I was pleased to add BFK 17107 to my other recently purchased Mk2b accurascale coaches so as to make a nice rake of up to eight vehicles. The detail is exceptionally good and just as I remember of the prototypes from the active rail enthusiast days of my youth!
The fine detail on the underframe as a whole is astonishingly good, but noteworthy its legible and crisply defined lettering, both printed in white on blue and moulded on toilet water heating control boxes, is stunningly good, particularly when viewed under a magnifying lens.
The provision of buffers in both the retracted position (for when buckeye coupled to another vehicle), and, in their usable, saddle fitted extended length (for when **** coupled to another vehicle or locomotive), is an exceptionally nice touch. And, those buffers are just right, the shape, tapers and curvatures of the heads is spot on. Well done!
However, one detail that I certainly don't recall from my youth is the lack of Inter-City labels on the sides of the vehicles accurascale have represented from, I presume, their first entry into service. I thought that this branding was applied to all Mk2 types from the air braked Mk2a variants (onwards) once they entered service following the vacuum braked Mk2(s).
I may well have this wrong, and even though I recall these vehicles being hauled by Western hydraulics of class 52 I just never saw the Mk2b's at an early enough time to have registered this in my head. But either way it made me buy this IC branded example to supplement the non branded BFK 14111 that I received first after preorder.
One other labelling issue that, to be honest, grates a tad is the location of the vehicle number on the van end of the coach. Aesthetically BR made the effort to apply these squarely under the nearest window or a blank panel between windows, and, or doors. On the other side of the coach the fleet number is properly fitted squarely beneath the lavatory window, but this should be the same on the van end, squarely beneath the right hand end van window (in the side corridor). That the number is actually offset to the right of the window just looks wrong, it rather spoils the look and given this didn't generally happen in reality does somewhat slightly tarnish the look of this otherwise fantastic model.
I love the idea of a choice of curtain 'styles' to attach into the first class compartments, but, to be honest, as these vehicles' 1st class compartments when in blue and grey livery had orange curtains for the duration it is a bit of a faff to have to stick them in; but, good they are, so it's not really a criticism, although advice as to how to best do this curtain hanging is sadly lacking on the otherwise informative booklet of vehicle history and exploded diagrams of each vehicle model.
All in all, another excellent accurascale model, as with my other Mk2b's. Can RTR coaches in OO gauge get better than this? I have my doubts.
