Guest spet0114 Posted July 7, 2018 Share Posted July 7, 2018 Having seen the photos of the new, uber-expensive A4/Dyno coach set from Locomotion, I was struck how many locos with a glossy finish Hornby are putting out these days.It then put me in mind of the period during the early-mid 70's, when Triang-Hornby (later Hornby) had a similar 'glossy' period and we saw a number of old favourites in shiny, laquered finishes. This co-incided with the introduction of Nickel-tyred wheels and produced, to my mind, a very attractive batch of models. Over the years, I've been accumulating a small collection of them. It's worth noting that the 'shiny' treatment wasn't given to all models - for example we (sadly) never saw Flying Scotsman so attired. First up - the Caledonian single. This was available in this form for a short period around 1973. Apart from the slightly oddly-shaped funnel, I think this is probably the most attractive release for this perennial product. (Apologies for the slightly out-of-focus photo). Next, the L1. Available around 1972 (you can find them in both Triang-Hornby and Hornby boxes), this was one of only two appearances for this loco before the moulds were sacrificed to produce the mediocre LMS 2P. Such a shame as it's a really nice loco and the gloss makes it look beautiful. Finally (for the moment) the good old industrial tank in the attractive SDJR-esque livery. It was a latecomer to the party, released between 1976 and 77. So far, the final appearance for this loco - I often wonder if the moulds have survived and Hornby will one day issue an updated version. One can but hope... Other locos that fit into the 'shiny' category are the short Princess (in LMS livery), Evening Star and the Lord of the Isles. The latter is a bit of a doubtful inclusion as the pony wheels were (as far as I can tell), not given nickel tyres. Maybe in time I'll add one of these to the collection. Ok, that's enough of my ramblings.CheersAdrian 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kernowtim Posted July 7, 2018 Share Posted July 7, 2018 I'm sure a school friend had a glossy Hornby flying Scotsman , left that school in 1981 though.. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sncf231e Posted July 7, 2018 Share Posted July 7, 2018 (edited) Two more shiny ones, Sir Dinadan and LNER tank: Regards Fred Edited July 8, 2018 by sncf231e 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest spet0114 Posted July 7, 2018 Share Posted July 7, 2018 (edited) Two more shiny ones, Sir Dinadin and LNER tank: Regards Fred Sir Dinadan is definitely on my 'to-get' list. Didn't know the LNER tank got given the treatment. It's now on the list! :-) Also, the M7 in it's 245 guise - completes the trio of shiny southern locos. Edited July 7, 2018 by spet0114 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steamport Southport Posted July 7, 2018 Share Posted July 7, 2018 I'm sure a school friend had a glossy Hornby flying Scotsman , left that school in 1981 though.. I think you're right. My brother had one. I'm thinking about 1976ish. http://www.hornbyguide.com/item_year_details.asp?itemyearid=77 Jason Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hroth Posted July 7, 2018 Share Posted July 7, 2018 Poor Sir Dinadan, the N15 that dare not speak its name! Its nice to see the Triang 3F tender behind Sir D and the L1... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steamport Southport Posted July 7, 2018 Share Posted July 7, 2018 I plan on doing a proper N15 as Sir Dinadan one day. Just to make up for the atrocity than Hornby committed. Another "glossy" one I can definitely remember was 70013 Oliver Cromwell. Possibly the last version of 4983 Albert Hall as well, before it changed to Kneller Hall which was dull. Jason Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BernardTPM Posted July 7, 2018 Share Posted July 7, 2018 Personally I prefer the 1960s black wheels and satin plastic finish. As far as I remember the gloss finish afflicted almost the whole range of steam locos with the exception of black goods engines and even they had shiny wheels. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Il Grifone Posted July 9, 2018 Share Posted July 9, 2018 (edited) Poor Sir Dinadan, the N15 that dare not speak its name! Its nice to see the Triang 3F tender behind Sir D and the L1... One wouldn't expect Tri-ang to make a new tender, when they already have one! To be fair, it's more like the Southern tenders than the Midland one it was supposed to be. (As in nothing like....) The shiny effect is a matter of taste, but, since it came courtesy of a thick layer of varnish, I'd rather not. I would agree the model is better as an L1 than a stretched 2P. (The exta 2mm on the coupled wheelbase really shows.) Edited July 9, 2018 by Il Grifone Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Il Grifone Posted July 22, 2018 Share Posted July 22, 2018 Checking my collection, I have BR and LNER Scotsmen, Evening Star and a Class 31 diesel in gloss finish. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nearholmer Posted July 22, 2018 Share Posted July 22, 2018 (edited) The M7 was available shiny, and to my mind looked particularly awful, because the plastic seemed almost translucent ..... it looked as if it was made from wax (I think that technically some plastics are cross-linked wax, but that's not what I mean). Even at the time, as a mere yoof, I thought it looked b.....y terrible. This ebay listing makes it look less horrible than it does in reality https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Tri-ang-Hornby-M7-Tank-0-4-4-SR-Locomotive-Green-number-R868A-Southern-328/263825002437?hash=item3d6d320fc5:g:6DQAAOSwt5Balc9H More broadly, I quite like shiny when done well, which the triang ones definitely weren't, especially black locos, however unrealistic it is. Edited July 22, 2018 by Nearholmer Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Il Grifone Posted July 23, 2018 Share Posted July 23, 2018 (edited) I forgot I have a shiny Southern Railway L1 and M7 too*. The shiny phase didn't last long. it was probably one of those things that seemed to be a good idea at the time! They soon dropped it (after they got the bill for the varnish?) * I've also an N15, but she had received a coat of matt green paint before I acquired her. Edited July 23, 2018 by Il Grifone Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BernardTPM Posted July 23, 2018 Share Posted July 23, 2018 I seem to recall they went for a matt varnish after that before finally realising a proper paint finish was better all round. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Il Grifone Posted July 31, 2018 Share Posted July 31, 2018 (edited) Here's the GWR 8750 pannier tank in shiny finish along with a Jinty in a funny red colour*. In reply to a couple of the comments: Yes the real thing was shiny ex works (even in BR days) but it didn't last long and coal is shiny (especially anthracite) and was usually kept wet to keep the dust down. The model is not bad but suffers from the use of the standard Tri-ang chassis**. *I suppose it's supposed to be crimson.... This might have been carried when she was built in 1926 (very unlikely, but it is a toy and children are supposed to like colours - I would have been most upset to discover it was incorrect!), but not post 1934 when she carried this number. It should be 16something (couldn't be bothered to work it out!) and have LMS in a panel on the bunker. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LMS_Fowler_Class_3F#/media/File:LMS_0-6-0T_3F_locomotive,_16564_(CJ_Allen,_Steel_Highway,_1928).jpg ** Wrong wheelbase (even for a Jinty), 2mm too high and far too many wheel spokes for a start and why did they put the coupling rod joint in the leading section when on most locomotives it was in the rear section? (15 for a Jinty (corrected in later models) and 14 for a 8750). Perhaps one shouldn't be too pedantic about a Tri-ang Hornby model! Edited July 31, 2018 by Il Grifone Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hallmodelspares Posted August 1, 2018 Share Posted August 1, 2018 The E2 has a gloss style southern dark color variant with green lining probably the last release of the model. Many halls were gloss aswell never seen a gloss ivatt class 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Il Grifone Posted August 2, 2018 Share Posted August 2, 2018 I think the Ivatt Class 2 appeared after the gloss mania had passed. (I could be wrong, as I haven't checked.) She didn't interest me at the time, as I was into EM 1920s GWR back then and the model isn't one of Hornby's better efforts anyway. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cypherman Posted August 29, 2018 Share Posted August 29, 2018 Hi all, They removed all rivet detail from the Sir Dinadan tender to make it look like it was welded. here is the original 3F tender with all it's rivets, https://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rmweb.co.uk%2Fcommunity%2Fuploads%2Fmonthly_06_2014%2Fpost-17793-0-28045900-1402908064.jpg&imgrefurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rmweb.co.uk%2Fcommunity%2Findex.php%3F%2Ftopic%2F86971-henry-comes-to-carmarthen-junction%2F&docid=CxcJqNfwJQjxRM&tbnid=TrkDgCEFKfdEyM%3A&vet=10ahUKEwjOhv2akpLdAhUkKsAKHTecBqgQMwhiKBwwHA..i&w=1024&h=592&bih=864&biw=1920&q=triang%20deeley%203f&ved=0ahUKEwjOhv2akpLdAhUkKsAKHTecBqgQMwhiKBwwHA&iact=mrc&uact=8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BernardTPM Posted August 29, 2018 Share Posted August 29, 2018 (edited) The smoothing was originally done for the Southern liveried L1 but the same smoothed tender body was used for the LMS 2P as well. Edited August 29, 2018 by BernardTPM Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Il Grifone Posted August 30, 2018 Share Posted August 30, 2018 The real tenders were flush riveted I believe not welded, not that you can see the difference. i don't know why they bothered with the rivets in the first place as the 3F tender didn't have them (It's actually closer to a 4F tender, but it was probably easier to model). They could just as easily have made a model of a 4F in any case. Incidently the 3F 43775 had already been scrapped when Tri-ang produced their model of her. The choice of a different number could have been one with 4' 11" wheels which would have been a bit less underscale. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hroth Posted August 30, 2018 Share Posted August 30, 2018 I think the Ivatt Class 2 appeared after the gloss mania had passed. (I could be wrong, as I haven't checked.) She didn't interest me at the time, as I was into EM 1920s GWR back then and the model isn't one of Hornby's better efforts anyway. The Ivatt Class 2 I have is what I'd describe as a matt "soapy" green, but at least the motion and wheels are shiny... The one in black looked a little better! The one thing about its mechanism is that because it has an X04, it goes on for ever! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolseley Posted September 17, 2018 Share Posted September 17, 2018 I just bought myself a shiny Southern liveried L1. I'm not too sure why.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hroth Posted September 17, 2018 Share Posted September 17, 2018 I just bought myself a shiny Southern liveried L1. I'm not too sure why.... Given the width of the driver tyres, you wanted a steamroller? My L1 is a very old, battered BR Green example, with very unshiny wheels. Its an almost authentic end-of-steam representation.... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BernardTPM Posted September 17, 2018 Share Posted September 17, 2018 That's one of the disadvantages of the shiny wheels. When they went to open spokes very early in the 1960s they made the wheels a bit finer than they had been in the '50s, but when those same wheels got shiny tyres they showed how far out they still were. Quite apart from the gloss laquer that's one reason I prefer the '60s models to the '70s ones. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Golden Fleece 30 Posted September 17, 2018 Share Posted September 17, 2018 (edited) It seems strange that both Hornby Dublo and Tri-ang (00 and TT) did issue locos for a time in gloss but I don't remember seeing Marklin etc doing it. It could be because I was never interested in foreign ones and that only one shop in York had a little Marklin in that I remember. It is nice to have the odd one as an ex works loco, in fact only today I have sprayed two locos with a gloss finish. I will say it is not often I leave the smokebox gloss though preferring to give that a satin finish as here with a Dublo Castle or a TT King.Garry Edited September 17, 2018 by Golden Fleece 30 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Il Grifone Posted September 24, 2018 Share Posted September 24, 2018 I just bought myself a shiny Southern liveried L1. I'm not too sure why.... She is rather attractive. Mine still needs the correct tender. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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