NEW USES FOR OLDER STOCK
Having upgraded my fleet of Mk 2 and Mk3 coaches, can you suggest a possible use for my old Lima and Hornby versions, which are looking very shabby these days?
George says: There’s no doubt that the recent Mk 2 and Mk3 releases from Bachmann, Hornby and Oxford Rail are superior to those created by the likes of Lima and Airfix back in the 1980s. However, the older stock can still look convincing when treated to new laser-cut glazing (www.shawplan.com), plus superior wheels, couplings and gangways.
Indeed, I’ve seen some excellent layouts that employ rakes of older Mk 2/3 stock in tandem with newer RTR products, especially when the different generations of coaches are segregated into fixed rakes. After all, we only tend to notice a model’s deficiencies when placed side-by-side with a superior version!
For variety and economy, there’s always an option of converting older stock to departmental use (such as barrier coaches), with boarded-up windows and certain detail fittings removed. In such cases, only the wheels and couplings may need replacing and any conversion work may be minimal. I described the conversion of a Lima Mk 2 to a Mk4 barrier vehicle in MR241.
Alternatively, if you don’t fancy spending any time or money on detail or wheel upgrades, there’s always the option of representing condemned or scrap coaches. Having seen ex-caledonian Sleeper stock being scrapped recently, I began to wonder about using defunct Lima or Hornby coaches to create an eye-catching scenic feature.