Flood

Looking again at the photo from David Rostance it is dated 28th June 1992 by which time both the Thames & Chiltern and the West of England sets were based at Old Oak Common under sector code NWRX, Network South East - Western Region. So strictly speaking either type of set could have turned up on either service, although Thames was probably officially booked for vacuum braked stock and West Of England for air braked stock. Apologies to Accurascale and everyone else for going off topic.

13563 and 13575 were transferred to Laira, from Bounds Green, in the 4 weeks ending 22 June 1991. There is a photo of 13575 wearing blue and grey in a Waterloo - Exeter rake in the 1992 Platform 5 Combined (and I assume the 1992 Platform 5 Coaching Stock Pocket Book). They were subsequently transferred to Old Oak Common 4 weeks ending 12 October 1991, along with all the remaining Laira based Waterloo - Exeter coaching stock. Eastleigh kept its allocation, of six coach sets, which were meant for the Salisbury services but invariably ended up on some Exeter trains. There is no record in The Railway Observer up to December 1991 of when 13575 became NSE dark blue but looking at the 1992 Platform 5 Combined it is already marked as being in NSE livery (dated January 1992). The earliest photo I can find of 13575 in NSE dark blue is below. The problem being that any photo of a Mk2D FK in blue and grey could be of 13563. Following photo copyright Richard Norris, 23rd March 1992

Further to my previous post I have found the following photo on Flickr, copyright David Rostance The Mk2 coaches certainly look to be painted NSE dark blue but further investigation reveals a Mk1 TSO and a Mk1 BSK. As all the remaining BSKs were vacuum braked, and all the NSE Mk1 TSOs were also vacuum braked, this is obviously a Thames rake being used as a fill in. The Mk2 TSOs being vacuum braked Mk2Z, ex Kings Lynn sets, and the Mk2A FK being one of the many converted to vacuum brakes back in 1976/77. Please see my subsequent reply to @SouthernMafia further down.

As far as I know none of the Waterloo - Exeter pressure vent coaches were ever dark NSE blue. As @brushman47544 has already stated the Kings Lynn sets which were NSE dark blue went to Thames and Chiltern. The only Waterloo - Exeter coach in NSE dark blue was the Mk2D FK.

The EFE ones are a completely different model to the Heljan ones.

47712 was fitted with them in March 1988. See this photo, copyright Brian Daniels:

I've added 20 thou shims to all my Bachmann Mk2 stock. This makes them nearer in height to Bachmann Mk1s and the same roof height as Accurascale Mk2Bs. Bachmann Mk2 stock seems to have deeper roofs than the Accurascale stock so the cantrails don't quite match. I'm happy with the two makes together now anyway.

The Accurascale ones are sprung (which may well be your preference) and pack OP12 which you have shown look to be 1'8.5" in length (as stated for your wagons). For your information, pack OP2 look to be the same diameter head but 2'1/2" in length. I don't know whether these links will work for you: http://www.lanarkshiremodels.com/lanarkshiremodelsandsupplieswebsite_159.htm http://www.lanarkshiremodels.com/lanarkshiremodelsandsupplieswebsite159001.jpg

And the ongoing joke on Kirkhill is that the new HST maintenance shed is actually for one of these: 🤣🤣🤣

Pete Harvey etches. https://phd-design-etchings.co.uk/products/ols/products/4mm-mobile-depot-inspection-platform I shortened the original to match a photo posted by @Bob Reid of the inside of Inverness carriage shed.

A quick question to @McC , @Accurascale Fran and their research team, plus anyone else who may know. My NSE rake is based on a haulage I had in May 1991 which used a 6 car Eastleigh allocated rake which included a Mk2B FK as well as a Mk2A BFK. From looking at photographs at that time it is very difficult to tell whether the first class coaches kept their curtains after the partial facelift around 1990. It doesn't help that curtains were never fitted by the windows on the corridor side anyway. So, as I am modelling after the facelift, should I add the curtains to my first class coaches on the compartment side or not? Many thanks.

Diagram TT039B states buffer length of 520mm, head diameter of 406mm. That's 1 ft 8.5 in long and 16 in heads. The photos show them to be oleo buffers so in 4mm I would use Lanarkshire Models BP03 (these are not sprung). Even though the diagram image looks nothing like the actual wagon all the build details, registration nos. etc. match up.

So my three NSE Mk2Bs were delivered to my neighbour this morning ready for me to pick up at 3 o'clock. Along with the blue and grey ones I ordered I'd just like to give a huge thank you to Accurasale for making these available and I can barely express how happy I am with all the coaches. Long may this quality of coach continue. BTW any bend on my NSE stock is negligable:

My blue and grey Mk2B stock arrived this morning, right on the time quoted. Absolutely beautiful models, well worth the wait. Just waiting for the NSE ones now but I've not had an email yet for those.

As I have said previously, please don't separate out the air-con batches - it doesn't make financial sense for Accurascale. What we would like now are 2Ds, 2Es and 2Fs. I've also had my email so they should arrive in the next few days when I just happen to be de-rostered. Just as an aside. If anyone does not need the coach destination board holders for their Mk2B stock, I would like 9 additional ones to fit to Mk2A and Mk2E stock. Please message me if you will have some available and I'm sure that we can come to a mutual agreement.

@Darius43 @dasatcopthornehas other photos of the interior which he either posted previously on RMweb or he sent me, I can't remember which. They show that approximately half of the interior was compartmentalised, I'll leave it to him to give you the details.

It looks like it's got a departmental number (ADB....., etc) so a trawl through a departmentals book is needed.

Having checked every Railway Observer from January 1970 to January 1973 there were no reallocations to the Southern EMU fleet (one DEMU from Eastleigh to St Leonards) only new build and withdrawals. The allocations stated in the January 1973 edition coincide with depot stickers being added to the front of the units: Brighton 5601-36, 6001/2, Ramsgate 6012-99, 6100-73 Wimbledon 6003-11 So from May 1972 the SR design HAPs were used on the Coastway services until they were converted to SAPs in 1976 (again, they were SAPs from 1969 to 1970). So @Nearholmer to you use notation the services went BIL>COR>SR HAP>VEP> BR HAP>up to 1984.

From 1974 to 1980 all the "1951" BR HAPs became SAPs as well, along with a few Batch 1 "1957" HAPs in 1977. My 1977 Station Summaries book has VEPs on the Coastway services during the day with VEP-HAP combinations during peak. I say "all" as two "1951" sets were left as HAPs and kept at Wimbledon to test automatic couplers (as per Railway Observer). Don't forget folks that the OP said early to mid 1970s. As already mentioned, from 1980 to 1984 the HAPs (CAPs) were in near total control on Coastway services.

From reading Blood and Custard the three 4 GRI units were converted from 4 RES units which all had trailer firsts. The trailer firsts had compartments at one end and the open saloon for meals at the other.

All the Blood and Custard site says is: "In terms of yellow warning panels on Southern Region multiple unit stock, these commenced at Lancing on 9th October 1963 (2 BIL unit no.2128) thence at Eastleigh on 1st November 1963 (4 LAV unit no.2929). Full-yellow ends started appearing from Eastleigh during February 1967 although some units in for varnish or repair still only acquired yellow warning panels. Eastleigh started applying Blue-livery in July 1967 (4 CIG unit no.7035) with Selhurst following on 12th December 1968 (2 HAP unit no.6009)." https://www.bloodandcustard.com/SR-4COR.html Edit: there is then a list of unit numbers and dates on the second table below that statement.

Thanks again for everyone's responses. With all the information I now have I should be able to make a reasonable job of a 1957 (phase 1) HAP from a 2 EPB and Thumper DTCL body.

Thank you to everyone for their replies, I've got three thumpers already so I can work out any underfloor toilet fittings from those. Just an additional query. In 1977 all the 1951 HAPswere at Wimbledon and had been reclassified as SAPs (except one set) , whereas all the Brighton HAPs (6053 to 6067), which I am looking to model, were 1957 (phase 1) build. I thought they might have had the one piece toilet lights and different blind window (with subtley different cab windows) but looking at Blood and Custard these didn't appear until the third and fourth batches respectively. So apart from no lighting conduit on the roof is their any other difference between a 1951 and 1957 (phase 1) build I need to know about? Edit: I've found one more difference, full length running boards on the DTCL for the 1951 batch but none below the toilet area for the 1957 onwards batches.

I'm interested in making a 2-HAP in all blue livery so my question is are the two chassis' of the Bachmann 2-EPB exactly the same as a Bachmann 2-HAP? If so I can buy a cheap all blue 2-EPB and use the driving brake as it is and just replace the body on the driving trailer. If there are differences could someone please point out what they are, preferably with photos. Many thanks in anticipation.

First things first. A TRUK had 4 passenger windows, a TRUB had 3. A TRB is a TRSB but with first class seats (only 3 a-side instead of 4 a-side). TRBs were renumbered as 402xx when they were converted so 40401 and 40402 are still TRSB and they were not converted to TRB in the 1980s. Also note that all the rakes you have chosen have one TF and a TRSB, this means they are North East/South West sets to run between Plymouth/ Penzance/Paignton to Newcastle/Leeds. The Western Region sets to Paddington had two TF and either TRUB, TRSB or TRB. The TRUB stock was reclassified to TRFB from 1985, first with the Eastern Region sets then a year or so later the Western Region sets.