How Many Hornby A4's Have You Got

[Bino]

I have none. I had two but they constantly derailed although China models they were not new. I now have one Bachmann A4 and it runs flawlessly

Edited February 21, 2017 by Bino

[trevor7598]

I have none. I had two but they constantly derailed although China models they were not new. I now have one Bachmann A4 and it runs flawlessly

The Hornby A3/A4s are very fine models, totally spoilt by that sloppy, light weight front bogie.

I have two A3s and one A4, all three suffer from the front bogie constantly derailing.

Is it my track ?, possibly, but why have I never had any problem with my five Bulleid pacifics.

My two King Arthurs are also problem free, as are my Bachmann AI/A2s.

[micklner]

The Hornby A3/A4s are very fine models, totally spoilt by that sloppy, light weight front bogie.

I have two A3s and one A4, all three suffer from the front bogie constantly derailing.

Is it my track ?, possibly, but why have I never had any problem with my five Bulleid pacifics.

My two King Arthurs are also problem free, as are my Bachmann AI/A2s.

 

As said so many times before, check the back to backs on the wheels. If they have springs remove them. Make sure the bracket isn't bent. Never have any problems with mine.

[Hilux5972]

As said so many times before, check the back to backs on the wheels. If they have springs remove them. Make sure the bracket isn't bent. Never have any problems with mine.

Ive found the opposite re the springs. If my bogies don't have them then I add them and I have never had any issues at all. It's when my bogies don't have the springs I have derailment issues.

[DonnyRailMan]

Now i have six A4s at prescent time.

[Pint of Adnams]

Still none!

[Dominion]

I have several. Some have springs on the front bogies and some don't. They all work fine on my track, a Mix of Peco code 100, 75 and hand built.

But as Mick says, make sure the back to backs are in range.  Tom

[toboldlygo]

Currently none, I have however had 7 of them over the years (all the current main range tooling(s)).

 

60001 Sir Ronald Matthews* - Single Chimney, Early Crest (Green)

60003 Andrew K McCosh - Single Chimney, Early Crest (Green)

60016 Silver King* - Single Chimney, Early Crest (Blue)

60021 Wild Swan - Single Chimney, Early Crest (Green)

60023 Golden Eagle - Single Chimney, Early Crest (Blue)

60030 Golden Fleece* - Single Chimney, Early Crest (Blue)

60031 Golden Plover - Double Chimney, Late Crest (Green)

 

*renamed/renumbered by myself

[MikeParkin65]

The Hornby A3/A4s are very fine models, totally spoilt by that sloppy, light weight front bogie.

I have two A3s and one A4, all three suffer from the front bogie constantly derailing.

Is it my track ?, possibly, but why have I never had any problem with my five Bulleid pacifics.

My two King Arthurs are also problem free, as are my Bachmann AI/A2s.

Have you fitted the drain cocks? As supplied they can push the front bogie off the rail on Peco medium radius points. 

[trevor7598]

Have you fitted the drain cocks? As supplied they can push the front bogie off the rail on Peco medium radius points. 

 

No I have not fitted the drain cocks. Will try to obtain a B to B tool at Ally Pally in March.

Are there likely to be any traders there who sell them?.

 

Many thanks for all the suggestions.

[DonnyRailMan]

My latest two A4s of a collection of six with plans for a 7th 60034 Lord Faringdon .

 

 

Edited February 24, 2017 by DonnyRailMan

[Yeldarb]

I remember having a Triang Train set in my youth, which was great fun. That set had a short lifespan however as I was obliged to allow my younger brothers to play with it, and it was quickly ruined.  A couple of years ago, with retirement approaching I thought I would like to revisit the simple joys of my youth and build a basic layout in the loft to run a train or two when I actually retired. With this in mind I started to buy stuff in anticipation of the eventual build. Well that was the plan - one thing led to another and I got hooked!

I now have a couple of display cabinets in my den in which contain amongst other offerings, some 15 A4s in different liveries or the same livery with different features. 

2510 Quicksilver, Silver Jubilee Collection

4494 Osprey, LNER Green Sir Nigel Gresley Collection

4489 Dominion of Canada, LNER Garter Blue, Great Gathering Collection

4462 Great Snipe, LNER Garter Blue

4468 Mallard, LNER Garter Blue, double chimney

4499 Sir Murrough Wilson, Wartime Black, LNER on tender

4901 Sir Charles Newton, Wartime Black, NE on tender

60034 Lord Faringdon, BR Garter Blue, British Rail on tender

60027 Merlin, BR Experimental Purple

60023 Golden Eagle, BR Blue

60007 Sir Nigel Gresley, BR Blue, double chimney, Great Gathering Collection

60010 Dominion of Canada, BR Brunswick Green, early crest, double chimney Commonwealth Collection (tender swapped to provide early crest)

60026 Miles Beevor, BR Brunswick Green, early crest, single chimney

60011 Empire of India, BR Brunswick Green, late crest, double chimney Commonwealth Collection

60012 Commonwealth of Australia, Br Brunswick Green, late crest, single chimney Commonwealth Collection

I am about to commission a 4489 Woodcock in Workshop Grey with green running gear as she was for a brief period in 1937. That will be A4 No 16.

Later this year I have the notion to commission one of the A4s in the range 4483 to 4487 in LNER green with the black boiler band.

I think that gives me a fair representation of the Gresley A4 as produced by Hornby (either by design or default) in its different iterations over the years. 

Now that I am actually retired as of 1 August, I have not forgotten that the original plan was to build a layout. So, in the coming months I will be sorting out the loft and creating a layout upon which I intend to run many of my blossoming stock of mainly Gresley locos. 

Edited August 8, 2017 by Yeldarb

[pom-pom]

I remember having a Triang Train set in my youth, which was great fun. That set had a short lifespan however as I was obliged to allow my younger brothers to play with it, and it was quickly ruined.  A couple of years ago, with retirement approaching I thought I would like to revisit the simple joys of my youth and build a basic layout in the loft to run a train or two when I actually retired. With this in mind I started to buy stuff in anticipation of the eventual build. Well that was the plan - one thing led to another and I got hooked!

I now have a couple of display cabinets in my den in which contain amongst other offerings, some 15 A4s in different liveries or the same livery with different features. 

2510 Quicksilver, Silver Jubilee Collection

4494 Osprey, LNER Green Sir Nigel Gresley Collection

4489 Dominion of Canada, LNER Garter Blue, Great Gathering Collection

4462 Great Snipe, LNER Garter Blue

4468 Mallard, LNER Garter Blue, double chimney

4499 Sir Murrough Wilson, Wartime Black, LNER on tender

4901 Sir Charles Newton, Wartime Black, NE on tender

60034 Lord Faringdon, BR Garter Blue, British Rail on tender

60027 Merlin, BR Experimental Purple

60023 Golden Eagle, BR Blue

60007 Sir Nigel Gresley, BR Blue, double chimney, Great Gathering Collection

60010 Dominion of Canada, BR Brunswick Green, early crest, double chimney Commonwealth Collection (tender swapped to provide early crest)

60026 Miles Beevor, BR Brunswick Green, early crest, single chimney

60011 Empire of India, BR Brunswick Green, late crest, double chimney Commonwealth Collection

60012 Commonwealth of Australia, Br Brunswick Green, late crest, single chimney Commonwealth Collection

I am about to commission a 4489 Woodcock in Workshop Grey with green running gear as she was for a brief period in 1937. That will be A4 No 16.

Later this year I have the notion to commission one of the A4s in the range 4483 to 4487 in LNER green with the black boiler band.

I think that gives me a fair representation of the Gresley A4 as produced by Hornby (either by design or default) in its different iterations over the years. 

Now that I am actually retired as of 1 August, I have not forgotten that the original plan was to build a layout. So, in the coming months I will be sorting out the loft and creating a layout upon which I intend to run many of my blossoming stock of mainly Gresley locos. 

 

Congratulations on your retirement - that sounds like an immensely satisfying plan, re., layout planning in the loft. Some of us can but dream from afar!

 

Regards,

Nick

[Guest Midland Mole]

I own one, a Hornby Silver Fox from the Jubilee collection. I love it, such a beautiful model.

Alex

[HOTTODDY]

Any owners of 4494, Osprey from the Gresley collection. How does it compare in detail and performance, Railroad, Design Clever, or all bells and whistles?

 

I have 8 Hornby A4s, 4 tender drive and 4 loco drive and all run superbly on code 100 track. To have one in Apple green would be nice, but they seem rare as hen's teeth. I wont pay silly money if one turns up though.

 

Tod

[Hilux5972]

Any owners of 4494, Osprey from the Gresley collection. How does it compare in detail and performance, Railroad, Design Clever, or all bells and whistles?

 

I have 8 Hornby A4s, 4 tender drive and 4 loco drive and all run superbly on code 100 track. To have one in Apple green would be nice, but they seem rare as hen's teeth. I wont pay silly money if one turns up though.

 

Tod

It's the main range A4. Why would they put a Railroad model in a collection like that? The only reason they have the Design clever P2 in there is because that's the only version the do.

[HOTTODDY]

I'm pleased to hear that it is "main range" quality, but Hornby's track (sorry) record of oddities, e.g. A3 ski slope and misaligned handrail knobs on two of their "main range" models, tell me not to presume that other models are high standard. So far I have not had the opportunity to examine one first hand, hence my original question. Thanks for your response.

 

Tod

[Hilux5972]

The A4 is one of their best Steam Locos. The best looking main-stream, readily available A4 in OO Gauge. A place it will hold for a while I'd say.

[The Blue Streak]

The A4 is one of their best Steam Locos. The best looking main-stream, readily available A4 in OO Gauge. A place it will hold for a while I'd say.

 

It still more than holds it's own against the latest and greatest RTR, considering the (new) tooling must be about 13 years old. It's hard to see how they could improve it by much, even now.

[The Blue Streak]

 To have one in Apple green would be nice, but they seem rare as hen's teeth. I wont pay silly money if one turns up though.

 

 

When you look through at many of the Retailers that did split the 4 Loco Gresley Collection, they seem to have plenty of A1, A3 and P2's left but very few have any of the Green A4's left for sale as a single. (Well not at around normal A4 retail price anyway)

With a bit of luck Hornby took notice and next time around release a green A4 by itself. (Hopefully it doesn't take another 15 years  )

[tomparryharry]

I'm sorry, I don't have any. I don't know what it is, I just don't 'get' LNER pacifics. I've had lots of opportunities to handle the real thing, both real, preserved & models. I don't know why, must be me. I do like German smoke deflectors though..

 

However, Princess Coronation? Ooh, yes please! The latest Hornby model seems to catch my eye. My only  gripe is the requirement to have 16 coach trains on my layout. Might get a Merchant Navy or 6.... Britannia, Duke of Gloucester? Mmmmm!

 

A4? Sheet of paper, isn't it?

 

OK, I'll fetch my coat....

 

Ian.

 

Oh! Forgot the 9F...

[Ian Hargrave]

It still more than holds it's own against the latest and greatest RTR, considering the (new) tooling must be about 13 years old. It's hard to see how they could improve it by much, even now.

 

 

I looked long and hard at Dapol's Black Label version .For my tastes,it offers nothing that the Hornby model cannot equal and in the case of the cab at least ...beat.

[Clearwater]

I looked long and hard at Dapol's Black Label version .For my tastes,it offers nothing that the Hornby model cannot equal and in the case of the cab at least ...beat.

Agreed - I came to the same conclusion. For c£400, I couldn't justify the price for the gimmicks.

 

David

[No Decorum]

I looked long and hard at Dapol's Black Label version .For my tastes,it offers nothing that the Hornby model cannot equal and in the case of the cab at least ...beat.

Except, perhaps and in my humble opinion, the trailing truck arrangement and the finish. If there wasn’t much happening in the world of model railways, I might have gone for one. However, I can get two or three desirables for the price of this. All the same, I think it is very enterprising of Dapol and I hope it makes a profit. If not, probably the idea will go the way of Hornby’s live steam and become a curious memory.

[HOTTODDY]

When you look through at many of the Retailers that did split the 4 Loco Gresley Collection, they seem to have plenty of A1, A3 and P2's left but very few have any of the Green A4's left for sale as a single. (Well not at around normal A4 retail price anyway)

With a bit of luck Hornby took notice and next time around release a green A4 by itself. (Hopefully it doesn't take another 15 years  )

I suppose I've missed the boat then. I see the big "H" has the set of four still, but I have an A1 and P2 (not from that set), and a hiked price if one surfaces would bend my pension too much!

Oh well, never mind, my cobbled together version will have to do, that might pass muster at a 500 foot rule distance at 100 mph!!? Scary stuff for rivet counters, but it has a single chimney,( which I did) in apple green livery, (which I did) and tender drive ( which I left as is, 'cos it works)!

30/40 or so years have passed since I transformed/ hacked(?) Hornby's BR Mallard into Osprey. Putting valences on was tricky, thanks to plasticard. That's the bit not to look closely at! I still have a Silver Fox valenced body, Hornbys first, I think, (1986ish?) that would be more accurate...........I'm getting, er got old, so is it worth the hassle? NAH!

 

Tod