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Hornby's Best Ever Models


robmcg
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On 20/05/2019 at 04:53, railroadbill said:

P1090896_edited-1.jpg.74e52f2f6bd90ed6349860df158e80da.jpg

 

This is how it all began.  " Mallard" had several years still to go in service when I was given this set.   (1958?)

 

 

As you pointed out, with Mallard, Railroad Bill.

 

I'm wondering if there isn't a degree of backlash against the fragility and very fine detail of recent models?

 

I look at the details discussed on the Terrier thread and while I applaud accuracy I wonder how Hornby manage such unbelievable production complexity for the price,  presumably Rails and Dapol have the same issues. 

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And look what it all came to.  The rot set in with plastic wheels I tell 'ee...

 

34042_Dorchester_WC_Bulleid_portrait4_2abcdefg1_r1500.jpg.3474c0cf8d8af16bc464de892933638b.jpg

 

Picture edited, from a Hattons photo of a second hand offering, given that I have not yet chanced upon a model like this lurking in a cheap 'job lot'.... :)

Edited by robmcg
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On 10/06/2019 at 04:17, robmcg said:

And look what it all came to.  The rot set in with plastic wheels I tell 'ee...

 

34042_Dorchester_WC_Bulleid_portrait4_2abcdefg1_r1500.jpg.3474c0cf8d8af16bc464de892933638b.jpg

 

Picture edited, from a Hattons photo of a second hand offering, given that I have not yet chanced upon a model like this lurking in a cheap 'job lot'.... :)

 

Looks quite crude compared with it's much younger sibling - though the 5250gl tender top scrubbed up well..

 

34031_rh-re110619.jpg.faf7b6032155be7b863a110ad44a041e.jpg

 

Original photo is from December 2011 - I've put the raw photo through my current photo editing software ;) 

 

 

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31 minutes ago, toboldlygo said:

Looks quite crude compared with it's much younger sibling

 

But its far more robust.  The main visual horror is the handrail, which looks as if its at least a scale 4" in diameter, followed closely by the split pins that hold it in place!

 

(A bit of catching up...)

 

On 31/05/2019 at 19:15, toboldlygo said:

Airfix and Heljan go toe to toe... 

 

Tug 'o' war?

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I’d bet on the Dublo in a tug of war any time.  Handrail shows it up as Hroth points out, but the missing flange on the undersize centre driver is the worst feature to my mind, very effectively downplayed in Rob’s photo!

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H/D's 'Barnstable' was my first 'real' loco - in two-rail. Got it at Christmas (1960 - I think) from a shop in Cardiff called Lendon's (Johnster knows the shop) that is still with us today. Still have the loco and it was given a run for the first time in 40-odd years AND it ran straight from the display cabinet (but not for long as it developed an 'odd' smell and I was concerned that some magic smoke might escape - needed oiling after all that time).

 

Here she is with an equally venerable 2-8-0 and a Trix 'Flying Scotsman' (not Hornby I know, but I considered it an excellent loco for its time compared to the offerings by H/D and Triang.

 

DSCF0042.JPG.05912806e479b486f90b52134876ffa9.JPG

 

Cheers,

 

Philip

 

 

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4 hours ago, The Johnster said:

I’d bet on the Dublo in a tug of war any time.  Handrail shows it up as Hroth points out, but the missing flange on the undersize centre driver is the worst feature to my mind, very effectively downplayed in Rob’s photo!

 

Yes my modelling can achieve great things with the simple use of a mouse. <g>

 

The Hornby Dublo models certainly are long-lasting, several I have bought and one owned by a family member, all 60+ years old and nothing needed but lubrication and possibly brushes cleaned.  I'm not sure about the mazak material used for such as bogie wheels, I presume that if it's ok after 60-70 years it will be ok for another 60 years? 

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I think that's a reasonable assumption, Rob; mazak rot is caused by impurities in the alloy and it if hasn't manifested itself after more than half a century it probably isn't going to.  The West Country was a pretty good effort for 1960s RTR, not far off scale and a good runner.  I had the nearest thing to it's rival, a Triang Winston Churchill, which wasn't too bad but I improved it quite a bit with an Airfix construction kit Biggin Hill and a lot of ballast.  It was never as smooth as a Hornby Dublo mechanism but could be controlled down to a very low speed.

 

I think I'm right in saying that Barnstaple and Dorchester were the last of HD's die cast metal bodied locos.  

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14 hours ago, robmcg said:

... I'm not sure about the mazak material used for such as bogie wheels, I presume that if it's ok after 60-70 years it will be ok for another 60 years? 

As above, probably. Bear in mind it is a relatively modern alloy, and so there isn't the data on other possible failure modes occurring over longer time periods. The visible evidence  of the failure we all know about is a result of change in crystalline structure. The typical contaminant - lead - that facilitates this change,  may not actually be required. Enough time / temperature cycling / mechanical stress cycling may well also do the job on 'perfect' alloy.

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Meanwhile I'm about to go all wibbly wobbly timey wimey (a Doctor Who reference for those who don't know)

 

A few months ago a client enquired if I could do a Hornby Clerestory in War Time Brown... 

 

...yes I said - not really knowing what was involved (me being totally honest)!

 

Anyhow here's the first off (currently 4 more to do - eek!)

 

clerestory_lhfan.jpg.4ad3fbe96b9d4f89eaf89d3a90e2bc4e.jpg

 

clerestory_rh.jpg.f1e68f9a8ac63898db40ccab516a4007.jpg

 

3D printed Bogies & Railtech Coat of Arms btw.

 

Other than that I've had a return to works for a chassis transplant..

 

7752_rw_01.jpg.89ba5cc53ce979b9979bf8400ea5485c.jpg

 

And something from Oxford Rail...

 

6wToad_rhfan.jpg.76e3da80066cfe1918384cf571a11107.jpg

 

There's more Hornby stuff that's complete, but alas it's embargoed for now ;) 

 

 

 

 

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5 hours ago, toboldlygo said:

 

The Class 60's are impressive ;) 

I won't disagree mate as tonight I was running my 6 of them in a dedicated model train running session :).

 

Here is a pic of two of them for the video thumbnail and the video will be live tonight at 8pm UK time.

 

 

All the best

Ash.DSC04084.JPG.cc3181b2d4e40f1ec57b9ca955861848.JPG

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30 minutes ago, atom3624 said:

I'm very impressed with my EWS 60 - very nice model.

 

Al.

 

Widely considered by many to be the best r-t-r 4mm diesel to date. Phil Sutton’s 24 and Dapol’s 68 are in the same league IMHO.For the ultimate......FIA Trains LMS / BR twins for me.

 

 

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I'd come across that FIA Trains before - so good it's let down by the lamp brackets I reckon!!

 

Dapol Class 68? Totally agree - I had a DRS one a few months ago, which I 'moved on' ... intention was to get a TPE one, but they're like hen's teeth!!

 

For Hornby, I also like the Super Detail Class 56.

 

Al.

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No embargo on these two now ;) 

 

A couple more of this years superb rolling stock releases: the GWR Collett 57' Non-corridor coaches (LH & RH Composites)

 

6360_lhran.jpg.dd2aa8d76d7ed9bc2d37c11e89aeac29.jpg

 

6362_rhfan.jpg.603785d48455c6a25fb6122b717248d7.jpg

 

Roof's resprayed from white to grey and lightly weathered.

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While on the subject of finely-detailed authentic realism...

 

Img_3398_r1500.jpg.d23ed5769494232ebdf4f0f837b4854a.jpg

 

Hornby Dublo Standard 2-6-4T c1954

 

or if you like this new-fangled plastic stuff (It'll never last...)

 

Img_3396ab_r1500.jpg.d0b4684176bf4897d2411741e7226e25.jpg

 

Hornby Jouef 241P.1 HR2344 c2017

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Breaking News...

On 18/06/2019 at 12:19, atom3624 said:

I'd come across that FIA Trains before - so good it's let down by the lamp brackets I reckon!!

 

The only thing that let the FIA Trains LMS Twins down to begin with, was their inability to go round set track curves and to their credit the company listened and fixed the problem ;)

 

In the meantime...

 

It's coming home, it's coming home, the Airfix 1/24th Scale Hellcat, is coming home...

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22 hours ago, robmcg said:

While on the subject of finely-detailed authentic realism...

 

Img_3398_r1500.jpg.d23ed5769494232ebdf4f0f837b4854a.jpg

 

Hornby Dublo Standard 2-6-4T c1954

 

or if you like this new-fangled plastic stuff (It'll never last...)

 

Img_3396ab_r1500.jpg.d0b4684176bf4897d2411741e7226e25.jpg

 

Hornby Jouef 241P.1 HR2344 c2017

 

The 4MT looks like its causing a depression in the track....

The handrails are 3ft rule sized but I love it anyway!

 

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On 22/06/2019 at 08:01, Hroth said:

 

The 4MT looks like its causing a depression in the track....

The handrails are 3ft rule sized but I love it anyway!

 

 

If you want true authenticity....

 

46232_HD_Duchess_5a__portrait1_2ab_r1500.jpg.7cef25aed9ec701be019943944cf0502.jpg

 

You'd have to call this the iconic Hornby model...   :)

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