Most of my recent railway stock is bought on Ebay, being funded from sales of items that I no longer need. It came to pass that having followed a Bulleid Brake coach for a week on Ebay I placed my bid last night and - lost. I usually bid below the shop price less postage and often win but these Bulleid coaches, especially the Brakes, are extremely popular. The Brake+postage went for just a couple of quid less than the recommended retail price. (I have seen them go for £10 more! (2010)) So, having to go to town today I popped in the model shop and picked one up. I paid the full price but at least I had the item instantly and did not have to worry about when and if I would receive an Ebay win.
There is a detailing kit supplied with the coach containing the solebar steps and an end door to close the gangway for a rear most carriage. I decided to make this the end coach, which is the Plymouth carriage on my Atlantic Coast Express. Worth noting that at busy summer periods the ACE comprised two (or more) separate trains, one with coaches for the 'Withered Arm' and one for the 'West Country' resorts. So, mine is destined for the 'Withered Arm' of Cornwall and west Devon. However, I can change the roof boards to run the other train that followed on behind.
A bit of customisation to the Bulleid coach is shown in the photos. The rear tail light is a Springside Models product with a jewelled red lens, which I nearly lost because it was not fixed and fell out of its pocket.
Roof boards are applied (Fabrication of these is described in a previous posting.) and this Bachmann Brake Second is turned into a Brake Composite with the addition of the '1' to the centre doors. With no yellow bar spanning the roof line of the 1st Class compartments we can say that this version of the train predates 1963.
Two more coaches needed to finish my ACE.
2 comments:
You said somewhere that the lettering for the coach boards was "straw". I enquired on the SR Forum and was told categorically that it should be "yellow". Have you got acces to any photos or refrence material to confirm the straw colour?
Thanks for the comment. straw? yellow? Difficult to tell apart in 4mm scale. The reference came from an auction listing for a full size roof board. Clearly not an authorative railway source. There is a colour picture of a full size board here: www.semgonline.com/coach/bullco02.html. Looks straw coloured to me.
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