Mk4 bodge - mad idea or doable?

[Noel]

The mk3 thread triggered this. Even though it's not my era, and I only have a single 201 (222), I have fancied the idea of occasionally operating a rake of IE mk4 suedo look-a-like coaches behind the green/grey 201. The livery is instantly recognisable. But I am not keen on the long scale coach lengths so I was considering shortening Hornby Mk4s and respraying. My thought was to cut out one window section, a cut and shut to shorten the model coaches so they would look better going around typical curves on model layouts, and being shorter could fit a rake of 6 or seven coaches in stations. Mad idea or doable?

 

I know to some it might seem sacrilege to have non scale lengths, fewer windows, and the BR mk4s are not the same bodies as IE mk4s, but might they not at least have a passing resemblance to an IE mk4 set if I also bodged a half decent DVT nose out of plastic card or even carved balsa skimmed with glass coating?

[Blaine]

This post is both puzzling and amusing.

 

You are all for raising the standards in model railways and now are here suggesting a backward step is taken, back to the standards of the 1970's and before.

 

Instead of speculating about it - do it. If it pleases you, mission accomplished

[Glenderg]

Either make an attempt to get it right or respray it to look like a MK4 - that seems to be the contention here.

 

In order to get something akin to an irish MK4 you'd have to cut the end off anyway, infill the end with a flat piece and attach a cosmetic rubber corridor connection. How you'd deal with the coupler (either standard or kadee) sitting within the corridor itself is an engineering challenge alone.

 

chopping lumps of the coach to suit isnt going to work either. You'd end up cutting and shutting the roof, the body, and the underframe - and it's unneccesary.

 

The BR MK4 coach is close enough to the IE version that only the window spacing is wrong.

 

Do like everyone else and try not to stress about it - spray it to match and put all your efforts into getting a DVT somewhat right.

 

R.

[Riversuir226]

 

Wouldn t it make more sense to put it with a rake of cravens or mk 2's? The rpsi have both and its could be an rpsi charter?