MK.1 General Utility Vans (GUV)in ‘OO’ gauge are produced byHornby, using the Lima tooling, and Bachmann with a completely new model introduced a number of years ago. The latter has more refinement than the former Lima model as one might expect including wheels, bogies and glazing. Despite this, modellers like to work on Lima models when the detail is sufficiently good and the Mk.1 GUV remains a favourite.
So, why would modellers look to upgrade the former Lima model instead of buying the better Bachmann Mk.1 GUV? It is readily available second-hand and sees reissue by Hornby from time to time, making it relatively easy to acquire them for a modest price – perfect for a budget project.
Reworking the Lima GUV model either in its original guise or as a later Hornby release offers the chance to customise them with different markings, numbers and other details observed on the full size vehicles using a low cost base. A fleet of once common but very ordinary, routine vehicles can be collected relatively cheaply. Also, replacement bogies are not absolutely necessary, although the current wheels fitted by Hornby are not of the correct pattern and the Lima ones distinctly coarse. 14mm coach disc wheels with a shorter 25mm axle are required to fit the supplied bogies. ‘EM’ and ‘P4’ gauge modellers do not have this option, however, and replacement bogies are needed to accommodate closer to scale wheels. Yet, despite this, the project to rework three former Lima GUVs to better fit a late 1980s era proved to be relatively modest in cost.
LNER puts remaining ‘91s' into warm store
The ongoing pandemic restrictions and major engineering works have resulted in the complete withdrawal of the last remaining ‘Electras’ from passenger service, although the plan is to resurrect them in the summer.
Mk.1 Restaurant-Buffet (RBR) cars
A SURPRISING number of Mk.1catering cars have survived to see service on the privatised railway, in private operator and charter trains. They may turn up on anything from an enthusiast special to higher-end dining trains and have been formed in trains as prestigious as the locomotive-hauledBlue Pullman’ set, the ‘Great Britain’ tours operated by West Coast Railways and the ‘Northern Belle’ tour train.
Powerscene
Our authoritative class-by-class review of newsworthy locomotive workings.
End for Freightliner Class 86/6s
The company’s Class 86/6 fleet down to just two examples as seven locos are stored.
Service reductions as Covid cases increase
An increase in Covid-19 cases in early January saw the governments in Ireland and Northern Ireland impose stricter lockdown measures that impacted on public transport.
East West Rail funding go-ahead
Although it was expected, £760 million of funding has now been confirmed to build the Western Section of the East West Railway scheme.
Travellers-Fare with Hornby's Mk.1 Restaurant-Buffet car
Hornby expands its range of retooled ‘OO’ gauge Mk.1 coaches with a brand new tooling for the Diagram 24 Restaurant-Buffet car (RB) and the Diagram 33 refurbished version (RBR). It models the vehicles in both original form, finished in BR maroon and Southern Region green, together with the RBR refurbished coaches. They remained in frontline service well into the 1990s, including Cross-Country workings.
Class 92 revolution
Despite its complex shape and high detail ratio compared to other modern six-axle locomotives, Revolution Trains chose the Class 92 to be its first 'N' gauge locomotive model.
Bottling it!
A dig into the Rail Express archive has revealed some rarely-seen photographs of the former rail-connected Express Dairy bottling plant in South West London, which today is the site of a large mosque.
1990s ‘N' gauge Class 950
Work on the ‘N’ gauge Class 950 Track Recording Unit project, a conversion based on a standard Graham Farish Class 150/1 model, is concluded by finishing the model in 1990s condition.
