I am very keen to purchase a Coronation class loco and it looks to me like its a very good deal buying a pack. For instance the Duchess of Hamilton on its own its about £127.00 but if you buy the Cumbrian Mountain Express Train Pack it's £131.00!! For that you get three extra coaches and a signal box.
Appears to be a no brainer, or am I missing something?
Geoff

This pack is great value (as long as you have the track and controller already!)

It seems from my (very quick and not very thorough) research that the Duchess in the pack is in maroon, but available separately is only in green. Depends what colour you want, really!

I am aware that the Duchess of Hamilton was first green then changed to maroon (or the other way around can't remember), I'm not really that bothered, perhaps the green if I was pushed, but the pack appears to be a bargain price.

Found online (so bound to be correct!):

Quote6229 was painted wartime black livery in November 1944. Her streamlined casing was removed for maintenance-efficiency reasons in December 1947, and she was then given the LMS 1946 black livery. In 1948, she passed into British Railways ownership. BR added 40000 to her number to become 46229 on 15 April 1948. She was painted in the short-lived BR blue livery in April 1950, but was soon repainted on 26 April 1952 into Brunswick green. The semi-streamlined smokebox was replaced with a round-topped smokebox in February 1957, and in September 1958, she was painted maroon. The lining was BR style to begin with, then in October 1959, she received the current LMS style lining, which she has carried for all her years in preservation.

So going by this it was black, then blue, then green, then maroon. But, for the rivet counters, the chimney is wrong for the maroon version as it should be round, not oval.

Hi Geoff.
I can assure you the Train Pack is excellent value for money as I'm not sure I would have splashed out on a Duchess if it hadn't appeared. The signal box is a fine model but would probably look a little odd outside the Settle & Carlisle line but, heck, at todays prices the 3 x MK1s would cost in the region of £75-£80. Go for it, I say

Quote from: jrb on January 07, 2016, 08:17:29 PM
for the rivet counters, the chimney is wrong for the maroon version as it should be round, not oval.

Sorry it it you that is Wrong!

The Duchesses all had double chimneys as per the model by 1945 so it is completely correct for any formerly Streamlined example...

With Specific regard to DoH in the pack in question, it is correct for her in BR Maroon Livery whether in the 1960s or (as the model actually represents) 1980s Preservation condition...

Quote from: PLD on January 07, 2016, 11:58:23 PM

Quote from: jrb on January 07, 2016, 08:17:29 PM
for the rivet counters, the chimney is wrong for the maroon version as it should be round, not oval.

Sorry it it you that is Wrong!

The Duchesses all had double chimneys as per the model by 1945 so it is completely correct for any formerly Streamlined example...

With Specific regard to DoH in the pack in question, it is correct for her in BR Maroon Livery whether in the 1960s or (as the model actually represents) 1980s Preservation condition...

Yes!
I was going to post similar (later,,  in the cold light of day ! when I got all my ducks in a row and my dates right ) but for now I (think) it got the round smokebox in the late 50's, 58? and Maroon a little earlier ?
Not returned to streamlined smokebox till 2005/6ish ?

So now it would be interesting to know which feature(s) you have which  distinguish it as 80s condition rather than pre-end of steam condx ?

(I have even been photoing, just now, my Farish Hamilton front-on to count the rivets !!! well not exactly ! just to measure the elipticity of the front of its smokebox, but it is getting a bit late at night to upload/publish ! )

Quote from: Newleaf on January 07, 2016, 08:14:19 PM
I'm not really that bothered, perhaps the green if I was pushed, but the pack appears to be a bargain price.

Yes, me not bothered either, I quite like the green ** ! But it was interesting that my good lady chose the maroon value pack for her chrissy prezzie

Dont let all this pseudo-rivet-counting disturb you ( or me ! ) just curiosity
and something to do when not playing running trains 

** so we may need another one 

Quote from: PLD on January 07, 2016, 11:58:23 PM

Quote from: jrb on January 07, 2016, 08:17:29 PM
for the rivet counters, the chimney is wrong for the maroon version as it should be round, not oval.

Sorry it it you that is Wrong!

The Duchesses all had double chimneys as per the model by 1945 so it is completely correct for any formerly Streamlined example...

With Specific regard to DoH in the pack in question, it is correct for her in BR Maroon Livery whether in the 1960s or (as the model actually represents) 1980s Preservation condition...

Quite happy to stand corrected, I'm a noob at this sort of thing

Those Farish train packs are good value! If I had any criticism of them though it would be that the packaging seems unnecessarily large...

I suppose a sign that they are good value is that several retailers I've been to have been breaking down the sets and selling the bits off individually...not something that the manufacturer approves of, but it can mean you can, for example, pick up extra matching coaches at a discounted price

Quote from: TylerB on January 08, 2016, 09:15:35 AM
Those Farish train packs are good value! If I had any criticism of them though it would be that the packaging seems unnecessarily large...

Oh no, we aren't going to go through all that again are we 

Oh yes we are , you can't have too much of a good thing,
including packaging...............

Quote from: MalcolmAL on January 08, 2016, 12:27:41 AM

Quote from: PLD on January 07, 2016, 11:58:23 PM
in the 1960s or (as the model actually represents) 1980s Preservation condition...

So now it would be interesting to know which feature(s) you have which  distinguish it as 80s condition rather than pre-end of steam condx ?

Primarily, it is livery details - IIRC there were slight differences in the lining, and things like overhead electrification warning stickers, plus of course the coaches in the pack are in Blue & Grey!

Quote from: PLD on January 08, 2016, 12:37:23 PMPrimarily, it is livery details
,
in Blue & Grey!

Thanks, thats great, my aged eyes wont get down that far 
,
Ah yes, ummm, well she doesnt mind and I've got lots of maroon jobs for it ( not to mention Rule 1)

Interesting topic, thanks Newleaf/Geoff,
till now I had no idea what a streamlined smokebox was

(I never liked the full coronation streamlined bathtubs, pictures, never saw one in the flesh and doubt if I'll ever get up to York,,, A4 Sir Nigel etc won every time. )