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GLOSSY Hornby A4's ON GOING PROJECT. 4464,4468,4498, ETC CUSTOMISING THE Hornby MODEL


Rob Hayes
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Hello good folk I am still plodding on with this project and have been making sure the wheels roll as slick as possible. There was one slightly tight area which I first worried was quartering the. Thought it might be the eccentric but in the end I tracked it to a slightly tight hole on the first driver crank pin hole. This was widened a little more and now she rolls like greesed pig spit.

 

I have fitted the ultrascale balance blocks to the wheels I could have used the compass cutter but these are very handy and priced so reasonably it hardly seems worth the bother.

 

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Once the super glue gel had dried I micromeshed them flush to the wheel rims to both tidy them up key them for primer and make sure there would be no collision with the connection rods. The test chassis was re assembled to test it was still rolling and now I'm moving on to the paint stage.

 

I used tamiya tape to back the wheels and blue tak to mask the rims and running surface. These can then be misted over with Humbrol 64 Matt grey direct from the rattle can this will give me a good key for the red after I remove the slight over spray from the metal rims.

Hopefully this will give some permanence to the red (now I know why BR subjects are more popular ! )

 

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Same treatment for the front pony wheels but I am leaving them in place. I also polished up the front bogie spikes down to the brass/nickel to look like mallards ones, it's not steel but it looks pretty goodas a compromise however I may burnish over some kitchen foil with microscale foil glue as one would approach a Bare Metal finish on a fighter jet. I may try and emulate the quarter polished buffers using this method too.

 

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So with that onto the primer I have opted to use light grey as it will be easier to cover than white or black. Red being an awkward colour to paint.

 

More soon Cheers Rob :)

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Right then, it took longer to mask than spray, As always but well woth the effort.

The Humbrol sprays I use always they give such a great fine and robust finish these days and level out as they dry.

 

I have become a fan of these decoart acrylics from Americana available from hobbycraft. They give a great finish brush beautifully and have a very dense pigmentation and level off with little to no brush marks.

I will add some Windsor and Newton flow improver to these to further enhance the levelling and streak free effects of the paint. It also makes them brush like enamels. Combined with the Humbrol grey base coat they will stick to this like muck to a blanket an give a tough finished further protected by a few coats of Klear or similar.

 

The range of Americana paints are vast and useful, these two reds / crimsons I selected by eye as looking good for LNER Reds not being to strict on the shade as I find hornbys too purple and dark but look good and seem to have an oily worn look but as I am modelling Mallard as I have seen her in the 80s and 90s on many occasions she has quite bright wheels more toward red than purple. I like the look of the Alzarin Crimson and will be using this. I do like the Humbrol 20 but few this is two dark on this occasion but will be using it on future A4s.

 

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The Redbird colour is also a good shade, A bit of variance don't hurt and if the other is looking too light I can over coat it with the darker one.

 

Right then time to get the Hairy stick out !

 

Cheers Rob :)

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A little more progress as I work on the wheels another coat and a bit of Klear to seal and shine them and she will nearly finally be done hopefully.

 

Then I will have to make a video of her running.

 

Shame I have not got a layout at the moment or a big loop to stretch her legs. If I can find anywhere local to go to it could be nice to give her a good run.

 

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Cheers Rob :)

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Hi Rob, very impressed as an A4 lover!

Can you tell me where you got the finer motion from please?

 

Cheers

Ron

Hi Ron, are you referring to the finer motion that was put into my Blue Mallard prior to this new chassis I'm working on as in the super detail variant. If so I got them from Peters spares on eBay, you could also try new railway modellers or the other Hornby spares department just get the info from the data sheets on the Hornby site and they can sort you out.

 

If you are asking about the new motion here that is silver in colour these are from the old Margate 70s - 90s issue ones which are the same pattern for the crank eccentric as the current railroad with a few Mods as I have carried out with the cross bar that connects them. These might be harder to source individually but there must be 1000s off older A4s out there you could grab for spares though.

 

Glad you like the project it's a childhood dream slowly coming true for me.

 

All the best Rob :)

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Well I'm really happy with how this has turned out, nearly there just the tender wheels to do then the final tuning and then a video and some photos.

 

Hope you like her and a glimpse of my bittern since she's had her gloss coat.

 

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The tender wheels are getting the same treatment as the others, Humbrol 64 base coat from spray can, 2 coats of Americana Alizarin Crimson and 2 coats of Klear.

 

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I do apologise if this is boring anyone but it's a useful reference for the future I need to do this again.

It might seem obvious to some what I'm doing but I like to share to help those who might need it. I have not posted as often as I would like on here and still settling in even though I've been a member for years now. I regularly post on britmodeller so I am learning how this community operates still.

 

 

Cheers Rob :)

Edited by Rob Hayes
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Well she is nearly finished, The hard parts are over and it has been a big learning curve, Challenge and fun too. Also a bit difficult at times.

I have fitted the wheels to the tender and painted the silver axle boxes with Dark Star Paints bright steel then over coated with tarnished steel then a coat of Klear.

 

I buffed the buffers with 12000 micromesh.

 

I hope you like here its been a very long time getting Mallard to this stage from her Railroad/legend origins. I feel its an Improvement even though I love the original spec Hornby give us.

 

Comments both good and bad welcome.

 

 

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She has also been chipped with a Digitrains sound and a sugar cube in the loco. :)

 

Cheers Rob :)

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Well I dunno what I have missed but I see I need to address that broken coupling hook on the back.

 

Looking back at this I need to do some decent photos outside like I did earlier I must get on and film a video of her running too.

 

Next plan is to try and make up some copper pipes that attach to the front bogie spikes and to the bogie using the valance to hide this and still allow movement of the bogie to negotiate tighter curves.

 

cheers Rob :)

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Looking good Rob...

 

Cheers David :)

 

  

Not the biggest fan of the A4. But that looks the dogs ba##@$ to me. Any other plans up your sleeves.

Thanks very much it's largely gone to plan but the tender is a little heavy on varnish due to me not following my own rules about the weather and the varnish I use in October 2013.

 

I have plans to continue to learn about kit building in both 0 and 00, I also want to re chassis my manor with a comet one. As regards the A4s which I adore I have others I want to model and quite fancy a go at a comet chassis and making it fit one of these new Hornby bodies as a hammered wartime black loco. As I really fancy the idea of an A4 on freight.

 

I also wish to make a model of Sir Nigel Gresley as she was when I had "a go" at driving her in the early 90s at Carnfourth, LNER blue with black nameplates, it was just before it come to Kiddy I think in 94 however I seem to recal she had red plates at Carbfourth but when she arrived at kiddy they had been done black for some reason, I guess it was just prior to her going to BR blue.

 

Another plan is to construct my own A4 sound files and also do one with Canadian bell and a 5 chime whistle for Dominion of Canada.

I have a Bachman one and toying with the idea of a new chassis maybe comet.

 

Cheers Rob :)

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Another plan is to construct my own A4 sound files and also do one with Canadian bell and a 5 chime whistle for Dominion of Canada.

I have a Bachman one and toying with the idea of a new chassis maybe comet.

 

Cheers Rob :)

 

 

You have my attention. I have a Bachman D of C (split chassis) and want to do sound for it, with "bells and whistles" of course. Well outside my current abilities though.

Edited by jaym481
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You have my attention. I have a Bachman D of C (split chassis) and want to do sound for it, with "bells and whistles" of course. Well outside my current abilities though.

Well looks like I best get on with it then. Keep in touch and when I finally get around to it (sound ) might be able to help.

 

Cheers Rob :)

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  • 2 weeks later...

Well she is nearly finished, The hard parts are over and it has been a big learning curve, Challenge and fun too. Also a bit difficult at times.

I have fitted the wheels to the tender and painted the silver axle boxes with Dark Star Paints bright steel then over coated with tarnished steel then a coat of Klear.

 

I buffed the buffers with 12000 micromesh.

 

I hope you like here its been a very long time getting Mallard to this stage from her Railroad/legend origins. I feel its an Improvement even though I love the original spec Hornby give us.

 

Comments both good and bad welcome.

 

 

 

Cheers Rob :)

 

It looks fantastic.  Seeing your thread last year has inspired me to add upgrades to my 2002 vintage tender drive Mallard.  I don't know if i will go as far as the crazy gloss coat and upgrading the running (since its got nowhere to run in my world), but i have picking out the handrails and such in silver and some of the brass fittings as you've done to improve the look, and the wreath plates for the cladding to install, just need to get to the point of starting doing mine!

 

Stephen

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  • 1 month later...

It looks fantastic.  Seeing your thread last year has inspired me to add upgrades to my 2002 vintage tender drive Mallard.  I don't know if i will go as far as the crazy gloss coat and upgrading the running (since its got nowhere to run in my world), but i have picking out the handrails and such in silver and some of the brass fittings as you've done to improve the look, and the wreath plates for the cladding to install, just need to get to the point of starting doing mine!

 

Stephen

Ah thanks very much there Stephen and cool I inspired you with yours , photos please ;),

I must get some decent photos and vids done of this but I have been uber busy with work, getting into a band (guitarist) and my many model projects on britmodeller , (mostly vulcan bombers) for out IPMS shows with Bomber Command SIG.

 

Hope I can start my Hatchette Mallard soon and translate what is done here onto 0 gauge and that will be glorious if all goes to plan I hope.

I might even make a NRM style turntable to have her spinning on.

 

I'm a bit distracted with my new Aquisition at the moment my lovey new Heljan Class 40 and my First 0 loco ,,, what a beast it is too :)

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  • 4 weeks later...

Ah thanks very much there Stephen and cool I inspired you with yours , photos please ;),

 

No problem Rob, i had posted them to my flickr, and it slipped my mind to post them here.  So here goes:

 

16563292927_950f310385_o.jpgMallard Side View by Stephen Gardiner, on Flickr

 

16582994418_76da15bc04_o.jpgMallard Improvements by Stephen Gardiner, on Flickr

 

16770557005_f7ec487c67_o.jpgMallard Improvements by Stephen Gardiner, on Flickr

 

16584417529_bb8349837f_o.jpgPainted Backhead by Stephen Gardiner, on Flickr

 

As i said, just the little touches, handrails, some brass and such, and the wreath plates from Fox Transfers.  I am very happy at how much better such a small amount of work does to improve the look.

 

Thanks again for the inspiration to actually do it!

 

Stephen

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi,

 

I have no idea how I missed this thread!!! I have been looking for info on detailing and repainting/numbering Hornby RR A4's for weeks now! Want to renumber/paint my 4469 Gadwelll (TTS Sound fitted) to 60012 Commonwealth of Australia in BR Express Blue. A couple of questions - 

Do you know if 60012 had a corridor tender or not, if yes then where can I source one?

Do I need decals for the cabside numbers or do I use the 2 60012 etched plates that I got with the nameplates from Modelmaster?
Did 60012 (or any other A4) keep the side valances into the mid to late 1950s?

 

Any suggestions/tips much appreciated

 

Peter

 

**EDIT - And I apologise to Rob for stealing the 100th post on this thread :P

Looks great though.

Edited by 60012 Commonwealth of Australia
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