D600 'Warship' - Silver Fox/Hornby models

[TheWeatheringMan]

Another batch of my loco's built by combining a resin bodyshell and a Hornby chassis.

 

These loco's were the first main line diesels delivered to the Western Region in the late 1950's and were diesel hydraulics - the Western deciding to go for hydraulic transmission rather than the electric transmission chosen for the other Regions - the reasons for this are well documented so I wont go into it here other than to say that these five locos were not what the WR wanted - being built to conventional 'heavyweight' design rather than the lightweight/high power to weight ratio achieved by the German designs that influenced the WR.

The locos were not particularly reliable and after only a few years service were withdrawn as part of the National Traction Plan - being one of the first classes to disappear.

 

A well know west-country model retailer has announced some years ago that it intends to produce models of the class - this has been promised for several years now but we shall have to wait and see - certain changes in the industry, disagreements and legal disputes between some parties, manufacturers cancelling products in a fit of temper and the problem of ever rising costs could, and I say could, effect the final outcome - lets all hope for the best.

 

Having said the above, for some years there was available (regrettably no longer) a superb resin bodyshell from Messrs Silver Fox - this being designed to fit one of two RTR chassis with a little modification to the chassis - I must add at this point that Silver Fox still produce several resin bodyshells and made up versions as RTR models but not regrettably some of the older bodyshells including the D600.

 

About three years ago I completed five Silver Fox D600's - this is a rare example of it being possible to model an entire class! - not counting 'one-off' or single prototypes.

 

Another interesting fact (I felt so anyway!) is that by modelling the locos across the lifetime of the class is that its possible to make them all different thanks to front end detail and livery variations.

 

Below are photos of my five models that I hope you might find of interest - I decided to show them here as they always attract a lot of attention when displayed at exhibitions.

 

They are fitted to the newer design of Hornby class 47 chassis with the 5-pole motor with the class 47 bogie frames replaced by the SF cast D600 design. The Hornby traction-tyred wheels have been replaced by metal tyred wheels.

As I do with all my resin bodies from several manufacturers some of the moulded detail has been replaced with separately applied items (such as roof grilles, handrails etc.) during construction.

 

On D604 I have modified some of the side grilles to replect a change made to the full size loco - this hasn't been totally successful so I'm going to draw up and etch better grilles over the next few months and fit them - the as yet to be applied weathering will hide the newer work.

When I originally built the five locos I didn't add the pipework runs to the bogie sides due to an oversight - this is another job booked for the workshop this summer.

 

I hope that the pictures will interest some of you as pictures of these pioneer diesels in model form don't seem to be that common.

 

Regards.

 

D600 ACTIVE : The only one to have been painted in Rail Blue. Shown with headcode boxes

D601 ARK ROYAL : Green livery, headcode boxes and 'square' small yellow panels

D602 BULLDOG : Chromatic Blue - one variation of this experimental colour was applied to D602 in the style of the green livery and with 'square' small yellow panels.

D603 Conquest : Green livery with the 'shaped' yellow panel and no headcode boxes (earlier discs in use.)

D604 Cossack : Green livery as prior to application of the yellow panel shown on D603. No head code boxes w ith older disc system in use.

[Russell Saxton]

I hate to tell you this but D600 in BFYE and D602 in BSYP were the same shade of blue.
Chromatic Blue is a myth caused by the optical illusion of the small yellow panel.

 

[Darius43]

8 minutes ago, Russell Saxton said:

I hate to tell you this but D600 in BFYE and D602 in BSYP were the same shade of blue.
Chromatic Blue is a myth caused by the optical illusion of the small yellow panel.

 

But yet you felt it necessary to dig this post up from six years ago to tell him anyway.

 

Darius

Edited March 1, 2020 by Darius43

[chris p bacon]

2 hours ago, Russell Saxton said:

I hate to tell you this but D600 in BFYE and D602 in BSYP were the same shade of blue.
Chromatic Blue is a myth caused by the optical illusion of the small yellow panel.

 

 

I think you'll find you are incorrect.

[andania 213]

9 minutes ago, chris p bacon said:

 

I think you'll find you are incorrect.

 

Many years ago I got a couple of so called 'chromatic blue' small yellow panel Heljan Hymeks for an absolute song.  Really wanting one to be an FYE version, I wondered what it'd look like if I gave one a full yellow end.  The result?, the one I attacked with the yellow paint looked an utterly different shade of blue to the one I left as supplied,  and, to my relief, it matched perfectly my mate's factory BFYE one.

 

My previously held thoughts re 'Chromatic blue' were immediately shatttered and revised

 K

[chris p bacon]

2 hours ago, andania 213 said:

My previously held thoughts re 'Chromatic blue' were immediately shatttered and revised

 K

 

The reason I stated that I think it's incorrect is because a family member was a (part) owner of a Hydraulic purchased in the 70's. They had access to Swindon works and the various colour schemes and paint specs, one of which was Chromatic Blue,  A different (lighter) colour to the Blue we know as "BR Blue" 

[SRman]

8 hours ago, andania 213 said:

 

Many years ago I got a couple of so called 'chromatic blue' small yellow panel Heljan Hymeks for an absolute song.  Really wanting one to be an FYE version, I wondered what it'd look like if I gave one a full yellow end.  The result?, the one I attacked with the yellow paint looked an utterly different shade of blue to the one I left as supplied,  and, to my relief, it matched perfectly my mate's factory BFYE one.

 

My previously held thoughts re 'Chromatic blue' were immediately shatttered and revised

 K

It could also be that the model manufacturer has not replicated the chromatic blue (or the BR monastral blue, for that matter) correctly. Different model manufacturers have produced quite a few different shades of BR blue, with some manufacturers (pay attention, Dapol) using different shades on different models within their ranges. That makes it unsafe to assess the differences apparent on the real things using models as the examples.

I do recall seeing a DMU in blue with small yellow panels, and the blue had a distinctly metallic hint to it. I always believed that to be chromatic blue, and it was different to the 'proper' BR (monastral) blue. 

 

 

Edited March 2, 2020 by SRman

[Steamport Southport]

20 hours ago, Darius43 said:

But yet you felt it necessary to dig this post up from six years ago to tell him anyway.

 

Darius

 

Especially since it's someone who hasn't been here since about that time after he had a strop in the GBL thread and deleted most of his posts. Some of which were very interesting.

 

As for Chromatic Blue. Make your own mind up. Certainly doesn't look like normal Rail Blue to me.

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/59835095@N02/6294770533/

 

 

 

Jason

[Andy Kirkham]

Which classes are claimed to have carried Chromatic Blue?  Is it just hydraulics?

 

I would have thought that it's merely an illusion caused by the small yellow panels, then the Chromatic Blue claim would have been made for every class that carried BSYP.

Edited March 2, 2020 by Andy Kirkham

[John Tomlinson]

On 02/03/2020 at 15:48, Steamport Southport said:

 

Especially since it's someone who hasn't been here since about that time after he had a strop in the GBL thread and deleted most of his posts. Some of which were very interesting.

 

As for Chromatic Blue. Make your own mind up. Certainly doesn't look like normal Rail Blue to me.

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/59835095@N02/6294770533/

 

 

 

Jason

A bit difficult to tell, whilst its a fascinating photo the light isn't at an angle anyone would choose to take a shot. Look at the shadows, the sun is nearly head on hence the very bright front and more subdued side. Moreover to get a decent image it appears that either the photo has been lightened or else the exposure was compensated as the background has been whited out.

 

If Mr. Wareham reads this please be assured that I'm not in any way criticising your photo - it is indeed a very valuable one - but that the light wasn't ideal for you in that position.

 

What I do find earth shattering in this thread is the comment by Chris P Bacon about his relative's discovery in the Swindon archive. Up until now I had also assumed Chromatic Blue to be a myth, and that a more matt finish than later was due to a method of paint spraying. Obviously not.

 

John.

[andyman7]

Oh gawd, this whole Chromatic Blue/Monastral Blue/Rail Blue bunfight has been going on for years. It's not helped either by the unstable nature of any of the potential blue shades when applied to locos and rolling stock used outside in various climactic conditions; or by reference to colour photographs which are all themselves subject to both the nature of the film emulsions used and the subsequent stability of prints/slides. The effect of light, weathering and scale mean that in reality a range of shades can be justified ad infinitum.

 

Even the reference to Chromatic Blue being lighter than Rail Blue doesn't really help as ANY blue outside gets lighter over time...... 

Edited March 5, 2020 by andyman7

[chris p bacon]

I've asked but he hasn't retained much info from that time, he sold his share to another member of the DTG some years ago and any research went with it (or was already with it)

There was discussion about what shade of blue the loco(s) could be painted in,  which although not conclusive does indicate differering shades.