Brown, Marshalls & Co. coaches.This three-compartment First and matching Third are based on drawings in Daniel Kinnear Clark’s seminal work Railway Machinery, published in 1855, which contains exquisitely detailed engravings of vehicles like the ones illustrated here, apparently reproductions of original works drawings made by Brown, Marshalls & Co. The drawings were traced directly from an original copy of Railway Machinery into CAD, and then printed in 22-thou etched brass for soldered construction. The models are fitted with ball bearings to enable haulage by single-wheeler locomotives like Megatherium. Although not dated, the drawings represent late 1840s practice. The First has glazed windows and even droplights in the doors. The Third is very similar to the surviving LNWR ‘Wappenham’ coach (see below) and the window openings in the side panels are probably a later modification. It is unlikely that the ‘windows’ were glazed at the time, although wooden boards might have been supplied to allow passengers to block out some of the weather (and the light!). Clark does not attribute these carriages to any particular railway, although Brown, Marshalls built vehicles for many lines. Since they were located in Saltley, Birmingham, it is reasonable to suppose that these particular carriages at least crossed LNWR metals and they are shown here in LNWR colours recommended by Kenneth Wood.

This Brown, Marshalls & Co First was also built from a drawing in Railway Machinery. It is finished in a deep blue which is based on the colour of a very similar First at the Swedish Railway Museum in Gavle, Sweden. Although that particular coach is attributed to the railway works at Trollhatten, Sweden, it is known that Brown, Marshalls also supplied coaches in the early days of the Swedish Railways, so the choice of this colour for the model is not entirely fictional. Anyway, it looks nice!