Retro-style Models

[LNWR18901910]

Thanks. I hope to obtain them and repaint them into full LSWR colours. On closer inspection, they're just the Hornby Railroad ones, but I suppose they'll do the job nicely. After all, I do have GCR/GNR-liveried coaches anyway.

[LNWR18901910]

Well, I got round to sharing a picture of my Hornby Railways S15 model.

The lining was handpainted by me and it was rather tricky. By studying LSWR-liveried locos and models, I'd say that I managed to get the white-purple-white border just about right. That was the best I could manage, though getting handrails and the right chimney for the model would take some time as well as finding the LSWR decals and numbers.

This is the real-life No. 499 I am trying to replicate in late-1978 Hornby Railways style. Hopefully, when she's finished, she'll be stored and displayed in a proper Hornby Railways box.

[LNWR18901910]

The S15 will be taking shape as planned despite the mistake in the incorrect livery and the LNWR George the Fifth will also be on the workbench.

 

However, after some thought about a 1980s Hornby Railways-style model, I settled on - wait for it - a streamlined B17 4-6-0! Normally, I prefer loco-drive models, but as the kit requires the tender-drive Hornby B17 Footballer chassis, it's the only exception I'm making because I wanted to portray a 1980s style Hornby Railways model. And for added authenticity to give it a stylized train set appearance of the time, it would have two LNER composite coaches and one brake coach. Coaches will be of a different matter to appropriately suit the models better.

 

Here is a timeline table I have created for my models which will also serve as a checklist.

Mid-late 1960s - Triang-Hornby Era: LNWR George the Fifth Class 4-4-0 No. 2013 'Prince George' - made from a GEM LNWR 4-4-0 kit and Triang L1 Chassis

Late-1970s - Hornby Railways Era: LSWR S15 Class 4-6-0 No. 499 - made from a Hornby Railways N15 Class with bogie tender from the Hornby N15 Class

Early-mid 1980s - Hornby Railways Era: LNER Streamlined B17 Class 4-6-0 No. 2859 'East Anglian' - made from a Golden Arrow Streamlined B17/5 kit complete with tender-driven Hornby Footballer Class chassis

Early-late 1990s - Hornby Railways Era: SECR O1 Class 0-6-0 No. 65 - also made from a Golden Arrow Kit respectively and utilising a modified Hornby Jinty chassis as required

Early-late 2000s - Post-New Millennium Hornby Era: Rebuilt SR West Country Class 4-6-2 No. 34027 'Taw Valley' in 'Hogwarts Express' livery - a repaint and rename of said-model in BR maroon livery based upon the concept of the Hogwarts Express prior to production of the first Harry Potter film

Post 2000s - Post-New Millennium Hornby Era: NBR Class G/LNER Y9 0-4-0ST - adapted from the Hornby Caledonian Pug and made to resemble said-model but in Railroad format hence the chassis

 

What do you guys think? Six models to attempt for my collection to celebrate 100 Years of the Hornby brand.

[cypherman]

Hi LNWR,

I must admit that I have seen a picture of the Sir Dinadan engine painted in plain BR black. In my opinion it was stunning in it's simplicity. It is on my to do list.

[LNWR18901910]

13 hours ago, cypherman said:

Hi LNWR,

I must admit that I have seen a picture of the Sir Dinadan engine painted in plain BR black. In my opinion it was stunning in it's simplicity. It is on my to do list.

Well, good luck with that.

 

My S15 may have a different livery than the ones were painted. The proper livery was the Goods Green, but I thought it was almost too similar to the SECR Goods Green so I went with the same livery used on the LSWR T9 and M7. If Hornby did release the S15s, they would be described as mixed-traffic engines though they would have been used for relief passenger duties.

 

Anyway, my next model in the works is an LNER Streamlined B17/5 4-6-0 based on No. 2859 'East Anglian' made from a Golden Arrow Streamlined B17/5 kit complete with tender-driven Hornby Footballer Class chassis and proper Hornby handrails and safety valves from an old A4 body just for sheer authenticity. The nameplates would also be custom-made stickers they used to supply with Hornby B17s back in the day. What do you think of that?

[cypherman]

Hi LNWR,

I think Manna did one of those recently. Might be worth a look in his thread here.

[David_Belcher]

On 04/09/2020 at 02:19, LNWR18901910 said:

Nothing special, but just a line to let everyone know that my late-1970s Hornby Railways style S15 is taking shape ever so nicely. I think I just about aced the LSWR lining on it. Decals and chimney swap to make the loco more accurate to its LSWR days coming soon. Also, I must find the right rolling stock for it to haul such as private owner wagons, an LSWR brake van and LSWR coaches from 1970s Hornby Railways coaches repainted into LSWR colours.

 

Also, one question pops to mind - the GEM LNWR George the Fifth kit is on its away as well as the chasssis required for it. It's to be made in the 1960s Tri-ang style days right into the early 1970s.

If you're going for the retro angle, the short Hornby clerestory coaches (although ostensibly GW) can be bashed into arc roof LSW stock...RM ran some articles in the early 70s??

[LNWR18901910]

50 minutes ago, David_Belcher said:

If you're going for the retro angle, the short Hornby clerestory coaches (although ostensibly GW) can be bashed into arc roof LSW stock...RM ran some articles in the early 70s??

Perhaps. Also, I might think about LNWR clerestory coaches, too. In fact, I must think about the type of retro-vintage coaches the Tri-ang Hornby George the Fifth would haul.

Edited September 8, 2020 by LNWR18901910

[BernardTPM]

8 hours ago, David_Belcher said:

If you're going for the retro angle, the short Hornby clerestory coaches (although ostensibly GW) can be bashed into arc roof LSW stock...RM ran some articles in the early 70s??

You're probably thinking of Terry Gough's series in the late 1960s. LSWR coaches: 56' non- corridor - October 1966, 56' corridor - June 1967, Ironclads (from Farish suburbans) - August 1967, Restaurant cars - February 1968.

 

8 hours ago, LNWR18901910 said:

Perhaps. Also, I might think about LNWR clerestory coaches, too. In fact, I must think about the type of retro-vintage coaches the Tri-ang Hornby George the Fifth would haul.

At the time GEM did some printed card LNWR coach conversions, meant to be applied to the Tri-ang 9" series coaches. Cheap and cheerful at the time. PC Models also did some LNWR coaches, corridor and non-corridor I think, which had sides that were fully colour printed onto acetate.

[David_Belcher]

6 hours ago, BernardTPM said:

You're probably thinking of Terry Gough's series in the late 1960s. LSWR coaches: 56' non- corridor - October 1966, 56' corridor - June 1967, Ironclads (from Farish suburbans) - August 1967, Restaurant cars - February 1968.

 

At the time GEM did some printed card LNWR coach conversions, meant to be applied to the Tri-ang 9" series coaches. Cheap and cheerful at the time. PC Models also did some LNWR coaches, corridor and non-corridor I think, which had sides that were fully colour printed onto acetate.

You're right about the articles...it was even earlier than I thought!

[cypherman]

Hi all,

LNWR I have just bought another Sir Dinadan to paint black. Spurred on by your work. Need to get a decent tender for it now. The game is afoot as they say. I still must finish the 3 H/D Cowen cranes first before I start this new project.....  

[Northmoor]

Improving 1970s/80s models, instead of just buying the new ones, appeals to me.  Here's my Tri-ang Metro-Cammell DMU, with cab ends modified to look more like a Class 101.  Yes it's too short and the bogies are crude, but when I was a kid and the Lima Class 117 was still in the future, this is what I would have wanted:

It still needs the brake hoses and inner end buffers adding (plus some weathering of the "engine") but I'm quite pleased with it.

 

rob

[fezza]

I have often considered building a 1980s rail blue layout using only the  retro Lima, Airfix, Hornby and Mainline diesel and electric stock available in the twentieth century. I really like those old Mainline Peaks and Airfix 31s...

 

The stock is often as cheap as chips and it could make a good father / son project layout. If junior wrecks it, replacements can be easily had. Only the Hornby APT would be a cost. 

 

Anybody tried something similar? 

[BernardTPM]

1 hour ago, David_Belcher said:

You're right about the articles...it was even earlier than I thought!

It helps that the June 1967 issue was my first ever Railway Modeller, so I remember what's in it rather well. While I never did chop up a Triang clerestory into a Southern coach I did convert one a few years later into a 38' 6" bogie brake featured in the November 1971 issue. By then I was 14 and more confident about taking a hacksaw to a model...

[David_Belcher]

46 minutes ago, fezza said:

I have often considered building a 1980s rail blue layout using only the  retro Lima, Airfix, Hornby and Mainline diesel and electric stock available in the twentieth century. I really like those old Mainline Peaks and Airfix 31s...

 

The stock is often as cheap as chips and it could make a good father / son project layout. If junior wrecks it, replacements can be easily had. Only the Hornby APT would be a cost. 

 

Anybody tried something similar? 

My layout uses a fair bit of stuff made in the early/mid 60s era it's set in, or thereabouts; Dublo, Trix, 00 gauge Farish, Triang... there's even an old Jaypee brass-bodied coach knocking about!

[LNWR18901910]

4 hours ago, David_Belcher said:

My layout uses a fair bit of stuff made in the early/mid 60s era it's set in, or thereabouts; Dublo, Trix, 00 gauge Farish, Triang... there's even an old Jaypee brass-bodied coach knocking about!

I don't know if you read the Hornby-Dublo book I acquired second hand, but I heard about an unproduced streamlined Duchess/Coronation model. A Pre-War pre-production mock-up was madeusing an A4 chassis, but this never happened because of WWII. In fact, you could take the Hornby-Dublo Duchess Chassis and fashion an LMS streamlined Duchess and pair it with LMS coaches by Hornby-Dublo. I challenge anyone here to attempt this retro-style model!

[cypherman]

Hi all,

LNWR it would be an easy project to do. All you need to get is the GBL streamlined Coronation from them to donate the body. The rest is just a matter of fitting it.

http://www.amercom-hobby.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=63&product_id=528

[LNWR18901910]

16 minutes ago, cypherman said:

Hi all,

LNWR it would be an easy project to do. All you need to get is the GBL streamlined Coronation from them to donate the body. The rest is just a matter of fitting it.

http://www.amercom-hobby.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=63&product_id=528

Well, good luck with that. Unfortunately, I do not own the GBL Streamlined Coronation or a Hornby-Dublo Duchess chassis or both. Besides, the latter is pretty expensive to find.

 

Also, my Hornby Railways LSWR Coaches are coming on nicely. I am looking forward to working on the Streamlined B17/5 4-6-0 in 1980s Hornby Railways style! I know because I obtained 3 Hornby Railways Gresley coaches to compliment it!

[cypherman]

Hi LNWR,

I have too many irons in the fire at the moment to take on that task.... :). Besides I have 3 Hornby ones already. And I have the N15 t start when it arrives. Just finished the H/D cranes this evening.

[cypherman]

16 hours ago, Northmoor said:

Improving 1970s/80s models, instead of just buying the new ones, appeals to me.  Here's my Tri-ang Metro-Cammell DMU, with cab ends modified to look more like a Class 101.  Yes it's too short and the bogies are crude, but when I was a kid and the Lima Class 117 was still in the future, this is what I would have wanted:

It still needs the brake hoses and inner end buffers adding (plus some weathering of the "engine") but I'm quite pleased with it.

 

rob

Hi Northmoor,

I can fully understand where you are coming from. As you can see from all the posts I have done revamping older engines. Nice DMU.

[cypherman]

Hi all,

LNWR I found the picture I mentioned of the black Sir Dinadan. So here it is. A lovely looking engine.

[LNWR18901910]

3 hours ago, cypherman said:

Hi all,

LNWR I found the picture I mentioned of the black Sir Dinadan. So here it is. A lovely looking engine.

That model looks fantastic. I'd say you went with the Maunsell S15 while I went with Robert Urie's original design.

 

Also, I was about to share my Hornby Railways LSWR Coaches.

[LNWR18901910]

Everyone, I apologise for the delay in sharing pics of the LSWR coaches, but I will soon. Also, my LNWR George the Fifth kit and L1 Chassis arrived yesterday, but whilst building it, I ran into a problem - the instructions were missing. All I had to do was rely on photographs of the class as well as other models of it.

 

The L1 Chassis runs fine, but with the body on, it jerks about and bucks off the track like a bucking bronco on a combination of absinthe and mescaline. I don't know what I'm doing wrong, I'm trying anything I could and I don't know exactly how to cure the problem, so could anyone please help me? Thank you.

[Darius43]

1 hour ago, LNWR18901910 said:

Everyone, I apologise for the delay in sharing pics of the LSWR coaches, but I will soon. Also, my LNWR George the Fifth kit and L1 Chassis arrived yesterday, but whilst building it, I ran into a problem - the instructions were missing. All I had to do was rely on photographs of the class as well as other models of it.

 

The L1 Chassis runs fine, but with the body on, it jerks about and bucks off the track like a bucking bronco on a combination of absinthe and mescaline. I don't know what I'm doing wrong, I'm trying anything I could and I don't know exactly how to cure the problem, so could anyone please help me? Thank you.

It may be that the body is interfering with the wheels/motion/motor.  Try running it slowly and looking closely to see if anything is hitting the body as the wheels rotate.  You may need to carefully fettle the body to remove the source of the interference.

 

Also you might want to try painting with several coats of thinned paint as these will tend not to show the brush marks - I assume you are brush painting.  Priming the model surface before painting would also improve the paint finish.  Using an airbrush would be better but I appreciate that is quite an investment.

 

With respect to lining, painting fine and straight lines by hand is an exceptional skill that I will never have.  I would humbly suggest that you consider using lining decals as they would deliver a marked improvement.

 

Cheers

 

Darius

[LNWR18901910]

16 hours ago, Darius43 said:

It may be that the body is interfering with the wheels/motion/motor.  Try running it slowly and looking closely to see if anything is hitting the body as the wheels rotate.  You may need to carefully fettle the body to remove the source of the interference.

 

Also you might want to try painting with several coats of thinned paint as these will tend not to show the brush marks - I assume you are brush painting.  Priming the model surface before painting would also improve the paint finish.  Using an airbrush would be better but I appreciate that is quite an investment.

 

With respect to lining, painting fine and straight lines by hand is an exceptional skill that I will never have.  I would humbly suggest that you consider using lining decals as they would deliver a marked improvement.

 

Cheers

 

Darius

Thanks for the tip, Darius. Lining decals proved for me to be a nightmare to apply on, sadly. The first time I tried it was on my LNWR custom-made locomotives, but they didn't work so I thought it best to improve my painting skills and try very hard despite the shaky-hand I would sometimes can't help but get. I am rather prone to it at times, but if anyone else suffers that way, I'm not alone.

 

On a lighter note, my Streamlined B17/5 is taking shape and runs nicely. I will share pics of it, soon. Progress on the model is going smoothly whereas the Triang-Hornby George the Fifth is still undergoing construction.