Hornby Princess Coronation Class (Duchess)

[Merlin242]

Has this new model had the close connection problems (as with SWS) to the tender dealt with?

 

Thanks!

 

No. Mine had the bar fitted the opposite way round to Sir William . ( double hole now at loco end) but you cant fit it close coupled that way either

[Tarnish1]

Hmmm - more surgery then!

[No Decorum]

Here’s a few shots - taken in artificial light so doesn’t show the full richness of the livery:

Thank you for those. I was holding out against purchase well until I saw them. My memory of the prototype being moved along a short length of track by jacks in the old Birmingham Museum is still vivid.

[apollanaut]

My first impressions of Hornby’s new tooling are entirely positive. The Princess Coronation class has long been my personal favourite, from the moment I first set eyes upon the original Hornby Duchess of Sutherland model back when it was first released in 1977.

 

It was a surprise birthday present from my parents, but they can’t have known that I’d already seen the real thing when my Scout troop visited Bressingham Gardens during the long hot summer of 1976. By today’s standards, the model was crude and inaccurate, but luckily my young self was blissfully unaware of its shortcomings. She remained the pride of my fleet for years, until the sad day she finally succumbed to Mazak rot and fell apart in my hands. I laid her to rest in her original box and waited patiently for an updated model to be released.

 

I eventually replaced her wihen Hornby released their irresistible “A Duchess at Carlisle” train pack, complete with a vastly improved model and three beautifully decorated Stanier coaches. Since then I’ve added her streamlined sister “Duchess of Hamilton” to my collection, along with “City of Coventry” in BR crimson with digital sound fitted.

 

So I was a little surprised when Hornby announced the all new tooling for this iconic class, as I was still perfectly happy with my existing models. But I couldn’t resist acquiring the new City of Birmingham after seeing those tempting photos on Hornby’s website. Plus it was a chance to add a BR green liveried version to my growing collection, with the added bonus of TTS sound, for less money than I paid for City of Coventry on eBay.

 

And all kudos to Hornby for taking a gamble with this upgraded version, as soon as I opened the box it was clear that this is much more than a cosmetic makeover. The new model is on a different level entirely, with a host of separately fitted fine details and a vastly improved shade of BR green. But most of all, it’s the overall character of the prototype that Hornby has captured with their new tooling. That awe-inspiring sense of grace and power, which takes your breath away the first time you see one of these regal beauties up close. My City model even seems to be somehow bigger and chunkier than the older tooling and has real presence.

 

Can you tell that I’m impressed? If her performance matches her good looks, then Hornby have a winner on their hands l. I’m writing this in the passenger seat of our car, on the way to our rural property in the scenic Northland riegion of New Zealand, where we’ll be spending the Easter break. And tonight I’ll be able to give the City her first test run on my layout, which is currently set up on a convenient full size snooker table that was bequeathed to us by the previous owners of the property.

Edited March 29, 2018 by apollanaut

[robmcg]

It may be that this model R3509TTS is selling well too, I see Hattons have but two in stock now, it was 'more than 10' a couple of days ago.

[apollanaut]

I’m almost certainly going to preorder 46256 now that Hornby have sensibly decided to produce a second batch. And at least one of the new streamliners in the original blue and silver livery. By then the separate TTS decoders and speakers should be available, so those too. And sooner or later they’re sure to do versions in experimental BR blue, or late LMS Black with straw lining....... (sigh)

 

At least I’ll be doing my bit to help Hornby through their financial woes.

[dcordingley]

My "City of Birmingham" arrived on Monday and has now been through the shops - some rather fiddly fittings attached, tender re-coaled to reveal the coal pusher, toning down of copperwork, XP lamps and "Caledonian" headboard fitted. She now joins my other Coronations - BR/LMR red-liveried earlier Hornby models which still, I think, bear reasonable scrutiny and run very well. I've attached a few images of 46235 on shed and ready for the road. I think she very much looks the part. 

 

A couple of observations:

 

- As a DC operator I have no interest in TTS and was expecting to have to fit a blanking plug to replace the existing decoder. However, no blanking plug was supplied and 46235 runs  perfectly fine under DC just as she is, albeit a little slow to respond to the DC voltage on starting up sometimes

 

- The front bogie is a little less forgiving of uneven trackwork than those on the earlier models, and a little PW work was required on my layout to resolve occasional derailing issues. Fitting the rather flimsy cylinder drain cocks constrains the radius which the loco can negotiate, but my 3' minimum radius seems OK

 

- Replacing the pre-fitted nameplates (without the crest) was a little difficult - mine were glued a little too well and did not pop out easily. However, with care I managed to prise them off and the alternative nameplates supplied look much better.

 

So all in all, well done Hornby. I wonder if we'll ever get a Princess to the same standard?  

 

David

 

 

     

[dcordingley]

Hi John. The headboard is a Sankey Scenics product. They are well printed on thin card, which I glue to equally thin plasticard to provide a bit more rigidity, and then cut around carefully with nail scissors and sharp craft knife. After filing carefully to final shape I attach them to a lamp iron on the loco with a drop of superglue.

 

Sankey do a range of different named trains - coach boards as well as headboards - but I generally don't use the former, as my carriage rakes have to double-up for various trains - both named and unnamed - on my small representation of the WCML. I should add that I have no connection with Sankey other than as a satisfied customer!

 

The headboards look good on diesels, too....

 

David  

[malcolmv]

I,m trying real hard to get the nameplates off,but I dont want to spoil  the engine,mine seem to be superglued,any suggestions??

[dcordingley]

I,m trying real hard to get the nameplates off,but I dont want to spoil  the engine,mine seem to be superglued,any suggestions??

Hi Malcolm. If it helps, I inserted the blade of a craft knife behind the middle of the nameplate and gently levered it until the ends of the nameplate popped off the body - the nameplate seems to be glued on small "pips" at each end. Pretty much destroyed the original nameplate, but that wasn't a big issue. The new nameplate covers any minor damage to the body. It's odd that Hornby should make removal so difficult, though, particularly as they include an improved version in the box.

 

David   

[robmcg]

My "City of Birmingham" arrived on Monday and has now been through the shops - some rather fiddly fittings attached, tender re-coaled to reveal the coal pusher, toning down of copperwork, XP lamps and "Caledonian" headboard fitted. She now joins my other Coronations - BR/LMR red-liveried earlier Hornby models which still, I think, bear reasonable scrutiny and run very well. I've attached a few images of 46235 on shed and ready for the road. I think she very much looks the part. 

 

A couple of observations:

 

- As a DC operator I have no interest in TTS and was expecting to have to fit a blanking plug to replace the existing decoder. However, no blanking plug was supplied and 46235 runs  perfectly fine under DC just as she is, albeit a little slow to respond to the DC voltage on starting up sometimes

 

- The front bogie is a little less forgiving of uneven trackwork than those on the earlier models, and a little PW work was required on my layout to resolve occasional derailing issues. Fitting the rather flimsy cylinder drain cocks constrains the radius which the loco can negotiate, but my 3' minimum radius seems OK

 

- Replacing the pre-fitted nameplates (without the crest) was a little difficult - mine were glued a little too well and did not pop out easily. However, with care I managed to prise them off and the alternative nameplates supplied look much better.

 

So all in all, well done Hornby. I wonder if we'll ever get a Princess to the same standard?  

 

David

 

Superb photos thanks David and I cannot wait for my model to arrive, I think Hornby have hit the mark with this one, as with SWS  albeit I am still nervous about quality control.

 

Your detailing and headboard is marvellous, and digital cameras can be so unforgiving, well done!

[MikeParkin65]

I use the craft knife very carefully at one end only and as soon as I have moved the plate enough to get a finger nail behind it give up with the knife and just waggle with fingers until the pips break. I don’t expect the pips to leave their holes. The I place two small spots of Delux ‘Glue and Glaze’ on the top of the spots where the pips broke. Wait until it has started to ‘go off’ (it turns from white to opaque) and then gently lower the new plate into position. Makes a neat job and any excess can be easily removed with a damp corner of kitchen roll. If it all goes wrong it is relatively easy to remove the plate, clean up and start again.

[apollanaut]

My "City of Birmingham" arrived on Monday and has now been through the shops - some rather fiddly fittings attached, tender re-coaled to reveal the coal pusher, toning down of copperwork, XP lamps and "Caledonian" headboard fitted. She now joins my other Coronations - BR/LMR red-liveried earlier Hornby models which still, I think, bear reasonable scrutiny and run very well. I've attached a few images of 46235 on shed and ready for the road. I think she very much looks the part. 

 

A couple of observations:

 

- As a DC operator I have no interest in TTS and was expecting to have to fit a blanking plug to replace the existing decoder. However, no blanking plug was supplied and 46235 runs  perfectly fine under DC just as she is, albeit a little slow to respond to the DC voltage on starting up sometimes

 

- The front bogie is a little less forgiving of uneven trackwork than those on the earlier models, and a little PW work was required on my layout to resolve occasional derailing issues. Fitting the rather flimsy cylinder drain cocks constrains the radius which the loco can negotiate, but my 3' minimum radius seems OK

 

- Replacing the pre-fitted nameplates (without the crest) was a little difficult - mine were glued a little too well and did not pop out easily. However, with care I managed to prise them off and the alternative nameplates supplied look much better.

 

So all in all, well done Hornby. I wonder if we'll ever get a Princess to the same standard?  

 

David

Your enhancements look fantastic and the photos show Hornby’s improved BR green at it’s best! I didn’t have time to test run my model last night but will have a go today before our guests arrive. My temporary layout uses Bachmann EZ-track which usually works well with modern fine scale locomotive wheels. Hopefully I’ll be able to take some more photos to show the City off in daylight. It’s a particularly glorious Autumn day here in NZ so great light for photography.

[JSpencer]

 

- The front bogie is a little less forgiving of uneven trackwork than those on the earlier models, and a little PW work was required on my layout to resolve occasional derailing issues. Fitting the rather flimsy cylinder drain cocks constrains the radius which the loco can negotiate, but my 3' minimum radius seems OK

David

 

With my SWS, I followed Andy's advice (really early in this thread) and just tugged (pulled down) on the bogie a bit and since then it has had more down play to cope with those undulations of an aging layout.

[apollanaut]

My lovely new City of Birmingham model had her first test run and passed with flying colours. Straight from the box she ran smoothly and almost silently (with the sound functions turned off), Handled nine coaches of mixed Bachmann and Hornby stock with ease, and I'm sure I could add at least another six or seven coaches to make up a scale length express.

 

When I opened up the throttle she smoothly accelerated to an estimated 110 scale mph, just like the real thing. And once I'd programmed the TTS chip with realistic inertia, the picture was complete: she is a beautifully smooth, powerful and fast runner.

Edited March 30, 2018 by apollanaut

[apollanaut]

Here are a few photos of City of Birmingham on my demo layout:

Edited April 1, 2018 by apollanaut

[ianwales]

Hi all

 

How many Coronations have Hornby produced since they were re - tooled please, just want to make sure I get one of the newer ones.

 

Ian

[apollanaut]

By way of comparison, I took some photos of Hornby's previous tooling of the Princess Coronation class:

Edited April 1, 2018 by apollanaut

[apollanaut]

By way of comparison, I took some photos of Hornby's previous tooling of the Princess Coronation class:

I hope these look OK to other viewers. When I view them on my tablet device they are nowhere near as clear and sharp as the original iPhone images.

[apollanaut]

Hi all

How many Coronations have Hornby produced since they were re - tooled please, just want to make sure I get one of the newer ones.

Ian

Here's a list of the production models that Hornby have released using the new tooling:

 

R3119 LMS Princess Coronation Class 4-6-2 6234 "Duchess Of Abercorn" in LMS Maroon

 

R3555 Class 8P Princess Coronation 4-6-2 46256 "Sir William Stanier F.R.S" in BR maroon

 

R3509TTS Class 8P Princess Coronation 4-6-2 46235 "City of Birmingham" in BR green - TTS Sound fitted

 

R3597 "Duchess of Hamilton" LMS Black Coronation Class 4-6-2 Locomotive No.46229 (Rails of Sheffield special edition, but now sold out)

[robmcg]

Here's a list of the production models that Hornby have released using the new tooling:

 

R3119 LMS Princess Coronation Class 4-6-2 6234 "Duchess Of Abercorn" in LMS Maroon

 

R3555 Class 8P Princess Coronation 4-6-2 46256 "Sir William Stanier F.R.S" in BR maroon

 

R3509TTS Class 8P Princess Coronation 4-6-2 46235 "City of Birmingham" in BR green - TTS Sound fitted

 

R3597 "Duchess of Hamilton" LMS Black Coronation Class 4-6-2 Locomotive No.46229 (Rails of Sheffield special edition, but now sold out)

 

I think the LMS red one is R3553 'Duchess of Atholl'

 

There is also the NRM BR red 46229 'Duchess of Hamilton' NCiM0044  

 

Nor sure if it had a Hornby number, and is sold out at Locomotion.

 

Cheers

[sandwich station]

Hi all

 

How many Coronations have Hornby produced since they were re - tooled please, just want to make sure I get one of the newer ones.

 

Ian

The easiest way of making sure you get one of the latest tooling models, is to look where the Stanier hooter (whistle) is positioned. On the latest models, it is correctly positioned to the right of the cab front, whereas the last models had it incorrectly positioned in the middle.

[Riddles]

I think the LMS red one is R3553 'Duchess of Atholl'

 

There is also the NRM BR red 46229 'Duchess of Hamilton' NCiM0044  

 

Nor sure if it had a Hornby number, and is sold out at Locomotion.

 

Cheers

 

The Hornby reference number of 46229, Duchess of Hamilton, is R3594. I'd been hoping for this variant for decades, and it was worth waiting for.

[apollanaut]

I think the LMS red one is R3553 'Duchess of Atholl'

 

There is also the NRM BR red 46229 'Duchess of Hamilton' NCiM0044  

 

Nor sure if it had a Hornby number, and is sold out at Locomotion.

 

Cheers

Whoops, sorry! Shouldn't have posted that when I was tired!

[robmcg]

Whoops, sorry! Shouldn't have posted that when I was tired!

 

No problem to me, I do it all the time myself.

 

Just to show how good the Duchess of Atholl can look I have edited a picture of it, in a photo taken at Thankerton just south of Carstairs and before the climb to Beattock, pre-war glory, frosty morning and all that, will remove if required. Not a lot done to this fantastic model.

 

cheers

 

 

picture edited