The Hattons genesis range

THE HATTONS GENESIS RANGE

 
Picture this, it's 2020 and era 2 modeling is just getting more popular as more and more ready-to- run models are coming onto the market... But there's a problem... to go along with them you so need some rolling stock.
When it comes to goods, it's very easy for manufacturers to redecorate a wagon or a van, but when it comes to coaching stock it gets a bit more complex.
Around this time Bachmann released their SE&CR bird cage coaches which tough great they have a fatal flaw... THEY"RE JUST TOO LONG, and pre-grouping locos are not, meaning that even larger locos, such as the N class or D class could not have trains of more than 4, and for something like the SE&CR P class at the absolute most 2. This is a problem as it's very limiting when it comes to different train formation, resulting in repetitive consists.
But you know what all pre-grouping railways had... 4 and 6 wheel coaches. These absolutely fix the problem, as in a space where you could only fit 2 of you could fit approximately 4 of these coaches, and unlike bogied stock these have a lot more variety. But all of the pre-grouping railways featured very different designs and a wide selection of compartment and class variations. designing and producing such a missive amount of toolings would not only be very time consuming, but also very expensive and impractical,  especially for the railways with only one or two 
ready- to-run-locomotives...
 
But this is where Hattons found a perfect compromise, by designing getting creative with what they had and limiting themselves to only 8 different toolings.  
 

 

BATCH 1

Batch 1 set off with 8 railway companies, the generator coach and a selection of departmental vehicles. But before I start talking about each set here are some notes:

1. In they're simplest form each set contained the following:

• at least one type of brake third
  
• one full brake
  
• at least one type of third class coach
  
• at least one composite coach
  
• one pack of 4 coaches
  

2.All the packs, with only one exception feature:

• two brake thirds
  
• some kind of third
  
• some kind of composite
  

*NOTE: WHERE APPLICABLE IF THE COMPOSITE HAD 6 WHEELS THE THIRD CLASS COACH WOULD HAVE 4 OR IF THE COMPOSITE HAD 4 WHEELS THE THIRD WOULD HAVE 6

3.For ease of writing I'm going to be using the BR/LNER standard coach coding system, so here are the letters you'll need:

• B - Brake
  
• BG - Full brake
  
• T - Third
  
• S - Second
  
• F - First 
  
• C - Composite
  
• L - lavatory
  

4.There are, what I like to call, false tooling these are alterations of existing toolings which were frequently done, these being the FY and FZ
The FY was made using the CY 4 comp. tooling so only the two center compartments actually have the correct first class seats
The FZ (baggage) was made using the TZ (5 comp.) tooling with the center comp. turned into a baggage one, by painting the two windows matching the livery and then the seats in the other 4 compartments

5.Certain coaches would be duplicated with different numbers along with the different numbers in the packs, I've marked them with a *



LBSCR:-MAHOGANY

AVG price unlit: $60
AVG price lit: $?



·       BTY*
·       TY*
·       FY
·       CY (1st/3rd)
·       BGZ
·       BTZ*
·       CLZ (1st/3rd)
·       TZ*
·       FZ

 

PACK:
·       BTY
·       TY
·       CLZ
·       BTZ
 
 
 
 
 
 
LNWR:-PLUMB AND SPILT MILK

My personal favorite and one of the two tied for having the most coaches

AVG price unlit: $63
AVG price lit: $?



·       BTY*
·       TY*
·       FY
·       CY (1st/3rd )
·       BGZ
·       BTZ*
·       CLZ (1st/3rd)
·       CZ (1st/2nd/3rd)
·       TZ*
·       FZ
 
PACK:
·      BTY
·      TY
·      CZ (1st/2nd/3rd)
·      BTZ
 
 First exclusive, that being the tri-composite with the configuration: 2nd/1st/baggage/1st/3rd
 
 
SE&CR:

By far my most wanted set for my personal collection, the red is just so beautiful!

AVG price unlit: $90
AVG price lit: $?



·       BTY*
·       TY*
·       FY
·       CY (1st/2nd)
·       BGZ
·       BTZ*
·       TZ*
·       FLZ

PACK:
·       BTY
·       CY(1st/2nd)
·       TZ
·       BTZ
 
A strange exclusive is the FLZ, as it's not market as being a lavatory coach on the website
 
 
 
 
 
 
GNR:-TEAK

By far my least favorite, after spending so much time researching the real coaches these look terrible, and unlike the Hornby coaches these have a UV printed teak effect which up close looks really poor!

AVG price unlit: $83
AVG price lit: $?



·       BTY*
·       TY*
·       FY
·       BGZ
·       BTZ*
·       CLZ(1st/3rd)
·       CZ(1st/3rd)
·       TZ*
·       FZ
 
PACK:
·      BTY
·      TY
·      CLZ(1st/3rd)
·      BTZ
 
 Another exclusive, the CZ using the same body as the FZ
 
 
GWR:-CHOCOLATE AND CREAM

AVG price unlit: $55
AVG price lit: $96



·       BTY*
·       TY*
·       FY
·       CY(1st/2nd )
·       BGZ
·       BTZ*
·       CLZ(1st/3rd)
·       CZ(1st/2nd/3rd)
·       TZ*
·       SZ
 
PACK:
·      YBT
·      TY
·      CZ(1st/2nd/3rd)
·      BTZ
 
Two exclusive!!! 
The SZ uses the same tooling as the TZ
The tri-composite uses the same tooling as the TZ and the layout is: 3rd/2nd/1st/2nd/3rd
 
 
SR:-OLIVE GREEN

AVG price unlit: $?
AVG price lit: $?

I have only seen one fore sale once and it was in a lot for parts, so good luck finding one



·      BTY*
·      TY*
·      CY(1st/3rd)
·      BGZ
·      BZ(tools)
·      BTZ*
·      CLZ(1st/3rd)
·      TZ*
 
PACK:
·      BTY
·      TY
·      CLZ(1st/3rd)
·      BTZ
 
The tool van is exclusive and uses the BTZ tooling
 
 
 
 
LNER:-PRE-WAR BROWN

AVG price unlit: $57
AVG price lit: $70



·       BGZ
·       BTZ*
·       CLZ(1st/3rd)
·       TZ*
 
PACK:
·      BTZ
·       CLZ(1st/3rd)
·       TZ
·      BTZ
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
LMS:-CRIMSON LAKE

AVG price unlit: $60
AVG price lit: $96

I've also added the LMS coach codes on the right



·       BGZ - CR
·       BTZ- H*
·       CLY(1st/3rd) Ex CLZ – L&C
·       TZ – F*
 
PACK:
·      BTZ - H
·       CLZ(1st/3rd) – L&C
·       TZ - F
·       TZ – F
 
 The CLY is the only exclusive coach, although it does include all the parts to convert it back to a CLZ
 
 
 
 
 
 
Departmental:

AVG price unlit: $70
AVG price lit: $77

·      BZ (red)

·      BGZ (red)

·      BGZ (olive)

·      BGZ (black)(tools)
 

·      GENERATOR CAR

AVG price unlit: $96
AVG price lit: $?


 


And that's all of them, but what if you're like me and you never got any... The second hand prices are pretty high, in some cases just ridiculous
and so I never had any.. until just a few days ago when I was not just able to get one, but two genesis coaches in the LMS lined crimson.

 









































These coaches are truly phenomenal they are beautifully painted, they have an insane number of separately fitted parts and they run incredibly too, the only thing I could really fault would have to be the lack of kinematic coupling but they are still some of the best coaches money can buy... just not for $90!

Which is your favorite?