Guys I need a little help. I just acquired 3 Hornby tinplate 4-wheel Pullman coaches that I have tentatively identified as M1 coaches. I checked the Binns Road site and they show them as dating from 1931 - 1956 depending on details. I have two, that I believe are post war as they actually showed in a picture in my Hornby O'gauge reference as part of an M1 set in 1954. However the third coach appears to be from an earlier era due to it having the drop link couplers as opposed to the automatic couplers and a longitudinal ribbed roof vice the cross ribbed roof. Pictures will tell story below. Just wondering if you have any further data on these. Frenchtrains provided me with an electronic copy of the 1959 French Hornby catalog but these Pullman's do not appear which seems to fit with the reference material stating that they were withdrawn in 1956.
Anyway here are the pictures:
Here is the side livery, all cars have the same. Clearly French Hornby as they all state "Fab en France, Mecanno, Paris" on one end and "Serie Hornby" on the other end. Note also the two languages on the side, "Voiture Pullman" and "Pullman Car"
Now here is what I believe to be the later roof. It has cross ribs, is very smooth, and you can see the "automatic coupler" exhibiting the 45 deg cut in the upper wire link that appears to date it from 1950 on.
Below is what I am speculating is an earlier roof. It has two longitudinal "ribs" and two simulated knobs or screw tops but the roof is not attached with screws or bolts. Next picture shows the coupler.
The car with what I believe to be the earlier roof is equipped with the small drop link coupler which my reference dates from 1928 through (either 1931 or 1936 I have two different dates one from my Hornby book and one from the Binns Road web site). This leads me to believe that this is an earlier vintage car from the other two despite exactly the same lithographed livery.
So it appears that I have 3 French Hornby Pullman all with this blue/cream livery but one of them may be of an earlier vintage than the other two. None of these cars has plastic wheels which were available from 1951. What do you think??
Thanks for the help
Don McErlean
