While I do, indeed, live in the south, I would have absolutely no use for a 450 ( or 444 ) either ..... my money would be on Electrostars ........................... though not REAL money, of course, as they're far too modern for my layout !
Buffer issues have been discussed ad-nauseam up-thread ............ they're moulded integral to the headstock so if you wish to add packing I think it's up to you !
Hmmmm ? .............................. not the largest of classes nor operating over a particularly enormous area - and not having a huge range of livery options, I have my doubts.
That is a possibility - but with no gangway door and inward-opening passenger doors ( without droplights ) that wouldn't be the safest place to linger !
The window spacing of the All-Steel shouts 'First' to me - it's far tighter on the 'K' class.
Operationally, we have a main line propelling move without any specific accommodation for the Guard ....... fully vac. braked so fine from that point of view but is the chap who's nominally in charge of the train travelling on the - very comfortable - cushions or is he slumming it on the footplate !
Off hand I don't think any of those locomotives operated on the Longmoor Military Railway when built .............. though I'm willing to be corrected on that..
At first sight we've got two identical Kitchen Cars with the kitchen ends coupled ............ but the all-steel vehicle leading will be a Kitchen First and the wooden-bodied one a Kitchen Third so positioning is probably important.
Seems rather pointless having it there with no words of explanation.
First though was that it was from a preserved loco where the smokebox has been replaced ......... but you'd expect the fittings to be transferred ! - does it have a tube plate or has it been blanked off ?
Rather depends whether you consider moulded-on door & grab handles to be shabby, I suppose ??!? ( no hurry as far as I'm concerned - unless I have a sudden urge to change my modelling period )