Our Mark 2b and 2c Coaches Are Back With New RTC Pair Exclusives

[Warbonnet]

Back by popular demand are our highly acclaimed Mark 2B and Mark 2C coaches, covering variants not included in Run 1. This new release brings fresh liveries never seen before—and of course, offers the perfect pairing for our BR Class 50s, among other classic BR diesel and electric locomotives!

Leading this exciting new run is a twin pack of Mark 2B coaches in the iconic Railway Technical Centre (RTC) livery of red, white, and blue, with distinctive yellow ends.

"But wait!" you may bellow. "You cheeky chappies have done these very coaches before—as a limited edition!"

Well, you’re partly right. These are indeed the same two coaches, but this time they represent a later phase in their RTC service, with various lettering painted out.

Primarily used as brake force runners in test trains, the coaches lost their original lettering around 1991/92. Coach ADB 977528 remained in this livery at the Midland Railway Centre at Swanwick Junction until it was recently disposed of.

The Model

Our RTC Mark 2B coach pair maintains the unbeatable museum-quality and specifications of our existing Mark 2B range, including:

• Highly detailed OO Gauge / 1:76.2 scale models for 16.5mm track
• Exceptionally fine exterior rivet detail on roofs 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
  • Roof vents
• Prism-free glazing
• 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
• Blackened RP25.110 profile wheelsets, with:
  • 14.4mm back-to-back measurements
  • 26mm over pinpoints
  • Optional retracted or non-retracted buffer styles
• Accurate interiors featuring:
  • Characteristic 'winged' headrests
  • Separate metal interior handrails (on brake and corridor vehicles)
  • Fully detailed guard's compartment
• Correct-height NEM-standard coupling sockets with:
  • Mini tension lock couplers
  • Kinematic close-coupling
  • Easy conversion to alternative NEM-compatible couplers

Full Lighting Package Includes:

• Magnet 'wand'-controlled interior lighting
• ‘Stay-Alive’ capacitor in all coaches
• Free-running track pickup

These RTC coaches are available only as a twin set, exclusively via our website, delivered in special presentation packaging and complete with a certificate of authenticity.

Delivery is scheduled for Q3 2026, alongside the rest of the Mark 2B and 2C range, which we be revealed later this week. The RTC Exclusive Twin Pack is priced at £159.95.

Pre-order yours today using the link below!

Pre-Order Your RTC Exclusive Twin Pack Here!

 

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[Mol_PMB]

Hmm, the red looks a bit too bright to hook behind a Hunslet. Maybe some early NIR examples are waiting in the wings though… 

[DJ Dangerous]

If these are anything like the last batch of RTC coaches, they’ll be something special.

Were there only two of these in RTC livery?

Is the €90-ish per coach reflective of the general trend for future pricing?

[Mol_PMB]

22 minutes ago, DJ Dangerous said:

If these are anything like the last batch of RTC coaches, they’ll be something special.

Were there only two of these in RTC livery?

Is the €90-ish per coach reflective of the general trend for future pricing?

There were more Mk2s in RTC livery, but some of them were other types of Mk2 (e.g. there was one of the very early Mk2 FKs with the different windows).

At one time I worked at the RTC and I've been on a few test trains, but the classic RTC livery had mostly gone before my time.

[DJ Dangerous]

32 minutes ago, Mol_PMB said:

There were more Mk2s in RTC livery, but some of them were other types of Mk2 (e.g. there was one of the very early Mk2 FKs with the different windows).

At one time I worked at the RTC and I've been on a few test trains, but the classic RTC livery had mostly gone before my time.

What sort of train composition was there?

I’ve seen coaches, vans, locos, and even a single APT coach, but never understood what would have been coupled to what, nor why.

[Mol_PMB]

44 minutes ago, DJ Dangerous said:

What sort of train composition was there?

I’ve seen coaches, vans, locos, and even a single APT coach, but never understood what would have been coupled to what, nor why.

This is a short question with a very long answer!

There was a fairly large fleet and it was used in all sorts of different formations and in different ways. Broadly the RTC train activities could be divided into 3 groups:

1. Track or infrastructure measuring trains, which ran regularly to monitor things like track geometry, rail cracks, overhead catenary, structure gauging. Each train would have one or more test cars and some support vehicles with staff messing facilities, perhaps also some other vehicles to provide brake force. Some had a driving car to enable them to be propelled. These would have reasonably consistent formations.
2. Test cars used for assessing the performance of new or modified locos or rolling stock, things like ride performance, brake tests, traction power. Often operated as single vehicles together with the wagon or loco under test.
3. Test trains associated with research programmes. These would be developed and formed up to suit the needs of each research programme. When the tests had been completed the train would be split up and the vehicles might well be re-used for other purposes. Examples of research programmes included the Tribometer (wheel/rail adhesion tests), radio communications, developments of improved freight vehicle suspensions and the validation of computer models such as Vampire, and many aspects of the APT development.

This website gives a good overview of the RTC activities and has many photos of different types of test train:

Testing home page

Hope that helps!

 

 

[DJ Dangerous]

28 minutes ago, Mol_PMB said:

This is a short question with a very long answer!

There was a fairly large fleet and it was used in all sorts of different formations and in different ways. Broadly the RTC train activities could be divided into 3 groups:

1. Track or infrastructure measuring trains, which ran regularly to monitor things like track geometry, rail cracks, overhead catenary, structure gauging. Each train would have one or more test cars and some support vehicles with staff messing facilities, perhaps also some other vehicles to provide brake force. Some had a driving car to enable them to be propelled. These would have reasonably consistent formations.
2. Test cars used for assessing the performance of new or modified locos or rolling stock, things like ride performance, brake tests, traction power. Often operated as single vehicles together with the wagon or loco under test.
3. Test trains associated with research programmes. These would be developed and formed up to suit the needs of each research programme. When the tests had been completed the train would be split up and the vehicles might well be re-used for other purposes. Examples of research programmes included the Tribometer (wheel/rail adhesion tests), radio communications, developments of improved freight vehicle suspensions and the validation of computer models such as Vampire, and many aspects of the APT development.

This website gives a good overview of the RTC activities and has many photos of different types of test train:

Testing home page

Hope that helps!

 

 

Fabulous, thanks!

Will have a look when on the computer.

[Northroader]

You could get the blue and red on Mark 1s as well. The story goes there was this derailment up Ebbw Vale steel works. Some 100ton bogie oil tanks broke loose and went out of the end of the siding. They were loaded with 3500’ oil which was being warmed up for discharge, and one of the pipes underneath got knocked off, and all the b***** oil ran out and set. When it’s cold it’s thicker than tar, very black and very sticky. There was a blizzard going on, so it got covered in snow. The breakdown gang got the tanks back on the line, by which time oilskins, boots, were completely f*****, and the inside of the two coaches (old bow ends) ruined.

so we got two mark ones in the wagon shop, strip out, mess, riding, tool, and packing store conversion. No drawings, you just wing it. To finish off we just painted out the grey upper panels, and did them red, as an arty hand book “the corporate image of BR” said that was the scheme for service vehicles. Once they were seen out and about at Canton the people at Derby Tech centre complained we had taken their livery, and we should have done them plain red, but red and blue was how they stayed.

[Mol_PMB]

The RTC painted all sorts in blue and red, including Mk1s / Mk2s / Mk3s, an autocoach, various types of wagons, locos, even the prototype Maglev. 
The later livery as a variant of the Intercity scheme was quite good too. 
By my time it was mostly Railtrack lime/blue, Serco red/grey, AEAT blue, or later NR yellow. 
 

I have fond memories of testing the two Mk2 coaches in the first edition of the NMT at 140mph. 

[Mol_PMB]

Given that this is an early announcement of the specials in Batch 2, I can't help wondering whether the main content of Batch 2 might include some early NIR maroon and blue stock. The relevant mouldings for the initial Mk2B deliveries have been done already, it's just a different paint job.

Over on RMweb, AS have hinted that there aren't any more NIR grey/blue liveried Mk2s in the immediate plans.

[BosKonay]

The accurascale ‘main range’ will be announced in the coming days and a new NIR run a bit closer to the Hunslet landing. Hope that helps 

[Patrick Davey]

21 minutes ago, BosKonay said:

The accurascale ‘main range’ will be announced in the coming days and a new NIR run a bit closer to the Hunslet landing. Hope that helps 

Nice!!!

[Mol_PMB]

17 hours ago, DJ Dangerous said:

Fabulous, thanks!

Will have a look when on the computer.

This is the sort of rake an RTC Mk2 could turn up in... looks like someone went through the bargain bin in their local modelshop and came out with a load of mismatched carriages and an alien loco:

 

[DJ Dangerous]

31 minutes ago, Mol_PMB said:

This is the sort of rake an RTC Mk2 could turn up in... looks like someone went through the bargain bin in their local modelshop and came out with a load of mismatched carriages and an alien loco:

 

Exterminate, exterminate!

[skinner75]

45 minutes ago, DJ Dangerous said:

Exterminate, exterminate!

Reminds me of a Minion!

Edited 9 hours ago by skinner75