Dont forget that lighting can change the appearance of colours that are supposed to be the same. The photos of the real coaches are taken in full light/sulight whereas the models are in muted illumination - even just computer simulation. So until you can see the models in real life I would not like to comment. Quoting from E F Carter's Britain's Railway Liveries book - 'Pre 1896 - Coaches were nearly all painted in a bright red-brown with yellow lines round all panels, the lettering being gold (gilt) with vermillion shading. The paint was very highly varnished.' Note they were painted and are not just varnished wood grain.

 

Quoting from E F Carter's Britain's Railway Liveries book - 'Pre 1896 - Coaches were nearly all painted in a bright red-brown with yellow lines round all panels, the lettering being gold (gilt) with vermillion shading. The paint was very highly varnished.' Note they were painted and are not just varnished wood grain.

That's probably what these are then (photos and models), particularly since the photos are of Stroudley coaches.

I keep wondering what the coaches in front and back of the first one pictured are. The brake coach in the distance in the first photo looks cool to me, but I haven't found better pictures of it.

 

The brake coach to the rear appears to be the LCDR Brake third No 114 here Bluebell Railway Carriages - No. 114 . The one at the front seems to be one of the ex Metropolitan Ashbury coaches - note the three level panelling and the white lining. Probobly the all third, or the third class end of either the composite or the brake coach. Note the narrow vertical panel at the end of the coach.

 

The brake coach to the rear appears to be the LCDR Brake third No 114 here Bluebell Railway Carriages - No. 114 . The one at the front seems to be one of the ex Metropolitan Ashbury coaches - note the three level panelling and the white lining. Probobly the all third, or the third class end of either the composite or the brake coach. Note the narrow vertical panel at the end of the coach.

That looks exactly right. Thanks for finding it!

There's a lot of mention of the guard lookouts on those. They don't really stick out much. I've been wondering about that, since I've seen similar low-profile lookouts on several coach types. They don't really look wide enough to get a good view along the train.

Do they have a mirror just inside to make visibility better, or did the guard just have to squish their head right into the side of the lookout to get a view?