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BR MK2 coaches in blue & grey - poor interest in them - Why?


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I frequently trawl through the eHattons web page to see what is new, what is selling or sticking, what is about to run out, and for bargains.

 

For several months there have been listed some MK2 coaches in blue and grey or its intercity version at 12 quid a pop. Anyone with an interest in this period can pick up brand new coaches for a lot less than used tat sells for on ebay.

 

In the 1980s I spent many a sunny day photographing blue and grey trains headed by a loco in the big arrows livery but apart from a few blue diesels I have little model interest in the blue era and do not buy any more.

 

Why are these coaches so cheap?

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Lack of demand due to under supply of open second coaches.

 

Most of these coaches are First Corridor FK, BFK or BSO brake vehicles I think you will find which most people running Mk2s have long since purchased. Bachmann didnt make as many open seconds therefore it has created this vast surplus although Kernow had some inspired lateral thinking by having some Brake vehicles branded up as HST barrier vehicles which offloaded a few to the easy to please audiences.

 

But it is the Open Seconds that you rarely see for less than £25 usually on ebay but Ive seen prices come down a little as some people sell off their original batch of TSOs after buying the latest batch which has apparently had its livery application amended.

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I think what you may be seeing on that particular site is evidence that Bachmann produced proportionally too many FK and BSO coaches compared with their initial run of TSO's. The TSO's sold out quite quickly, as you might expect when you consider that customers may well have bought enough for a rake (or rakes), but fewer brake and first class coaches were needed for the aforementioned rakes, hence the over-supply that is now being sold at heavily discounted prices.

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I think what you may be seeing on that particular site is evidence that Bachmann produced proportionally too many FK and BSO coaches compared with their initial run of TSO's. The TSO's sold out quite quickly, as you might expect when you consider that customers may well have bought enough for a rake (or rakes), but fewer brake and first class coaches were needed for the aforementioned rakes, hence the over-supply that is now being sold at heavily discounted prices.

 

I'd agree with that. No point in buying the BSO and FK if you can't buy the rest of the rake. That said some new TSOs have now been released so maybe that will change (or maybe not if the shades of blue and grey aren't quite the same - I think there are some differences between the batches ?)

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Going a long way back in time the same issueI remember picking up 5 Airfix Blue/Grey Mk2D coaches at £1.99 each from Zodiac toys (later taken over by Beatties) in Uxbridge @ 1981.

 

ZF

 

PS - I still have them but they have been stored for many a year though they were fitted with Bachmann metal wheels with brake disks in the 1990's!

 

XF

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You only need two (sometimes only one) brake vehicles in a full rake and a lot of us aren't able to run a full realistic rake and need just the one. Comments above are on the ball namely that Bachmann seemed to produce equal numbers of brake and "non-brake" coaches when perhaps the ratio should have been about 1 brake to 5 others. I guess they'll learn if they consider a mistake was made. Meanwhile anyone in need of early Mk2 brake vehicles can snap them up for a song.

 

Edit = to correct what was correct but what predictive text determined was incorrect. GRRR

Edited by Gwiwer
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Yes Jim you are correct, for some reason i made this miskake in the 1990's - I'd better stick to modelling EMU's and Underground stock then :scratchhead:

 

XF

 

I believe the mk2's used on the Glasgow Push-pulls between pairs of class 27's had disc brakes fitted, which may not have been converted back when they were used on other services, but that only accounts for a few.

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I have only a low interest in BR blue and grey era (cannot buy everything) but thought I should grab a few of the BR MK2 coaches now available at bargain prices from Hattons. As far as blue loco's go, I have an all blue Airfix class 31 (runs like a watch, no tick), blue class 45 and class 46, also class 50 and class 56 in Revised livery with big arrows which is my favourite blue livery.

 

Looking at the list of available stock I got confused by two types of coach - Mk2A and MK2S plus four states of blue and grey livery, viz., first blue grey, second blue grey, first intercity, second intercity. Then there is no mention of any Western Region ones.

 

And I thought steam era was complicated.

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I believe the mk2's used on the Glasgow Push-pulls between pairs of class 27's had disc brakes fitted, which may not have been converted back when they were used on other services, but that only accounts for a few.

 

see post #9 :triniti:

 

Which begs the question, why only 3? A trial I suppose, although I seem to remember reading an article in the prototype press in the last few weeks that suggested more than this????

 

 

 

EDIT - asking the question.

Edited by griffgriff
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does anybody know if the depth of the windows is scale because after all the knicker twisting over the livery application (which may well have been 1mm out or whatever it was) after staring at mine today I felt the windows didnt look right and by that I mean I think they look too deep on the original mk2 model which no amount of relivery work will correct.

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see post #9 :triniti:

 

Which begs the question, why only 3? A trial I suppose, although I seem to remember reading an article in the prototype press in the last few weeks that suggested more than this????

 

 

 

EDIT - asking the question.

 

D'oh!

 

Did think it was more than 3 but I guess not!

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Guest jim s-w

I wonder if they were prototypes for the 312s (the only fleet mk2 stuff fitted with wheel mounted disc brakes) but then they wouldnt have gone north.

 

The 310s had axle mounted disks as well.

 

Cheers

 

Jim

 

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I'm not sure about the protocol of quoting from other groups/fora, but according to info provided (not by me) on a thread on Robertcwp's BR Coaching Stock yahoo group the March 1977 Railway Observer states :

 

"Push-Pull: The arrival of SC5391/2/5 has enabled other vehicles in the sets

to be released for a "deep cleaning and full technical examination". The

three new vehicles formed part of the experimental batch of disc-braked

coaches."

 

Info provided on the same group suggests that the 3 Scottish SOs were part of an experimental batch namely SO's 5388 to 5394 and FKs 13474 & 13475 converted before the Mk2s and tested (and used) on the ER (and later returning to the ER after providing temporary maintenance cover).

 

 

 

Simon

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  • 1 year later...
  • 1 year later...

The Bachmann website is currently showing two blue/grey TSO Mk2A coaches on order (RRP  42.95 - expect the usual discounts).

 

39-360C BR Mk2A TSO Tourist Second Open Blue & Grey

 

39-361A BR Mk2A TSO Tourist Second Open Blue & Grey 'Inter City'

The first (FK) is show as currently available (£36.51 at Hattons) - 39-340A BR Mk2A FK First Corridor Blue & Grey, plus two different brakes, but then getting hold of brakes of any kind has never been a problem.

Olivias are also showing the TSOs for £33. They are going for a similar price on Ebay theses days, but get snapped up pretty quickly.

Still there is hope for those who want to run the early 70's MK2s before the aircon's came in, and obviously it is going to be a good time for those who want the mid 70's aircons and push pull versions too.

Jamie

Edited by Jamiel
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And for those who want to run mix air-cons and earlier Mk2s as per some WCML rakes for a time.  IIRC earlier brakes were also fairly commonplace in air-con rakes on other regions as well.

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The same happened when the Farish Mk2a came out a few years ago. The TSo sold out very quickly indeed. Today you don't even see them second hand!

 

Annoying when mid-late 1980s Transpennine sets where mainly composed of them.

 

Also the large logo retooled 47 sold very well and its rare to see these on the used market too.

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  • 2 weeks later...

One thing I have just been reminded of by Dave F's photo thread, is that MK2s seemed to run with MK1 brake coaches a lot, so there is even less demand for the brakes than might be thought.

Would I also be right in remembering that they sometimes ran with MK1 buffet coaches?

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/85326-dave-fs-photos-ongoing-more-added-26th-may/page-133

Jamie
 

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Yes because there were no Mk2 catering vehicles built.

 

Jeremy

 

Although a decent number were converted to take trolleys and a larger number was converted to have a small buffet counter.  Plus all the sleeper lounge conversions which are / were catering vehicles.  But it is correct to say that no Mk2 catering vehicle was built as such.

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  • 4 weeks later...
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Look slike detailing time for all of my Hornby Mark 2s.

 

£20 of parts on a vehicle I have or £40 for a new one requiring very little work

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