Hornby 'KitKat' van and similar - prototype?

[Il Grifone]

Coming rather late to this!

 

The Hornby van is an ex H & B R refrigerator van (the Kit-Kat livery is fictitious of course - at least on this vehicle). I have an early example in LNER livery white with black lettering* though the number is incorrect. As already stated. it should be HBxxxx - when the H & B was adsorbed into the NER, their vehicles were given the prefix HB, which AFAIK continued in LNER days.

 

*I had built a model (from the Roche drawing) and assumed the matchboarding was flush with the framing. The arrival of Hornby's model signalled its replacement - Hornby's underframe and my body ended up in the bin. I assumed I'd got the framing wrong, but the photo in LNER wagons proves otherwise! I am thinking of sorting it out, but looking at the work involved always ensures it goes back in the 'to do' box.

 

These vans were not 'common user', but could well have travelled off home territory. Some time is likely to have passed before they were repainted from pre-grouping livery.

[EHertsGER]

This is turning out to be an awful lot of fuss for a van that shouldn't even be on my list for the Buntingford Branch - but what fun it is and hopefully of value to those serious about their Hull & Barnsley. I may not have an accurate van but I am thoroughly enjoying what I am learning and the community I am discovering. What else shall we talk about....?

Best to all!

Marcus

[EHertsGER]

Finally! After all the chatter and pontification 'the van' has come to the point of being recognizable - I hope! So what began as this:

Has now become this:



With my apologies for the lack of buffer heads and numbering. It is presumed to be an old H&B refrigerated van (for I learned along the way of ice compartments and such) that has been 'downgraded' to a regular van and given a lick of paint around 1923-ish so shunters would know it is not a refrig van and so on. At least that is my back-story and I'm sticking to it - unless you can come up with better! The absence of numbers still bugs me but for now it is 'done'...

Best,
Marcus

Edited June 3, 2014 by EHertsGER

[EHertsGER]

Looking back over the chatter here I realized that I had not jotted any notes on 'wot I dun', so hopefully the following is useful/ relevant;

 

Dumped the Hornby chassis and split body from roof, chucking both in the stripper - Easy Lift Off here in the USA

The roof got MJT vents, then down below to a much beaten up Gibson chassis I had lying about then added brass steps/brackets, ABS brake cylinder, anonymous axleboxes springs dug out of the bits box but I'm sure MJT/Wizard can sort you out some, Exactoscale brake levers, after much bending, Exactoscale brake lever guard, LMS buffers, vac pipes etc. Exactoscale coupling hooks/couplings. Gibson 12mm Mansell wheels that should have a brown center (wood) but don't.

Quick once over with the primer then Precision LNER bauxite/white roof then HMRS decals.

 

That's all folks - back to more mischief on the bench...

 

Best,

Marcus

Edited March 8, 2021 by EHertsGER

[BernardTPM]

Nicely done!

(Far too) many years ago I started doing one of these up, though as the insulated van variant. The new wooden underframe was from some old 3H LNER underframe mouldings, but the project stalled when I got into N gauge. Recently I've finished it off as an old grounded body, though it still need painting and weathering:

Edited July 1, 2017 by BernardTPM

[station cat]

Looks really nice Marcus. I think i've got one or two of those vans knocking around the place...

[Nedrahn]

Hello there,

 

Is this the prototype?

 

http://www.geograph.ie/photo/2338976

 

Cheers, Steve O.

More the inspiration, I'd say. The van is KESR No.128, an LMS vent van. I think the livery was applied for this advertising contract in the mid-1980s. I vaguely recall having seen it, but that could be a false memory based on seeing the adverts!

[Steve O.]

Hi,

I also have a vague recollection of print advert featuring a green cl. 24 or 25 with a whole train of Kit Kat vans.

Anyone else remember that one ?

Cheers, Steve O.

[chaz]

Finally! After all the chatter and pontification 'the van' has come to the point of being recognizable

 

With my apologies for the lack of buffer heads and numbering. It is presumed to be an old H&B refrigerated van (for I learned along the way of ice compartments and such) that has been 'downgraded' to a regular van and given a lick of paint around 1923-ish so shunters would know it is not a refrig van and so on. At least that is my back-story and I'm sticking to it - unless you can come up with better! The absence of numbers still bugs me but for now it is 'done'...

 

Best,

Marcus

 

Nice job Marcus. You have transformed a toy into a model (full marks for getting rid of the scaffolding projecting from each end and fitting some couplings instead). Not quite finished though - it desperately needs weathering

[EHertsGER]

Nice job Marcus. You have transformed a toy into a model (full marks for getting rid of the scaffolding projecting from each end and fitting some couplings instead). Not quite finished though - it desperately needs weathering

Ah, yes, well, that is skill yet to be acquired, so I'm off to read more Martyn Welch books....

[chaz]

Ah, yes, well, that is skill yet to be acquired, so I'm off to read more Martyn Welch books....

 

Good idea. Can I suggest you don't practice your skills on this nice van. Buy a cheap van, paint and letter it as you have your model and then have a play.

 

Chaz

[EHertsGER]

Good idea. Can I suggest you don't practice your skills on this nice van. Buy a cheap van, paint and letter it as you have your model and then have a play.

 

Chaz

To get all 'John Noakes' on you, '...and here's one I made earlier...' which is an ex-NBR 10ton van from a cast kit that might be an early McGowan kit, but as it came in the same box of random goodies from which I extracted the 'KitKat' van, I can offer no more. I though it made a suitable canvas for any practice I might need and it seems the answer is 'a lot'...

 

Best,

Marcus

Edited June 9, 2014 by EHertsGER

[chaz]

To get all 'John Noakes' on you, '...and here's one I made earlier...' which is an ex-NBR 10ton van from a cast kit that might be an early McGowan kit, but as it came in the same box of random goodies from which I extracted the 'KitKat' van, I can offer no more. I though it made a suitable canvas for any practice I might need and it seems the answer is 'a lot'...

 

Best,

Marcus

 

(Bearing in mind that cameras don't always show weathering to best advantage) You have achieved one of my targets for weathering - a general toning down so that, for instance, white lettering doesn't shout "fresh out of paint shops". 

[Pandora]

I love that last photo, Mick.  Engineers' angle-poise lamps there - shining on what looks like a defunct platform.

 

I confess I never imagined there'd be a 12T van with drop-flap and saloon-doors arrangement, although it does make some logistical sense of course for loading and unloading with sack-trucks or trolleys.

I recall seeing  a van with drop-flap and side opening doors which be seen at NRM York in the Station Hall part of the museum I cannot recall if the van is  of  L & Y or NER  origin

[john new]

Very late entry but yes there definitely was an advert with a Type 2 diesel and a train of Kit Kat vans. My memory from the time is that the photos were done near Fen Bog on the NYMR and all bar the first two or three vans were added to the shot post-production. What I can't remember 100% was if it was the NYMR's Class 24 or not but that was probable.

[Simon Bendall]

3 hours ago, john new said:

Very late entry but yes there definitely was an advert with a Type 2 diesel and a train of Kit Kat vans. My memory from the time is that the photos were done near Fen Bog on the NYMR and all bar the first two or three vans were added to the shot post-production. What I can't remember 100% was if it was the NYMR's Class 24 or not but that was probable.

 

It was 24061 used.

[Ruston]

A couple of these vans that I repainted and  put new frames under.

[kevinlms]

21 hours ago, john new said:

Very late entry but yes there definitely was an advert with a Type 2 diesel and a train of Kit Kat vans. My memory from the time is that the photos were done near Fen Bog on the NYMR and all bar the first two or three vans were added to the shot post-production. What I can't remember 100% was if it was the NYMR's Class 24 or not but that was probable.

So technically the Hornby model was based on an actual prototype, since it did run, albeit in preservation days.

 

Now for Polo tank wagons!

[Steamport Southport]

There was two Kit Kat trains adverts. One on the NYMR which used the Class 24 and a set of BR vans.

 

The other was on the KESR which used a single LMS van.

 

https://preservation.kesr.org.uk/wagons-vans/128

 

It still has the telltale sign.

 

https://locoyard.com/2016/04/30/not-a-kit-kat-in-sight/

 

 

 

Jason

[tomparryharry]

I 'think' one of the original parents was a MoS unfitted covered van. All wood construction, including underframe. We have one at Blaenavon. We are given to understand that they were labelled for salt traffic.

 

The covered vans were 4-fingered Kit Kats, the 2 fingered were 5 plankers.... The original model used to fall apart on first radius curves. "have a break..."

Cheers,

Ian.

[PatB]

Can anyone recommend a suitable underframe kit to render this van a little more plausible? Given that garishly coloured 70s Hornby vans are a staple of the junk boxes of exhibition trade stands there seems scope for a proper model on a budget. 

[Wickham Green]

1 minute ago, PatB said:

Can anyone recommend a suitable underframe kit to render this van a little more plausible? Given that garishly coloured 70s Hornby vans are a staple of the junk boxes of exhibition trade stands there seems scope for a proper model on a budget. 

I used the 'spare' solebars from a Ratio LNWR open wagon kit .......... but that's only the solebars !

[jwealleans]

On this and the Thomas circus van I just made up an underframe from Evergreen strip and Wizard models bits and bobs.  The floor of the van is nice and flat and square, so you have a sound base to stick it all to.

[Steamport Southport]

1 hour ago, PatB said:

Can anyone recommend a suitable underframe kit to render this van a little more plausible? Given that garishly coloured 70s Hornby vans are a staple of the junk boxes of exhibition trade stands there seems scope for a proper model on a budget. 

 

Depending on size (not got one to hand) - Ratio, Cambrian and Parkside sell chassis kits separately. I'm pretty sure something will fit.

 

Here's the Cambrian selection, the Ratio & Parkside ones are on the PECO website.

 

https://www.cambrianmodelrail.co.uk/store/Underframe-Kits-c25053466

 

 

 

Jason

[PatB]

So would something like the Gloucester wood underframe be, if not fully accurate for a H&B wagon, be a suitably generic representation of something of suitable era?