Hornby's Best Ever Models

[coachmann]

The Grange is among my favourite Hornby locos. It's reputation for lightness is a bit of a misnomer as the real culprit is the bogie pin which is too long. It rests on the cylinder bock retaining screw head so that the leading drivers are left barely touching the rails ~ hence this locos lack of adhesion. The answer: Cut to top off the bogie bolt with Xuron Track cutters. The result:  Both my Grange Class locos hauls 6 etched brass coaches around 3' radius loops on my layout.

 

Seen after fitting a deeper bufferbeam. Also a full repaint in a decent green and weathering....

 

[coachmann]

After posting the above, it dawned on me I had never photographed the Grange 6859 after fitting it with a 4000 gallon Tender. These locos looked far more impressive with the large Tender. I don't think Hornby has ever released this version....

 

Edited December 8, 2017 by coachmann

[railroadbill]

Thanks for the heads up on the bogie pin, Coachmann, agree totally that this is a very good Hornby loco (and I like the original). Great pictures.

 

 

 

This is my out of the box factory weathered one, don't think the weathering that great as it looks like its been through a muddy puddle, but excellent model and runs very smoothly. Think they were hard to get at the time so I ended up with this one? 

The loco I wanted as a model is Goodmoor Grange which was the only one I ever "spotted"  - but that had the smaller tender.

I see that Hornby are due to do  another release of Granges soon, one with the smaller tender, so I'm going to look out for that.

 

Of course a GW loco should really be green..     :-)

[toboldlygo]

After posting the above, it dawned on me I had never photographed the Grange 6859 after fitting it with a 4000 gallon Tender. These locos looked far more impressive with the large Tender. I don't think Hornby has ever released this version....

 

WEB Grange 11.jpg

 

The Grange is my favourite GWR engine, it's just a shame that most that Hornby have modelled in BR form, come with the 4000 gallon tender.

 

I never had haulage issues with mine (9 Bachmann Mk 1's - after that they would slip badly or the Mk 1's derail.)

 

It;s worth noting however, my Q1's would soundly wipe the floor with them haulage wise.

[toboldlygo]

The Southern Region production line resumes...

 

Finally finished, 35024 East Asiatic Company - looking far too clean for my liking (and now only 5 of the class left to do)

 

 

 

 

 

 

And I may of got carried away with the 'Arthurs'...

 

My 24th N15 - 30765 Sir Gareth (ready for masking & paint)

 

 

 

 

..and my 12th S15 (The Dirty Dozen, seems fitting) 30829, fresh from renumbering.

 

 

 

[coachmann]

The Grange is my favourite GWR engine, it's just a shame that most that Hornby have modelled in BR form, come with the 4000 gallon tender.

Is that a typo....I mean shouldn't that read with a Collett Intermediate 3.500 gallon Tender....?

[gordon s]

Just taken delivery of a late crest J15 and I'm staggered by the running quality.  This loco was taken out of the box and plonked straight onto the track.  It runs slowly, quietly and without hesitation. I'm still building this layout so the track is not 100% clean as I'm continually working on it.

 

£79 from Hatton's, so less than a tank full of petrol and will last for years.

 

Most impressed....

 

Edited December 8, 2017 by gordon s

[coachmann]

Just taken delivery of a late crest J15 and I'm staggered by the running quality.  This loco was taken out of the box and plonked straight onto the track.  It runs slowly, quietly and without hesitation. I'm still building this layout so the track is not 100% clean as I'm continually working on it.

 

Two flywheels. The chassis is a work of engineering.

[toboldlygo]

Is that a typo....I mean shouldn't that read with a Collett Intermediate 3.500 gallon Tender....?

 

No typo, as it stands Hornby have only done the Collett 3,500 gallon  Intermediate Tender with 6803 Bucklebury Grange (Harrods Special) &  6845 Paviland Grange in BR Green (?) on a late crest - do you want the R numbers as well? Both of which had the earlier chimney.

[railroadbill]

 The 2 Hornby Grange class locos announced for pre order  are

 

 

 

https://railsofsheffield.com/gwr-4-6-0-llanvair-grange-6800-grange-class-locomotive-2016-range--JJJA29974

 

(late BR crest, lined green, , that's the condition I want as I'd only have to put the Goodmoor Grange plates on that I've already got)  - shown as 2016 range

 

and

 

 

 

https://railsofsheffield.com/gwr-4-6-0-6800-grange-class-2017-range--JJJA32450

 

(GWR unlined green shirtbutton logo)  - shown as 2017 range

 

That's from the Rails site, other retailers are of course available     :-)

 

 

Edited:    "That's better, links work now!"    

Edited December 8, 2017 by railroadbill

[gwrrob]

The shirtbutton release is here https://railsofsheffield.com/gwr-4-6-0-6800-grange-class-2017-range--JJJA32450

[toboldlygo]

 The 2 Hornby Grange class locos announced for pre order  are

 

https://railsofsheffield.com/gwr-4-6-0-llanvair-grange-6800-grange-class-locomotive-2016-range--JJJA29974       

 

(late BR crest, lined green, , that's the condition I want as I'd only have to put the Goodmoor Grange plates on that I've already got)  - shown as 2016 range

 

and

 

https://railsofsheffield.com/gwr-4-6-0-6800-grange-class-2017-range--JJJA32450     

 

(GWR unlined green shirtbutton logo)  - shown as 2017 range

 

That's from the Rails site, other retailers are of course available     :-)

 

Links aren't working, but I assume you mean R3452 & R3552, which both have the earlier Churchward Tender

[gwrrob]

Two nit picks  with the Grange, one the price now and the fact Hornby are reluctant to do a post war GWR version.  

[railroadbill]

Yep, those are the 2,  now edited original post to get the links to work. (Should have tested it first!)

 

There didn't seem so many of the 3500 gal tender ones available when they originally came out but that must be a few years ago  now.

[toboldlygo]

Yep, those are the 2,  now edited original post to get the links to work. (Should have tested it first!)

 

There didn't seem so many of the 3500 gal tender ones available when they originally came out but that must be a few years ago  now.

 

Those releases, where along time ago and in a Galaxy far far away...     

[railroadbill]

With 3500 gal tender loco is, hmph :-) :-)

 

Just found a reference to Hornby grange in model rail's Britain's model trains 2010, where the rrp is shown as £113.99, high for 2010. Says first MR review 2005 so first issue indeed a long time ago....

 

I don't like the look of this... :-)

[robmcg]

Far too much Swindon around here....

 

 

Should Hornby ever update the original Light Pacific.... 21C103 'Plymouth' in 1945-6

 

The MiM made me do it...   and this....

 

 

Cheers

 

(I'm going to go back to Garratts, to ensure my sanity remains, um, intact)

 

 

 

 

 

 

[robmcg]

Quiz:

 

Which of the three below is the odd one out?

 

 

 

 

cheers,

 

 

Edited December 10, 2017 by robmcg

[FPH 603]

I think this should be called 'Hornby's Swindon Models'. How about some Gresley, or anything else?

[robmcg]

I think this should be called 'Hornby's Swindon Models'. How about some Gresley, or anything else?

 

You cannot be serious.  <g>

 

 

You can almost smell the Humbol satin black on this below...

 

 

or your basic Gresley 1960-style...

 

 

Plenty more where that came from, including, gasp, choke, 'Osprey' in LNER green!

 

 

and the coup de grace, a real engine...

 

 

Cheers,

[toboldlygo]

Quiz:

 

Which of the three below is the odd one out?

 

3433_3700_GWR_Provincial_Express_6abcde_r1200.jpg

 

6803_GWR_Grange_portrait15_2abcde_r1200.jpg

 

47971_BR_Garratt_portrait2_Crewe_with_fireman_2abcde_crop3_r1200.jpg

 

cheers,

 

Meanwhile in the weekly meeting of GASH* (kindly provided and supported by the MiM), a new member is coerced into introducing himself "My name is Rob and I'm addicted to Garratts"    

 

*Garratt's Anonymous - Southern Hemisphere

Edited December 11, 2017 by toboldlygo

[robmcg]

Meanwhile in the weekly meeting of GASH* (kindly provided and supported by the MiM), a new member is coerced into introducing himself "My name is Rob and I'm addicted to Garratts"    

 

*Garratt's Anonymous - Southern Hemisphere

 

War of the Worlds, Derby vs Bulleid....

 

but enough of this trivia, a package containing a Duchess has just arrived from Locomotion, the bets are on as to whether the model is n good order (isn't life exciting! )

[toboldlygo]

War of the Worlds, Derby vs Bulleid....

 

but enough of this trivia, a package containing a Duchess has just arrived from Locomotion, the bets are on as to whether the model is n good order (isn't life exciting! )

Did it arrive carrier pigeon or via Operation Upkeep?

[robmcg]

Did it arrive carrier pigeon or via Operation Upkeep?

 

A team of highly trained transport specialists worked on the problem for weeks...

 

Moving quickly along, I finally today succumbed to further pressure from the Grey Cat and bought yet another late-crest BR Crimson Lake Duchess, this time the exceedingly rare 46236 'City of Bradford'... the last I think of the old tooling in BR red at least... City of Liverpool may have been about the same time?

 

My rational side was overwhelmed by memories of when I lived pre-earthquake in ChCh NZ and I used to run my labrador X dog (I wore out three of them over the years with long pushes in my wheelchair,  a vet once described the paws on one of them as 'high mileage') around a circuit of streets and a park, where I regularly passed a retired motor mechanic from Bradford UK . He was very calmly doing up the brakes on his 1967 Austin Cambridge (UK cars last a long time in NZ) and I think he was amazed and pleased to meet someone who had heard of Bradford, let alone understood a little about that place..

 

He gave me an old much-used beautifully-balanced 12oz ball peen hammer, I think I was working on a motor or two at the time,and is I suspect he is now deceased, I treasure the hammer and the memories of him, thus today I had to buy 'City of Bradford'.

 

Bradford also is redolent of the early parts and end of the J B Priestly novel 'The Good Companions'...  but I digress, I am now waiting for the day when that particular Hornby model appears on Ebay at UKP300, like SWS and certain other oddities.  Then I will invest everything in bitcoin.... !  The world is my oyster!

 

What can possibly go wrong?

[robmcg]

Here is the latest arrival.  46229..   runs well on short test track, not absolutely quiet but maybe it needs some running, it's certainly very good.

 

I'm relieved after the various issues some unlucky buyers have had with SWS including myself. (full refund from Rails and I bought another elsewhere, Rails having run out. Rails didn't offer to pay my UKP15 return post for the faulty one, I could harass them but will swallow the loss).