EFE Rail LSWR Cross Country Coach Set
◆ GAUGE ‘OO’ ◆ MODEL EFE Rail E86015 LSWR Cross Country three-coach pack, BR (SR) green ◆ PRICE £224.95 ◆ AVAILABILITY EFE Rail stockists Web www.bachmann.co.uk A welcome feature of the brake cars is the linkages from the guard’s handbrake within the coa
The London & South Western Railway built a fleet of 56ft non‑corridor coaches, between 1906-10, for a wide variety of ‘cross country’ services across its network. Marshalled originally into four‑car sets, with a four‑compartment brake carriage at each end, they were reduced to three‑car sets in the late 1930s, with a seven‑ compartment Composite car forming the central vehicle.
A total of 36 sets were employed, lasting into British Railways (Southern Region) days, before the last examples were withdrawn in the late 1950s.
These three‑car sets from EFE
Rail are presented in a plush, foam‑lined presentation box, and three livery options are available: Southern Railway green, BR crimson or BR green. The latter is under review here.
Representing a new tooling (with Kernow Model Rail Centre branding on the chassis), the coaches feature some impressive touches. The roof vents are particularly well defined, the panelled sides are crisply moulded and the underframes are well appointed with battery boxes, vacuum cylinders and other fittings.
Door handles, although moulded into the sides, are neatly picked out in a brass‑effect paint and resemble separately fitted parts. The small grab handles are separate parts, however, and the handrails at the ends and along the sides of the brake compartments are formed from fine wire, neatly installed.
Flush‑fitting glazing boasts a high level of transparency, although etched droplight frames within the window reveals look like they’d benefit from a touch of paint. The frosted windows of the toilet compartments are nicely done and the luggage compartment bars are subtly rendered (almost too subtle!).
Each carriage end features plenty of moulded detail, along with vacuum hoses and drawhooks, plus a set of fine metal bufferheads. A small bag of extra details provides steam heat hoses and cosmetic screw couplings.
Beneath the solebars, the chassis and bogie detail features a good level of definition and a welcome feature of the brake cars is the linkages from the guard’s handbrake within the coach. Sprung, pivoting close‑coupling units are equipped with NEM sockets, which performed faultlessly under test. Indeed, the wagons ran sweetly from the off, with the plain disc wheels rotating freely.
The simple paint finish has been applied well, with a satin/ semi‑matt sheen that presents
something of a lived-in appearance befitting such a humble conveyance. Inside, moulded interior units match the layout of the prototypes and seats have been painted in appropriate colours to suit Third and First class compartments. There are even moulded toilet pans in each WC!
Another welcome feature is the interior of the coach bodyshells, which are rendered in a generic light brown shade, mimicking the appearance of varnished wood panelling. Viewed from outside, the appearance is convincing.
While they may lack some of the finer details found on recent coach releases under Bachmann’s own brand, the LSWR set does provide an attractive all-round package.
They will certainly appeal to many modellers with an interest in the former South Western routes, looking at home behind a range of LSWR, Southern and BR (SR) steam locomotive types. A quick mooch around the internet revealed plenty of retailers offering decent discounts off the RRP, so it will pay to shop around for a good deal. (GD)