Flood

I was so close to buying a Rumney Models kit recently.

26/8/21 Mk2B announced 9/6/22 Mk2B livery samples, + 8 months 1 day = 10/2/23 Mk2C announced 20/10/23 Mk2C livery samples .... + 8 months 1 day = 21/4/24 Mk2D announced??????

You may wish to do an early variation of the Mk2C TSO, TSOT, FK and BFK at some point using the Mk2B as a basis. If you want any more information on those or the Mk2B stock please either message me here or chat to Alex as we know each other from the local model railway club.

Just for a comparison: Hornby 50 with Shawplan etches I must do a better job of blending in the Phoenix Precision NSE dark blue.

Links to Paul's photos. The wagon is DE300593 https://zenfolio.page.link/eEDrb https://zenfolio.page.link/1s1Hx

According to the Accurascale website there are only Trans-Pennine TSOs and NSE FKs left.

From what I have seen the vent positions didn't change between any of the Mk2C TSOs, just the style of vent. The positions of the vents on my model were based on the B.R drawing and photographs, measurement of an actual Mk2C would be completely accurate. In addition, I have made the access hatch slightly smaller than those on the Bachmann Mk2F coaches. Thinking about it there is no reason why they should be any different but I originally made it to the Bachmann size and when compared to photos it seemed too wide (in comparison to the door and window positions). Excellent photos are on Flickr from Steve Jones, here is just one taster: Taking the centre of the small centre-line disc as a datum point, the far left end in the photo above, my vent positions are as follows: 23.5mm (near edge in the above photo), 61.5mm (far edge), 91mm (near), 129mm (far), 158.5mm (near), 196.5mm (far) I've re-spaced these to my original Airfix Mk2D to Mk2C conversion which are equi-spaced. The vents are in line with the original vents positions when viewing across the roof width. The circular plate at the nearest end on the roof is around 3 to 3.5mm diameter (it is in fact to thin plates together which is what Accurascale has modelled). The photo above still does not seem to have this plate on the centre-line as far as I can tell and looking at the Accurascale development pictures their plate is also off-centre. Edit: I've found this photo on Flickr which shows the position of this circular plate as being off-centre: Copyright DMC1947 So you now know as much as me folks, happy modelling.🙂 Edit: one thing I've just noticed, M5505 has a Western Region style train description board frame still in place in 1980. The real question is why did it ever have one in the first place as it was never due to go to the Western Region? The British Rail Mk2 Coaches book has a photo of M5498 with one of these frames as well. I guess that nobody had told Derby to stop fitting them.

All the Mk2C variant been taken out of use by August 1993. 6528 ended up with West Coast but none of the others survive. 6510, 6513 and 6523 were scrapped after lying at Dalton, Sinderby and Carnforth respectively. Only in Blue and Grey.

To help out all those that will be wanting a TSOT here is the full list: NSE 6500, 6502, 6522, 6527 small toilets and Roevac vents as per the Accurascale model to come B/G 6504, 6506, 6511, 6520, 6523, 6524, 6525, 6528, 6529 small toilets and Roevac vents as per the Accurascale model to come NSE 6501, 6513 Mk2B toilet windows and GM vents (like EE cab roof vents) B/G 6505, 6516, 6519 Mk2B toilet windows and GM vents (like EE cab roof vents) NSE 6503, 6517 Mk2B toilet windows and G vents (taller version of EE cab roof vents) B/G 6507, 6508, 6509, 6510, 6512, 6514, 6518, 6526 Mk2B toilet windows and G vents (taller version of EE cab roof vents) NSE 6521 Mk2B toilet windows and Roevac vents B/G 6515 Mk2B toilet windows and Roevac vents Obviously all those in NSE originally carried Blue and Grey.

Thanks for the kind comment, and everyone else's appreciation. I'm an idiot, I completely forgot about one of the selling points for these coaches...

So last Friday I decided that I was going to have another set of NSE coaches but this time it would be a full 9 coach Waterloo - Exeter set. Having looked through one of my friend's old spotting books I decided on a rake and then noted which build batch the TSOT came from. For those slightly interested 118 Mk2C TSOs were built, of which the first 64 (5498 to 5561) had the style of toilet windows used in the Mk2, Mk2A and Mk2B builds. The remainder had toilet windows shorter in height so a vent could be placed above on one side, this is the style that Accurascale will be modelling. The TSOT in the rake was 6503, which was originally 5510 so came from the first batch. Time, therefore, to start chomping away at an Accurascale Mk2B TSO to make an early style Mk2C TSOT. First of all the roof vents were removed and 5 thou sheet used to make the access hatch on the roof. The breather pipe at that end was also moved about 2mm to fit in the new hatch. There is also an additional circular plate at that end, which is just off the centre line (see later post on next page). The earliest Mk2C TSOs had two different style of roof vents before Roevac vents were finally decided upon, which were subsequently used on the air-conditioned Mk2 stock and the loco hauled Mk3 stock. The first vent style used is described in British Rail Mark 2 Coaches as a 'G' vent, the next vent tried being a 'GM' vent. I assume these were G modified as they were very similar to a 'G' vent but shorter in height. Now a GM vent is near enough the same as an English Electric loco cab roof vent so I made up six of these (from Shawplan) and then added 20 thou to increase the height, in order to simulate G vents. Most sane people probably wouldn't even care. These were then added to the roof and left to dry. I then turned to the interior and cut out one bay of seats and added a counter. The roof was then primered, Archer's rivets were added to the edges of the roof hatch and then primered again. The small handles on the hatch were easier than expected (when a brand new drill bit is used). The screen between the counter area and the seating was made and painted and the rest of the interior also painted. I could have smoothed things up a bit but more on that later. So all the basic work had been done. A blast with Halfords matt black sorted the roof, a blanking screen for the window behind the counter and a strip stating Buffet for the window opposite, followed by a red stripe and a quick renumber and we have the below: As for tidying up the interior wall before painting, you can't even see the counter let alone what the wall looks like! All in all it took just under a week and I'm very happy with the result. Oh, and I've just straightened that footstep shown in the last photo. Now, should it really be in this thread or the Mk2C one?

Sorry to Iain for not mentioning the following on completing my build. The Guard's door opens inwards so there shouldn't be any hinges visible for it.

It's your layout! Rule 1.

Liskeard in 1980 before the sidings were lifted: Copyright Gerard Fletcher on Flickr Same signal, same lamp posts. June 1983 after the platform was extended. Copyright DJS Bailey on Flickr

According to "Diesels In The Dutchy" by John Vaughan the platforms were extended in 1981, so that near enough ties the photo down to 1981. The signal on the left is three lamp posts away from the brick building, in the original photo and the overhead view, so that hasn't moved.

Star man, thanks for that. Just ordered another six! 😳

253039 were power cars 43147 and 43148. They entered traffic in May 1981 and seem to have lost their set numbers during 1984 so the photo, which is certainly Liskeard looking West, was taken at sometime between those dates.

For all of you who appreciate no. 18, here's something for you to enjoy: Feniton 3 April 1991 (exactly 33 years ago 😲)

NSE liveried 50s 50001 Light revised Feb 88 50002 Original Feb 87 (higher white strip and blue around cab door windows), Dark revised Nov 89 50003 Light revised Mar 88 50005 Light revised Oct 87, Dark revised Oct 90 50009 Dark revised Nov 89 50016 Dark revised Mar 90 50017 Original June 86, Light revised Feb 88, Dark revised Jul 90 50018 Original Jan 87, Light revised June 89 50019 Original Aug 86 until Mar 89 50023 Original June 86, Dark revised Aug 89 50024 Light revised Jan 88, Dark revised Sep 90 50025 Original Mar 87 50026 Original Sep 86 50027 Light revised Jan 88, Dark revised Nov 90 50028 Light revised Sep 87 50029 Original June 87, Dark revised Feb 90 50030 Light revised Dec 87 50032 Original Oct 86 50033 Dark revised Mar 90 50034 Original Oct 86, Dark revised Oct 89 50035 Original July 86, Dark revised Nov 89 50037 Original Oct 86 (higher white strip and blue around cab door windows) until Mar 90, Dark revised June 90 50041 Light revised June 88 50043 Light revised Oct 87, Dark revised Sep 89 50044 Original Nov 86 (higher white strip and blue around cab door windows), Light revised Aug 87 50045 Dark revised Aug 89 50048 Original Mar 87 (higher white strip and blue around cab door windows), Light revised Feb 88, Dark revised Nov 89 50049 Light revised Mar 89 50050 Light revised August 87 until May 91

Slightly off topic but this photo shows that a Mk2A TSO still had the numbers and emblems reversed in May 1991. Copyright RobT653 on Flickr

I've now checked the 1988 Platform 5 Coaching Stock book and 17107 was allocated to NWRA like all the other Laira Mk2A BFKs. It was withdrawn on 29 March 1988 so only had about 6 months officially allocated to Waterloo - Exeter services. I went for a two day trip at Easter 1987 (21st and 22nd April) with my friends and, from one of whom, I made the following notes: 50016; 5255, 5303, 5336, 6502, 17081, 17096, 5447, 5408, 5465 50010; 5261 I, 5462, 5443, 17070, 17086, 6500, 5480, 5459, 5254 50041; 3924, 3848, 4392, 13399, 35010, 5290, 3829, 95201, 93235 50047; 5496, 5450, 5477, 17107 I, 17082, 6504 I, 5466, 5278, 5246 50050; 5345, 5471, 5453, 6503, 17074, 17058, 5468, 5454, 5435 All coaches in black were blue and grey, those in blue were full NSE. 5261, 17107 and 6504 were still branded Inter-City, all the other blue and grey coaches had small NSE branding. 6502, 5465 and 5435 kept their silver window framing, all the other NSE coaches listed had them painted blue. 5248 (no branding), 5433, 5468, 5471, 17076, 17080 and 17086 also had silver frames. Whether any of the frames were subsequently painted over I don't know. The Southern Region air brake Mk1 stock behind 50041 were reallocated, or scrapped, from the start of the May timetable that year. 17082, 5454 and 5435 were from the original batch of repaints which had numbers to the left of the coach and NetworkSouthEast to the right. Others were 5265, 5303, 5381, 5448, 5462, 17069, 17073, 17079 and 17086. At least one Mk2A TSO was still in this style in May 1991 (see subsequent post). Also one Mk2Z TSO (5118) was never changed but that wasn't a Waterloo - Exeter coach. So to answer your question I'm sure that 17107 never received full NSE but I honestly don't know about the NSE branding (although I would have guessed so).

I certainly caught 17107 and 17109 in Waterloo - Exeter trains in the mid 1980s. Both were allocated to Laira in the 1985 Pocket Book and the following rake was seen at Exeter on 23 June 1985: 50028; 6512, 5457, 5474, 6503, 17107, 17080, 5486, 5468, 5481 @brushman47544 is correct strictly speaking. Coaches were in a general regional pool until around 1987/88 so neither 17107 or 17109 would have been officially allocated to Waterloo - Exeter duties. That said I remember them being used with the Mk2A BFKs on that line on a regular basis.

Plymouth had portion working until 1979 with a catering coach, first class coach and second class coach being taken off before heading into Cornwall and being added when heading East.

Those starting with a 1 are for express passenger, those with a 2 are local passenger trains. 0 is light engine, 7 and 8 are partially fitted freights. 6 was used for 60mph freights from 1974. I'm not sure of the exact use before that but it would have been a fully fitted freight of some kind. 3 was express parcels. A is towards London, C was used for South Wales (and also west of Bristol up to 1971), B is Bristol area (and Devon and Cornwall after 1971), V is terminates on the Western Region (after running through another region at some point), M is terminates on the Midland Reagion. H and T I don't know, F would have been a specific area code but I'm not sure where (something tells me possibly Oxford). The last 2 digits are individual train numbers.

@SRman Waterloo - Exeter rakes nearly always had a pair of BFKs together from the commencement of Mk2 air braked stock in 1979/80. From 1989 they moved the TSOT to be between the two BFKs. Originally all but two of the BFKs were Mk2A with only 14107 and 14109 (17107, 17109) being Mk2B. From mid 1988 Mk2C BFKs started to allocated as well. When the Waterloo- Salisbury 6/7 coach rakes went to Mk2 stock in 1989 they were based at Eastleigh and normally had an FK plus BFK in the rake. @BR Blue The destination board hangers were still present on the original Western Region allocated Mk2A, 2B and 2E stock until around 1979. Obviously any stock that was cascaded from the other regions were not fitted with them (a large batch of Mk2A TSOs and BFKs in 1976) so you had some with and some without. The boards themselves do not seem to have been used for very long at all. A quick look on Flickr shows some of them on the Swansea/Cardiff services in 1970 but none for any services in 1971.