Peacehaven is an immaginary branch line on the south coast, near to Newhaven. It is a Southern Electric railway and boat trains bound for Newhaven pass close by. The branch handles some parcel traffic, so I considered that a useful addition to the operating fleet would be a Motor Luggage Van (MLV).

Ten of these vehicles were built by BR in 1959/1960 and were amongst the most versatile of DC electric trains. Mk I body shells were used, cabs being provided at each end, together with the necessary multiple unit electric jumpers and air pipes. Power supply was 750 volt DC 3rd rail and the units were also fitted with traction batteries, enabling them to undertake shunting away from the conductor rail. Braking was by the then-standard automatic air and electro pneumatic (EP) brake. A vacuum exhauster and vacuum braking system were also fitted so the MLVs could operate hauling vacuum or air- braked stock. The two 250HP traction motors gave enough power for a 100 ton tail load, making it possible to haul parcel traffic.

The MLVs could, of course, work in multiple with the Southern fleet of electric multiple units (EMUs). Deployment was often on boat trains during the day, formations comprising up to 14 coaches (2 MLVs + 3 x 4-car EMUs). At night, they could operate singly or in pairs, hauling wagons or vans on parcels services.

And so to construction. The very economical range of Lima Gauge O coaches are based on the BR Mk I body profile and it occurred to me that these may be suitable as a basis for construction. Conveniently, the ‘brake compartment’ vehicles in the Lima range have very long luggage sections and so two vehicles cut in half and mounted back-to-back looked as though they would fit the bill! The positions of the luggage doors do not exactly match the full size examples but are sufficiently close that the character of the vehicle is retained.

Part of the bodyside has features not on the Lima vehicles and this is dealt with by the use of thin (0.4mm) plastic card to represent the area where the traction batteries are housed and to cover the unwanted window openings. The motor bogie employed is one of the excellent Easy Build products, built up from a kit.

Note that the central floor section of the Lima coaches is 6mm lower than the ends; accordingly, two spacer blocks are needed to make up the thickness. These can be made from scrap plastic 20 x 20 x 6mm. Please see the diagram. Glue these to the floor close to the vehicle centres.

The next stage is assembly. Butt-up the two coach halves, making sure everything is straight and square and fix together with solvent adhesive. Place the aluminium structure inside the floor, drill and bolt in position at the end and centre positions using 2mm setscrews and nuts. To provide the correct bodyside detail, cut two pieces of 0.4 mm plastic card 95 x 42mm, two pieces 40 x 42mm and 12 pieces 25 x 7mm. Using rubbing down paper or a smooth file to provide a good surface, flatten down the body side paintwork in the area of the battery compartment and at the vehicle centre. Fix the plastic card over the relevant area with solvent plastic adhesive.

The larger pieces blank off the window openings where the battery compartment is to be located.

The other two 42mm pieces fit in the centre of the bodyside, to cover the unwanted window openings and improve the strength of the structural joint. The battery compartment covers are represented using the 25 x 7mm pieces, six being fitted below the waist rail on each side of the vehicle.

The cabs of the MLV are flat-fronted and so you will need to cut off the vestibule connections from the ends of the Lima coaches and file the face smooth to form the basis for the cab front.

The end mouldings of the Lima coaches are black and I suggest these are initially painted with a light coloured matt paint to make the marking out of the end windows easier. The cab windscreen and headcode marker openings can then be marked out prior to cutting out. This is done by drilling through and using a coping saw and needle files to make the correct sized 11 x 18mm windscreen apertures. Repeat the process for the cab side windows and also the window in the cab door at the non-battery end. The bodyside will need to be scored to represent this extra door.

I fitted headcode numerals and lighting to the previously made apertures in the cab ends, using the method described in the Gazette, November 2022. The back bulkheads of the cabs are made by cutting two pieces of scrap plastic card 48 x 30mm and gluing these inside the roof section to form the partition. These can be painted in the cab interior colour.

Cab front detail comprises the jumper sockets, receptacles and air pipes. Make these from offcuts of scrap plastic, such as sprues from kits, glued into position. The jumper cables and air pipes are short lengths of insulated electrical wire. In the absence of vestibule connections, buckeye rubbing plates are needed. In the real- life trains, the function of these plates is to prevent vertical disengagement of the couplers.

Make up two plates from pieces of scrap plastic angle, and glue these to the front buffer beam at each end.

The MLVs carried several different liveries during their working lives, so you have a lot of choice for the finished painting. Apply appropriate transfers for lettering and roundels. The transfers I have used come from the HMRS (Historical Model Railway Society) range. The cab windscreens can be glazed after painting. All the other glazing is provided when the original Lima roof is fitted. This incorporates the glazing of all the side lights as part of the moulding.

Fit couplers of your preferred type. On the Peacehaven layout, I use Kadee couplers as resemblance to the buckeyes which were used on the prototypes. Finally, fit the bogies and connect the electrical circuits. For DC operation, the bogie pick-ups, headcode lights and motor circuits are all connected in parallel. Make sure the headcode LEDs are at the correct polarity. Pop on the roof and the MLV is ready to run. Enjoy!