Help selecting coaches please

[Tom U]

Unfortunately, I am too busy these days, and spending too much time away from home, to get the layout plans in my head translated into reality, all I have managed so far is to cut the timbers for the baseboard frame.  I have all the track bought and stored in my home office  playroom.

Anyway, on to topic - As well as track, I am slowly collecting rolling stock.
Problem is, I know nothing, just slowly learning from here.
I want to buy stock that is reasonably correct for my era/location, but at the moment I don't have the knowledge. (LOL, autocorrect just changed era to ear)

Can someone please advise me what what coaches would be appropriate (say a 6 coach train) for 1960ish to 1970 running from Euston to Birmingham & north.
(I have tried to do research, but no wiser, most search returns have lots of info on locomotives, but not coaches.  Google was not my friend).

Thanksfor any advice.
Tom.

[red_death]

Hi Tom

Are you after a specific train formation and liveries or just general coach types?

General coach types would be Mk1s and Mk2s (probably earlier variants eg Mk2, Mk2a) mainly by that point. Liveries would be maroon moving to blue/grey.

Cheers, Mike

[Tom U]

Many thanks, Mike.
I don't know enough to aspire to specific formations, just want to get the right type and colour, but it would be good also to have a representative combination - I realise that limited to about 6 coaches it will not be very accurate.
Never occurred to me when I was 15 and climbing into the coach, to try to remember what coulour it was in case I wanted to model it 52 years later     I suspected maroon, but was hoping cream & maroon crimson may be OK because (purists look away now) I think it looks better.
Thanks agian, and any futher info much appreciated.
Tom.

[Oldun]

Hi Tom,

If you log in to Hatton's, go to N gauge, then coaches & at the top select:

era 5 1957 - 1966 & era 6 1967 - 1971.

These will give you coaching stock from 1957 to 1971 covering the years
you are modeling.

Roger

[scotsoft]

I suspected maroon, but was hoping cream & maroon crimson may be OK because (purists look away now) I think it looks better.
Thanks agian, and any futher info much appreciated.
Tom.

Hi Tom,

If you think cream and maroon looks better, you could apply a limited "Rule One" which would let you run what you like since it is your layout 

Cheers John.

[Tom U]

Thanks Roger, yes, I got a good idea of era from eHattons, but no info on type and colour for the region.
Thanks John, Well, I am certainly going to be employing some rule one, but part of the interest in planning the layout is the learning and understanding, just for my satisfaction 
Cheers,
Tom.

[Newportnobby]

There were lots of 'specials' run in that era, Tom, especially those for sports fans.
Football, rugger, hockey etc spring to mind as I saw loads pass through Wolverton and often wished I was on the 'hockey' train (St. Trinians springs to mind )
I reckon you could get away with even the odd crimson/cream coach in what would be a normal maroon rake.

[NeMo]

Can someone please advise me what what coaches would be appropriate (say a 6 coach train) for 1960ish to 1970 running from Euston to Birmingham & north.

As red_death stated above, Mk1s and a few Mk2s would be the order of the day. Assuming you're thinking of the West Coast Mainline, which is the Euston-Birmingham line,  electrification was done in stages. Crewe southwards through Birmingham and then London not being completed until 1965/66 (depends a bit on your definition of complete -- catenary up or regular service of electric trains).

There's some really good videos up on YouTube that feature Hemel Hempsted during the 1960s. Lots of trains to watch, and the ones with the catenary present will be especially informative for your time frame I imagine. Identifying the types of coaches might not be easy, but most seem to be Mk1s in either maroon or blue/grey.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDpCqmGKXp0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VthDBvb_avY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNb5R4_-B8c

Cheers, NeMo

[ChrisWV10]

Can anyone tell me what the train is in the last video kindly posted by Nemo above. About a minute in with all white coaches? Some replacement for the BP? Just interested as it looks unusual

Cheers

C.

[NeMo]

Can anyone tell me what the train is in the last video kindly posted by Nemo above. About a minute in with all white coaches? Some replacement for the BP? Just interested as it looks unusual

Yes, it's the Manchester Pullman. Hauled by an electric locomotive, so no, not a Blue Pullman replacement. If you go to my question here...

http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=29525.0

You'll see you can buy coaches similar to these from Hattons for £13-16. The only downside is that the Manchester Pullman used Mk2 Pullmans where the Farish models are of older, Mk1-like Pullmans. Same livery though, reverse blue-grey.

Cheers, NeMo

[edwin_m]

Pretty sure Electra used to do overlays for the Manchester Pullman but I can't see them on the site now.