BernardTPM

Age yellowing. Probably if you rub with very fine abrasive they will look grey again.

British Honduras, now Belize, perhaps?

Just measured my original Matchbox (45A) at 57.75mm long. 167" is about 4242mm, so the scale is about 1:73.45. Perhaps someone in Vauxhall's management realised FA perhaps wasn't the best of codenames, so these were always referred to as F, series I and II (though the final 1960-'61 model had some significant revisions, including a completely new, higher rear window and roofline but wasn't called series III). I still need to build an FE to complete the line-up.

I had one of the Midget versions of that which was just a little too long. Being whitemetal it wasn't too hard to cut and shut with a razor saw. 1957-9 Victor F dimensions (inches) w.b. 98, length 167, width 62¼, height unladen 58¼. Divide by 3 for 4mm scale millimetres.

The transfers work well. For compartment stock I've created some artwork for fold-up seats/compartment walls. Would be rather more complicated for open stock though.

The current geometry is the same as Super4 radii 1, 2 & 3. Series 3 was the same as the earlier 'Standard' track with different radii that do not directly equate.

Digging out my 'Parkin' Mk.1 book it is obvious that the dia.30 Griddle cars (the ones in the 1961 Trains Illustrated) are all but identical in layout. The interiors of these have light, vertically grained wood panelling with squared linoleum flooring (light/medium marbled squares on the passageways, darker round the seats) except at the 'bar' end where there is longitudinally black/buff striped carpet (as in this Mk.1 Pullman). Though the pictures are monochrome, the pattern on the upholstery suggests that it is Black and Gold Stripes - First Class (stripes arranged vertically). Table tops look to be medium to dark (probably laminate, probably wood grain) with aluminium edging.

No luck on finding that Trains Illustrated, but here's the drawing from Modern Railways April '62: On re-reading the article says the interiors were 'similar to' rather than identical to the ones in the 1961 issue, though still Eastleigh built.

Revised in 1972, I believe. The lit in a tunnel rule only applied "where block apparatus had failed in a section where there is a tunnel" Rule 120

I've not been able to find it yet, but I'm pretty sure the 1960s rebuild looked nothing like that! I'll have to move a few boxes tomorrow to carry on the search.

I think you may be mixing up Pressfix with Kingsprint. Those were rub-down, sold through the Kings Cross model shop. Don't think they ever did wagon lettering though. Pressfix still have a backing sheet the transfer is released from after application. Rub down just have a waxy protection sheet that stopped them sticking to any surface accidentally.

If you can find a copy, apparently the Griddle Car interiors were illustrated on p.212 of Trains Illustrated, April 1961 (according to Modern Railways* July 1962). Checking the cover online I might have that issue. I'll see if I can find it. * The new name for the same magazine, starting from January 1962.

Note headstocks and buffer stocks and the footboards are blue. What we can't see is the actual solebar, but I'd guess that was blue too. By the manual that would be correct. Everything below that brown.

That's lucky as on my N gauge conversion (done 40 years ago from the Lima) the outlines of the windows showed up slightly when I painted with car primer. At the time I was disappointed.

The Airfix Staniers came out around the same time as the (now Railroad) Hornby 'Staniers', but in terms of accuracy there was really no competition then.

Ironic then that nearly all the new figure sets* are firmly rooted in the steam era. * that is apart from 36-422 Garage staff and fitters.

Agreed, though the overall shape of the Farish Mk.3 is pretty good, if basic (very basic by current standards). The ends have a better shapes then the Dapol, for example, but the bogies are worse and the lack of interior is very obvious. To a degree they have done that here with these sleeper sets, but a correct Royal Train without having to tool the window arrangements for each coach separately could be a sound idea*. Their current printing is very good, especially as there is some thickness to the frame printing. *Though some have those extra wide double doors. That might kill the idea.

There was an article on building a Class 5 from an Airfix Evening Star mounted on a Brit. chassis in RM Oct. '67. Of course it wasn't entirely accurate 😁

I'm pretty sure it is the same Mercedes that Airfix did in 1/32nd scale. Though the one shown is early (as mine, bought from the local Woolworth's, might have been*) it still seems to be one they revive quite often. * think it may have had this later artwork.

Golden eagle is an A4 Pacific, too big to keep in a fridge (which is full of onions in buttermilk anyway).

I assume it would be very difficult to tell if a convertible stared out as a 2-door Classic or a Capri in real life.

Lucky really that Airfix boobed on the seating and made their FO with 2+2 seating. It does mean that it should suit the early Mk.2/2a BSO, though no doubt some extra holes would have to be made for the Tri-ang Hornby body fixing screws.

14 foot in 4mm scale is 56mm. 56mm in 3½mm scale is 16 foot. The odd thing about the Merit container though is having doors at both ends.

Difficult to say at that resolution. That is the only possible post 1964 car in the picture though, even if it's origins go back to 1959.