So how much did the N-Gauge Society Collett K41 Full Brake Coach Cost???

[dannyboy]

@Train Waiting
Whatever we think of the price of rolling stock, (or anything else for that matter), I think John has summed it up perfectly -

The price is what I paid and the value is what I get.  Which is a lot of pleasure watching it trundling round my little layout

I will pay what I think is a fair price for an item, even if it seems expensive at the time, but if I feel that it is good value, to me, the price is worth it. 

[Bealman]

Exactly. I wish I'd bought one of those coaches when the NGS brought them out.

But I didn't. My stupid fault.

It's a great model, and as you say, the value is to yourself. I'd be happy even if technically I'd been ripped off.

Serves me right for not getting one in the first place.

[zwilnik]

Think of it this way.. If you think you've paid a lot for your model railway, you should take more time to actually run it and enjoy it to get the value for money

[njee20]

I try and avoid going down the "if only I'd bought this when they were at x price" thought process, that way madness lies! Ignoring buyer's remorse I think we're all just right to be content with the price we pay for things. I don't think you can (or should attempt to) confer wealth from others purchasing habits. Comparison to others achieves nothing.

[Dr Al]

Getting production back to the UK would make life a lot easier for us, and be something that would almost certainly be popular with modellers, but in practical terms - for a variety of reasons that I'd be happy to debate with you - we think it's currently a non-starter.

Do you as a manufacturer feel any concern about the utter reliance we have on Chinese manufacture for, essentially, everything?

Reason I ask is the recent threads on failing and replacement coreless motors for Farish stock - it seems we are utterly reliant on Chinese sources for these components (if we can call a motor a component), with nowhere else in the world appearing to make anything equivalent, and the trouble of getting them is not insignificant.

Maybe this isn't a concern for manufacturers as much as us consumers - I'm intrigued to know.

Cheers,
Alan

[railsquid]

I was sort of hoping for a birdcage set from the Bealettes for me birthday

For some reason my mind raced ahead and imagined the next part of the sentence would read something like "but now I have to go and buy some actual birds for them, remind me to be more specific next time"

[Doc Pye]

To update, I finally got myself one of the K41 in GWR choc/cream (No 109) livery courtesy of 'Nighthawk'.  It is indeed a nice looking model!

I also quite the look of the GWR Unlined Chocolate (No 181) one but don't know if I can justify another one.

So the new question is, which trains are people using the K41's on? Since I am specific to pre-War GWR, info on that period would be most welcomed.

[Newportnobby]

Calling @Karhedron
One for you, Matt

[Karhedron]

So the new question is, which trains are people using the K41's on? Since I am specific to pre-War GWR, info on that period would be most welcomed.

K41s were used on a variety of workings from quite prestigious to distinctly humdrum. Here are some examples:

• Extra luggage capacity on existing passenger trains
• Parcels trains
• Milk trains
• Post office trains
• Fish trains

The best way to get an idea of just how varied their uses were is to look at the brandings that were applied to them. The GWR often allocated specific vehicles to particular workings and branded them accordingly. I have compiled a list of known K41 brandings which gives a great snapshot of their working lives.

103   Return to Paddington 11 Aug 1947; "Paddington & Birmingham" 5 Jul 1952
105   Wolverhampton, Swindon & Swansea date unknown but before 25 Oct 1952
107   Milford Haven & Yeovil Fish Train: 21 Apr 1947.
108   Paddington & Plymouth: 10 Mar 1947.
109   Swindon & Plymouth: 4 Oct 1952.
111   Paddington and Shrewsbury: 3 Oct 1947. Paddington, Greenford and Chester": 8 Mar 1958.
114    "Paddington and Swansea": 8 Apr 1947.
116   Whitland & Kensington Milk Train:9 Mar 1947
117   Wooton Bassett & Kensington Milk Train 18 Mar 1947.
119   Paddington & Penzance Paddington & Shrewsbury: 27 Jul 1957.
120   Paddington & Shrewsbury: 20 Aug 1952. "Paddington, Greenford & Chester": 10 Dec 1956.
185   Milford Haven & Paddington Fish Trains: 18 Mar 1947.
186   Birmingham & Bristol: 18 Mar 1947.
190   To work between Birmingham (Snow Hill W.R.) , Banbury & York: 24 Apr 1951. Erased Aug 1953.
194   Paddington & Neyland: 18 Mar 1947.
195    "Paddington & Penzance": 18 Mar 1947. "Paddington & Penzance, Paddington & Chester": 23 Oct 1948. Photo in RC2 Fig 374.
198   Not to work off WR: 7 Jun 1958.
200   Whitland & Kensington Milk Train: 3 Aug 1947.
138    "To work between Penzance & Cardiff": 9 Aug 1938.
140    "To work 1.25 a.m. Cardiff (MX)1.28 Cardiff Saturday 4.38 pm Neyland (SX)": 1938(?). Obliterated 28 Jan 1939.
141   To work 12 noon Cardiff 7.45 p.m. Neyland 29 Jan 1938. "Paddington & Birkenhead" 14 Apr 1947.
142   Penzance & Kensington Milk Train: 18 Sep 1948.
144   Whitland & Wood Lane": 12 Dec 1936. Penzance .... & Cardiff: Apr 1947. Obliterated Feb 1955. "Penzance & Kensington": 19 Feb 1955.
145    "Milford Haven, Plymouth & Weymouth": 26 Jun 1954.
147   Swindon & Carmarthen: 28 Oct 1947.Photos in RCA2 Fig 375 & 376. This shows it also had "PARCELS TRAIN BRAKE VAN".
149   "Penzance & Kensington": 10 Sep 1955.
151    "Return to Paddington": 30 Jun 1947.
152   Paddington & Carmarthen: 18 Mar 1947. AE West photo Apr 1951 shows coach in crimson & cream with left end W 152 "PARCELS TRAIN BRAKE VAN" and "PADDINGTON AND CARMARTHEN".
153   "Penzance & Manchester Exchange": May 1941.
155   To work on 6.25a.m. Fishguard Harbour to Cardiff & 12.0 Cardiff to Fishguard Harbour [date not legible.] Later Weymouth & Kensington Milk Train (No Date).

[Newportnobby]

Smashing info, Matt, but 'Obliterated 28th Jan 1939' and 'Obliterated Feb 1955' sound very final

[Karhedron]

Smashing info, Matt, but 'Obliterated 28th Jan 1939' and 'Obliterated Feb 1955' sound very final

Don't worry, only the brandings were obliterated. No coaches were harmed in the compiling of this list. 

[Karhedron]

As the above list shows, milk trains were a particular popular work for these vehicles. The picture below shows a typical GWR milk train from the 1930s (the Dorrington Milk). The brake is too far to identify conclusively but it is definitely a Collett full brake.

[Doc Pye]

Great info Karhedron!!!!!!!!! Many thanks!!!!!!!!!!