BernardTPM

That's a different and earlier loco altogether, to broad gauge. Must have looked absolutely massive in 1851. Ks used to do a kit for these.

Yes, both ends. I've got a set of slides (both sides) of this one at Cardiff.

Great system building! You make a good Secondary Modern school from Arkitex too.

The PG Models ones are 2mm scale (or 150th?).

Some additions

109 is in pre-war choc/cream which is why it has simpler lining. Interestingly the page number is omitted from the index - it's on p186, though there's another in plain brown (in service) on p202 which is indexed.

The difference in rainstrips on the K42s could be down to could be different Lots. Might be a good idea to match up observations to Lots and see if there's any pattern. Though perhaps not as noticable as the different style of rainstrips, the windows on the K41 are set higher and are less tall than those on the K42 (matching the high-waisted 1934 style corridor stock). According to Harris, the last K41s were withdrawn from normal service in 1974, however the Fison's weedkiller train included coaches from diagrams K41, K42 & K44, so they were around in some kind of use just as long.

The rear doors from the 'Anglia' van were reused on the Mk.1 & 2 Escort van. All three share that slight peak over the rear doors, but the Anglia's lights stick out on vestigial wings while the Escort's are larger and more or less flush http://www.simoncars.co.uk/fordcv/slides/Ford%20Escort%20MkII%20Van%20rear.jpg. The HA Bedford is much simpler and plainer http://a3.ec-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/69/fe816c359f824375bfb88a01fea7afd6/l.jpg. Nice picture - you rarely see those sorts of coaches modelled even though the etches are probably available for them in 'as built' condition. Freight arrow still in evidence on the TK, I see.

From a 1970s photo in 'Classic Van & Pick-up' TLX 534 M; not quite old enough, but the van is the early type. Reflective plates were in use from 1968; I'm not sure, but British Rail may have been an early adopter. Also noticed it has a roof rack - sorry!

Well done Simon; that building is going to look rather special.

Perhaps you might find the information you want on my list here http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/46739-post-war-cars-for-the-4mm-modeller/

I'd try Milliput fine on the stepping, shaped in situ with a smooth edge so that only the recess of the step if filled on the first application. If you have the choice re: orientation it might be worth turning the whole model 90 degrees onto it's side so the bonnet, cab and footplate sides are dead smooth. It may even help the roof area as the steps should be smaller that way. Is that possible or do iMaterialise not allow it? Interesting subject - they must have got their money's worth with these old beasts!

It would only have any kind of light like that running light engine. It is also unlikely two lights would have been on at the same time or at all in daylight when an oil lamp carried on the bracket (over the buffers) would have been carried, also normally unlit in daytime, but as they were painted white, fairly obvious as a marker for the end of the train. We are not talking modern high intensity lights here. WR hydraulics were different (of course!) in having one light clear and the other red at each end.

There was good reason for the revision. The toilets were smaller in Mk.2E & 2F stock which enabled the interiors of the TSOs and BSOs to revert to 64 and 32 seats respectively - Mk.2B to 2D stock had only 62 and 31 seats which used to cause problems when reserving seats. Likewise the Mk.2D & 2E stock still had the pressure ventilation equipment with air-conditioning added - the Mk.2F used a simpler, combined air-conditioning and heating system. Most also had Mk.3 style seats - it was meant to be all of them, but there weren't enough being produced at the time, so quite a few of the TSOs were fitted with the Mk.2 type. Of course, subsequent refurbishments have sometimes altered interior fittings.

Possibly - though Mk.2D TSO coaches have the toilets on the same side, 2E & 2F have them diagonally opposite, so the former has either two or no toilet windows, the latter have one and a matching opposite blank. It could have an open interior which would make it a BSO - much more common if a Mk.2. Mk.1 coaches are pretty easy to spot as they normally have an obvious underframe area - the stepped in section under the main bodywork at footstep level. There are only a few exceptions to this, most of which are irrelevant if you're looking at current day hauled coaches. The other Mk.1 features are the trussing underneath and the continuous curve of the side section - Mk.2, 3 & 4 coaches are flat at window level. Mk.2 coaches are the same length (more or less) as Mk.1 coaches, but they have wider windows. Early ones have sliding vents (the top divided into three sections compared to four in Mk.1s), very early ones (Mk.2 & Mk.2A) have the old style narrow doors. From Mk.2B onwards the main passenger doors are wider, wrap-round style at the outer ends. Mk.2B & Mk.2C still have sliding vents, Mk.2D, 2E & 2F are air-conditioned, so have shallower windows. Mk.3 coaches are longer, always air-conditioned and run on BT10 bogies with air-bag suspension. Apart from the sleepers, they are all based round an eight window saloon whether First or Standard class. They still have hinged wrap-round doors, excepting some recent rebuilds. The same basic shell is used for HSTs, fo course, though hauled ones have buffers and are wired differently. Mk.4 coaches are only used in IC225 sets. Same length as Mk.3s but a different profile to allow for tilt (so the sides slope in more at the top), they have had power doors from new and fairings at their outer ends as well as between the bogies. The bogies themselves have a drop centre shape with air bags. There are a lot more differences, particulalrly but not exclusively in the Mk.2 series, I could mention, but books are available if you want to know more. If you mean the letters on the panels on the ends, that's part of the TOPS code - 1= Mk.1, Z = Mk.2, A= Mk.2A, etc. to 2F, G = Mk.3 Given they had 1 or Mk.1, I don't know why they didn't have 2 for Mk.2!! If on the sides by the doors they could just be the position in a set train. The pictures posted by Glorious NSE while I've been typing this are a useful guide to the basic types as described above.

Got to be the new version - they're part of the body on the old ones and not very detailed.

That's a fun little swap round. The main problem I ran into when I did it in the '80s was that the one motor bogie was barely up to moving 4 cars, even when the early drag-o-max bogies were replaced with pin-point versions. The other problem was altering the brake's underframe to unpowered, but with the motor bogie bracket. Obviously the introduction of the powered chassis sorted both problems later. I was going to repaint mine in the white/blue strip refurb livery, but only ever completed one of the driving cars.

I had noticed the warning device was in two different positions in the two pictures; it seemed to be in the right place for the lamp bracket in the first, but near the centre in the other.

I think it is a fascinating period for British Railway models. You had Lone Star producing the first R-T-R 000 stock, Tri-ang's TT Brush type 2 with flush glazed front windows, Britannia, EM2, Lord of the Isles, fully panelled clerestory coaches, the bogie brick, the tail end of Hornby Dublo's plastic Super Detail wagons and the innovative Mk.1s and even Trix switching to plastic wagons and coaches. Then came Super 4 track (the geometry of which has certainly stood the test of time), scale length Mk.1s, Real Estate (soon to become Model Land) kits. That this boom was followed by something of a bust perhaps isn't too surprising, but tooling standards certainly seemed to slip in the early 1970s. Sorry, wandering a bit off topic!

I'd have thought the most difficult/time consuming part of redoing the lining on the Triang EM2 is removing the moulded on lines, not adding the new ones. That apart, it's a stunning piece of toolwork given it's 50 year age.

Given it has to work on basically the same railway, with just 1 degree less tilt, that's not too surprising. However, if you take the APT cross section as a whole, it's notable how much less aerodynamic the Pendolino is above and below the sides. APT was as slippery as a snake.

A picture here - http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/brcwclass33/h20119ED3#h2bed0390 Flashing orange light fitted to the lamp bracket. Same sort of thing shown here: May have been different in earlier days

It was announced in the 1961 catalogue, so I'd guess the design (which was based on their TT Gauge Brush type 2 bogie) is now easily past it's half-century!

Their '85 Transit was marked 1:63 so the Connect might be suitbale for those few souls who use 1:55 scale perhaps; I doubt it will be big enough for 0.

Hi Pete, I think the problem may be the height of the pick-up beam. Compare to the EPB here: http://www.semgonline.com/gallery/class415_5.html 3rd picture down.