The LMS built coaches to three distinct patterns, known commonly as Period 1, 2 and 3 coaches. The Period 3 coaches were the final development, and the first examples were built in 1933, a year after Sir William Stanier became Chief Mechanical Engineer of the LMS and so the Period 3 coaches are often referred to as ‘Stanier Coaches’. Whilst passenger vehicles were mostly 57ft in length, several specialist types including catering vehicles, Inspection Saloons and Full Brakes were built to a length of 50ft. The vehicles were constructed with wooden frames skinned in steel and with curved windows, providing a modern contrast to earlier types with their wooden bodies and squarer windows. The Full Brakes were used to carry luggage, parcels and other general merchandise and could be found marshalled as part of both passenger and parcel trains, and with their integral guard’s compartment the guard could often be found travelling here too. Many Full Brakes remained in traffic well into the British Railways era and after the demise of steam too, with some examples ending up in departmental or engineer’s use following their withdrawal from revenue earning service.

The Tartan Arrow service was established in the mid-1960s and was a dedicated train for the Tartan Arrow parcels company. The train moved parcels between London and Glasgow for onward distribution across Scotland and South East England. The train was usually formed of container wagons, CCTs and former LMS Full Brakes each decorated in the attractive red and white livery with Tartan Arrow branding. The service continued until the early-1970s, as which point the vehicles returned to general parcels use, often still carrying their distinctive livery.

The Graham Farish model captures the look of Stanier’s design to a tee, with a high fidelity bodyshell featuring expertly moulded handrails, door handles, hinges and even door stops, all replicated crisply on the bodysides. At either end, the LMS pattern gangways are added, whilst end steps are fitted alongside and a metal handrail is included adjacent to them and metal buffers are fitted below. Each window is flush glazed and inside, the guard’s compartment is modelled along with the hand brake wheel. Footboards are fitted along the solebar, below which vacuum brake equipment is present along with the battery boxes, dynamo and other auxiliary gear. The bogies are fitted with metal wheelsets, whilst the standard N scale coupling is attached via a NEM coupling pocket to the close coupling mechanism that is fitted to the carriage floor, which operates in tandem with the bogie. Like any Graham Farish model, this high level of detail is brought to life through the livery application, using authentic colours, logos and fonts making every model a masterpiece in miniature.

MODEL FEATURES:

• Graham Farish N Scale
• Era 6
• Pristine Red & White ‘Tartan Arrow’ livery
• Running No. M31389M
• Accessory Pack
• NEM Coupling Pockets
• Close Coupling Mechanism
• Length 115mm (over couplings)