I just acquired this fine old Bassett-Lowke teak litho No. 1 gauge third class composite coach made in the 1920s. But it doesn't look like anyone's been riding in this car for a long, long time, except perhaps some ghosts!
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I love it!
Jim,
That's a cool picture.
I agree with Jim...also, a cool passenger car.
BL made some cool stuff. Nice coach!
Originally Posted by Rob English:
BL made some cool stuff. Nice coach!
Rob, I think it was actually made by Bing for Bassett-Lowke...according to Count Coluzzi BL was not making any No. 1 gauge coaches to go with their No. 1 gauge locos by the late 20s because 0 gauge had taken over at least as far as thier production was concerned. I also got a great No. 1 LMS dining car along with this lot that apparently was made for BL by Carette. If you have the Coluzzi book see the bottom of pages 78-79.
Jim,
the LNER coach is Bing for Basset Lowke, it is from the series commonly referred to as the 1924 series as that is the approximate date that they started producing them. By 1931 BL started producing their own (Northampton made) coaches in gauge 0 but in the 1933 catalog they are still showing the Bing coaches in gauge 1 tinplate. The LMS diners as well as the LMS Mail pickup cars in both gauge 0 and 1 were made by Northampton from the tooling that BL had acquired from Carette when he was forced out of business (around 1915 or 1916) LMS was formed in the grouping of 1923 when all the smaller companies were absorbed into 4 large companies, LMS, LNER, Southern and Great Western.
Roland
Thanks for the information, Roland. This is the B/L LMS diner...a really beautiful car. The six wheel truck frames and wheels are cast metal.
Jim,
Nice LMS diner, I have the gauge 0 version. One thing nice about the gauge 1 Bing for BL coaches, many of them came with interiors and opening doors (which yours has if I am not mistaken), the gauge 0 coaches did not. But there is a shorter Carette series from 1915 in both 0 and 1 with functional doors and interiors in pregrouping livery (LNWR, MR, GNR and GWR) they are very scarce, I have been fortunate enough to find a rake of LNWRs. I have seen the diner in hand painted Southern livery attributed to BL, but may have been done by someone else.
Roland
Originally Posted by Jim Kelly-Evans:
Originally Posted by Rob English:
BL made some cool stuff. Nice coach!
Rob, I think it was actually made by Bing for Bassett-Lowke...according to Count Coluzzi BL was not making any No. 1 gauge coaches to go with their No. 1 gauge locos by the late 20s because 0 gauge had taken over at least as far as thier production was concerned. I also got a great No. 1 LMS dining car along with this lot that apparently was made for BL by Carette. If you have the Coluzzi book see the bottom of pages 78-79.
Jim, I was not clear obviously... I am glad Roland cleaned it up for us even further. I do not know too much about Gauge 1 stuff (read that as NOTHING), but the cars are BL as the final seller...
I have a couple Bing for BL locos from the period in Gauge 0. This stuff is very interesting and pretty scarce in the US.
Another beutiful piece Jim. The Halloween type interior is an added bonus! 
