Greetings from Sproston,

The Hornby 'B' set is now back in service after some protracted modifications that involved removal (by filling) of the incorrect window next to the Guards door (on one side only) on each coach.
These windows were not installed on the real vehicles by the GWR, - but Hornby thoughtfully provided them anyway!!
If you couple two' B 'set coaches together correctly with the brake ends outermost, then the windows concerned to be removed are on the left hand vehicle facing you as you look at them, i.e one window on each coach next to the single Guards door as viewed with the brake end on the left.
The Hornby model is R4293D.

I referred to the article by Tim Venton on Bristol Division B sets, available on the GWR modellers society website for all the additional information : www.gwr.org.uk/b-set-notes.html
First an additional layer of transparent plastic was carefully chosen,cut to shape and glued to the existing window to make up to the level of the coach sides, next the area was carefully filled and levelled using - of all things 'typp-ex' correcting fluid!! (don't laugh!!) and it worked...
Small Bachmann tension - lock couplings were fitted to each end, with BK pattern hooks substituted to use my coupling system. For the coupling between the vehicles I used Bachmann small tension - locks again but cut them shorter, and fixed into NEM pockets with superglue - I know it should be a coupling bar, but I needed to be able to separate the two coaches, and this seemed an easier solution. They are however clos(er) coupled.

Careful sanding was now carried out using 1200 grade wet and dry paper, trying to cause as little damage as possible as I did not want to repaint the entire vehicle, just the repair area.
So far so good, then came trying to match the factory applied BR Carmine colour - this was not so easy and in hindsight it would have been simpler to just repaint the entire body, anyway onward etc..
I had already made a trip to my local modelshop to research the closest matches, and had come away with three, two acrylic and one enamel, a mix of Revell and Humbrol colours.

There then followed an extended trial period with them involving paint on/let dry /sand/repaint/let dry/sand/repaint - you get the picture...

Eventually I hit on an what I considered an acceptable match - Revell 331 acrylic Purple Red (silk matt) not totally right, but close enough I felt (if you don't look too closely).

Then followed the addition of internal "First" and "No Smoking" transfers (HMRS SHEET 14) to a couple of the windows on each coach, using the most useful 'B' set thread/discussion that has been running for some time on here. I also altered one of the vehicles numbers, so they were no longer identical.
Having already removed the incorrectly applied "1" from the other carriage door panel on each coach, along with painting the seats , internal roof, and adding some passengers this was as far as I wanted to go in correcting the 'errors', for want of a better phrase - that are present on this ( it has to be said venerable ) model.

Finally the roof on each was given a spray coat of Humbrol matt (33) Black and the wheels and axles blackened with paint. This improved the appearance greatly.

So there we are - better (more accurate) than they were, but still not quite 100%
Comments are always welcome.

Regards
SIGTECH
(Steve).