What would be a suitable consist for 37025 and 47834?

[JohnMcL7]

As I live in Inverness I bought a model of 37025 and thinking of buying some coaches to go with it just as a static model. I noticed Bachmann have a set with the viewing car which I like the idea of but it's in the green livery rather than the blue livery. Which coaches would this locomotive have hauled when it was in the Highlands in the 80's and where would be a good place to get them? They don't need to be anything fancy so cheaper is better.

In a moment of weakness when visiting a light railway I spotted a shiny Intercity liveried 47 for sale, specifically 47834 with the Firefly name on it. I used to always like seeing the Intercity liveried 47 hauling the sleeper from Inverness hence the choice of this one even though I realise, this particular 47 never came to Inverness. I had a look for mk3 Intercity liveried sleeper carriages but there doesn't seem to be any, what would be a suitable alternative something like mk3 standard Intercity carriages?

Thanks for any thoughts.

 

[gazthomas]

Mark 1 carriages with the 37 in BR blue

Hornby have made Mark 3 sleepers but I can only find ready to run BR blue ones

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-Horn...3fbc3204d0:g:N60AAOSw3eRceofc&redirect=mobile

 

[gazthomas]

Bingo

https://britishmodeltrains.ca/products/305369-lima-br-mark-3-sleeper-executive-livery

 

[JohnMcL7]

Bingo

https://britishmodeltrains.ca/products/305369-lima-br-mark-3-sleeper-executive-livery

I was just about to say I'd found one:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LIMA-OO-...c:g:d6MAAOSwzVhceo-O:rk:1:pf:1&frcectupt=true

Good timing, thanks for your reply.

John

 

[Cowley]

I was just about to say I'd found one:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LIMA-OO-...c:g:d6MAAOSwzVhceo-O:rk:1:pf:1&frcectupt=true

Good timing, thanks for your reply.

John

Blimey I just sold one of those (and a blue and grey Hornby one) on eBay!
These Scotrail lettered Mk1s would look great with your 37...


Also it is feasible that Fire Fly could have appeared on the sleepers in Scotland at some point, maybe on the Carstairs to Edinburgh bit? Or you could pay someone like TMC models to renumber it to a Scottish one like this (photo of 47595 taken by Linz Hart).

Mmm snow ploughs...

 

[JohnMcL7]

Thanks for the reply, I'm not super fussy about the numbering as I'm happy to have an Intercity 47 and as a fan of the series I did like the Firefly name as well.

 

[Cowley]

I just found this photo taken by Roddy Macphee in 1990 showing 47834 at Inverness on a charter.



There's a couple of photos of it there when on Royal Train duties too.

 

[Ianigsy]

As regards 47834, around 1990 there were very few named 47s working for the IC sector and 834 was a bit of a favourite at Bristol Bath Road, bearing a traditional GWR name. This meant that (as has been mentioned), it was a Royal Train regular alongside 47823(or was it 821?) 'Royal Worcester', but it could also regularly be found hauling rakes of IC-liveried air conditioned Mark 2s pretty much anywhere from Penzance to Glasgow and Edinburgh if not Aberdeen.

 

[Cowley]

As regards 47834, around 1990 there were very few named 47s working for the IC sector and 834 was a bit of a favourite at Bristol Bath Road, bearing a traditional GWR name. This meant that (as has been mentioned), it was a Royal Train regular alongside 47823(or was it 821?) 'Royal Worcester', but it could also regularly be found hauling rakes of IC-liveried air conditioned Mark 2s pretty much anywhere from Penzance to Glasgow and Edinburgh if not Aberdeen.

The other one was 47620 ‘Windsor Castle’ which became 47835 and eventually 47799 - the other one of the Royal 47 pair.
Here’s a couple of photos of 47620 taken by my stepbrother just after we’d got off it at Plymouth in 1988, it’s looking pretty clean too.


I would say one thing though.
Quite a lot of the IC 47s were actually named around that time, especially the ex Bristol Bath Road/Old Oak Common 47/4s like Mayflower, Night Mail, Albion, Fair Rosmund etc.

 

[montyburns56]

They used quite a lot of non-air conditioned MK2 coaches i.e. MK2 A/B/C in the Highlands in 80s so you could buy some of them. You can either buy the modern highly detailed Bachmann versions or buy the much cheaper/cruder Hornby or Lima versions SH on Ebay.

Model Railways Direct actually have a sale on at the moment and they have some "cheap" (compared to the RRP) ones.

https://www.modelrailwaysdirect.co....0c-br-mk2a-tso-tourist-second-open-blue-grey/

Or on Ebay

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/OO-gauge...831310?hash=item34078ab94e:g:ep0AAOSw2k9cnmIC

These particular ones are in rough shape to be honest, but they give you an idea of what they look like.

 

[hexagon789]

As I live in Inverness I bought a model of 37025 and thinking of buying some coaches to go with it just as a static model. I noticed Bachmann have a set with the viewing car which I like the idea of but it's in the green livery rather than the blue livery. Which coaches would this locomotive have hauled when it was in the Highlands in the 80's and where would be a good place to get them? They don't need to be anything fancy so cheaper is better.

In a moment of weakness when visiting a light railway I spotted a shiny Intercity liveried 47 for sale, specifically 47834 with the Firefly name on it. I used to always like seeing the Intercity liveried 47 hauling the sleeper from Inverness hence the choice of this one even though I realise, this particular 47 never came to Inverness. I had a look for mk3 Intercity liveried sleeper carriages but there doesn't seem to be any, what would be a suitable alternative something like mk3 standard Intercity carriages?

Thanks for any thoughts.

Depends on which route and whether the early or late 1980s.

For example in 1982 the Glasgow/Edinburgh-Inverness would be steam heat/vacuum braked; a mix of Mk1s and early Mk2s. Move forward to 1985 and they would be air braked/electric heating and a mix of Mk2a, but and c.

 

[Bevan Price]

Looking at some of my old photos, Inverness area (Far North /Kyle/ Aberdeen line) stock was Mark 1 in 1986, a mixture of Mark 1 & Mark 2 (non air-con) by 1987, and mostly Mark 2 in later years. Apart from the sleeper, West Highland & Oban line stock was mainly Mark 1 until at least 1987.

 

[hexagon789]

Some example formations I have:

Inverness-Kyle 1986
Class 37/4+Mk2z TSO+Mk2z TSO+Mk1 BG

Inverness-Wick/Thurso 1982
Class 26+Mk1 BG+Mk1 TSO+Mk1 TSO+Mk2z TSO+(Mk2z TSO*+Mk1 BFK*)
* - Thurso portion

Inverness-Wick/Thurso 1986
Class 37/4+(Mk1 BSO(T)*+Mk2z TSO*)+Mk1 BG+Mk2z TSO+Mk2z TSO+Mk1 SK
* - Thurso portion

Inverness-Aberdeen 1987
Class 47/4+Mk2z TSO+Mk2z TSO+Mk1 BFK+Mk2z TSO+Mk2z TSO

Glasgow-Inverness 1982 (1310 GLQ-INV)
47/0+Mk2z TSO+Mk2z TSO+Mk2z TSO+Mk2z BSO+Mk1 RMB+Mk2z FK+Mk2z BSO

Highland Mainline service 1987
Class 47/4+Mk2c TSO(T)+Mk2c CK+Mk2c BSO+Mk2b TSO+Mk2b TSO

Glasgow-Inverness 1989 (0655 INV-GLQ)
Class 47/4+Mk2c TSO+Mk2c BSO+Mk2b TSO+Mk2c CK+Mk2b TSO

 

[hooverboy]

As I live in Inverness I bought a model of 37025 and thinking of buying some coaches to go with it just as a static model. I noticed Bachmann have a set with the viewing car which I like the idea of but it's in the green livery rather than the blue livery. Which coaches would this locomotive have hauled when it was in the Highlands in the 80's and where would be a good place to get them? They don't need to be anything fancy so cheaper is better.

In a moment of weakness when visiting a light railway I spotted a shiny Intercity liveried 47 for sale, specifically 47834 with the Firefly name on it. I used to always like seeing the Intercity liveried 47 hauling the sleeper from Inverness hence the choice of this one even though I realise, this particular 47 never came to Inverness. I had a look for mk3 Intercity liveried sleeper carriages but there doesn't seem to be any, what would be a suitable alternative something like mk3 standard Intercity carriages?

Thanks for any thoughts.

if i remember correctly:


class37 haulage: typically 6 *mk 2/a/b/c or 5mk2 a/b/c+ 1 mk1 bso
class 47/7 haulage(edinbugh-glasgow): 7*mk2d/e/f+ mk2f dbso.

I think if you look hard enough you'll find some mk3 sleepers.hornby definitely did some, but not sure about the intercity livery as you say.

edit:
mk3's used on edinburgh-glasgow ..juat had a look at an old vid.
something like cl47/7+ 5 or 6*mk3 and mk2f dbso would be a correct formation.

 

[hexagon789]

if i remember correctly:


class37 haulage: typically 6 *mk 2/a/b/c or 5mk2 a/b/c+ 1 mk1 bso
class 47/7 haulage(edinbugh-glasgow): 7*mk2d/e/f+ mk2f dbso.

I think if you look hard enough you'll find some mk3 sleepers.hornby definitely did some, but not sure about the intercity livery as you say.

edit:
mk3's used on edinburgh-glasgow ..juat had a look at an old vid.
something like cl47/7+ 5 or 6*mk3 and mk2f dbso would be a correct formation.

For the 47/7s, the Mk3s were:

1979-1985: 4 TSO, FO, DBSO (sonewhat variations, one set had a declassified Mk2f FO for a period and one TSO would occasionally be omitted)
post-1985:3 TSO, CO, DBSO (later on they extended some back to 6-car with an extra TSO)

the Mk2 sets were rather more fluid:

Sets were usually 5 or 6 coaches and a pool of coaches was available specifically for these rakes though particularly in the last few months before withdrawal of the push-pulls anything available could be used.

The pool consisted of:
12 Mk2D TSO
5 Mk2Z TSO
7 Mk2D TSO(T)
4Mk2E FO
1Mk2F FO
2 Mk2A FK

As for Glasgow/Edinburgh-Inverness, see my post above for some actual formations but 5 or 6 early Mk2s would be about right. The 37s were not that common on these services, generally being a 47/4 or even a 47/7 on occasion.

37/4s were more used on the Kyle and Far North out of Inverness until Sprinterisation. When ScotRail reintroduced some loco-hauled workings in 1991 these were mostly 37-hauled.