Hornby 2021 - Rocket packs

[AY Mod]

 

Rocket was completed to Robert Stephenson's satisfaction on September 2, 1829 and was transported to Killingworth Colliery for steam and load haul testing prior to the Rainhill Trials. Rocket's livery of yellow and black, with a white chimney, mirrored that of the L&MR's existing first class coaches which, in turn, copied that of the fastest road coaches at the time and was chosen by George Stephenson in 1828 to suggest speed and reliability to a new class of travelling public. The outcome of the Rainhill Trials established Rocket as the clear winner and the L&MR Board awarded Robert Stephenson and Co. the contract to produce four further 'Rocket' type locomotives, all of which were to incorporate improvements highlighted by the Rainhill Trials. Over the next three years, Rocket itself was gradually improved, until February 1833 when the locomotive was relegated to secondary and standby duties.

 

Rocket was purchased by Thompson & Sons of Kirkhouse for operating mineral trains on the Brampton Railway, but could not cope with the heavy trains and was withdrawn from service in 1840. In 1850 Rocket was moved to the Newcastle works of Robert Stephenson & Co. and in 1862 was donated to the Patent Museum, the forerunner of the Science Museum, by the Thompson family.
 
Upon the opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway in 1830 and agreement was made to carry mail on the railway. A royal mail coach would be placed on the end of a train with a guard seated high up on a special seat at the back of the coach keeping a watchful eye. 

 

Additionally this set also features the carriage ‘Treasurer’ and an open carriage.

 

 

Having established the concepts of first and second class rail travel, it was only a matter of time before railway companies created a lower fare ‘third class’ for the carriage of the working classes, especially in the densely populated industrial areas. Companies such as the Manchester, Bolton & Bury Railway, the Manchester and Leeds Railway and the Sheffield, Ashton-under-Lyne & Manchester Railway all used open third class carriages, mostly for standing passengers, but sometimes fitted with a rudimentary bench (or benches). The L&MR considered the possibility of creating a third class as early as 1839, due largely to market pressure from the MB&BR and M&LR, but the directors were afraid that, with its lower fares, it would draw passengers away from the first and second class trains. 

The introduction of third class travel on the L&MR dates to April 1844, when the Board ordered new enclosed second class coaches to replace the older ‘blue boxes’, which were then downgraded to third class. The first of the L&MR third class train services ran in October 1844, departing from Manchester at 06:30 and from Liverpool at 18:30.

 

 

General goods vehicles, or ‘Merchandise Waggons’ of the later Stephenson period were simple four-wheeled platform vehicles with sprung 3’ diameter wheels and were typically around 14’ in length, ‘with a superficial surface of platform area of seventy-five square feet’ able to carry ‘a considerable quantity of light goods’ of ‘about four tons weight.’ By 1841 dumb-buffers and coupling chains were fitted and as the decade progressed, the length of the waggons shortened and the width increased, creating a greater load area. The fitment of loose sides of around 2’ in height allowed for the carriage of coal and loads were protected by canvas tarpaulins painted with the company initials to prevent their theft, with each waggon having its number, weight and gauge clearly marked in white paint on a black background. 

As travel time by railway was superior to that of road travel by coach, coach companies sought new ways to compete, leading to mail coaches and stagecoaches being loaded onto the ‘open carriage waggons’ for onward travel to places such as Liverpool or Manchester. These connecting, or ‘branch coaches’ were to become the antecedent for the Branch Line railways of the future.
 

[phil-b259]

Shame that Royal Mail coach isn't available as a separate item. Any chance of adding it later in the year Hornby

 

Mind you all those that missed out on the Rocket train packs last year will be rewarded with an ideal set containing one of everything as it were.

[Nile]

The guard figure would also be handy as a spare part, as all trains had two of them.

[Georgeconna]

That looks Lovely. Would of bought that instead of the Yellow boxed on last year, don't need a second one. 

[Ouroborus]

Note the price on the blue wagons - seems they realised they sold them too cheap.

[Kris]

Good to see some goods wagons but I will wait for prices to drop from the RRP. I also would have liked to have seen the mail coach as a separate item, hopefully it will appear at a later point. 

[RJS1977]

I saw the thread title and thought Hornby were reintroducing BattleSpace! ;-)

 

[JSpencer]

Had we known, I would have gone for this Rocket set. Like others, I'll buy the mail coach if released seperately as a single unit.

[Gibbo675]

Hi Folks,

 

I nearly beat them to it !!!

 

 

Gibbo.

[Steven Draper]

As annoying as it is for many of us who would like the mail coach - have to say I'm impressed with the marketing strategy which is quite clever from Hornby's perspective  !!!! 

[Isambard Smith]

Ah , the rocket.

The 1st loco ever made and seemingly the only one built before the 1872 when an infinite number of terriers were introduced...

[Dan Hamblin]

Agree with you Steven - good to see the Royal Mail coach but would much rather it was sold separately. Perhaps that will come in 2022.

 

I think this is a good move by Hornby and if the sales support it perhaps they will look at other early era models given the various bi-centenaries that will be cropping up over the next 5-15 years.

 

Regards,

 

Dan

[Gibbo675]

Hi Folks,

 

I've just been doing a little bit of research, I shall now paint the mail coach Navy blue as some of the L&MR illustrations shew Navy blue mail coaches other wise my shade of red will be different to that of Hornby's should I buy the train pack which I likely will do.

 

The mail coaches that were repainted Navy blue were done so in honour of King William IV in 1833 who was Lord High Admiral of the Navy, hence the Navy blue. Incidentally, the first mail coaches, that ran on the turnpike roads, were painted yellow and black the same as the L&MR's first class coaches for yellow signified speed.

 

Nothing is ever lost, just a different opportunity.

 

That said if the coach is blue it will have to run on the Everton to Manchester Railway !

 

Gibbo.

[wainwright1]

Should the chassis of the mail coach be yellow. It does not look right ? Perhaps an early rendition.

 

I am sure that the flatbed wagons should not have the footsteps. Obviously an economy by using the coach chassis.

 

Ray

[CF MRC]

There has to be a ‘Lion’ somewhere in the pipeline. 
 

Tim

[Gibbo675]

17 minutes ago, wainwright1 said:

Should the chassis of the mail coach be yellow. It does not look right ? Perhaps an early rendition.

 

I am sure that the flatbed wagons should not have the footsteps. Obviously an economy by using the coach chassis.

 

Ray

Hi Ray,

 

Very possibly not looking at contemporary paintings, but then perhaps Hornby copied Aster's Gauge 1 model which does look rather similar:

 

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/aster-lion-gauge-one-mail-coach-1776672038

 

 

Road going mail coaches had wheels and carriage frames that matched the lower body panels in ether blue or red. Plenty of paintings shew blue mail coaches which were indeed correct for both road and rail between 1833 and 1837. 

 

Gibbo.

[Nile]

The contemporary paintings show a yellow chassis, but they are less prominent than on the model which has quite a chunky chassis comparatively.

 

 

27 minutes ago, CF MRC said:

There has to be a ‘Lion’ somewhere in the pipeline. 
 

Tim

 

Lion wasn't built until 1838, and it was for goods trains. I'd prefer a Planet before it, they worked the passenger trains from the start.

[BernardTPM]

As far as I remember on the Ackerman print the Royal Mail coach had inside bearings, suggesting the body was narrower than the standard coach.

Edited January 11, 2021 by BernardTPM

[adb968008]

9 hours ago, Ouroborus said:

Note the price on the blue wagons - seems they realised they sold them too cheap.

A bit too late for that now. The other ones are swamped out there. 

Mail coach is clever, if you look at the prints there were other types, cages etc... i’d be pushing to get that set for onboard duty free or at airports.. its a classic British train trainset.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 5, 2021 by adb968008

[No Decorum]

6 hours ago, CF MRC said:

There has to be a ‘Lion’ somewhere in the pipeline. 
 

Tim

I wonder if Hornby is releasing the coaches and wagons to see how much interest there is in this period. If they turn out to be popular, perhaps a locomotive or two might follow.

[RyanN91]

Fantastic rolling stock for the Rocket I hope the Royal Mail coach will be available on its own at some point in the future! 

[gc4946]

The Royal Mail coach and wagons were surprises for me.

I'd like Hornby to release a Royal Mail coach separately because I already own the R3810 pack and three open carriages.

A 2nd class coach would also be welcome (basically a roof added to an open 3rd design)

 

[johnd]

13 hours ago, CF MRC said:

There has to be a ‘Lion’ somewhere in the pipeline. 
 

Tim

 

And then a Titfield Thunderbolt set! its all there - Lowmac, coach body & GWR toad. Peco do suitable kits for the station etc.

Edited January 6, 2021 by johnd

[jivebunny]

15 hours ago, Isambard Smith said:

Ah , the rocket.

The 1st loco ever made and seemingly the only one built before the 1872 when an infinite number of terriers were introduced...

 

Yep, common knowledge that...  Doesn't seem to have stopped me from placing an order at Hattons though, since I missed out on the last lot (and my attempts at remotorising my 1982 model aren't going too well) 

[SRman]

Echoing what many other posters have said above, I would love that mail coach too, so hoping they'll market it separately later on.