. non gangway) coaches.  The nearest RTR coaches to these would be the Dapol (ex Airfix) suburban coaches which have recently been re-introduced in RTR and kit form.  Whether they are the correct Diagram, I don't know !

 

I've never seen any photos (and I've studied loads) of Maunsell coaches on the branch, and Mk1 coaches certainly wouldn't have been seen in the early '50s.

 

Once you get to the '60s things had evolved.  In the early '60s various types of ex-GWR B sets were used including the current Hornby (ex-Airfix, Mainline, Dapol) model.  From 1964 the branch sets were very often a single brake composite (Hawksworth, Collett, BR Mk1) plus a 4 wheel long wheel base or bogie van, sometimes even an ex-LNER 6 wheel van. 

 

Sometimes a branch set was still 2 coaches, a Stanier or Collett plus one of the above types of brake composite.  There were other combinations too.  In 1962 a BR MK1 64ft 10 compartment suburban coach (Replica model not Bachmann) plus a Thompson suburban Bk 2nd non gangway coach (but not the Hornby model).

 

Most of the vans (6 wheeler apart) are available RTR.

 

One interesting point, at one time the Hawksworth brake composite was one of the then redundant 'slip coach' conversions, recognisable by having cab windows at the end. 

 

You really need to study the picture books for the period you'r modelling.  The Ivo Peters series are a good start.