You Love '2c' It - Announcing The Accurascale Mark 2c

[Warbonnet]

Following on from our highly anticipated Mark 2b coaches, we are excited to reveal the latest addition to our eagerly-anticipated range of 4mm/OO gauge Mk.2 coaching stock, the late-style Mk.2c variant with their characteristic small 'air con'-style toilet windows.

If you paid attention to our sister brand IRM, then you will have spotted that the Mark 2c coaches were popping up in exotic liveries such as Irish Rail and Northern Ireland Railways. We tooled both types together, giving us great flexibility in our Mark 2 range and offering variants never previously offered in ready-to-run (RTR) format or coaches that have not been available in RTR for decades.

So, it's great '2c' them finally emerge in OO/4mm, but what are they exactly? Let's look back on their history...

CLICK HERE TO PRE-ORDER YOUR MARK 2C COACHES

Prototype History

Initially considered a follow on order of the Mk.2b and classified as such, the 250 Mk.2c vehicles built at Litchurch Lane, Derby, during 1969-70 were quickly redesignated as a sub type in their own right. Three of the configurations, Tourist Second Open (TSO), Corridor First (FK) and Brake Corridor First (BFK), were operationally identical to their predecessors, while the Brake Open Second (BSO) variant returned to the fleet having been skipped for the Mk.2b order. A fifth type, an Open First (FO), completed the range, and was introduced to supplement and replace ageing Mk.1s usually partnered with catering vehicles.
The Mk.2b was expected to be retro-fitted with air-conditioning when it became available, a modification that never took place, and following builds were to be installed with this feature from new. However continuing delays sourcing the equipment resulted in the Mk.2c being another stop gap with the intention – yet again – of fitting it in due course. To make this conversion easier the design was modified, which notably included removable roof access panels and lowered interior ceilings to accommodate the ventilation ducting. The alterations were in vain as the kit was never installed.

As well as the roof panel, the dome vents of the earlier Mk.2, Mk.2a and Mk.2b were replaced with three different types throughout the build, with the FK receiving both ‘GM’ and Roe-Vac TW50 vents, the former being similar to that found on the cab roof of a Class 37, amongst other locomotive types. The FO and BSO were both fitted with the Roe-Vac type, while the BFK and TSO were initially installed with the comically large ‘G’ vent as well as the ‘GM’ and Roe-Vac.

The final spotting feature only applied to the final 150 vehicles built, which were fitted with a smaller, squarer toilet window not dissimilar to that found on later air-conditioned stock. This variant is described by us as the primary spotting feature to distinguish Phase I from Phase II vehicles. There was also a separate rectangular vent positioned above at the right hand end only, and in the same corner on the non-toilet side. Many of these were later plated over as corrosion issues plagued the fleet. All five types were fitted with the smaller window in varying numbers, with all BSO and FO coaches being so equipped.

While the Mk.2b had been primarily allocated to the Western Region, all but 30 BSO in the Mk.2c order were put into service on the London Midland, being immediately associated with pairs of double-headed Class 50 locomotives on the accelerated WCML Anglo-Scottish timetable, as well as electric-hauled Euston-Liverpool/Manchester services. The remainder went to the WR and were partnered with other Mk.2 variants on Paddington-Bristol, South Wales and West of England trains. All were delivered in blue/grey and the second half of the build were the first to wear the famous Inter-City branding from new.

The introduction of the air-conditioned Mk.2d, Mk.2e and Mk.2f along with HSTs on the WR in the middle of the 1970s saw most of the Mk.2c cascaded to secondary Inter-City and inter-regional services, although brake vehicles in particular seemed to find themselves regularly rostered in formations of air-con stock. In 1977, eight TSOs were sold to Israel Railways, while a further seven FO/TSO were acquired by Northern Ireland Railways in the 1980s to supplement the operator’s existing Mk.2b/c ‘Enterprise’ fleet, three examples being rebuilt as 80 Class DEMU cars as replacements for bomb-damaged vehicles.

In the early 1980s, 30 TSO were converted as mini buffet cars – redesignated TSO(T) – with a small counter and a trolley space and these versatile coaches quickly found themselves allocated to all five regions, notably becoming almost the sole catering provision on Waterloo-Exeter and internal Scottish Region diagrams. Three further types were introduced in the middle of the decade, SK and SO (declassified from first class, and later dominating on cross-country trains), and a Corridor Composite (converted from FK) also for Scottish Region services, complete with ScotRail branding.

Of the rest of the fleet, the TSOs were still principally allocated to the LMR, with the rest north of the border and a handful on the Trans-Pennine route. Meanwhile, the BFK and BSOs were spread to all corners of the network, while the remaining FK were primarily split between ‘The Mule’ (Waterloo-Exeter) and cross-country/Trans-Pennine operations. Liveries included Network SouthEast, Provincial and, even, Inter-City Executive on many of the BFKs. In the early 1990s several also gained Regional Railways, while at least one BSO gained the Swallow variant of InterCity.

By the end of the decade withdrawals were beginning to bite. Irish Rail, never one to pass up a bargain, even snapped up seven Mk.2c FO and FK straight from the scrap yard, along with further nine coaches of earlier marks. Repainted in the classic orange Intercity scheme they were used on secondary services to Drogheda, Galway, Limerick, Tralee, Westport and Waterford until the early 2000s.

As ‘Sprinterisation’ gathered pace the number of retirements increased. Between 1989 and 1993, cross country, Trans Pennine, internal Scottish and Network SouthEast loco-hauled trains were almost entirely axed leaving BSO No. 9458 as the sole representative of the once 250-strong fleet in daily BR service, principally mixed in with Mk.2a stock in the North West. The huge number of vehicles being axed at the same time was a bonanza for BR’s departmental sector which grabbed a selection of vehicles for use as dead loads in test trains and for other purposes. Most only had a short life before being stopped again.

There was something of a reprieve in 1996 as the new shadow South Wales & West franchise hired in a small fleet of Mk.2b and 2c coaches from a predecessor of West Coast Railways to replace its fleet of Regional Railways Mk.2a stock that had been transferred away. Returning to the main line that summer they worked diagrams that took in Manchester Piccadilly and Birmingham New St-Cardiff Central, Cardiff-Bristol Temple Meads and Bristol/Westbury-Weymouth mostly with Class 37/4 power. Taken over by Prism Rail’s Wales & West franchise in October 1996 the Mk.2b and 2c coaches continued in regular operation until replaced by DMUs in September 1999. After a short time out they were back in action in South Wales from 2001 under the aegis of the new National Express-operated Wales & Borders franchise, and the coaches were used extensively on Rhymney-Cardiff-Fishguard trains until replaced by ex-Virgin air-conditioned coaches in 2004. The coaches returned to WCR at Carnforth and several saw regular railtour use right through until the early 2010s.

The Model

Our Mark 2c coaches build on the research from our Mark 2b coaches, with both variants surveyed together as we embarked on creating a wide reaching and flexible tooling suite for these missing links in the Mark 2 coach family. This was achieved using surveys of numerous surviving vehicles around the UK along with works drawings and even a partial 3D scan to ensure that the characteristic tumblehome and shape of the ends is as accurate as possible.

The survey extended to the interiors with particular attention being paid to differences of interior layout, seating styles and areas like the TSOT across the range.

A perfect complement to our Mark 2b range which is currently in production, we kick off the 2c range with 10 differently numbered coaches in the iconic BR Blue/Grey livery. The Mark 2c was quite varied, with Tourist Second Open (TSO), Corridor First (FK), Open First (FO), Brake Corridor First (BFK) and Brake Open Second (BSO) formats. In the 1980s four further types were introduced, SK and SO (declassified from first class), Corridor Composite (converted from FK for Scottish Region services) and a mini buffet with trolley space, known as TSO(T). All nine of these versions feature in our tooling suite.

Common Features:

• Highly-detailed OO Gauge / 1:76.2 Scale Models on 16.5mm track
• Extremely fine exterior rivet detail on roof and coach ends
• Separately-applied etched metal and high-fidelity plastic parts, including handrails, brake/steam heat pipes, ETH cabling and sockets, footsteps, dummy drophead knuckle coupler, and roof vents
• Prism Free Glazing
• Pre-painted etched metal water filler covers provided for customer to install
• Fully-detailed underframe with numerous separate parts, pipe runs and accurate differences between versions
• The most accurate B4 bogies ever produced, with provision for re-gauging to EM or P4 (18.83mm) gauges
• Blackened RP25.110 profile wheel-sets with 14.4mm back-to-back measurements, and 26mm over pinpoints
• Different buffers for retracted and non-retracted positions
• Accurate interiors with characteristic 'winged' headrests, separate metal interior handrails on the brake and corridor vehicles and fully-detailed guard's compartment
• Correct height NEM standard coupling sockets with mini tension lock couplers and kinematic close-coupling
• Easy conversion to Kadee-compatiable knuckle couplers
• Full lighting package, including
• magnet 'wand' controlled interior lighting
• 'Stay-Alive' capacitor in all coaches
• Minimum Radius 438mm (2nd Radius Set-track)
• Coach Length: 269mm

These coaches are primed for production and will begin once the Mark 2b production run is complete. They will arrive in stock in Q4 2023 and are the same great price of just £59.95 each and 10% off when you order direct via the Accurascale website.

You can spread the cost using our flexible payment terms over 6 months or less, depending on your requirements when ordering direct via our website. Just click on the basket at checkout and follow the simple steps.

Pre-order yours via your local stockist, or direct by clicking right here!

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[Robert Shrives]

Looking good for the banger blue boys (and girls!), as noted on FB  maxpax any type -all tasted  the same from the TSOT, but will the poor electrics that plagued the real ones with flat batteries a big problem be replicated with random switch offs !!   Funnily I was looking an N gauge Hurst etch of a MK2c brake just yesterday.

Robert 

[RedRich]

Excellent men, they will look great with a class 50. Good times ahead.

Rich

[BRBlue]

A very welcome addition to the range. I have order some already and am looking forward to NSE versions.