The venerable Hornby 9F has quite a provenance as we all know. Obviously the announcement of a new model brings the story up to date. 

 

A couple of years ago I purchased a loco drive Hornby Railroad 9F.

 

Looking through my well thumbed copy of Steam Railways In Colour Around Northamptonshire by Coleman & Rajczonek I found a photograph of 92231 hard at work at Desborough in 1965. At this time the locomotive was allocated to York. 

 

The Hornby model captures the shape of the prototype nicely so I decided to bring it up to a more contemporary standard forgiving the punn.

 

At the smoke box end I lowered the top lamp iron to the left side of the door using the Branson Staple Method. 

 

Stays for the smoke deflectors were made from brass strip from Eileen's Emporium. The door dart is from Alan Gibson. 

 

 

Sourced from the excellent Bachmann Spares Department a detailing pack prodded the front steps and drain cocks. The Hornby cast steps having been removed. 

 

I inked in the valve gear with a silver Sharpie pen to tone things down. The driving wheels and pony truck tyre walls were treated with a black Sharpie. 

 

Moving towards the cab I remodelled the cab spectacle windows with gentle cutting and filling. Slater's Microstrip helped form the window beading. Micro Kristal Kleer formed the spectal windows. The cab windows were flush fit made from a CD case. 

 

 

 

 

I added the cabside washout access  doors from foil adhesive tape. 

 

Around the draw bar area I added the extra plating along with strengthening plates. 

 

 

Progressing to the tender I scratch built the cab doors from Plasticard and flush glazed the windows with CD casing. 

 

The Hornby BR1G tender as supplied comes with a generous moulded coal load to accommodate the previous tender driven Ringfield motor incarnation. 

 

I took it upon myself to improve this feature by chain drilling the coal load and making good. Making a false Plasticard bunker floor I was then able to add additional detail including then fire iron tunnel using the same medium. 

 

 

Real coal was then added for the load. 

 

Crew are the usual Dapol/Airfix subjects painted with Vallejo acrylics.

 

Fox transfers were used for numbers and shed code plate. Pacific Models provided the smoke box number plate. 

 

 

A light weathering awaits. 

 

Cheers, 

 

Mark