Matrix Thompson coach formations

[Dave4468]

While coach people are about.

What are the Collett Sunshine coaches and how are they different to the Collett coaches from MT via Marketplace? Are they even different?

[sean53]

While coach people are about.

What are the Collett Sunshine coaches and how are they different to the Collett coaches from MT via Marketplace? Are they even different?

I'm no expert but what I was told many years back by an old GW guard, Sunshine stock was large window Collet corridor stock. Introduced for the premier expresses in the 30's. The Mt Colletts are all large window ones but to different Diagrams than the ones supplied in the Rivera route as far as I know, and more of them. 7 I think. They MT ones look far better to my eye, anyone noticed the tiny wheels, pre-collet over size buffers, wrong roof profile and huge subframes off the Forth bridge amongst other things on the Rivera ones. Dont use them myself

[Drogba11CFC]

Were the Thompson ones used on cross-country workings, or was it the Gresley ones?

[sean53]

I think both. Mike Hendle will have the info in his copy of L.N.E.R Passenger Trains and Formations 1923-67. I think if I recall right it has info for cross country. Seen lots of photos with Gresleys on the "Pines" down to Bournemouth. Also the odd Thompson. Once saw a Gresley third in a siding at Penzance in the 60's

[michaelhendle]

The Cleethorpes - Leeds cross country was Thompson Stock ,Cross country trains could be either all THOMPSON,ALL GRESELY and after 1958 a mixture of Mk1 Gresely and Thompson,

The majority were Gresely sets,the Thompson Coaches seem to have been used on more important ECML trains,and a couple of Liverpool Street Services

a typical Eastern Region interegional CROSS COUNTRY Train, up to 1958 was either all Thompson or all Gresely or mixture of both BSK,CK,RU,SK,SK,SK,BSK,with a SUMMER ADDITION OF BSK,CK,SK,SK,BSK

After 1958 most cross country trains were Mk1 BSK,SK,TSO,CK,CK Gresely RU,TSO,TSO,SK,BSK

The broken up sets were then used as strengtheners or kept in sets for summer holiday excursion trains

The Newcastle -Bournemouth train was alternate days a Maunsell SR Set,and ER Gresely set

Mike

[michaelhendle]

Hi Sean

Yes you are right,after withdrawal from the Eastern Region in 1960, some Thompson Coaches were transferred to both the Western Region and London Midland Region.

Mjke

[marcusboon]

Topic should really be LNER formations…
After the introduction of the first Mk1 coaches from the early fifties most express and fast ER/NER trains were formed of a mix of Gresley and Thompson coaches, together with the odd Mk1. Trains made up of ‘pure’ Thompson stock were rare after the introduction of the Mk1’s, and as Michael Hendle pointed out today, the majority of ex-LNER corridor coaches were Gresleys. So in my opinion to run trains that look right the Thompson coaches should at least be joined by the Matrix Gresleys (also with the Just Trains K4 and forthcoming V2) and ideally also by the Gresley coaches released by Digital Traction (LNER Teak coaches and LNER Tourist coaches, now on sale…!).

While coach people are about.

What are the Collett Sunshine coaches and how are they different to the Collett coaches from MT via Marketplace? Are they even different?

The Collett ‘Sunshine’ coaches released by Making Tracks (and now on Marketplace) are a diagram E153 BCK, D124 BSK, E154 CK, E162 CK, A22 FK, H57 RC and C77 SK. Gordon always gives the diagrams he is modelling. The Collett 'Sunshine' coaches released by DTG (Exeter-Kingswear and the 'Star') are (I think) a D127 BSK, E158 CK and C77 SK (that looks like it incorrectly uses the body of the CK...).

Marcus

[sean53]

C77 SK (that looks like it incorrectly uses the body of the CK...).

Marcus

Wow missed that one Marcus. If its a C77 it should have 4 windows in the middle corridor section not 3. Only other Sunshine third I know is the C81 and that's nothing like the DTG one either. Looks as if they did use the CK body