Silver Sidelines

It is well over twelve months since Hornby’s Duke of Gloucester arrived. Much time was spent last year modifying and improving my original ‘preserved’ version so that it would be more suitable for my 1960s based layout. My original Hornby Duke of Gloucester Special Edition back dated to 1960 Time has moved on and there are now lots of models of Duke of Gloucester available at affordable prices, both ‘preserved’ and 1960’s style. I have now invested in a second model, this time the 1960's version. As a result I have had to buy a second set of etched metal name plates.   Hornby Duke of Gloucester 1960's style Back in January 2014 I had bought a set of plates from Modelmaster to replace the rather crude plastic offerings from Hornby. The Modelmaster plates were fitted to my Hornby Special Edition model with double sided tape. With the arrival of my second model these plates were soon removed and refitted onto the new 1960’s model. My ‘Special Edition’ model...

My previousPost looked at some detail improvements to the old Mainline Restaurant Buffet including fitting Finecast Flush Glazing, wire handrails and simply filing the buffer heads. Mainline RB slotted into a rake of BR Mk Is all fitted with Hornby R8220 couplers For me the most important improvement is the fitting of the Bachmann close coupling mechanism. This enables the coach to be unobtrusively slotted into a rake of Bachmann Mk Is – in my case all fitted with Hornby R8220 couplers. Bachmann RU top, Mainline RB bottom My first plan for improving the Mainline Restaurant Buffet was to use a complete Bachmann RU underframe. Comparing the underside of the Bachmann 39-101 derivatives with the Mainline vehicle showed a great deal of similarity. The Mainline truss detail is perhaps heavier but when viewed from the side I don’t think there is much to choose between the two models. Either I would have to remove the corridor ends from the Bachmann underfra...

My first Mainline Restaurant Buffet came from the Cheltenham Model Centre in 1986 for the princely sum of £5.50. For the time it was a well detailed model and far superior to previous Mainline Mk1s which had holes in the sides to aid assembly. Original Mainline Restaurant Buffet – with re-painted roof I parted with my first Mainline RB in 2008 and upgraded to a Bachmann Restaurant Unclassified with metal wheels, wire handrails and close couplers. However there was a slight problem. The Bachmann maroon RUs only come with E or W prefixes. If you want an M prefix on a ready to run restaurant car with kitchen facilities it seems to me that it has to be the old Dapol / Hornby twelve wheeler. Fast forward to 2015 and there has been some correspondence on RMweb about the old Mainline / Replica Railways Restaurant Buffet Cars and in particular what to do about the recessed glazing and the raised window surrounds. I would take a second look at a Mainline 37-114. Main...

My last Post discussed the merits of various proprietary couplings that could be used to close the gap between two B Set Brake Composites. Sometimes the solution is so obvious that it gets overlooked. Close Coupled B Sets, Airfix back, Mainline front A search of the Internet points to an old blog from TimVenton currently with a work bench thread on the Scale Four web site. The picture montage below is from Tim's old Blog and shows two types of semi permanent ‘bar’ couplings that were used on some of the prototype coaches. B Set Inner Bar Couplings, Diagram E129 left, Diagram E147, coaches No W6907W + W6908W right, courtesy of Tim Venton If a simple bar was good enough for coupling the prototype why not for the model? 29 mm x 5mm strip cut from translucent vinyl divider What to use? I settled on some thick plastic / vinyl film that I could cut with a craft knife. Coupling bar cut to shape, 1/8 inch diameter holes at 24mm centres ...

The ex GWR ‘B’ Set Airfix model coaches date from 1975. Almost forty years later and the coaches reappeared as Hornby R4293. The coaches must have proved popular and in the intervening years similar models have been available first from Mainline and later Dapol. Bachmann 9017 on Airfix ‘B’ Set passing Hornby Crimson ‘B’ Set The ‘B’ Set coaches were operated in pairs. As fitted with standard Airfix (or Hornby) couplings the gap between the coaches is hugely too large. Original Airfix/Hornby Couplings Left, Bachmann Mini Long Couplings Right One relatively easy way of closing the gap is to substitute Bachmann Mini Long Couplings (36-026), with the wings cut off. Original Airfix/Hornby Left, Bachmann Mini Long 36-026 minus wings Right The original Airfix/Hornby couplings are a simple push fit. Fitting the Bachmann couplings requires removal of the small keeper plate on the underside of the coupling pocket. I used a tiny screw driver for the purp...