4mm scale mass-produced ready to run EMUs - Hornby Brighton Belle

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	The release of Hornby's Brighton Belle was formally deferred from 2011 to 2012 and the first version, representing the 1969 blue & grey incarnation, appeared at the end of February 2012. The umber and cream version, representing a 1934 condition unit - the year the service was renamed from the Southern Belle to the Brighton Belle - was released in the middle of March. Hornby's locomotive hauled Pullman coaches set new incredibly high standards in ready to run coaching stock and the Southern's multiple unit Pullman - from new tooling as the coach side profile is not the same - largely inherited these standards. Those that know their Belles will immediately notice the lack of curtains that ought to appear on these models. However, this attractive prestigious model will appeal far and wide, not just to Southern enthusiasts.





	In the shops from late August 2014 was an early 1960s version, the significant differences being revised designations for the third/second class cars, grey roofs and elongated Pullman crests on the cab fronts. Both "Brighton Belle" and "Victoria - Brighton" roofboards are supplied for the purchaser to fix, however photographic evidence indicates that only the former was used by this time fixed predominantly, but not exclusively, to the right hand brackets on each side (as pictured here).

	Four years later Hornby brought out its 1967 version with a small yellow warning panel, again unit 3053, R3606 power cars pack and R4871 trailers pack. There are some differences to previous production runs, at last there are curtains at the windows, roof boards now come ready fitted and the unit is no longer coupled with electrically conducting handed couplings. One bogie on each car now has electrical pick-ups for the table lamps, which illuminate whenever track power is on with both DC and DCC.The models, which now have NEM coupler pockets come factory fitted with continental type interference couplings. Slim tension link couplers are provided as an alternative but they do not couple the cars so closely.