Dapol Maunsell - High Windows modification

[PaulinSouthMidlands]

The Dapol Maunsells are one of the best N gauge coaches I have seen, however the low window coaches don't have quite the look of the high window coaches and, the high window coaches allow you to have a much wider range of accurate sets.

I bought a pair of six compartment brake thirds, scraped off the first class stickers from one with my fingernail and a bit of blunt plastic and put them together to make a temporary 2 set "P" pending the brake composites appearing to do it properly (so I left the erroneous first class stickers on the other unit)

But it wasn't quite right as while some of the 2 sets "P" had a low window brake composites, all the brake thirds were high window.

So last night, I plucked up the courage, unclipped the body from the chassis, unclipped the windows from one side (both of which were simple to do) and attacked it with a couple of needle files. I'm glad to say I didn't wreck the coach and I'm quite pleased with the result.

I replaced the window strip with the clear plastic window strip of an ancient farish coach, but any clear plastic strip cut to size will do. The locating lugs at the top keep it in place and a few dabs of glue at the bottom secure it. In fact although the glass is recessed behind the body, I think it looks as good and you can see the interior more easily.

I've attached a couple of photos. On the layout photo Z class 30952 (Gem Kit) is shunting them clear of the platforms at Lyme Regis Midland Road.

Rgds, Paul

[smg id=29738 type=preview align=center caption="IMAGE00137 (1024x615)"]

[smg id=29739 type=preview align=center caption="IMAGE00135 (1024x615)"]

[Newportnobby]

Hi Paul, and welcome to the forum
Thanks for a very informative first post. Your layout looks interesting and I'm sure I'm not alone in wanting to see a track plan and some more pics when you have time please.

[Karhedron]

There is a cheat available for the 2P sets.  If you run the Brake 3rd with the corridor side facing the viewer, they look the same as the high windows were only on the compartment side.

[PaulinSouthMidlands]

There is a cheat available for the 2P sets.  If you run the Brake 3rd with the corridor side facing the viewer, they look the same as the high windows were only on the compartment side.

Alas a careful inspection of Gould reveals that this dosen't work.

Unfortunately on six of the eight 2P sets, a later (1935) version of the brake third was used. This is the one that was more streamlined with frameless droplights and more rounded windows and is not the one Dapol modelled (either low or high window). Only two of the sets, 25 and 27 had "classic high window Maunsell Thirds (coaches 3780 and 3775 respectively).

The second problem is that only three of the sets had low window brake composites. Unfortunately these were sets 23, 28, 39, none of which were paired with a "classic" maunsell brake third.

So basically the only sets that didn't have a later 1935 framless droplight curved window corner brake third coach were 25 and 27 and in these sets both the coaches were high window.

So, if you want to be wholly authentic,  there's no getting away putting a coach facing away from the audience, as whichever way round you run it, you end up with a high window Maunsell facing the audience (unless you fancy scratchbuilding or heavily reworking a Dapol Maunsell into a post 1935 frameless droplight curved window corner streamlined version.

PS - Thank you to those who thankyou'd the original message.