apollanaut Posted March 25, 2020 Share Posted March 25, 2020 (edited) And I must have been a very good boy, for the Model Railway Gods smiled upon me and allowed this Blue Beauty to arrive in NZ a few hours before the 4 week lockdown commenced: Edited March 25, 2020 by apollanaut 12 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
robmcg Posted March 26, 2020 Share Posted March 26, 2020 I received mine too, the Gods are indeed kind! Haven't opened it yet with certain things happening, but it's nice to have it sitting there waiting! Cheers 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
apollanaut Posted March 26, 2020 Share Posted March 26, 2020 I managed to find an hour before bedtime to admire Her Royal Highness in all her shimmering beauty and take a few quick photos. But it was enough to realise how special she is. My first impressions were that this model represents the pinnacle of Hornby’s model making excellence, surpassing even Princess Elizabeth! Just like the prototype there are so many detail variations, both large and small, from the earlier model that it feels almost like an entirely new tooling. And the rendering of the tricky early BR blue livery simply takes the breath away! It’s one of those glorious colours that shifts in hue and tone and depth according to the ambient lighting, It shifts from an almost purple-violet at one extreme to a subdued but pleasant pale blue at the other. And the satin sheen is the best I’ve seen on recent models. How Hornby managed to achieve this stunningly complex livery is beyond me. Because of the lockdown I’m stuck in Auckland, away from my layout so cannot yet directly compare it with Princess Elizabeth. But I’ll have plenty of spare time at the weekend to take some more photos, which I will share here if possible. It will be interesting to see other’s photos of the blue livery, as I expect they will demonstrate how much it changes under different lighting conditions. 1 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
apollanaut Posted March 26, 2020 Share Posted March 26, 2020 A few attempts to capture the blue livery under different lighting: 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Ian Hargrave Posted March 26, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 26, 2020 That’s a good match.IMHO identical to Hornby’s latest blue Duchess 46225.Happy with that. Thanks for the images. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
aaron3820 Posted March 26, 2020 Share Posted March 26, 2020 I’ve always found the BR blue Hornby have used for their steam locos to be near spot on. If only we could get the same for BR/GWR green! 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Phil Bullock Posted March 26, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 26, 2020 Am wibbling over this one! Lizzie is authentic for Abbotswood late 60s/early 70s...... 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Ian Hargrave Posted March 26, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 26, 2020 16 minutes ago, Phil Bullock said: Am wibbling over this one! Lizzie is authentic for Abbotswood late 60s/early 70s...... IIRC,6201 spent some time at Dowty’s at Ashchurch ? Or is my memory playing tricks with me ? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold MikeParkin65 Posted March 26, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 26, 2020 33 minutes ago, Phil Bullock said: Am wibbling over this one! Lizzie is authentic for Abbotswood late 60s/early 70s...... Not in the condition modelled by Hornby at the moment. I'm sure 'as preserved' will come but not yet 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Phil Bullock Posted March 26, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 26, 2020 1 hour ago, Ian Hargrave said: IIRC,6201 spent some time at Dowty’s at Ashchurch ? Or is my memory playing tricks with me ? Certainly did Ian - and used to escape for open days at Tyesley. Here she is going up the Lickey captured by my chum Brian Thomas... http://www.shelbrooke.co.uk/Hymek/74.jpg 55 minutes ago, MikeParkin65 said: Not in the condition modelled by Hornby at the moment. I'm sure 'as preserved' will come but not yet Ah - dont know enough about that Mike - what are we looking at? Cheers 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold MikeParkin65 Posted March 26, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 26, 2020 1 hour ago, Phil Bullock said: Certainly did Ian - and used to escape for open days at Tyesley. Here she is going up the Lickey captured by my chum Brian Thomas... http://www.shelbrooke.co.uk/Hymek/74.jpg Ah - dont know enough about that Mike - what are we looking at? Cheers Shorter firebox (count the washout plugs) and different top feed for starters. There will be more I think. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Ian Hargrave Posted March 26, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 26, 2020 4 hours ago, Ian Hargrave said: That’s a good match.IMHO identical to Hornby’s latest blue Duchess 46225.Happy with that. Thanks for the images. Following on from this fwiw putting the two size by side,the new Princess has a superior overall finish to the Duchess. For example,the seam on the boiler is barely noticeable if you compare the two. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Phil Bullock Posted March 26, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 26, 2020 47 minutes ago, MikeParkin65 said: Shorter firebox (count the washout plugs) and different top feed for starters. There will be more I think. Thanks Mike Does the firebox change mean they were reboilered? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold MikeParkin65 Posted March 26, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 26, 2020 18 minutes ago, Phil Bullock said: Thanks Mike Does the firebox change mean they were reboilered? I believe it does. Poor steamers initially, subsequent improvements in those things that influence steaming capacity. You can tell I'm not an engineer but for modelling purposes they look different 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buhar Posted March 26, 2020 Share Posted March 26, 2020 Initially the first two had boilers that were not interchangeable with the rest of the class due to differences in the frames. This was resolved in the fifties. The steaming problem was solved pretty quickly and doesn't impact on the differences between 6201 now and as it was in LMS days. Alan Alan 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold ikks Posted March 27, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 27, 2020 Just picked up 46207 from my mail box(must admit I was a little apprehensive as to when I might see it, given what's currently happening), first impressions are very favourable, visually very beautiful, that livery is something else just like Sir William. Popped it on the rolling road and I had to turn off the airco to hear it. Great stuff Hornby, I always wanted Mike Edges kit of this loco but being a poor pensioner could not afford it, still I guess it would be interesting to hear his analysis of this model. Rgds.......Mike Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold MikeParkin65 Posted March 27, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 27, 2020 I reckon the Princess is right up there with Hornby finest both for looks and the mechanism. Not cheap (I am ignoring the pointless argument about 'you try building and painting a kit to that standard') but worth the money for the apparent quality. I am telling myself its 'one only' but I said the same about the Duchess and I've got 3 of them so far . I dont know how the world economy is going to end up or what my personal circumstances will be once this crisis is fianlly over but if I were Hornby I'd concentrate on high end premium priced products because whilst we can afford it we will remain addicted to models of this quality! 2 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Richy59 Posted March 28, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 28, 2020 I purchased a Royal on Monday - BR Maroon - and when tested in the shop it was working fine forward and back. Got it onto the track yesterday and whilst it does work at slow speeds and high speeds, at medium speed the motor sound alike a bag of bolts. It’s running so roughly, and it just sounds terrible. However in reverse at the same speeds it is completely normal, nice quiet smooth runner. Very strange. Back into forward direction at the same speed at before and still very noisy. I’ve stopped running it as don’t want to risk damaging it, and contacted the shop I purchased it from for advice, but yet to hear back. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold ikks Posted March 28, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 28, 2020 On 27/03/2020 at 20:33, MikeParkin65 said: I reckon the Princess is right up there with Hornby finest both for looks and the mechanism. Not cheap (I am ignoring the pointless argument about 'you try building and painting a kit to that standard') but worth the money for the apparent quality. I am telling myself its 'one only' but I said the same about the Duchess and I've got 3 of them so far . I dont know how the world economy is going to end up or what my personal circumstances will be once this crisis is fianlly over but if I were Hornby I'd concentrate on high end premium priced products because whilst we can afford it we will remain addicted to models of this quality! THREE you have THREE!!!, I have only two but have Salford on pre-order, so I will catch you up Unfortunately Stanier pacifics are my absolute favourites so I suspect the next couple of years are going to be expensive. I think Hornby have got these pretty much spot on. Mike 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold MikeParkin65 Posted March 30, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 30, 2020 Unfortunately I am having to return mine to my dealer. Once I got it running in on the rolling road it became apparent that the right hand crosshead had far too much lateral movement - in fact it could come almost entirely free of the top slidebar. I looked for the usual problems - either dislodged piston rod or misaligned bars but found evidence of neither. It would take more disassembly than is commensurate with being able to return the loco to the dealer to prove but it would appear to me that my example is missing the inner component of the crosshead - hence there is nothing to prevent it moving outwards. Purchased from a reputable dealer (and tested before dispatch though this wasnt obvious without a rolling road) so I have no concerns about getting a refund though I do worry replacements may be hard to come by. Much worse happening in the world I know but just sharing this for information. No doubt mine is a rogue. Meanwhile its a reprieve for R3015....... 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
robmcg Posted April 2, 2020 Share Posted April 2, 2020 (edited) I'm a bit slow to the party but received my blue 46206 'Princess Marie Louise' a few days ago in NZ and have had a chance to take some photos... Lovely and smooth on my very short test track. Luvly! Edited April 2, 2020 by robmcg error in name 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
No Decorum Posted April 3, 2020 Share Posted April 3, 2020 13 hours ago, robmcg said: I'm a bit slow to the party but received my blue 46206 'Princess Marie Louise' a few days ago in NZ and have had a chance to take some photos... Lovely and smooth on my very short test track. Luvly! Yes indeed. The first picture is an extraordinary example of how light affects colour. The exposed frame under the firebox looks blue! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
apollanaut Posted April 3, 2020 Share Posted April 3, 2020 (edited) At a loose end under lockdown, I took advantage of the evening sun on my balcony to take some more photos of Princess Marie Louise: Edited April 3, 2020 by apollanaut 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
robmcg Posted April 3, 2020 Share Posted April 3, 2020 (edited) 9 hours ago, No Decorum said: Yes indeed. The first picture is an extraordinary example of how light affects colour. The exposed frame under the firebox looks blue! Indeed, cameras, lighting, and display setting vary so much. Ordinarily I try to re-set some colours to 'correct' but even between, say, an Asus laptop and an Acer laptop, there are major differences when you go quickly from one to the other with the same JPEG. Even Apple phones vary between models. Not to mention tablets, Android phones and so on. That is all the more reason to have long extended arguments about BR green, no shortage of experts here. (Even if in real life it varied greatly with lighting, wear and dirt). I recall the massive differences back in the 1950s and 60s with Agfa color, Kodachrome II, Ilfocolour (Ilfochrome?) and others, also one might look at cheaply-printed books to get an idea of how bad colour reproduction can be. Apollanaut's evening-lit pics above are very good I think. Edited April 3, 2020 by robmcg usual typos, errors, omissions 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold MikeParkin65 Posted April 7, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 7, 2020 On 30/03/2020 at 14:19, MikeParkin65 said: Unfortunately I am having to return mine to my dealer. Once I got it running in on the rolling road it became apparent that the right hand crosshead had far too much lateral movement - in fact it could come almost entirely free of the top slidebar. I looked for the usual problems - either dislodged piston rod or misaligned bars but found evidence of neither. It would take more disassembly than is commensurate with being able to return the loco to the dealer to prove but it would appear to me that my example is missing the inner component of the crosshead - hence there is nothing to prevent it moving outwards. Purchased from a reputable dealer (and tested before dispatch though this wasnt obvious without a rolling road) so I have no concerns about getting a refund though I do worry replacements may be hard to come by. Much worse happening in the world I know but just sharing this for information. No doubt mine is a rogue. Meanwhile its a reprieve for R3015....... My original supplying dealer had no more in stock, he did offer to return it to Hornby for repair but as they are currently closed for repairs there was no estimate of how long that might take (assuming they have spare parts to start with) I have reluctantly returned it for a refund. Happily the ever pleasant Monk Bar model shop in York had one in stock and I know they also test before dispatch. Ordered from them last Thursday with a request to especially check the valve gear. Arrived to day and is perfect - now running it in on the layout (as this one is DCC fitted) - super smooth and mechanically silent straight from the box 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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