Bachmann Mk1 Suburban Colour

[drgj]

The Bachmann suburban Mk1 coaches in lined maroon that I have seem a very dark colour, similar to the old Airfix ex LMS  suburbans. Are they supposed to be the same shade as mainline stock? I gave a coat of satin varnish to an Airfix suburban and it brought the colour and finish closer to the Bachmann. 

Dave

[Xerces Fobe2]

Yes and no as there was lighter red on all the suburban coaches before lined Marion appreared!

[Merfyn Jones]

The same shade of maroon was used for suburban and corridor stock from 1956.

[31A]

If they're the models I'm thinking of, they were produced quite a long time ago - I have a couple myself. They seem to be in a very dark shade of red, much darker than the maroon Mk 1 gangwayed coaches (which they should match) and the same shade as a batch of Thompson coaches which were produced around the same time. I don't like them - to my mind they're far too dark - and mine are set aside pending re painting or conversion to something else. The unlined red ones (which are usually obtainable cheaply at swapmeets etc) are a reasonable match for the earlier 'crimson' livery, and I use several of those in preference. I believe Bachmann have produced these coaches more recently ih lined maroon livery but as far as I know only factory weathered. I'm not a big fan of factory weathered coaches so haven't investigated these, but would expect they've used a better shade of maroon for them.

[drgj]

Thanks for the answers. They are quite old  because one is in a white and blue box with the thin white plastic insert. 

 

Dave

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

The early rather dingy maroon BR mk1 non-gangwayed 'suburbans', Thompsons, may apply to other coaches produced before the introducation of Bach's mk1 gangwayed range. If you take the glazing out  - it can fog in UV light - and also the corridor connectors where applicable, then give them one UK's summer worth of sunshine outside, turning occasionally to ensure they are evenly done, a tone more agreeable with memory may be achieved.

 

Cautionary note: this may or may not help the plastic from which they are moulded, but no ill effect some ten years after this was done. The plastic starts out fragile enough, based on one mishap with a BR mk1 non corridor long before the 'solar bath' treament was devised. Dropped a bare three feet onto a floor, and landing on the roof, the body smashed into 'a million' pieces, the chassis springing clear completely undamaged. (Long ago recycled as the running gear for a GUV.)

[Xerces Fobe2]

The early rather dingy maroon BR mk1 non-gangwayed 'suburbans', Thompsons, may apply to other coaches produced before the introducation of Bach's mk1 gangwayed range. If you take the glazing out  - it can fog in UV light - and also the corridor connectors where applicable, then give them one UK's summer worth of sunshine outside, turning occasionally to ensure they are evenly done, a tone more agreeable with memory may be achieved.

 

Cautionary note: this may or may not help the plastic from which they are moulded, but no ill effect some ten years after this was done. The plastic starts out fragile enough, based on one mishap with a BR mk1 non corridor long before the 'solar bath' treament was devised. Dropped a bare three feet onto a floor, and landing on the roof, the body smashed into 'a million' pieces, the chassis springing clear completely undamaged. (Long ago recycled as the running gear for a GUV.)

 

 

 

I use as lot of the old 00 Farish suburban coaches which are @ 40 years old for makingLMS EMU's and they will shatter like an egg if dropped too!