Budget BR blue GUVs

Lima and Hornby ‘OO’ gauge Mk.1 General Utility Van models are basic, but enjoy some excellent detailing and is useful rebuilding and repainting material.

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MK.1 General Utility Vans (GUV)in ‘OO’ gauge are produced byHornby, using the Lima tooling, and Bachmann with a completely new model introduced a number of years ago. The latter has more refinement than the former Lima model as one might expect including wheels, bogies and glazing. Despite this, modellers like to work on Lima models when the detail is sufficiently good and the Mk.1 GUV remains a favourite.

So, why would modellers look to upgrade the former Lima model instead of buying the better Bachmann Mk.1 GUV? It is readily available second-hand and sees reissue by Hornby from time to time, making it relatively easy to acquire them for a modest price – perfect for a budget project.

Reworking the Lima GUV model either in its original guise or as a later Hornby release offers the chance to customise them with different markings, numbers and other details observed on the full size vehicles using a low cost base. A fleet of once common but very ordinary, routine vehicles can be collected relatively cheaply. Also, replacement bogies are not absolutely necessary, although the current wheels fitted by Hornby are not of the correct pattern and the Lima ones distinctly coarse. 14mm coach disc wheels with a shorter 25mm axle are required to fit the supplied bogies. ‘EM’ and ‘P4’ gauge modellers do not have this option, however, and replacement bogies are needed to accommodate closer to scale wheels. Yet, despite this, the project to rework three former Lima GUVs to better fit a late 1980s era proved to be relatively modest in cost.