PhilipT

The end view of the brake looks to me to be 9ft wide (sides are wider at the waist than at the roof line) whereas the Ratio kits are for 8ft 6in stock where the upper sides are vertical.

They came out of Wolverton P&P fitted 4 Feb 1956

D1851 converted 29 September 1954, D1999 converted 4 February 1956, both types at Wolverton. Prior to that it was LMS and BR (LMS type) standards with converted Midland stock used earlier still, but this sentence is a gross simplification since stock from about 20 different Diagrams was used over the 25 years or so of motor operation. Phil

The coaches are -ex LMS stock converted by BR for motor, ie pull & push, working. The middle one is a D1999 open second and at each end is a D1851 corridor brake second so there are driving trailers at each end - don't know why. Gangwayed stock was needed for the conductor/guard because of de-staffing of stations. Both types are available as Comet kits although one side of the brakes will need an extra window and droplight at the driving end. More info is in two articles I wrote some years ago: LMS Journal No 12 for LMS motor fitted stock in general Midland Record No 35 for Worth Valley motor trains Both published by Wild Swan. Attachment covers an error that I have found in those two articles. Phil Tattershall LMS D1999 motor conversions - a corrrection.doc

EMGS only do the one which you show. I understand that the switchblade one is no longer available although "TRACK - how it works and how to model it" published by the 2mm scale association shows how to make one. The design can be adapted for 4mm scale (I have one) and it works very well.

The other option is to buy the 3.3mm strip (Timbertracks or C&L/Exactoscale) and then cut to the required length with a tool such as the NWSL Chopper. My main reason for doing this is that I find it much easier to stain the longer lengths rather than fiddle about trying to fish individual sleepers out of the stain.