Mick38

Hooray! Hattons are to produce a range of 4 and 6 wheel coaches! Can barely wait. And congratulations to Hattons for taking this step.

I agree that a GWR slip coach would be most welcome.

I would love to see an accurate version of the GWR 4 wheel coach, and a brake to match. The short Railroad ones scream “toy”.

Hornby produce a RH centenary brake composite. Now that “handing” is being taken seriously, a LH version would be nice. Also a centenary brake third, in both hands naturally.

I agree - a double-ended GWR slip coach is an excellent idea. I wouldn’t expect it to be motorised so that with DCC it could be made to actually operate (now there’s an idea!)

I have discovered the answer in the "blog" of Hornby's new developments. As I suspected, the only differences are iin the off-centre positioning of the roof vents, and the interior fittings of the guards compartment. The GWR made up sets of four coaches, each pair a mirror imge of the other. Full marks to Hornby for pickling up on these fairly insignificant details!

Thank you LC&DR - curious. Surely someone at Hornby knows the reason?

Still leaves the question - how does “handing” apply to non corridor stock?

And furthermore.....Youve got to love the GWR, with their obsession with "handing". I see that Hornby have produced a rake of non-corridor Collett coaches, with both brake end and composite coaches handed (left and right). This baffles me. Referral to the workshop diagrams D98 and E131 indicates that both sides of the coaches are identical; only the interior of the guards compartment might be "handed". Apart from that, the only external difference might be found in the offset ventilators! All credit to Hornby in offering versions in either "hand", but is this the only difference? I suspect that if they didnt, it might upset some purist!

Thank you. My local retailer showed me that in my case it is only necessry to pull the chassis forward to disengage a lug at the rear, as I thought, but I was unwilling to apply the necessary force!

Thank you but I knew that. The question was, how is the handing determined? But I have since discovered, that when viewed from the corridor side, the First class compartments are at the left- or right-hand end. Next question is: how then are the rakes set up? Am I correct in assuming that the First class end would be positioned adjacent to the Restaurant/Dining cars?

Hornby produce both right- and left-handed versions of the GWR Collett composite coaches; what I’d like to know, is how is the handing determined please?

Thanks - maybe I will track them down

Thanks for the reference to Wizard models, but unfortunately I cannot contemplate building coaches from scratch - the painting and lining would defeat me!