trevor7598

I would love to have seen the ' Biggleswade ' model for myself. It's accuracy is second to none. Whilst staying with Grandparents near Dunton, I was allowed to catch the bus to Biggleswade to watch the trains. One week over two day's all the expresses that hurtled through were diesel hauled, but one day 'HERMIT', and the other day ' GAY CRUSADER ' were shunting the yard. At a guess it was early Autumn 1962.

Yes, 10 points to Hornby for this one.

My self and a friend spent a week in July 1984, based in Insch, touring the area for coach bodies. Mind blowing, and yes, some cattle wagon bodies, and many LMS horse box bodies too. It was two characters , Bruce and Reid, that arranged the sale and transport of bodies to farmers. Each bogie coach body was cut into a third and two thirds, as one had a long lorry, the other a shorter one. Fascinating stuff !.

How about a siding full of cattle empties, that's how I remember rakes of these wagons at Guildford and Biggleswade. We will soon have four types to choose from in RTR ( If you include the old Mainline one that's still doing the rounds ), so mix 'em up, make a lovely train !. When the Hornby offering arrives I will have 15 cattle wagons of varying types.

The BSO in particular is great news. Depending on which region you lived near, they could be quite elusive. Living on the Southern Region, they were only seen on occasional holiday trains, as the Southern never had any BSO's of it's own, so in BR days none appeared in green. It is also interesting that those allocated to the Western region had relatively short lives, some becoming ENPARTS vans by the early 1970's. Well done Hornby for filling a significant gap, put me down for a maroon one.

The livery for passenger rolling stock also changed at this time, to a more sombre brown. The sample panel in my image is wholly original, taken some years ago from a seaside bungalow. It must have come as a bit of a shock to see grey locomotives and dark chocolate coaches after the glorious Wainwright liveries of previous years.

I initially though this was an image of some strange chocolate product, But I am all FOr any new FOorthcoming coach types. Hope I can afFOrd one.

I'm having one of each type, in BR(S) livery. Like you I purchased a pillbox when new, the one with the stove chimney right by the ducket !!.

Here Here ! From the images of the two versions shown so far, it looks as though Hornby's SR cattle wagon is about to set a new benchmark for RTR wagons. If the new price is a problem and a modeller already has a rake of Bachmann / Oxford etc. cattle wagons, why not have just one of the new Hornby wagons to make up a train with a variety of types. This would be prototypical. especially in BR days. Hope you already have a guards van for the end, Bachmann's are now over £30 !.

This is interesting. When I was at school, my route home took me over the footbridge at Farncombe station. In 1965 there was a regular test train, always heading towards Portsmouth, at about 4pm. The consist of the train was brand new ' Brighton line ' 4CIG's, being propelled by an ED. Sometimes the loco was placed between two units. I also seem to recall a 71 being used aswell I guess the above was to do with the Bournemouth electrification of 1967. If anyone knows more about these workings, I would be very interested.

Just noticed a small cock-up on the BR liveried Maunsell cattle wagon. The builders plate has SR at the top, so presumably it is a representation of the plate originally fitted from new. If this is the case only the wagon number would have been on the casting. But it seems to have the S prefix cast in as well. Not nit picking, it looks like a gorgeous wagon. Also many thanks, Martin.

I read somewhere that the SR cattle wagon is due for release this month. Does anyone know if this is still the case ?. Very much looking forward to this one. ( two ).

HI John, The coach in your image is an ex. SECR 10 compartment, 100 Seat, all third. In the picture it is almost certainly a strengthening vehicle for a two coach push / pull set.

Great news, just the thing to haul Bachmann's forthcoming Birdcage set, whether it is in SECR, SR or BR liveries. This combination should keep everyone happy !.

You miss the point. Airfix gave a sneaky peak of a Bulleid coach in the catalogue image posted above. Bottom illustration left hand side.

It may be a misunderstanding, but the various contributors to this thread seem to be showing great enthusiasm for these coaches. So if Hornby read the topics on RM web, and enough modellers express interest in some new Bulleids , they might listen. Just think of the post war train formations that could be made up, with a sprinkling of high quality Bulleids. ACE anyone !.

Absolutely agree, bring on the shorties. As an aside, for a short while the SR actually had the makings of a streamline train. A Bulleid pacific in full malachite with three yellow stripes and a Bournemouth 6 car dining set with the bodyside extended over the sole bars. But as far as I know the Southern's publicity dept. never made anything of it. At the time such a train, with it's clean, smooth lines and bright livery would have made quite an impression on the travelling public. So soon after the dark days of war.

If this is the case, that Hornby are considering Bulleid coaches let's hope they choose the end door variety with shallow window vents. For the following reasons.......... 1) The earlier builds ( 1947 ) can carry full malachite with ' sunshine ' lettering. 2) More prototypes to model ie. BCK ( Two varieties ), Bournemouth line 6 car dining sets. 3) No one has ever produced the shallow vent Bulleids in RTR. thus missing out on SR livery. Top quality Bulleids, to today's standards are probably the most glaring omission from any range. Put me down for a long rake.

Very difficult, if not impossible. The layout of the 60ft coaches is wrong for IOW conversion. Plus the coaches that went to the island were 54ft ' Ashford Gothic ' style vehicles, where the quarter lights and vertical mouldings were square at the bottom edge. They were rounded on the 60ft coaches. There may be room for ' artistic license ' if you wish. I had hoped that Bachmann would choose the 54ft ' Ashford Gothic ' type as all three coach types for one of these sets still exist. The two brakes on the KESR and the composite at Haven Street. But mainland BR era would not have possible for a livery option, as all survivors after war losses, army, and departmental were sent to the Island in a converted state.

The images of the forthcoming malachite Maunsell coaches, shown by Hornby, show what I believe are a couple of errors. Firstly, Brown droplights ?, surely they should be green. They also show pre- war smoking and non smoking type transfers in the compartment side quarter lights. Post war a white triangular ' no smoking ' transfer with red lettering was introduced, the smoking compartments had nothing, the inference being that smoking was permitted everywhere else. I appreciate that there must have been transitional differences at this time, just post war, adjusting to the Bulleid regime etc. so maybe further research is required. As for the forthcoming Merchant Navy's , put me down for a couple !.

The Hornby 4 VEP was a horrible ill thought out model. After this we had ' Design Clever '. But I have to say, since those dark days, Hornby have got back on track, and the quality of recent models surpasses anything they produced previously. Their new factories seem to be top notch.

Besides the former Hastings line Pullman cars, some of which were painted green and used mainly on Southampton boat trains, The former Hadrian Bar ( I think that's right ) was also painted green, and used as a Bar car on the boat trains. The Hornby ' Daffodil Bar ' is a reasonable donor to recreate this car. Luckily I purchased a damaged Hornby Bar car cheaply for the repaint.

If enough people indicate their wish for a batch of these lovely coaches in a BR(S) green ( whatever shade of green that may be ) I am sure Hornby will take notice. Put me down for a set !. On another matter, Hornby have always insisted on white toilet windows on all their SR coaches, including the EMU's. Generally clear frosted or hammered glass was used to ensure the occupants modesty. White opaline glass was an LNER feature. Also I note that Hattons have nearly sold out, and others are getting low on stock, of these SR rebuilds, The Bluebell shop hadn't even had a delivery by last Friday. Let's hope there is enough demand for another run pretty soon !. ( in different liveries ? ).

Nu4 exclusively so, lav 3rd on the Bluebell arrived as S320S in green as did both 100 seaters. Some of the LSW rebuilds of the type Hornby are modelling also ended their days in green .( See ' Southern coaches in colour' by M.S. Welch ). I believe there is a place for crimson and green, and I for one will put my money where my mouth is. Additional to this I have placed an order for all four of the red LSW rebuilds, from the Bluebell shop.

I just hope Hornby can be persuaded to produce these coaches in green in BR livery' Whether this be post 1948 malachite, darker varnished malachite, or malachite that's become so dark that it resembles BR (S) green ! At the moment we will only have these coaches in red, and Bachmann are only going to produce their Birdcages in red. So there will not be any green non corridor stock on what was primarily a green region. And we all know that some of the above coach types ended their days in green, circa 1956 / 61.