BR DMUs

Hmmm. Not many DMU's have the same body profile as a Mk 1. If you're prepared to overlook that, then you'd need units with large Mk1 style windows with quarterlights. This would include:

Swindon / Transpennine / Intercity units 120, 123, 124, 126 (although these had a *much* flatter profile than a Mk1)

Birmingham RC & W class 104 / 110 (ditto profile)

Derby Lighweights, and Classes 108 / 114

Cravens Class 105

Gloucester RC&W class 119

The best source I know of for pictures and drawings is the book 'A Pictorial Record of British Railways Diesel Multiple Units' by Brian Golding, published by Cheona Publications, 39 The Avenue, Chinnor, Oxfordshire, OX9

I have to say though that the amount of work involved in doing any of these based on Mk1s would be enormous, and you might be better off building a kit from DC Kits, who do a good variety of DMUs; I think also that No Nonsense Kits intend to release the various Swindon types. Hornby already make a quite passable 110, which can easily be converted to a 104 with parts from Craftsman models (available from Howes.)

Gloucester RC&W class 119

Gregory,

I'd also echo those comments and can perhaps draw your attention to the fact that such conversions carried out using Mk 1 coaches may also carry a cost penalty. At the least you are going to need something to represent the engine and underframe fittings, etched or white metal ends, ventilators etc. The dmus produced by Lima and Hornby provide a much better basis and by shopping around can been done relatively cheaply. At a show last weekend a three car Lima 117 set was being sold for £30. Bodies from the Hornby DMU can be obtained from Modelspares, East Kent Models and others. DC Kits are reasonably priced and a good model can be built from them.

Tony Comber

Thanks, I'll look out for that book.

I'm modelling in HO! I've gradually reworked a pile of old Lima coaches into sets, (still have to sort the bogies on some) and have several left over, as well as half coaches remaining from making full brakes. I'm assuming I should only have two Brake/Seconds in a train(?)

Everything in life seems to carry a cost penalty :-(

Yes, I'd spotted that :-)

Nothing worth having here in New Zealand can be bought relatively cheaply (well, food, houses, sheep ...)

I've looked at getting etched brass kits rescaled/produced in my HO scale. It's quite possible and the price is not much higher than for OO, but then there's still the problem of 3D details. Some day I'll finish the L&Y High Flyer and then I'll need all that money for a rake of etched L&Y coaches!

Thanks, Greg.P.

In message , Gregory Procter writes

That depends.

If it is three coaches long, you only need 1 apparently.

If the train is going to separate somewhere on its journey, with a portion going somewhere else, or if the train is made up of parts that combined at a previous station, you could have more than 2. You could also have more than two if the train is made up of more than one semi-permanent sets of coaches.

In most cases, when the train was only three coaches long, the brake was usually marshalled in the centre.

Very true. Especially on the Southern where most coaching stock was in "permanent" sets with a brake at each end..

-- Cheers Roger T.

OK, silly question time :-) Is there a set combination for a "set"? Lima only did a 1/2 open, a brake second and a restaurant in Mk I form and

Regards, Greg.P.

In message , Gregory Procter writes

Yes and no. - There were many different types of set, from 2-coach to 8-coach. - The more "popular" sets were standardized in that there were many of them.

The SR (railway, later region) numbered their sets in a similar manner to the way they numbered their multiple units. Other railways (later regions) didn't.

Sets could also be augmented by "loose coaches", i.e. coaches that were not made up into sets.

Lima did a Mk.I corridor second as well.

As far as I can make out, the Cravens sets were the only DMUs to use a Mk.I body profile. Has anyone attempted a conversion from off-the-peg Mk.Is? The only possible stumbling block is that the 105s had 57ft bodies as against the 64ft of passenger-carrying Mk.Is. Still, the Tri-ang/Hornby coaches, with their separately-fitted sides, could be a good starting point. I once converted a mix of Tri-ang and Mainline Mk.Is into a Swindon Cl.123 Inter-City unit, powered by a Lima Cl.117 chassis, but was never 100% happy with it. I used the Tri-ang RMB for the buffet coach, which I suspect was grossly inaccurate.

David E. Belcher

While we are on this subject, does anyone have any comments on the n gauge BH enterprises DMU kits?

Would one be suitable as a beginner's project (I have some plastic modelling experience)?

Does anyone know of any online images of finished items?

Thanks Nigel

Also adaptable to a "heavyweight" 2-car Derby set (and possibly the

David E. Belcher

There would be an awful lot of work in converting those to HO scale!

Hi, just a quick note to advise that this book is long out of print and it might be worth seeing if your local library or railway club has a copy. Cheona Publications who produced the book has also changed hands since this book was released and after the sudden death of Geoff Gamble who owned the business. Peter Midwinter took over the ownership of the publishing company and has been considering reprinting the book on the BR DMUs. However, we are are aware that there are errors in some of the info and drawings and we have received revised info. Cheona may consider re-publishing the book again if enough interest is shown. You can contact us at Cheona Publications, The Railway Study Centre, Tal Eithin Isaf, Llanllyfni,CAERNARFON, Gwynedd, LL54 6RT. Telephone 01286 882332 during office hours.

Cheers Paul Harrison Technical Editor

Err, my local library has about 3 railway books (NZ and US) - I am my local railway club - 2 hours drive to the nearest railway modeller! 5 hours drive to the nearest railway :-( Basically, the Internet and E-mail is my railway contact.

Have you a web page?

Regards, Greg.P.

Paul, I'd certainly be interested in a copy if you re-publish.

Try Amazon - follow the second hand links.