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Hornby Class 423 4-VEP


Adam1701D
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I don't think it's been picked up on here yet (if it has, I apologise), however, Hornby had a test shot of a 4-VEP TS bodyshell (plus some interior mouldings) on show at DEMU last weekend.

 

Although unpainted, the detail looked spot-on to me and this looks to be another excellent Southern EMU for you lucky OO types! biggrin.gif

 

Anyone get a piccy?

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I saw the test shot but no photo, sorry.

 

It is of the original layout with large brake van. EDIT - sorry must have imagined this! I had a discussion during the show with several people about the large brake vans and must have had that on my mind.

 

Incidentally, loads of 4 VEPs lasted long enough with the original van to carry Network South East livery. Only around half had been rebuilt by 1990 and photos of unmodified ones in NSE colours exist.

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I saw the test shot but no photo, sorry.

 

It is of the original layout with large brake van.

 

Incidentally, loads of 4 VEPs lasted long enough with the original van to carry Network South East livery. Only around half had been rebuilt by 1990 and photos of unmodified ones in NSE colours exist.

 

The vehicle on show was the chassis and interior and glazed EP1 shell of the Trailer Second ( or standard ) or TS. Missing were the B4 bogies and some of the u/frame detail parts as well as the roof vents and door furniture( holes in the roof and doors for positioning though )

 

Also on show was a Test Shot of the Refurb'd MBSO seating unit with small van area and extra seating area and a Test Shot of a MK6 Motor Bogie .. these would look stunning under a 73 too ( Ohhh please, please, Simon )

 

Mike

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Looking good so far, indeed the only worry I have is how well applied the NSE livery will be. Hornby's record on NSE livery accuracy has been utterly appalling up until now unfortunately. As it is I already have plans to repaint two of these, one in blue/grey and the other in blue/grey Gatwick service livery.

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Looking promising! My reservations lie with what mechanism Hornby are going to place under it.

 

I am absolutely positive that the body moulding and finishing will be top notch. No worries on that score! B)  

 

I did recently send an email to Simon Kohler asking if he was in a position to tell us what the mechanism is going to be but, as yet, I have had no reply - unusual as Simon is usually very quick to respond (I can only assume he is very busy at the moment).

 

 

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Also of note are the moulded on door hand grabs. Like the missing 'toplight' posts, I hope these get done to the latest standard, and would espect them to be sorted out. It looks to me like this is an early test moulding and as such I don't think we can take any of the detail errors seriously. But overall shape does look right to my eyes.

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Looks good, just one thing though, I hope they'll remember to put the vertical window frame post above the horizontal post. VEP's did not have hopper vents as the test one shows.

 

Those would have to be part of the glazing in any case, as we need to get the distinctive stepping of the two sides of the (non-opening as in the real thing!) vents.

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Also on show was a Test Shot of the Refurb'd MBSO seating unit with small van area and extra seating area a

Now that is good news B) B) B) I hoped the Hornby NSE one would be the refurbished type, so my Replica/MJT one would be different :)

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Now that is good news B) B) B) I hoped the Hornby NSE one would be the refurbished type, so my Replica/MJT one would be different :)

 

Likewise very happy that the talk around the range launch of there being a refurb has been proved true. Definitely an NSE one (or 2) on the cards to get SWT branding! Just need them (or an LTD) to do SWT proper next year!

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Here's a shot of the TS that I'd sat on an occupation chassis for a snap. Not the best photo.

 

post-1-127698811783_thumb.jpg

 

Click to enlarge.

Looks good, just one thing though, I hope they'll remember to put the vertical window frame post above the horizontal post. VEP's did not have hopper vents as the test one shows.

Those would have to be part of the glazing in any case, as we need to get the distinctive stepping of the two sides of the (non-opening as in the real thing!) vents.

Thanks Andy, the bodyshell looks very promising indeed.

 

But getting the window details correct will be important. As kintbury jon says, the top part of the large windows were sliding vents divided in the middle, and I too expect these to be shown as part of the glazing. But they did open once upon a time.

 

However, later in life, a number of units saw the large (two part) windows replaced by a single large sheet of glass (mostly on BI allocated units IIRC). These were done before refurbishment, so there were also refurbished units running around in mixed condition because the MBS rarely went back into its original unit, so an MBS' windows could be different to the rest.

 

As far as hopper windows are concerned, although no VEPs were so fitted, CIG 7391 did get hopper vents in one DTC after a fire, I think at Haywards Heath.

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Further oddballs in the VEP fleet were one unit that had all its internal partitions stripped out in one DTC/DTS long before the 4-VOP concept came along. Then there was the mixing of open plan DTS's from VOP's and DTC's from VEP's to produce half and half mongrels in the closing days of Connex rule.

 

Another oddball was the VEP that had a 4-TC driving trailer inserted in it and ran as such for many years, indeed I believe the driving trailer still exists somewhere.

 

The CIG with the hopper vents was indeed a Ashford rebuild and used CEP hopper vents and tinted glass, it became 1864 at Brighton in later years and on a hot day a burning smell could still be detected inside the affected DTC.

 

Finally I recall a unit numbered 1800 in the Phase 2 refurbished 4-CIG series running on Brighton turns, the thing is it was three cars of a VEP with a 4-CIG trailer (may have been the undamaged leftovers from the Purley crash?) but because only VEP's with their internal door handles and window bars were allowed on the East Grinstead branch and CIG's were not it had to take a number in the CIG series to avoid it getting sent down there, therefore unique being numbered according to the minority of its formation.

 

There is a lot of modelling potential in the VEP's and I can forsee a LOT of money leaving my wallet when they arrive and that is just for all the paint and transfers I will be needing!!

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Another oddball was the VEP that had a 4-TC driving trailer inserted in it and ran as such for many years, indeed I believe the driving trailer still exists somewhere.

 

 

You're right, I travelled on it once. It was DTSO 76275 and retained the original bulbs too even though the rest of the unit was refurbished wwith fluorescent tubes.

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You're right, I travelled on it once. It was DTSO 76275 and retained the original bulbs too even though the rest of the unit was refurbished wwith fluorescent tubes.

This was always a favoured vehicle to sit in when the unit in question turned up - deep padded seats, wood trim and tungsten lightbulbs instead of formica and flourescents in the rest of the unit. Latterly with Connex South Eastern, the unit survived until the final mass withdrawals of slammers began in 2004, making it by my reckoning the last tungsten-lit vehicle in everyday main line service.

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Those would have to be part of the glazing in any case, as we need to get the distinctive stepping of the two sides of the (non-opening as in the real thing!) vents.

 

I spoke to Simon Kohler at Perth today and he assured me that the glazing unit would incldue the vent details.

 

He was also keen to emphasise that this is a very early test shot, so will change before production.

 

Here are some(dodgy hand held) close ups. I think the front end works very well.

 

post-7346-127766482904_thumb.jpg

 

post-7346-127766484425_thumb.jpg

 

post-7346-127766480428_thumb.jpg

 

I was very impressed and I'm looking forward to seeing this develop. I want one!

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It looks really good. Love those luggage racks that you can see in the first photo.

 

Me too. I complimented Simon on their inclusion, he said they were just too key to leave out. They're a separate tooling- looks like they're hung from the roof moudling, but they just add that extra something...

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It may be an early test shot but I'm delighted to see that the cab face looks pretty spot on to me. The drivers side window needs to be modelled in the open position which hopefully will be done and it is going to have to have a driver in there as well. Love the fact that luggage racks are planned too, never expected that. About the only thing missing will be a DCC programmable micro LED and smoke generator unit attached to an arm at the cab window for the drivers cigarette which will glow and emit a puff when stopped at a station!!!

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About the only thing missing will be a DCC programmable micro LED and smoke generator unit attached to an arm at the cab window for the drivers cigarette which will glow and emit a puff when stopped at a station!!!

Will the driver have long black and purple hair?biggrin.gif

 

Looking very good so far, that southern EMU layout is getting VERY tempting.

 

Andi

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Indeed the cab looks good but the whole character of them is there [for what I always felt were rather characterless units] even in grey plastic. Bodes well! Good work.

 

Another oddball was the VEP that had a 4-TC driving trailer inserted in it and ran as such for many years, indeed I believe the driving trailer still exists somewhere.

I'm pretty certain it is [was] at St Leonard's with the Hastings Diesels. See here

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Further oddballs in the VEP fleet were one unit that had all its internal partitions stripped out in one DTC/DTS long before the 4-VOP concept came along.

Wasn't this 76339...done following accident damage.

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