B-Set from N&C Keyser

[Lysander]

These crop up quite cheaply from time-to-time on eBay and if you are prepared to put in a little time and effort, the outcome certainly passes the '3 ft. rule'. They are also the only [relatively] easily built kits available for the first iteration of the GWR's iconic bogie B-Set coaches. The alternative being far more expensive brass [shudder!]. They are a little primitive by modern standards but can be lifted by added detail.



The build blog is here for any who may be interested to read further.

https://srmg.org.uk/two-b-or-not-to-be

Tony

[aleopardstail]

They look very good, and in the end the 3' test is really all that matters. Cameras are cruel, the human eye a lot more forgiving

[Peterm]

They look good to me, Tony.

[Mountain]

Just out of interest, those look somehow a little longer than the Airfix B set coaches... (Going by memory as I used to have a pair of B set coaches).

Something some modellers may be unaware of with GWR B set coaches. When the GWR ran them, they ALWAYS ran as pairs back to back with the guards compartments at the outer edges like in the photo. They never ran as an unpaired single B set coach until in the days of B.R. (Usually in departmental use later in their lives).

I just thought it is a bit of interesting information I was told many years ago when in my teens by modellers in a model railway club, some of which may have remembered them running in GWR days...

[Bigmet]

Neat job, look very smart. I am still heavily reliant on Kirk kits of similar vintage to provide my Gresley stock, cheap and effective, far larger variation of types than offered in RTR OO, and a better bodyside profile than any of Hornby's corridor stock, with the sole exception of their full brake. (And as one modelling end of steam on BR(ER) they capture the 'tired look' as painted by BR: whether in carmine and cream or maroon, the paint didn't take well on the teak panelling.)

Just out of interest, those look somehow a little longer than the Airfix B set coaches...

There's a visible reason that might explain this, if the kit builds are compared to the Airfix GMR advert.
http://www.airfixrailways.co.uk/CoachB.htm
Count the compartments, seven in the kit builds, six in the Airfix GMR. That'll do it... Needs GWR knowledge to explain if there was more than one B set diagram.

[Mountain]

The position of the windows around the guards compartment is different. Wonder if it was altered after a certain date or newer versions altered after a certain date to adapt to needs?

The pair of Airfix coaches were so lovely and free running and went well behind the Great Western Mainline pannier tank I had! They used to run like a dream and used to be my "Go to" loco and coaches to bring with me to the model railway club I went to in my teens.

[Lysander]

There were several iterations of the B-Set coaches Mountain, all slightly different. The Airfix models had bow ends (unlike my model) and just 6 compartments, accurate for that Diagram. They also had a superfluous window on one side towards the end however and, I think anyway, incorrect bogies. In r-t-r terms however, they were a game-changer. Sufficiently so to sell well.

I have not measured one against my model but I think it’ll be fairly close.
Tony

[Lysander]

I can now answer this for you Mountain, having measured a Hornby B I have knocking around.

The Airfix/Hornby models are appreciably longer than the K’s kits. The former scale out as quite close to 60 feet whilst the latter are 3mm short of their 57 feet.

Hornby continue to issue the Airfix model with the superfluous window, too.

Tony

[Bigmet]

There were several iterations of the B-Set coaches Mountain, all slightly different...

Aha, that's the explanation, thanks for the information.

[Mountain]

Thanks both.Am surprized the Airfix (Hornby) version is longer as looking at the photos it looks the other way round. Shows how visual looks can be decieving.

Lovely coaches you have there.

When did they start painting the roofs black? Unpainted roofs were white...

[Lysander]

Ex-works the roofs were weatherproofed with white lead. How long that lasted depended on a) the weather, b) environment, c) tunnels, d) insert your reason here.

They’d have all gone to filthy black fairly quickly. But not initially through paint, sulphurous smoke and soot were the culprits.

Tony

[Mountain]

Ex-works the roofs were weatherproofed with white lead. How long that lasted depended on a) the weather, b) environment, c) tunnels, d) insert your reason here.

They’d have all gone to filthy black fairly quickly. But not initially through paint, sulphurous smoke and soot were the culprits.

Tony

I remember being surprized that some 4 wheel van roofs were white but by the time the 1970's to 1980's came along, everything train wize in West Wales was delapidated and in a state.

Often noted that all local trains were about two liveries behind and yet anything coming from London and heading back was in the latest livery! It was like London had te best of everything and we had all the cast offs! BUT it was GREAT for railway enthusiasts! They would flock down to take photos of things that didn't exist elsewhere!
If you ever get the book "B.R. Western Region In Wales" it is a good one (Photographs from the early 1980's).
There was also a good GWR book of a similar size. Can't remember the title but have it somewhere as I would not let it go. Read it repeatedly so many times from my early teens to my early 20's. Carried it everywhere!