Hi All
I’ve had a throat infection meaning no modelling for nearly 2 weeks but i’m now getting back into the swing of things. The story behind the following actually originated from a discussion about class 105’s at New Street. While they did put in appearences they were something a bit different. By my era though they were no longer to be found in the midlands. Or so I thought.
Searching for class 105’s I found this picture of a class 105/100 Hybrid at Tysley. Theres another picture of it still at Tysely in October 1986 and the unit lasted well past mid 1987 so I decided it would be something a bit different.
Pic © Andy Cole @ Andy’s Trains and used with permission. For more of Andy’s pictures see http://www.flickr.com/photos/67444577@N02/
While the 105 is nice to have its not exactly special in model terms, being a pays your money, tip it from the box affair but the 100 is something a little more interesting. The prototype being built by Gloucester Railway Carriage and Wagon Company in the latter half of the 1950’s, some only lasted about a decade before withdrawals started. This one 53355 lasted until 1988 and was the last of its class in revenue earling service. It was also the last DMU to run on the national network that didnt have onboard tail lights. Its class mate 56301 was the first DMU vehicle preserved.
I ordered a spare hornby 110 body for a few quid so, with not a lot to lose by having a go, I set to work on producing a drawing of both classes to see which bits I had to move and which i could keep. The drawing is below
On Wednesday the 110 body duly arrived and was duly assaulted with a razor saw and scalpels, below shows the bits I left in place.
Above the class 100 Jigsaw showing the re-arrangement of the bodysides. I also removed the window frames at this point. Next to go were the roof vents and the end domes, to be replaced with spare DC kits ones. I figured that it would be easier to remove the smaller headcode boxes from the DC kits domes than reprofile the existing roof. The joins were filled and sanded and then a quick coat of primer to check how it all looked. More filling and sanding was required. I picked up a power twin class 105 and set to work making the Hornby body fit the Bachmann chassis. The buffer beames were cut off and new ones made from a bit of microstrip.
Close up of the front showing the new buffer beam and new buffers with their mounts.
Great progress already, should make a fascinating unit, one which will cause a second glance from the platform end faithful.
Thanks for an interesting wander through some old notebooks. 105 would a regular at BNS thought I, at least not a surprise, weren’t they quite common at Nuneaton. Not so says my record. The only one I can definitely put closer than Leicester was a set on a LR- Hinckley pek hour working in 85 that returned ECS for a Cambridge service.
The notes I have show pretty solid 120, 116 & 101 which doesn’t mean they didn’t work as I have clear memory, but does mean they weren’t, as you say, that common. Would’ve been hens teeth by the date of P4 New Street.
One oddity that I was really surprised at though was a Newton Heath 104 on 20/7/81 which was aMonday
50565, 59210, 50577 tantalisingly without any reference to what working as I just took numbers then. Perhaps a 304 substitute?
And no sooner do I press send and return the books to the shelf do I see another notebook.
5/8/83 56134 & 50377 strengthening the usual 120 on table 18. As I thought, around enough not to surprise but too uncommon to be everyday. This ones a Friday so just an ordinary day and certainly there was nothing else particularly special around.
What has been nice is to see how much more common 40s were than I recall and wonder at the luck of seeing that rara Avis, a 37, at Nuneaton in early Aug and again September yet what chance that it should be 37104 (prob MR) on both occasions.
Kev
Hi Jim,
Have a bit of a fancy for the somewhat utilitarian Gloucester 100 sets – ideal for transition era Central Belt Scotland.
Your route whilst daunting is probably better than the MTK alu body route… hmm. One for me to bear in mind. Another of my ‘one day’ notions. 🙂
Can I ask, please- are your headcode box frames made up from strip plastic?
I’ve a 108 set to backdate which needs these reinstated, and I’ve had an eye out for an etch, or something thinner/neater than what I could form from plastic.
Perhaps but as mentioned the spare 110 bodies are pretty cheap so its worth having a go. The headcode is just microstrip filed down when set to make it thinner.
Hi Jim.
I remember see the Class 100’s and always that they had very box like cabs. I am great fan of DMU hybrids as they add interest and were fairly common. I would have never thought of using a Class 110 as basis for one of these units however it appears to work.
I noticed in the photo that there is a Class 504 i the background any idea why it was at Tyseley?
Keep up the good work
Nigel.
Hi Nigel
Wheel turning sounds like a good theory
Cheers
Jim