Collett 'Bow Ended' Standard 57' Corridor Stock Coaches for 2016

[exet1095]

When Hornby eventually goes into production with BR blood & custard Bow Ended coaches, they might look like this. They will be better in fact! As bought in GWR 1930 double-waist style livery, the whole waist lining and insignia is a one-piece transfer. Had I sprayed over this transfer it would have left a raised slab and so I scraped the bottom edge of the transfer to mostly remove this ledge. It partially worked, but I will await the introduction of Maroon BE coaches before respraying any more. It will be noticed I had not clipped the chassis back into the body fully at this end......

WEB GWR BR respray 1.jpg

 

Raised door stops, hinges and brackets were picked out in Phoenix Dirty Black and the underframe and bogies have been wafted over with weathering colour.

WEB GWR BR respray 3.jpg

 

I am pleased I did not have to go into production with these in etched brass. To capture the surface detail would have meant etching on 22thou with a full length droplight strip soldered on the back. The rest of the coach would have been on 16thou and putting up costs. These types of coaches were amongst the first, if not the first, to be produced by BSL (later Phoenix) in pressed aluminium. I cannot say how many I painted commencing 1973 but near enough a 1000 wouldn't be far off. Most were in original full panelled livery. I cannot recall being asked to paint any in BR blood & custard ! BSL did the whole range including dining cars, full brakes (Ocean Mails), brake composites and 3-compartment brake thirds. I fancy a 70 footer now!

Looks great! I've built so many of these with Comet or Hammond bodies that I don't dare buy any Crimson and cream ones that will show up my paintwork and lack of added detail. Maybe a couple in GWR livery though... Edited February 3, 2016 by exet1095

[Tim Dubya]

 BSL did the whole range including dining cars, full brakes (Ocean Mails), brake composites and 3-compartment brake thirds. I fancy a 70 footer now!

 

The 70 footer's are still listed on the SRG site but good luck if you can get one (been waiting 2 years for an order and that's as an SRG member!  - well ex -member now!)

[gwrrob]

I think blood and custard suits this stock and I'm more than happy with my purchases from the late Geoff Brewin estate and will sit nice with any Hornby version I get.This is the D95 albeit with a wrong running number.

 

[Fat Controller]

How come Derails have stock but no other retailers don't ?

Kent Garden Railways had some D95s in stock at the Erith show on the weekend; very nice they looked, too. 

[coachmann]

I think blood and custard suits this stock and I'm more than happy with my purchases from the late Geoff Brewin estate and will sit nice with any Hornby version I get.This is the D95 albeit with a wrong running number.

 

Comet D95.jpg

Looks neat. The position of the running number needs changing though. The horizontal handrails were in the way of correct positioning of this insignia and they the running number either went above the handrail (in early BR days) or more usually in the next clear panel (between the two compartment doors).

 

The 70 footer's are still listed on the SRG site but good luck if you can get one (been waiting 2 years for an order and that's as an SRG member!  - well ex -member now!)

I would etch mine. I have also looked at GWR 'Toplight' stock but the rebate on Comet extruded roofs would show behind the top lights. Therefore I have considered those vehicles that had top lights sheeted over as well as the 57' GWR ex-Ambulance coaches.

Edited February 3, 2016 by coachmann

[Tim Dubya]

I would etch mine. 

 

Of course Larry - wasn't finking.

 

Cheers

[john dew]

The post-war GWR livery specified gray roofs. 

 

Thanks Larry.....I didnt express myself very well.

 

I am not skilled enough to modify the released livery and you did say it could be seen until at least 1938........so I was going to hazard that not too much repainting took place during the war so its not too much of a stretch to have it around jn 1947?

 

I guess I have answered my question......I should weather the roof (I can do that!) rather than paint it grey?

 

Kind Regards

 

John

[coachmann]

Thanks Larry.....I didnt express myself very well.

 

I am not skilled enough to modify the released livery and you did say it could be seen until at least 1938........so I was going to hazard that not too much repainting took place during the war so its not too much of a stretch to have it around jn 1947?

 

I guess I have answered my question......I should weather the roof (I can do that!) rather than paint it grey?

 

Kind Regards

 

John

I think it would be stretching things too far to have a livery painted 1930-33 to be still around 14-17 years later. You could scrape off the existing insignia and replace it with block style post-war insignia then the double lining would be accurate seeing as Hawksworth reintroduced it. There might even have been coaches that didn't have the brown line applied under the gutter after the war. But if you feel unsure, I think it would be far safer to wait until the livery you require is introduced.

 

If I were to respray another Hornby choc & cream BE coach I would tackle it differently. For instance the chocolate had to be sprayed over with cream before carmine could be added (Carmine on top of brown dried far too dark). All the droplights had to be repainted cream and so I may as well have removed all the glazing, given the body a light coat of 'plastic' grey primer then sprayed it chocolate & cream in the usual manner.

Edited February 3, 2016 by coachmann

[john dew]

I think it would be stretching things too far to have a livery painted 1930-33 to be still around 14-17 years later. You could scrape off the existing insignia and replace it with block style post-war insignia then the double lining would be accurate seeing as Hawksworth reintroduced it. There might even have been coaches that didn't have the brown line applied under the gutter after the war. But if you feel unsure, I think it would be far safer to wait until the livery you require is introduced.

 

 

At my age?  In any event (a) I am far too impatient and (b) hopefully they are being carefully packed in Cornwall ready for their transatlantic journey.

 

I guess it will have to be one of the many compromises I live with, like my Chocolate and Cream Hawksworth Brake Vans  

 

Having said all that ....thank you so much for continuing to be so helpful, it is very much appreciated

 

Best Wishes from Vancouver

 

John

[vulcanbomber]

Question for the experts

I have a rake of four old triang clerestory coaches, it had always been my intention to replace them when a suitable rake of coaches became available.

My layout and wallet can take 4 of the bow ended coaches, but which would be the best one's to get to make up a representative rake?

[gwrrob]

Question for the expertsI have a rake of four old triang clerestory coaches, it had always been my intention to replace them when a suitable rake of coaches became available.My layout and wallet can take 4 of the bow ended coaches, but which would be the best one's to get to make up a representative rake?

A 'M' set would be a nice four coach train comprising a D95, C54, E127 and E128.All in the new releases.

[County of Yorkshire]

A 'M' set would be a nice four coach train comprising a D95, C54, E127 and E128.All in the new releases.

 

As big a shame as it is (and possibly a missed opportunity) there's no E128 in the range Rob. Wasn't an M set a BTK-TK-CK-BTK anyway? I think that would make a nice representative rake on a secondary route all-stopper somewhere off the beaten track for vulcanbomber. Of course I could be wrong and in which case an M set could be formed from three of the new Colletts and a Bachmann 'Sunshine' BCK (E159 - appearing from 1937 onwards).

 

Hope this helps. 

 

Cheers, 

 

CoY

Edited February 3, 2016 by County of Yorkshire

[St Enodoc]

The 70 footer's are still listed on the SRG site but good luck if you can get one (been waiting 2 years for an order and that's as an SRG member!  - well ex -member now!)

A few years ago I picked up some 70 footers on eBay. It turned out that the vendor was Iain Rice and the kits originally belonged to the late Ken Northwood, who had commissioned Iain to build them. This never happened due to Ken's passing. I intend to finish them eventually in GWR livery with "The Torreyman" destination boards. Perhaps I should get a Hornby King to pull them...

[chrisf]

As big a shame as it is (and possibly a missed opportunity) there's no E128 in the range Rob. Wasn't an M set a BTK-TK-CK-BTK anyway? I think that would make a nice representative rake on a secondary route all-stopper somewhere off the beaten track for vulcanbomber. Of course I could be wrong and in which case an M set could be formed from three of the new Colletts and a Bachmann 'Sunshine' BCK (E159 - appearing from 1937 onwards).

 

Hope this helps. 

 

Cheers, 

 

CoY

 

You're not wrong.  An M set is as you describe - and as I described at post #460 above!   It is a shame that an E128 is not among the present offerings but never say never.

 

Chris

[MJI]

They look really nice, do you think Hornby will do one in departmental green?

 

Looks like 5 TKs at SVR and 2 at Didcot.

[Hilux5972]

They look really nice, do you think Hornby will do one in departmental green?

 

Looks like 5 TKs at SVR and 2 at Didcot.

 

Green for a western region coach? How can you even suggest such Blasphemy?

[chrisf]

Green for a western region coach? How can you even suggest such Blasphemy?

 

There was a time when WR camping coaches were green.

 

Chris

[gwrrob]

I think less than 40 sheets for one of these Collett coaches is superb.I think they will sell well and hopefully Bachmann will respond in their range too.

[Derails Models]

I think they will sell well

 

I can confirm they are!

[Clearwater]

I think you can make a good guess on product popularity by the number of pages in a thread and how quickly it grows. From a quick check, this is by far the longest Hornby carriage thread which augurs well for them.

 

Given that most people will only buy one or two autocoaches or inspection saloons or whatever, you'd expect those to be relatively more expensive given the need to recover similar costs over a smaller potential sales base.

 

David

[County of Yorkshire]

I think less than 40 sheets for one of these Collett coaches is superb.I think they will sell well and hopefully Bachmann will respond in their range too.

 

Totally agree with you Rob, but at what price would Bachmann release retooled Sunshine stock? I'd wager at least £60 a throw by the time they ever got around to doing them. At the rate the Thompsons are going I feel that they are going to finally retail at above £50. As Clearwater states above, for specialist coaches for which you need only a couple like an Autocoach or dining cars, you could stomach 60 notes, but not for general service corridor coaches of which you would need half a dozen for representative coverage. 

 

I think for further RTR releases of GWR coaching stock, we are going to have to look back to Hornby for some non-corridors (once the rebuilt LSWR stock comes out, they will have non-corridor stock for 3 of the big 4), and perhaps even to Oxford Rail for additional GWR corridor coaches. In fact, I seriously see toplights as Oxford Rail territory: they always score highly in the polls, they would complement the Dean Goods, and as Oxford's manufacturing set-up is much more 'responsive', I would think the tooling needed to produce both modified and unmodified toplights would be an easier job for Oxford then the other RTR boys. You can also knock out toplights in about 7 or 8 different liveries over a number of years - which again fits Oxford's production philosophy with its die-cast vehicles. 

 

Time will tell.... now, where are my D95's?!

 

CoY

Edited February 4, 2016 by County of Yorkshire

[rovex]

I've got these on pre-order, only I can't remember who with 

[rovex]

Given how Hornby have also supplemented some of their offerings after the initial release, hopefully we could see a dining car, composite brake or even a full brake in years to come.

[MJI]

i will get a couple in GWR colours though and use GWR numbers of ex departmental stock - preserved

[57xx]

I think less than 40 sheets for one of these Collett coaches is superb.I think they will sell well and hopefully Bachmann will respond in their range too.

 

And with retailer discounts taking them to approx £35, they are even more superb.