DAVE S GUIDE TO THE BR MARK 1 COACH Information about the history of the coaches, and also the Gauge 1 models that I can build With thanks to Paul Bartlett who has allowed me to use his images of the real coaches on this page. David Leech, builder of Gauge One coaches and passenger cars - Designed to be used.
The David Leech Guide to BR Mark 1 coaches The following is an explanation of the British Railway Mark 1 coach, and the Gauge 1 models that I build. The 1947 Transport Act set up the British Transport Commission, which was to exercise control over all forms of public transport through it s Executives. The Railway Executive would run the publicly owned railways under the title British Railways effective January 1st, 1948. One of the proclaimed benefits of Nationalisation was the possibility of standardised equipment that could operate anywhere over the British system. The Executive decided that developing a range of standard coaches was a priority, given the run down state of many carriages due to age and wartime neglect. To the newly created design team at the Marylebone Road headquarters there fell the task of evaluating the existing carriage designs and practices of the four former railway companies, and of producing a new standard carriage concept incorporating the best of these existing features. This was to prove to be no easy task as the new stock would be required to operate over virtually the entire British Railways network of routes, A new Carriage Standards Committee set out the parameters, and in September 1950 the prototype coach was finished, with the production examples emerging six months later. The BR Mark 1 coach was born. This was not a single type of carriage, but was a range of stock mounted on a standard chassis, and built to standard body profiles with uniform window sizes. Eventually there were some 66 different diagrams of main line stock, which includes some Royal stock as well as Post Office stock. I have not included the Pullman cars in this total. Construction of the standard carriages was all steel, with the body shell welded to the underframe which was 63 5 in length over the headstocks for main line stock, with a total length over gangways of 66 2 1/2. The body profile was curved, similar to that employed by Bulleid for his Southern Railway designs, and allowed slightly greater width at shoulder height. For main line coaches Buckeye automatic couplers, and Pullman type gangways became standard. The real Achilles heel of the new stock turned out to be the bogie design, which did not come up to expectations in service. Although it gave a reasonably smooth ride when new, or recently overhauled, it developed quite rough characteristics once wear set in. Different types followed, until finally the cast type Commonwealth bogie was developed which became the standard bogie from new for later built stock. The initial livery was the standard crimson lake and cream, with yellow and black lining and Gill Sans lettering and numerals. In 1956 the coaches began to be painted in BR Maroon for general purpose stock, but those used on the Western Region were given a Chocolate and Cream livery, whilst those for the Southern Region were given a green livery. The Southern Region created sets of their BR Mark 1 coaches, in the same way that they had done before nationalisation, and indeed before grouping. Stock lasting past the age of steam then received the more modern BR liveries. 1
The Gauge 1 Models The Ready to Finish model Consisting of an unpainted, but assembled body and underframe, with ends and corridor connectors, and bogies (either BR1 or Commonwealth) with wheels. They are supplied with no interior. Scale - 1/32nd - 3/8 /ft Length - Prototype 66 2 1/2 over gangways - coupled - model = 24 13/16 Minimum radius - 7 feet. Construction - One piece aluminum body shell, which is attached to the aluminum floor with screws. Five aluminum pieces slot together make up the unique centre trussed underframe which is also fixed to the floor and body using the same screws. This makes for easy disassembly, and reassembly when finishing the coach. All holes for the various door handles and roof vents are drilled, and the door lines are scribed. End detail - Cast urethane resin ends with finished corridor connectors constructed of urethane castings and rubber. Bogies - Complete, painted and assembled. H D Polyethelene side frames with cast urethane resin castings for detail. The wheels are to G1MRA standards, blackened and insulated, but are undersize to allow for clearance under the floor. Your choice of either the BR1, or the Commonwealth bogie. Couplers - Fitted with Kadee couplers as standard. Hook and chain on the outer ends of a rake of coaches. These are interchangeable, so they can be ordered to suit your needs, or changed as required. To finish the coaches, you will need to supply your choice of the following - Roof vents, gutter strips, window vent no drafts, door and grab handles, battery boxes and other underframe detail, buffers, window glazing, paint, transfers and lining. You can make your own, or purchase from other Gauge 1 suppliers. I will make the following parts available should they be required: Gutter strips - self stick styrene strip.040 x.080 Window vent no drafts - self stick styrene channel Cast urethane battery boxes Cast urethane brake cylinders Buffers - Sprung with steel oval buffers. These are designed not to touch when using the Kadee couplers. Soldering on a brass wire is required after final assembly to prevent rotation of buffer head. Window glazing - Lexan sheet cut to size. I also hope to make the following parts available, but they are not as yet: Cast roof vents. Cast brass door handles and grab handles. For the interiors of the coaches, I can offer the corridor walls and doors, as well as the seat and wall castings, and the partition walls to match the various coach diagrams, both corridor and open. 2
Please note that all prices are quoted in US Dollars Ready-to-finish model THE PRICE LIST Assembled, but with no details as described on the previous page $300 Parts that I can supply for you to finish your coach Exterior parts Gutter strips - self stick styrene strip.040 x.080 (2 required per coach) Window vent no drafts - self stick styrene channel Cut to length = $5.00 per coach Cast urethane battery boxes (Most coaches seem to have 2) Cast urethane brake cylinders (2 per coach) Associated brake cylinder parts - lever linkage and cross rod Buffers - Sprung with steel oval buffers. These are designed not to touch when using the Kadee couplers. Soldering on a brass wire is required after final assembly to prevent rotation of buffer head. (4 required per coach) $6.00 each Window glazing - Lexan sheet cut to size. (Clearance holes for roof vents and door handles will need to be cut out) $5.00 Interior parts Floors A.060 styrene sub floor, cut and drilled to fit. $10.00 This allows all the interior parts to be glued in place, and then the complete interior can be handled as a single unit. Corridor coaches Styrene corridor walls and doors Cut to match the coach diagram A set of parts for a coach is the wall with windows and door openings cut, one door per compartment, and styrene strips to glue above the doors Compartment wall/seat castings, one left hand and one right hand per compartment. First class and second class. Lav walls $4.00 per compartment $5.00 per compartment So for a diagram 146 Corridor Second, that has 8 compartments, the cost would be 8 x $4.00 = $32 for the corridor walls and doors, plus 8 x $5.00 = $40 for the wall and seat castings, plus 2 x $2.00 for the two lav walls, plus $10 for the floor for a total of $86 3
Open coaches Styrene partition walls to match coach diagram. Centre or offset door, with or without windows. End partition door Seat castings. First class - 1 + 2 seating - single seats double seats single combined back to back seats double combined back to back seats Second class - 1 + 2 seating - single seats double seats single combined back to back seats double combined back to back seats Second class (tourist) - 2 + 2 seating - double seats double combined back to back seats $1.50 each $1.50 each $1.50 each Table castings. Long table for double seating Short table for single seating So for a diagram 73 Open First, that has 42 seats, the cost would be 6 x single seats @ $1.00 = $6, 6 x double seats @ $1.50 = $9., 4 x single combined back to back seats @ $2.00 = $8, 4 x double combined back to back seats @ $3.00 = $12, 7 x long table @ $2.00 = $14, 7 x short table @ $1.00 = $7 for a casting total of $56, plus 5 partition walls @2.00 = $10, 3 partition doors @ $1.00, and $10 for the floor, for a grand total of $79. Painted - Ready to Run models I will, of course, also be able to provide completely finished models BR Crimson and Cream livery BR Maroon BR Southern Region Green livery BR Western Region Chocolate and Cream livery $600 US $550 US $550 US $600 US Should you require any additional information please contact me: by post: David Leech, 11017-64th Avenue, DELTA, BC V4E 1C3, CANADA telephone: 604 594 1187 web site: user.dccnet.com/d.leech e-mail: d.leech@dccnet.com 4
The coach diagrams available are as follows: The following is a list of the 11 body styles, and 23 diagrams that I am currently offering in Gauge 1. Most of the information has been obtained from the book British Railways Mark 1 Coaches, by Keith Parkin MA, and published by Pendragon in association with The Historical Model Railway Society. The coaches between the lines all share the same body exterior, only the interiors were different. Coach type Code Diag Running numbers Dates built Total built Sleeping car - First SLF 1 2000-2132 6/58-6/62 133 Sleeping car - Composite SLC 5 2400-2454 10/57-4/64 55 Sleeping car - Second SLSTP 10 2500-2692 11/57-3/64 193 Open First FO 73 3020-3151 2/54-12/63 127 Corridor First FK 116 13000-13360 6/52-9/62 347 Corridor Composite CK 126 15001-16267(not all) 12/52-12/63 1056 Corridor Composite CK 127 15000 3/52 1 Corridor Composite CK 128 15425-16225(not all) 10/53-6/61 184 Restaurant Second Open RSO 60 1014-1017 7/60 4 Restaurant Unclassed RUO 61 1018-1057 8/61 40 Open Second TSO 89 4830-5069 12/59-12/63 240 Open Second TSO 93 3736-4778 (not all) 12/53-10/57 956 Open Second SO 94 3721-4829 (not all) 9/54-5/59 96 Corridor Second SK 146 24000-26217(not all) 12/51-11/63 1779 Corridor Second SK 147 24539-26137(not all) 12/52-6/63 386 Corridor Brake Composite BCK 171 21000-21263(not all) 11/54-12/63 151 Corridor Brake Composite BCK 172 21020-21275(not all) 1/54-2/64 125 Corridor Brake Second BSK 181 34000-35499(not all) 10/52-9/63 1097 Corridor Brake Second BSK 182 34290-35406(not all) 10/53-1/63 364 Brake Open Second BSO 183 9200-9362 3/56-1/60 163 Brake Open Second BSO 184 9363-9390 12/63 28 Unclassed Restaurant RU 23 1901-1991 11/57-6/61 91 Restaurant-Buffet RB 24 1644-1772(not 1700) 12/61-3/62 128 5
The following are all the other mainline BR Mark 1 coaches, that I am currently NOT building. They are shown for information only. I will probably begin to produce some of these as time passes and there is interest. Coach type Code Diag Running numbers Dates built Total built Restaurant First RF 16 301-305 11/52 5 Restaurant First RF 17 306-342 5/61-1/62 37 Kitchen-Buffet RKB 20 1546 8/56 1 Restaurant-Buffet RB 21 1700 4/56 1 Unclassed Restaurant RU 22 1900 8/56 1 Kitchen-Buffet RKB 25 1500-1569 (not all) 1/61-6/61 53 Griddle Car RE 30 1100-1102 9/60 3 Restaurant First RFO 36 1-11 5/51 11 Restaurant Second Open RSO 56 1000-1013 9/51 14 Open First FO 71 3000-3002 4/51 3 Open First FO 72 3003-3019 5/54 17 57 PROTO FO 74 3083 7/57 1 57 PROTO FO 75 3084 4/57 1 57 PROTO FO 76 3082 11/57 1 57 PROTO FO 77 3081 7/57 1 Open Second SO 90 3500-3514 7/53 15 XP64 SO 91 4727-4729 6/64 3 Open Second TSO 92 3700-3720 5/51 21 57 PROTO SO 95 4638 11/57 1 57 PROTO SO 96 4637 12/57 1 Miniature Buffet RMB 97 1801-1012 3/58 12 Miniature Buffet RMB 98 1838-1852 6/60 15 Miniature Buffet RMB 99 1813-1882 (not all) 5/62 55 57 PROTO FK 117 13220 2/57 1 57 PROTO FK 118 13221 7/57 1 57 PROTO FK 119 13222 4/57 1 XP64 FK 121 13407 6/64 3 Corridor Second SK 148 25455 2/57 1 57 PROTO SK 149 25456 7/57 1 57 PROTO SK 151 25457 4/57 1 XP64 SK 152 25508-25509 6/64 2 Corridor Brake First BFK 161 14000-14027 12/59-11/63 28 ROYAL 200 2900 9/55 1 ROYAL 201 499 10/56 1 ROYAL 202 2901 2/57 1 Kitchen RK 700 80000-80009 5/51 10 Kitchen RK 701 80010-80021 4/62 12 Kitchen RK 702 80022-80040 5/63 19 Gangwayed Brake BG 711 80500-81628 4/53-2/63 1129 POST OFFICE 720 80300-80318(not all) 9/59-5/61 16 POST OFFICE 721 80306-80308 11/59 3 POST OFFICE 722 80400-80402 11/59 3 POST OFFICE 723 80450-80452 11/59 3 6 David Leech, March 2006