Hornby Gresley Coaches into GNR versions (Complete...not quite)

[Jim de Griz]

Thank you Manna.

I've finished painting and lining. They have come out darker than intended but I'm pretty happy overall.

Next step is to fit the glazing and replace the destination boards.

Jim de Griz

[Jim de Griz]

I'm particularly pleased with the Sheffield Stock Brake First.

However, I was definitely too heavy handed with the paint on the open third. Fortunately that isn't really visible at normal viewing distances on the layout.

Jim de Griz

[Jim de Griz]

Well they took ALOT longer than I intended, but they are done.

I am particularly pleased with the Sheffield Brake First

The All Third has also come out fairly well, even if arranging the tables inside proved a little tricker than hoped.

Furnature and tables are from Isinglass. I looked at trying to make my own and decided I couldn't do a good enough job to be worth the time invested.

My old Buffet Car (my first Hornby conversion) also got a bit of an upgrade to match the newer conversions with the doors altered to match GNR prototypes, new brass handles and a refresh of the lining.

Jim de Griz

[Jim de Griz]

With the four coaches complete that means I've now upgraded 9 of the 12 Hornby Gresley coaches.

The Down Express to King's Cross is now complete

4 Hornby conversions + an Isinglass Kit. I do wonder what the first class passengers would have thought about riding in a early 1900 coach whilst the third class brake is a brand new coach on angle iron trussing

The Up Express is 66% done now, though the clerestory roof need a bit more work before I'm completely happy with it.

Only 3 coaches left to do now, all brakes. Current plan is to make a fairly straight forward conversion of one into a Brake Third. The other two, I originally wanted to add an extra compartment to match the diagrams I have for a Composite Brake, but that is looking increasingly complicated so I'm probably going to convert them both into Break Firsts. That is a little naughty as I believe there were only three of those coaches built on a 58ft chassis and it is implausible that all three would end up at the same small Norfolk terminal on the same day.

But, I realy like the look of the coach and I enjoyed converting the last one so I figure who is going to know but me

Jim de Griz

[Dave S]

The Down Express to King's Cross

That's an interesting route...did it cross the Euston Rd...

[Atlantic 3279]

It may not be the accepted railway terminology, but most of us in England North of the home counties only ever go down to (that) London and up to Scotland

[jwealleans]

When I was a resident of Cambridge we went Up to the University and Down to London.

[drmditch]

Likewise from Durham.
Going 'down' at the end of term.
Now being again a resident of Durham, I think of travelling 'down south'.

On my own railway it's also confusing. The 'up' as in southbound direction actually travels downhill, and the northbound direction which should in railway terms be 'down' travels uphill. This is only important when deciding at which end of a 'diverted ECML' formation the first class accommodation should be marshalled. First-class passengers should be closest to the platform ends at Kings Cross. Corridor stock should, of course, travel with the compartments on the east side thus giving the best views for seated passengers.

Does anyone know when the railways adopted the 'up' to London terminology?

(Sorry for an off-thread post. I do like your coach conversions.)

[Dave S]

When I was a resident of Cambridge we went Up to the University and Down to London.

And that's why Cambridge has always played second fiddle to Oxford..

[jwealleans]

And that's why Cambridge has always played second fiddle....

We would never consider descending as far as oxford.

[Jim de Griz]

(Sorry for an off-thread post. I do like your coach conversions.)

No problem at all and thank you

I’m happy to admit that I was extrapolating on the naming conventions for expresses and may have got it wrong. I understood that any train going to London is heading ‘down’ and any train heading away is heading in the ‘up’ direction.

‘My’ Kings Cross - Blakeney express is based off (and in my head forms part of) the Kings Cross - Cromer express that I believe ran via Peterborough. So even though its initial direction of travel is mostly East, when it departs Blakeney it would be the Down Express?

Jim de Griz

[Atlantic 3279]

Apologies for further up-down digression, but East-West routes, between two triangular junctions, both junctions with a line leading to somewhere allegedly more important, can have seemingly arbitrary up/down designations. The line between Grimsby and the triangle formed by Brocklesby, Habrough and Ulceby is a curious case. When the East Lincs line from Grimsby via Louth, Boston and Peterborough was still open, Brocklesby to Grimsby could have been considered "up". Beyond Brocklesby lay Sheffield and Manchester, "top" places in the MS&LR system before adding the London "branch" to Marylebone and becoming the GCR, so Grimsby to Brocklesby might also be thought of as "up". Some were never sure...

[Mercator II]

Would this make both lines in Lincoln Central down? One direction you can go Sleaford, Peterborough KX, the other you can head towards Newark and join the ECML and KX

[john coffin]

The basic rule is that ALL traffic emanates from London, and thus it is DOWN from London and UP to London.

In more distant(sic!) places it, depends on the original line builder, ie GNR or LNWR etc.
So trains from Cambridge to Bletchley went up to Bletchley, and down to Cambridge

Not sure about the rules in Scotland of ex Scottish only railways, i.e from Edinburgh or Glasgow.

SO Trains from Newcastle go up to London and trains to Scotland go UP from KX.

Why should it be easy, it was invented before computers!!!!!!!!!


Paul

[Jim de Griz]

Thank you for the clarification there Paul, I seem to have got it completely the wrong way round!

Jim de Griz