MK3 Coaches - New Tooling

[M. Matthews]

Can anyone tell me which liveries the new tooling mk3 coaches are available in? I bought some mk3 intercity sleepers recently but they were definitely an old Lima tooling despite being new from the shop.

Thanks

[HST Mainline]

"New from the shop" does not mean new from the factory. The models can stay for a very long time in the shops. It is perfectly normal to "risk" buying older models as new if they have been in the shop for years.

If you go to the online shop, you can select "Collections" from the shop menu and select "Mk3 Coaches". For the coach of interest, scroll down, you will see a "New Tooling" badge next to the coach description. But not always(!)

If the badge is not there, take a look at the picture of the coach, new tooling will have NEM-couplings with kinematic. This means that the couplings are not attached to the boggies but to the body of the coach.

Scrolling further down, you can check the length of the coach, new tooling will be 30.3 cm long (equivalent of a 75 feet long coach) (as well as some older variants).

As you can see, there is no definitive answer, you will get the best answer if you provide a specific product number so someone can check. It is my understanding that the majority of coaches out there (at this moment) are not new tooling, since most of the new tooling have not arrived yet.

[ellocoloco]

I think the problem is that you have bought Mk3 sleepers. I don't think these have been updated for some time and I don't think they are likely to be now that the sleeper services are using the Mk5 coaches and models of these have been produced by Accurascale.

Most of the currently available Mk3 and MK3SD coaches will be new tooling but check the technical specs as HST mentions above.

[M. Matthews]

Thanks for your responses.

Bit annoyed as the price I paid for them (£45 each) suggested to me that they would be new tooling. Now I have no idea how to dismantle them for detailing and I was hoping those lighting strips would go in. I know they can still be fitted but it looks like the new tooling doesn’t require dismantling for a battery change.

[M. Matthews]

Just thought I’d add to this thread. Does anyone know if the linked mk3 coach is a Hornby or Lima tooling? Just that the Hornby tooling is easier to get the body off for detailing versus the Lima tooling where the roof comes off which seems impossible to do without damage.

Thanks

https://www.hattons.co.uk/1199317/hornby_r4296a_po04_mk3a_rfb_restaurant_first_buffet_in_intercity_swallow_livery_10225_pre_owned_/stockdetail

[Going Spare]

According to Pat Hammond's British Model Trains catalogue, when R4296A was produced between 2008 and 2010, the only ex-Lima tooling in use was for the TGS and SLEP so the restaurant/buffet car would have come from Hornby's own 1999 tooling.

[M. Matthews]

Many thanks, I had analysed the pictures in a bit more depth and came to the same conclusion. I have now pressed the buy button!

I was just slightly unsure as the buffet coach that came with my EWS managers train was an old Lima tooling which was very difficult to open up, resulting in minor damage.

Cheers!

[AndyMac1707817969]

Did the old Lima tooled ones not have the buffers moulded as part of the body while the Hornby ones were separate and could be removed.

[M. Matthews]

Whilst that is correct, the Hornby releases with the Lima tooling have been adjusted slightly and the buffers are also separate.

I’ve come across so many variants now that it’s become a bit of a mare trying to build a rake. So far I’ve found:

1: The original Lima tooling which has the glazing attached to the roof and needs to be popped out of the windows to remove the roof. Big D couplings.

2: The Lima tooling under Hornby branding. Dismantling is the same but as the glazing is more flush, it is extremely difficult to take apart. Airfix style couplings on the bogies.

3: The Lima tooling under Hornby branding. As above but with NEM pockets.

4: Hornby tooling where the body and roof unclip in one piece. Nice and easy. Airfix style couplings.

5: Again, as number for but with NEM pockets.

6: New Hornby tooling with the kinematic couplings and battery compartments

7: Doesn’t really count but… The Oxford rail tooling which I understand is now owned by Hornby.

Just to complicate things further, I have two different releases of Intercity Swallow MK3’s which fall into category 5. Exactly the same tooling but the stripes have been painted at different heights so they don’t match up and different tones of yellow for the first class strip.