Hornby GWR Hall

[gwrrob]

Given the sheer amount of RMWebbers who've snapped up Olton Hall, does anyone fancy a "Ready, Steady, Repaint!" thread? Perhaps generate some friendly competition but also share tips and best practice?

 

What is everyone going for? For me it's a toss-up between unlined wartime black (perhaps with cab window blanking plate) or unlined post-war green. The smokebox dart and rear tender handrails are coming off as well!

 

CoY

 

 

I'd be interested in seeing how successful the removing of the smokebox number cleanly is but it does sound like a nice project.

[dibber25]

Thanks Coachmann, I should have known you would use a draughtsmans pen. Sorry , hope I didn't cause offence! I see also Chris masked off the lining with Tamiya masking tape. May go down that route, but for me I though the simpler solution was just a total repaint then to reapply lining. I'll have look around and see what's available.

I really don't think that re-applying the lining will be any easier. The masking was a doddle and I HATE masking. I stuck a strip of masking tape to my (clean) cutting mat and used a steel rule and a sharp scalpel to cut a strip about 1mm wide. I peeled it off the mat with the scalpel blade and stuck it over the Hornby lining. It's easy to pull off and reposition if you don't get it right first time. There's no point saving the cab and tender lining as that is missing its black centre line but the boiler bands are about half the thickness of the transfers.

CHRIS LEIGH

[papagolfjuliet]

P1100133.JPG

Not up to Coachman's standard, but this is my repaint of Olton Hall. Boiler bands masked with fine strips of Tamiya masking tape. Resprayed with a Railmatch aerosol - no airbrush. Fox Transfers on cab side and tender. Fox nameplates - you need to remove the splasher front, cut/file the nameplate off, and then refix the splasher front to preserve the brass beading. The steam pipes are pieces of wooden skewer as I didn't have the right sized plastic rod. Left the ejector alone as I thought removing it risks damage. Also, I don't like the way that separate ejectors (as on the Hornby Star and Castle) make the handrail stick out way too far. Chose Lilford Hall as the real place is just opposite where I live. 

 

I'd like to see more of that blue Pullman camping coach in the background.

[dibber25]

I'd like to see more of that blue Pullman camping coach in the background.

I covered it in a feature on camping coaches in Model Rail a couple of years ago. Send me an e-mail on chris.leigh@bauermedia.co.uk  and when I'm next in the office on Monday I'll check which issue it was in and let you know. If you don't have it, we may be able to provide a back issue or a photo-copy. 

[60800]

I've noted that a lot of the 'fire sale' Olton Halls have been purchased for repaint projects. I bought mine for an experiment. The cabsides need lining properly, the dart needs replacing, the coupling hook needs replacing and the chimney needs replacing, but most importanly, once you've hacked the frames and footplate off of the old 'Hogwarts Castle' tender body - it fits the new tender frames; 

[The Black Hat]

Where is the DCC socket on these? In the tender or in the engine?

 

TIA

[dibber25]

Where is the DCC socket on these? In the tender or in the engine?

 

TIA

In the tender.

[coachmann]

I've noted that a lot of the 'fire sale' Olton Halls have been purchased for repaint projects. 

Lots of fun too....

 

 

 

[DeccerGW]

I've noted that a lot of the 'fire sale' Olton Halls have been purchased for repaint projects. I bought mine for an experiment. The cabsides need lining properly, the dart needs replacing, the coupling hook needs replacing and the chimney needs replacing, but most importanly, once you've hacked the frames and footplate off of the old 'Hogwarts Castle' tender body - it fits the new tender frames; 

A friend mentioned about this post he'd seen here as I was going to remove the Great Western from my 5972 tender body and replace with BR Crests so it looks something similar to the Hogwarts Crest but this seems a better option. I have just bought a cheap old Castle 5972 tender off ebay to do the same too it. Is there any other parts apart from the footplate that need removing or cutting down? Thanks!

[60800]

A friend mentioned about this post he'd seen here as I was going to remove the Great Western from my 5972 tender body and replace with BR Crests so it looks something similar to the Hogwarts Crest but this seems a better option. I have just bought a cheap old Castle 5972 tender off ebay to do the same too it. Is there any other parts apart from the footplate that need removing or cutting down? Thanks!

 

Hi DeccerGW 

   

I hacksawed the frames off, cut away the footplate with a craft knife, cut away the lower plate sections underneath the front of the tender, but leaving the vertical struts and tubes, then smoothed / flattened out the bottom using a large sheet of wet'n'dry. The attachment screw points inside the tender also had to be cut down slightly. They are closer together than the alignment holes in the new frames, but the screws do fit under stress. Once a decoder is fitted, I shall be gluing the body to the frames. The colour difference is so slight that unless you actually hold the tender and loco against each other, you'd barely be able to tell the difference.

 

Cheers,

  60800

[60800]

I've got another tender on the bench having the same treatment done if you'd like a photo record

[The Black Hat]

Anyone sound fitting one? Just wondering how much room is available inside. I reckon there should be enough if the tender can be used and its got the wires to the loco and socket.

[Hilux5972]

I bought one sound fitted from Hattons. Plenty of room in the tender for the speaker.

The socket is in the tender as well.

[chicken]

I've got another tender on the bench having the same treatment done if you'd like a photo record

 

I'd be interested in this if it's not too much trouble

[george stein]

This is very interesting,  From the USA - a friend just gave me a boxless Olton Hall.  Clearly a repaint/transfer project.  However, no brake rods  on loco or tender.  Now that some of you have seen the "Rood Ashton," can someone check the sheet and post the number of the accessory bag/pack so I can try to get a set of brake rods.  Thanks.

[Hilux5972]

The service sheet for the halls has not been released online yet and the maintenance sheet that comes with the loco does not have any of that info on it.

[Hilux5972]

Hi all. I have had a reply from Hornby and the parts number for the accessory pack is X6612. Unfortunately, no one seems to have any yet, not even Hornby themselves.

[coachmann]

There are Halls with moulded handrails on Tender corners and back and on cab sides, moulded smokebox dart, locos with fire iron tunnels and locos without. There's a red Hall (R3169) with a large Collett Tender and a GWR green livery Hall (R3170) with small Collett tender. All are branded in the Railroad range and are prices from £65 to £85. All share the same superb flywheel chassis.

 

Then there is BR green Rood Ashton Hall (R3205) with large Collett tender with all the above moulded handrails and flywheel chassis ....NOT called a Railroad Models and priced at £115.00. Eh? Am I missing something here?  At least £35.00 more expensive than the physically similar R3169 red Hall, yet it would still be necessary to replace all the moulded handrails and smokebox dart. 

 

Another anomaly :  

Weathered W.Region 28XX DCC Ready £120.00.

Weathered W.Region 38XX DCC Ready £105.00.

In other words, non-glazed cab, no fire iron tunnel and larger boiler support = £15.00 extra!

[bigherb]

There are Halls with moulded handrails on Tender corners and back and on cab sides, moulded smokebox dart, locos with fire iron tunnels and locos without. There's a red Hall (R3169) with a large Collett Tender and a GWR green livery Hall (R3170) with small Collett tender. All are branded in the Railroad range and are prices from £65 to £85. All share the same superb flywheel chassis.

 

Then there is BR green Rood Ashton Hall (R3205) with large Collett tender with all the above moulded handrails and flywheel chassis ....NOT called a Railroad Models and priced at £115.00. Eh? Am I missing something here?  At least £35.00 more expensive than the physically similar R3169 red Hall, yet it would still be necessary to replace all the moulded handrails and smokebox dart. 

 

Another anomaly :  

Weathered W.Region 28XX DCC Ready £120.00.

Weathered W.Region 38XX DCC Ready £105.00.

In other words, non-glazed cab, no fire iron tunnel and larger boiler support = £15.00 extra!

You can always buy the Bachmann Hall for £124.99 and get your angle grinder out.

[george stein]

First: thanks Hilux for tracking down the accessory number; maybe some brake rods will someday turn up at Peter's Spares .  Second, a naive question.  I bought an HMRS Pressfix lining set intending to replace the double orange/no black lining on the "Adderley Hall."  Do I REALLY have to strip all the Hornby lining and repaint the whole thing or can I apply the Pressfix over the existing paint scheme?  Advice please!  Finally, I have both the Humbrol acrylic (RC 405) BR/GWR green and the Railmatch (601) GWR post-28 green.  They "look" identical but I suspect some members of this extensive Hall-discussion will set me straight.  Writing from the USA, so you guys are my only source for UK modelling advice.  Thanks.

[Hilux5972]

I bought the same sheet for my Olton Hall. I just applied the transfers over the existing lining. It's a pretty good match dimension wise. However the lining on the sheet seems to be a more vivid shade of orange that was on the boiler bands of my Olton Hall. It may be a different story with Adderley Hall. As for the paint I am unable to help but others may indeed be able to.

[Coach bogie]

It all seams like alot of work with little gain to me.

 

Is your eyesight really that good that you can spot a less than 1mm black versus green when your engine is going around your track? I know my eyes cannot tell the difference. Having added the missing splasher, running plate and cylinder lining, along with crew, coal, lamps and a bit of dulling down, my brain does not register the missing black.

 

Mike Wiltshire

[coachmann]

I suppose we all have different level of being offended. The bright lining offends me, particularly on the boiler bands, but worse than that is the green the RTR companies use. My answer is a complete painting & lining job, but I can do that. After all I will have the locos for life so it is worth it.

[george stein]

Thanks all for advice.  Coach bogie - it's a good pun on "seams" & "seems" whether intended or not. Will add missing lining & leave missing black for rivet-counters to find.  Just returned from a quick vacation in UK.Had good luck to be at Didcot for steam day: really fantastic museum.  Enjoyed especially the "Hall" which was out in full sunlight.  Managed to smuggle some Rail Match paint.  Again, really appreciate this forum.

[Edwardian]

This has been a fascinating appraisal.  In sum it seems to me that this model has an excellent chassis and the GW version has a good body and Churchward tender body.  The moulded detail that will need to be replaced is also found on the non-Railroad version, and, so, the latter offers few advantages.  In contrast, the Railroad model is very good value.

 

The boiler band lining, if I understand the comments, is a better representation than often found on RTR GW models, because the black lining is finer?  The orange is, however, rather bright.

 

The green seems, to me, to be that same lack-lustre muddy green used on the Star.  It might be advisable to repaint.  

 

So, would a fair upgrade be represented by the following steps?

 

• Replacement handrails where necessary and smoke-box dart
• Added brake rodding - do I understand correctly that this is separately available in an accessory pack?
• A re-spray - I thought about masking off the boiler bands to preserve them (though a means of toning down the orange would seem desirable, and remove, somehow, the rest of lining, crest and lettering.
• Lining - for those of us of modest skill and little experience, what lining transfers might be most suitable?
• Frames - To be frank, this is the aspect that worries me most, the fine orange lining required on the frames.  Are transfers a realistic option, I wonder?

Would be interested in everyone's views on this way of proceeding and any recommendations.