Product Preview: N Scale Mk1 Post Office Tender Coaches
The next new coaches to arrive for the Graham Farish range of N Scale models will be BR Mk1 Post Office Tender Vans! These newly tooled models depict the diagram 732 variant of these vehicles, which were used along with the previously modelled Post Office Sorting Vans (POS) as part of Travelling Post Office (TPO) trains.
The Graham Farish BR Mk1 POT Post Office Tender (Stowage) Coaches were first revealed last year in the above YouTube video
These Mk1 Post Office Tender coaches feature the high levels of detail that turn all Graham Farish models into masterpieces in miniature. The roof features moulded ventilators, whilst the sides of the coaches feature doors surrounded by handles and grab handles, with engraved grilles next to the bodyside windows. The corridor gangways at the end of each coach have doors with flush glazed windows which are surrounded by lamp irons and metal grab handles on either side.
The bufferbeams at each end of the coach feature ETH connections on the bufferbeam, with NEM coupling pockets mounted to the underside of the chassis using a close coupling mechanism. Under the solebar along the coach, there are truss rod frames and battery boxes, vacuum cylinders and other auxiliary equipment. The coaches are carried by B5 bogies and these are fitted with metal wheelsets..
Ten diagram 732 Post Office Tender Coaches were built by BR’s York Works in 1969 to be used as part of Travelling Post Office (TPO) trains. They were intended as a place to stow the postage that had already been sorted in the adjacent POS Coaches, and were designed with three recesses along each side which would have allowed tranductor arms to be fitted, although none of the coaches built to this diagram had them fitted. Usage of TPOs lasted until 2004, at which point 8 out of the 10 diagram 732 TPOs were still in use. Two have been preserved.
BR Mk1 POT Post Office Tender (Stowage) BR Blue & Grey (R. Mail)
Our first Mk1 Post Office Tender coach is POT vehicle No. W80423, which is decorated in BR’s Blue and Grey livery with Royal Mail branding.
| Era | Running No. | Product Code |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | W80423 | 374-965 |
BR Mk1 NTX (Ex-POT) Post Office Tender (Stowage) BR Blue & Grey (RM)
Our next Mk1 Post Office Tender coach, No. W80424, is also decorated in BR’s Blue and Grey livery with Royal Mail branding but is categorised with the TOPS code NTX.
| Era | Running No. | Product Code |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | W80424 | 374-965A |
BR Mk1 NTX (Ex-POT) Post Office Tender (Stowage) Royal Mail Letters
Our next pair of Mk1 Post Office Tender coaches are also NTX vehicles and are decorated in Royal Mail’s red Letters livery.
BR Mk1 NTX (Ex-POT) Post Office Tender (Stowage) Royal Mail TPO
The penultimate pair of Mk1 Post Office Tender coaches are again NTX vehicles which are decorated in Royal Mail’s TPO livery.
BR Mk1 NTA (Ex-POT) Post Office Tender (Stowage) Royal Mail (EWS)
The final pair of Mk1 Post Office Tender coaches are categorised under the code NTA, and are decorated in the Royal Mail livery with EWS branding and blue ends.
These Post Office Tender coaches will be making their way to Bachmann stockists over the next few months, and we’re delighted to announced that we’ve been able to bring the price of these models down and we’re passing that saving on to you! The RRP for each model is now just £44.95, a reduction from the initial price of £48.95 when the models were first announced. Head over to the Bachmann Europe website where you can find more information about the full range and once you’ve selected your models, get in touch with your nearest retailer to order yours!
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