Flat End Society

Himself’s occasional trips to Wales to volunteer on the FR have the added bonus of allowing a chance for a little spying in order to find out what’s coming down the tracks towards us.

On this most recent trip he got a glimpse of the second WHR observation car under construction in the carriage works.

It’s clear there are going to be many differences to ‘Glaslyn’, most obviously at the end where it is of a much flatter profile, and the windows are vertical rather than being raked back, as on the original carriage.

I’m fact, the side view shows that is something of a hybrid, borrowing many styling cues from the latest FR observation cars 150 and 152, but retaining the deep cantrail of the WHR carriages and the very shallow domed end on the roof.

Should be a challenge to make.