Hi Jeff. Thank you for your reply. That is a new term for me "Hopper Windows ". I shall have to google that. But then again " If its good enough for you? It's good enough for me". I thought that the "Tadpole Units" were narrower than the rest of the train, hence " Tadpole " or is that what you mean? When looking for a " Tourist Standard Open trailer" am I looking for Mark 1 or 2,3,? Or whatever.  I found a "Suitable?" carriage on eBay recently?
but when it I got confirmation, I had clicked the wrong one?? But I got a refund.  Please advise, on which standard are the. Kernow  205  modelled ( bearing in mind? The Bodge Job done when building the Tunnels on the Hastings Line) where special "Slim Carriages are required to fit the Tunnels.      All the best.  Kevin

Tadpoles (3R or class 206) were a special case and not what I was referring to at all. I do have a Tadpole but it was built from a DC Kits kit, and is still awaiting final decoration. They had two Hastings coaches from disbanded units, plus a normal width driving trailer from disbanded 2 EPB units.

3R Tadpole DEMU - 1 cropped by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr


The class 205 2H/3H units were normal width units. Some units lost their centre trailers in later life but a few had the refurbished 4 CEP trailers inserted. We're generally talking NSE and Connex liveries here.

Class 207 3D units were narrower than standard, but still wider than the Hastings units (classes 201 - 203, 6S, 6L, 6B and later 5L), and had curved sides. Again, some were reduced to 2D but a few had ex-4 CEP trailers added - these stood out rather like the driving trailers of the Tadpoles, because they were wider than the rest of the vehicles in the unit.

With the Bachmann/Kernow 2H units, the 4 CEP cars won't look out of place because they are the same width, albeit with a completely different window and door layout than the 'host' unit. Without kit-building, these are the only units you can model.

Class 205 NSE by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr

Hi Jeff.  Thank you again , I googled DEMU recently , and found they had a trailer car set with " through gangway ".  But only one unit in Network livery?   Kevin

1111 (later 205 101) was refurbished extensively and rewired with a view to making it interoperable with the EMUs (that never actually happened, though), and was given open saloons and through gangways. It was decided that this was too expensive to do any more, so it remained a one-off.

Hi Jeff.  I was eyeing up a 205 unit in suitable livery to fit the connecting gangway, but with all my chasing houses dream I haven't had a chance to visit a show and find a suitable TSO, there must be one somewhere????All the best.  Kevin

Further to my post above, the refurbished unit was renumbered to 205 205 and did, indeed, have a CEP trailer inserted, with the whole unit in Network South East livery.

I also forgot to mention that the refurbished CEP trailers were also given open interiors. The amount of modification you do (or don't) do depends entirely on how much compromise you are prepared to accept. Personally, I would be inclined to disguise the CEP trailer windows slightly, and leave the interior alone. The windows would have to be popped out in any case to allow easier repainting into NSE livery. At least, being in the centre of the unit, you would only be looking at masking off for straight lines with that livery.

For curiosity value only, there were three class 207s with CEP trailers, and these were in NSE livery to start with, and at least one went into Connex livery after that - they were renumbered 207 101 - 103.

Hi Jeff.    Thank you. Every time I get one of your replies you whet my appetite more than before. It is a pity that I cannot find the TSO carriages to suit.  Keep up the good work. Kevin

Continuing with the Bratchell class 455/9, I have built all of the unpowered bogies now, but will need to adjust the ride heights of these upwards slightly, and the powered coach downwards slightly. 

The Powered bogies will have to be cut and shut to lose 1mm from the wheelbase but, as with the previous class 455/8 and 319, the blank sideframes on the Replica Railways motor bogies can be used to reinforce these, using the Bratchell sideframes as cosmetic items only.



Bratchell Class 455-9 Under Construction - 7 cropped by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr



Bratchell Class 455-9 Under Construction - 8 cropped by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr


Once again I have had a little difficulty with poor light and the black ABS plastic Bratchell used for the driving trailer sides.

Hi Jeff.   "Staying on the thread Kevin", I can see that you go for Hard Wire, but for me I would prefer( space permitting ) a simpler life , and use plug in TSC M1 Decoders with a Socket. Do these sockets take up much more space? than using the Decoder hard wired? As I have read in threads about Decoders  blowing, and blowing a hole in ones Bank Balance?? Where I would prefer " Changability" if there is such a word, All the best. Kevin

That depends on what you are referring to, Kevin.

The 3R unit I pictured before has a hardwired TCS M1 and a single Black Beetle motor bogie. The class 455 I'm working on has a Replica Railways chassis which is DCC-ready (8-pin socket). My kit-built Underground trains have two Black Beetles each, hard-wired to a single TCS T1 decoder in each unit. 

Wherever possible, I prefer not to hard-wire. Even my three Peckett tank locos have their decoders wired to the Hornby 'blanking' plug, to ease changes of decoders if necessary later.

You can buy 8-pin sockets to hard-wire into a locomotive or unit, which allows you to then use any 8-pin decoder you choose.

Incidentally, even though the TCS T1 decoders have been hard-wired into my three Underground units and into a double-motored Triang Hymek, the T1 actually has a 9-pin JST connector to its wiring harness, allowing the decoder to be swapped out without having to unsolder anything.

Hi Jeff. Thank you for your reply. I am of course referring to "My Own Ham Fisted Self" and my wish to DCC an0-4-0 BR Blue Diesel. I just want to make life easy(if possible) and wire the socket then plug in the Decoder .
Rather than chance.damaging the Decoder .  All the best Kevin

Continuing progress with the Bratchell Models class 455/9: the body shells have now had a couple of coats of grey primer, then a couple of coats of flame red (all from automotive aerosols) to approximate the final base colour for the South West Trains suburban livery. The driving ends remain unattached (except for a couple of spots of Blu-tack!) and unpainted at this stage

The bogies have been assembled, although the motor bogie sideframes remain to be cut down and fitted. I have adjusted the ride heights: I found that Hornby's valve gear spacer washers worked well, with one thick and one thin washer added to each of the trailer bogie mounts.



Bratchell Class 455-9 Under Construction - 10 cropped by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr



Bratchell Class 455-9 Under Construction - 11 cropped by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr



Bratchell Class 455-9 Under Construction - 12 cropped by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr

Some blue bits added to the Bratchell 455/9.

And again, this time with the orange 'swooshes' added. Both the blue and the orange are very crudely done at the moment. When Adam (Electra Railway Graphics) comes up with the vinyl overlays, I'll see what needs to be tidied up to get minimum 'show through' of the base colours.

Looking slightly more complete, livery-wise, the class 455 has had the black roofs and ends added.

Spurred on by another modeller tackling a Genesis kit for a Sealion wagon, I remembered that I had a Genesis Diesel Brake Tender sitting unmade on the "to do" shelf. This kit, being a lot simpler than a Sealion, has only taken a couple of short evening sessions to get to this stage.

The roof ends need trimming, and all the gaps need to be filled, but the basic shape is there and it is already capable of being run. Small details to add include the brake wheels and the vacuum pipes, with lamp irons having to be fabricated from some wire.

I used Hornby 14.1mm coach wheels, and NEM fishtail pockets with the actual fishtail bit cut off. A small fillet of wooden coffee stirring stick fills the recess in the bogie frame end, allowing the pockets to be glued at exactly the right height. I cheated slightly in using the correct wheelbase for mounting the bogies, but trimming off the end overhangs from the inner ends of the sideframes to allow a little extra swing. This vehicle will go around the tightest of model railway curves if required!

All good stuff Jeff. That 455 has taken the paint well but isn't the blue a bit to glossy?
Cheers

Marty

Hi Marty.
The blue is a base coat only, and is both too glossy and too light. Once I get the vinyls, I will be able to paint any areas that still show to match the vinyls. I found with the two 450 units i did with the vinyl overlays that First Bus 'Barbie Blue' was a very close match (just very slightly darker, which was fine for the roof areas.

:thumbs
Following along.

Marty 

Continuing with the Bratchell class 455/9 kit, I have been roughly painting the front ends and tidying up the "swoops", although all are still very rough and unfinished.





I am still awaiting the vinyls from Electra, which will allow me to match the colours properly.