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Hornby Hall Modification


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I purchased the The Tyseley Connection pack with Pitchford Hall included.  I have started the usual mods to "improve" its appearance, smoke box darts, wire handrails on the cab, reducing the cylinder to boiler steam pipes and the tender handrails, lamp brackets and real coal.  However, has anybody removed the ejector pipe running along the boiler, if so any tips please.  I do have a replacement manifold.  Am I right in thinking Chris Leigh of Model Rail performed similar modifications.

 

Mike

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I purchased the The Tyseley Connection pack with Pitchford Hall included.  I have started the usual mods to "improve" its appearance, smoke box darts, wire handrails on the cab, reducing the cylinder to boiler steam pipes and the tender handrails, lamp brackets and real coal.  However, has anybody removed the ejector pipe running along the boiler, if so any tips please.  I do have a replacement manifold.  Am I right in thinking Chris Leigh of Model Rail performed similar modifications.

 

Mike

There was a summary of Chris's mods in a recent Model Rail - might have been the December or January issue, I recall reading it over Xmas.

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I purchased the The Tyseley Connection pack with Pitchford Hall included.  I have started the usual mods to "improve" its appearance, smoke box darts, wire handrails on the cab, reducing the cylinder to boiler steam pipes and the tender handrails, lamp brackets and real coal.  However, has anybody removed the ejector pipe running along the boiler, if so any tips please.  I do have a replacement manifold.  Am I right in thinking Chris Leigh of Model Rail performed similar modifications.

 

Mike

Sorry, I chickened out of removing the injector as its route round behind the splasher is so complicated. (CJL)

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Access to the moulded piping for removal requires lots of patience and care.  I can reach it reasonably well with the boiler removed from the frame but caution is key word.  I am proceeding with the mod little by little but if I ruin the model it won't be the first.  Many many years ago I did the same to the first Bachmann 4-6-0 4MT and it wasn't too bad, remember Crownline.

 

Mike

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Just out of interest Chris, what diameter wooden skewer did you use?

It was late on a Sunday when I found that I didn't have any plastic rod of the right diameter. The skewer presented itself on a Co-op kebab of some sort. It was about 1/8in diameter - the size of the Evergreen plastic tube I'd intended to use. (CJL)

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Given the gnashing of teeth over prices over in the blue box corner I think that models like the Hornby Hall and similar efforts like the DoG, A1 and Crosti 9F have a lot of merit. Yes they are compromised and I'm not going to pretend they are as good as Hornby full fat models or Bachmann, DJM, Heljan etc but what they do offer are very sweet running models which look good and provide a good model at an attractive price. If people are genuinely not willing to pay for full detail models then models like this Hall are a good alternative along with S/H.

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Yes and no. Before “design clever” struck, I got a Railroad 9F. It’s only my own reaction to it but I decided that, whilst it was inferior to the Bachmann 9F, it wasn’t disgraced by it. A lot had to do with the plain black livery, which makes the lack of detail less obvious and, as you say, it’s a very sweet runner. Likewise the Crosti but with the additional comment that, if you want a RTR Crosti, it’s the only one available. For the most part, though, I have avoided Railroad models because of the simplified liveries and lack of refinement.

 

As to DoG, I have reservations about the “design clever” square axleboxes. These show signs of considerable wear after only a couple of hours running. I note that you haven’t mentioned the P2. It has not got square axleboxes but neither does it have brass bearings. Instead it reverts to the older method of machining the chassis across its entire width to seat the axle – a much more durable arrangement, I would have thought. To my mind, the mouldings of the P2 are much more successful than those of DoG but on the other hand, many people, including myself, seem to have found that the motors are very poor and need to be replaced.

 

As regards the Hornby Hall, I decided against one (apart from getting a Hogwarts one for my daughter-in-law, who was much enthused) because a much better Bachmann one was in prospect. What a let down! Much has been made of the error between the frames at the front but, in addition, there’s no provision for a speaker, no fall plate and no cab doors. If Hornby were to replace the steam pipes with separate mouldings showing daylight behind them, put in a decent motor and attend to the livery, I think it would be much superior.

 

So, yes, even if you are particular, cheaper Hornby models can be acceptable but you need to be selective. If you are a bit less particular, I quite agree with you.

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I agree.

 

I think it is horses for courses, but if people really do object to high prices then the former Lima tooling and the Railroad models are there.

 

I must admit I'd never really looked closely at the newer Railroad models until my little boy got an A1 in his train set the Christmas before last, Bon Accord in BR blue. When I looked at it I was much more impressed than I imagined I'd be, the finish is a bit more basic than a full fat model but very nicely applied, the running gear is actually rather fine and very good looking and the running qualities are superb. The main problem (other than the fact that the tender top is from the new build Tornado, I know nothing about LNER engines but even I clocked that) is the absence of cab windows, a rather odd omission given the effort Hornby put into the rest of the model.

 

I have bought a few of the former Lima diesel models and with the Hornby 5 pole motor bogie they run superbly and despite their age they're still offer for the most part models which capture the shape well and which are an excellent basis for detailing. And they're attractively priced as long as they've been down graded into the Railroad range. I was comparing my Limby class 73 with my new Dapol version a few weeks ago and yes the Dapol is much better when examined, but it is surprising how well the Limby 73 has held up after the best part of 30 years (it must be late 80's that Lima launched the 73?).

 

I'd not want to confine myself to these lower cost models, but neither am I above them and I do think they're an option for those who want to opt out of the recent price rises.

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I bought the Hornby "The Tyseley Connection" for less than £130 inc p/p knowing I would be modifying the loco and coaches. I have now removed the ejector manifold without damaging the body, phew TG.  I can understand  Mr Leigh reluctance to remove said manifold as I am now down to the piping running along the frame, this is the tricky bit.  The body finish is self colour probably a Hornby cost saving measure but once its lightly weathered I won't be able to tell the difference.  The coaches are quite good needing IMO only the end and roof pipes to replace with wire.

 

I do have a Bachmann Guild Hall and its its not perfect by any a long way.  The smoke box dart is moulded, the boiler piping is missing other than the manifold.  Although DCC ready fitting a sound chip was a trial.  There is no fall plate supplied loose or fitted.  The tender has moulded handrails all round and is very chunky and worst of all its a terrible runner.  The lining is oversize, but I'll stop there.  Compared to the Hornby Pitchford Hall its a 50-50 situation, but the Hornby Hall runs so sweetly.  So chaps get your craft knife out and start cutting, that's what modellers do, isn't it?

 

Mike

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They must have retooled for the new hall then. My Rood Ashton Hall in the Shakespeare Express pack sounds light years ahead of that. That being said, I do love my Hogwarts Castle hall. I finished the lining, picked out some of the detailing that was just plain coloured, varnished it and sound fitted it. The mounded detail doesnt really bother me as it runs well and looks good to me from normal viewing distances. I am in love with my new King though lol

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Well, if your new King is the gloss King George V or even the blue King Richard II (silenced), I’m not surprised. If your new Hornby King is one of the standard green efforts, then you must have given it the same treatment as you gave to Olton Hall!

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Lol yes it is the Gloss 6000. The others are far too horrible a shade. I will only get the blue ones from Hornby in future. The rest I will get from Hattons. Daves BR Green is bound to be far better than Hornbys.

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I think Dave would have to try very hard to make his green worse than Hornby’s! I have an ancient Hornby GWR King so any new offering would have to be spot on in appearance and running qualities in order to find itself lending a helping hand to the old one. There’s many a slip twixt cup and lip, so I shall wait to see how Dave’s turns out.

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Successful transplants of the Bachmann Manor body to the Hornby Grange chassis has been achieved as shown elsewhere on this forum.  I toyed with the idea of Bachmann Guild Hall body to the Hornby chassis.  I thought it possible with a little butchery but decided against.  The Hornby body has IMO a better boiler shape particularly the underside, the overall detail is finer hence the surgery to the Hall body.  When its finished I will try to post some photos.

 

Mike

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I haven't examined a "design clever" Hall in close proximity, but from the photographs I've seen the only thing that puts me off are the steam pipes. If Hornby changed them from being moulded to separate - pipe shaped - pieces I would happily sit it in the main range.

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