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  1. Very nice to see the fully lined examples. I expect that fully lined coaches with the extra detail were made to a special order although I do not know whether Exley kept a stock of common models ready to run anyway. The models with rectangular almost square windows corners (without toplights on corridor stock) are not often found. Exley coaches seem to have gone through quite a few tooling changes where the same part looks similar at first glance but is different when examined with others together as with the inspection saloons.
  2. I do like the way you have used a nice gloss finish. I find that one of the attractions of the original finish. Paint flowing away from raised areas is quite common on Exleys. Sometimes where the paint is rather thin, you get almost a metallic effect with the aluminium showing through on maroon coaches. The Southern brake suburban coach is sometimes found with a Romford or Zenith motor bogie to make an EMU if it is one with windows in the end. Although Exley probably did make suburban EMUs, I think that some were homemade adaptations. They do look quite good as a suburban EMU though - a good use for a couple more scrap brake suburbans with one or more ordinary subs as centre cars.
  3. Ramsay's recently published 8th edition of "British Model Train Catalogue" ISBN 9781907292668 has a list. I bought mine from Speedy Hen as that was much cheaper than elsewhere but took an email to customer service to get both volumes delivered as one was missing. The list in this book seems to be compiled from catalogues and known examples. It is a long list. However, catalogue entries were probably a list of what you could order, not necessarily what was actually made, but I expect that most of what is listed was made - particularly models in common liveries. In addition, the details give in Exley catalogues are not always very specific. I expect some of the more exotic liveries were made only in very small numbers. > I seem to remember Tony Colbeck of Anbrico had something to do with Exley at one time. > I have no idea what Anbrico parts look like so don't know if any of there parts were fitted. Exley seem to have supplied their plastic bogies - those that are often found under later LMS coaches fro Anbrico to use under their DMUs. At some point, maybe after the Exley factory burnt down, Anbrico made their own metal bogies. These can be identified by their round central boss and coupling mount. They occasionally appear under Exley coaches but probably older Exleys that did not originally come with bogies. These are probably Anbrico bogies http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Single-white-metal-kitbuilt-coach-bogie-OO-scale-with-wheels-/321374417446?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2047675.l2557&nma=true&si=XrSqUaBg6ASK2kexfbhGv1%252Fy0DE%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc and http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Coach-bogies-LMS-type-/281307646098?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2047675.l2557&nma=true&si=XrSqUaBg6ASK2kexfbhGv1%252Fy0DE%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc > It is so I know what to look for myself as a couple of recent adverts for Exleys have been either non Exley or a couple have been advertised as 12 wheel Buffet cars but to me I thought all the 12 wheelers were on the longer 69' Restaurant or sleeper cars. These two both do not look right and are only 57'/59' vehicles as they are stood on top of other standard coaches. Exley made the LMS Restaurant car I think in four different lengths: - The 68 or is it 69 foot version - the most accurate. Six wheel bogies - The 60 foot version. Probably pre-war only with old cast Exley bogies like these http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/EXLEY-COACH-BOGIES-Qty-2-/321368147135?pt=UK_Trains_Railway_Models&hash=item4ad308c4bf. As far I am aware, these were the only type of cast metal bogies Exley made. Some early bogies that may have been Exley were metal pressings. Final ones were plastic in at least GWR and something like LMS styles. I would say that most Exley coaches do not have Exley bogies as probably at the time when most were produced inthe 1950s, they were supplied without bogies. - The 57 foot version. This seems to have come with either six or four wheel bogies or maybe non at all. This may explain the comment that the six wheel bogies look under length to fit this vehicle - The 50 foot version. Seems to have been made to go round trainset curves Exley passengers were not meant to go hungry. In addition to the LMS Restaurant car, other catering vehicles included (and I am sure there are others not listed here): - LMS buffet car - I think a reasonable model although the real LMS had only two of them - LMS 50 foot kitchen car - again a reasonable model - GWR Restaurant car with central kitchen section and seating either side. Although the layout was right and some of the kitchen windows probably the correct proportions, it kept the LMS standard profile and LMS style main windows - SR Restaurant car - again mainly an LMS vehicle but with a curved rainstrip on the roof. Something that was probably very similar also appeared later without the curved rainstrip - SR Buffet car. This was based on the SR 4BUF electric stock vehicles. The real things were famous for their art deco interiors. The model did feature correct square cornered windows and small thin slit window high up on one side but was LMS profile in shape and probably too short. Hamblings also made this coach in their metal ready-to-run range but their coach was longer - probably correct scale length. Whether Exley made their SR buffet car specifically to go with their Portsmouth EMU or just as another coach I do not know. In theory, with a lot of artistic licence, you could make up an impression of a 4COR, 4BUF, or 4RES with the Exley EMU end coaches and choice of other Exley SR green coaches as centre cars! - LNER tourist stock grean and cream buffet. This had square cornered windows rather than the usual curved cornered LMS style Catering vehicles were popular and it seems that many people who purchased rakes of coaches included one. Travelling post office vehicles also seem to have been good sellers. > The GWR suburban brake is to compare with Randoms as this is a different shell to the LMS one I think the GWR had suburban brake coaches that had a long brake section without windows while LMS ones included windows in that area and that is why there are at least two Exley variants.
  4. It will remain as a kit as I do not think it is quite complete. Nice to see some Kirdon bridges and 4-wheel motor bogies in the photos. I have never seen them in reality.
  5. Kirdon box car. Wood with fine metal overlays for the body. Has sprung bogies. Not sure if this kit is complete.
  6. The motor in the DMU is a Romford Phanton. They have concealed coil brush springs that are rather difficult to adjust for brush pressure. Those I have come across tend to need remagnetising as they run rather hot. There is a useful diagram of some elderly motors near the top of this thread here http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/14256-what-make-is-this-motor/.
  7. Thank you for the interesting adverts for Kirdon. I have never seen the motor bogie. A mentioned elsewhere in the thread, there were at least two versions of the Kirdon 10000. What I assume is the later one has finer grills than the earlier when compared side-by-side. Is this possibly the Kirdon N2? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/121087431635?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649 A motor that is obviously inspired by Hornby Dublo but different with the commutator turned the other way. The chassis is also like a Hornby Dublo one but not the same. Hamblings wheels possibly? The magnet and pole pieces look very similar to Hornby Dublo. I believe that Kirdon used the same body casting as the Trackmaster (later Tri-ang) model - did they buy up a surplus stock of body castings I wonder when Tri-ang stopped making it I wonder. Another metal cast N2 was made by Gaiety. A quick Google image search confirms that the body casting here does not resemble either Gaiety or Hornby Dublo. The Gaiety model also has a longitudinal motor like their Pannier tank and is completely different to that here.
  8. A thread for Kirdon models. Start off with this unusual conversion of an LMS 10000 with two Tri-ang Jinty chassis! http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LMS-10000-PROTOTYPE-00-GAUGE-Co-Co-KIT-BUILT-DIESEL-LOCOMOTIVE-KIRDON-DUBLO-/300851930825?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEWAX%3AIT&nma=true&si=XrSqUaBg6ASK2kexfbhGv1%252Fy0DE%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc A few years ago, I met someone at Reading Toyfair who use to work at Eames of Reading who told me they converted Kirdon 10000s with Tri-ang steam loco chassis as the mechanics of the Kirdon 10000 were so poor. I had wondered how this might work and had assumed that the side rods would be largely hidden by the bogie side frames. This seems to be one of these conversions - the first I have seen. The wheel flanges have also been turned down. I also recall this person saying that some batches of Kirdon 10000s were made in a red plastic. I am yet to see one of them unless all those I have seen have been so well painted black that none of the red is visible. Kirdon made at least two sets of moulds for 10000 as there are two distinct versions - one has finer grilles than the other when compared alongside. The Kirdon 10000 was originally powered by a Romford Phantom motor that drove a metal sprung band (basically like an elastic band) to drive a shaft that was geared to the wheels. This band passed through a slot in the chassis making the model very weak at this point and the chassis likely to fall apart. What appear to be later professional conversions used one or two Tri-ang EM2 motor bogies, which have very similar side frames.
  9. Exley pre-war coach LMS open composite - I assume from Edward Beal's West Midland layout with this legend on the side. Turned up in a box of junk that included items all the way from the 1930s to 1970s. Has steel chassis - some early Excley coaches had this instead of wood and later aluminium. Balanced on the top of a pair of a pair of Airfix LMS coach bogies for the photo. It has none of its own although among the junk it came with were plenty of bogies, but none that were early Exley pattern as far as I am aware. In rather a sorry state although the better side is pictured!
  10. A few more pictures of Exley coaches. For vehicles with metal ends, these were attached to the body by three bits of wire. Two either side of the buffers through the sole bar and one through the top of the roof. The visible sole bar was part of the main body. For vehicles with plastic ends, these were secured to the floor above the bogies and the visible sole bar was part of the underframe and the lower part of the coach body tucked in a channel behind this. Exley LMS corridor third. I think a reasonable model of an actual LMS vehicle. Cast metal ends, stamped metal underframe fittings, wooden floor, wooden seating, real glass windows, top opening ventilators printed or painted on the glazing indicating an earlier vehicle. Quite heavy. Sprung bogies with the top plate completely made of a phosphor bronze - not like the fairly common Acro/Nucro/Teaness. I do not know who made these bogies. They were probably fitted to the model after it was bought as many Exley coaches came without bogies. Exley LMS corridor third. Plastic ends, Plastic underframe fittings, Stamped metal floor, probably stamped metal seating, real glass windows, top opening ventilators stamped out as part of the main body sides indicating a more modern Exley vehicle than the previous illustration. Quite light weight. Exley plastic bogies with Exley plastic bogie spacers so this model may well have come with bogies rather than being sold without. Exley LMS corridor first. Exley did not make a proper corridor first as far as I am aware. They just put a “1†on the doors of a corridor third. Most (all?) of the real standard LMS corridor firsts of this same general appearance had a half compartment and smaller window at one end of the coach. Cast metal ends, stamped metal underframe fittings, wooden floor, probably stamped metal seating, real glass windows, top opening ventilators stamped out as part of the main body sides. Quite heavy. Exley plastic bogies with improvised bogie spacers so these bogies were probably bought separately for a coach that again came without bogies. Exley LMS non gangwayed brake third. I don’t think this vehicle is of a particular prototype although he LMS certainly did posses some similar longer vehicles. Plastic ends, Plastic underframe fittings, Stamped metal floor, probably stamped metal seating, not sure if windows are glass or plastic. Quite light weight. Exley plastic bogies with Exley plastic bogie spacers so this model may well have come with bogies rather than being sold without.
  11. Ratio wooden Bulleid SR Restaurant car. This model was very nicely refurbished for me by a friend from one that had been constructed without any tumblehome. It has been given as much of a curved profile as it is possible to do with thin laminations of ply. The real things and this model have the body sides continuing down over the sole bar giving a very distinctive deep sided appearance. This had to be added as the Ratio model did not make any provision for this. BSL bogies. Ratio wooden GWR Siphon G. The roof may be metal and possibly not original. Acro/Nucro/Teanness sprung bogies.
  12. A number of manufacturers produced 00 wooden kits in the 1950s. Among these were Ratio, CCW, and Kings Cross Precision. I presume these were quickly killed off by the advent of plastic kits in the 1960s. Most kits consisted of the basic floor sides, ends and roofs. You had to buy all the other parts separately. From wooden kits I have seen from these manufacturers, Ratio and Kings Cross Precision seemed to produce models of more refinement while CCW models seemed to have wood that was much less cleanly cut with much coarser grain. Early CCW models had a separate lower bodyside, small sections of wood to fit between the windows and a separate strip of wood along the top of the coach above these. Some of these CCW models are quite crude. The sides of Ratio, later CCW, and Kings Cross Precision models consisted of several laminations of ply with into which there was a gap to insert plastic glazing strips. These later CCW kits had metal ends. Ratio kits also usually contained a sheet brass formed metal buffer beam. Ratio and CCW models turn up fairly frequently for sale. King Cross Precision less so. Often models found are unmade or if they have been made, they are often done badly. A very time consuming job to get a good looking model as the profile of the coach side has to be gently sanded to give it the correct appearance if it is not to be completely flat like a Pullman. Even so, there may not be enough material to take off to get an accurate profile. A lot of sanding and filling and many coats of paint are needed to get something reasonable without the grain showing through. A wooden 2 BIL unit. This model has metal ends and so may be CCW. It needs attention to the joins between the cab ends and roof as they need refixing and currently gives a poor appearance. It has been much better prepared and assembled than most wooden models. The motor bogie is a Romford and the other bogies probably Hamblings. The body of the nearer coach needs securing to the chassis properly and is sitting slightly above it.
  13. A few pictures of some Exley 00 models. Exley made a huge range of high quality coaches. Most had a very attractive quite glossy paint finish that instantly attracts the eye. The vast majority resemble LMS standard 1930s stock in general appearance although there were a small number of other models. Some were reasonably accurate models for their time of LMS prototypes, while others were not. Some models of GWR and SR stock had tooling specially made for them, but kept the general LMS profile and mostly LMS proportioned windows. For most models, sole bars, sides, and roofs were made from a single piece of aluminium with the main windows stamped out. A few late models had the sides joined by a false roof and a separate real roof. Many models had cast metal ends, wooden floors, metal underframe fittings, and real glass windows. Models with all of these features tend to be rather heavy. Later models had plastic ends, underframe fittings, and glazing, and a pressed metal floor. Some models have a combination of earlier and later materials. Interiors were either wood, metal or plastic although a few were made without interiors. Early models had the top window lights painted or printed on the glazing but all later ones had these stamped out as part of the main body sides. Many models were supplied without bogies for the purchaser to fit their own, but some models, probably pre-war, did have cast metal bogies with the name Exley cast into them. Probably much later, some models were supplied with Exley plastic bogies with the name Exley moulded into the axles. Judging by the large quantity of models that come up for sale, many thousands must have been made. With a large range, if you are looking for a particular vehicle, you may have to wait quite a time before finding it as there are many different ones but if just looking for any Exley coach, there is usually a good selection for sale on eBay. Looking at the way the models are constructed, it is clear that although hand built, considerable thought had gone into making a model that could be rapidly assembled. Production of Exley 00 models ended in 1962 when the factory burnt down. For those wishing to find out more, there is an article about Exley in the April/May 1994 of Modellers Backtrack and possibly also in Modeller Railway Constructor annual 1980 – can anyone confirm this second reference? LMS Brake corridor third. Exley plastic bogies, but may have been added after manufacture as spacers have been fitted so the vehicle rides at the correct height so it may not have been manufactured with them LMS Brake corridor third in BR maroon livery. This model does not have an interior which is unusual for this kind of Exley coach. Compared the the LMS liveried vehicle, it does not have gaurd lookout duckets. Exley used a darker shade for BR maroon vehicles than for LMS ones of all those I have seen. Whether this is by accident or design, I do not know. BR maroon livered Exley vehicles are relatively uncommon. Bogies are probably not Exley and look modern. GWR van. I am pretty certain this is a fictitious vehicle. I think it also came in LMS maroon and SR green. This model has a wooden foor and Exley plastic GWR bogies and again the bogies may have been fitted later.
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