Hornby's Best Ever Models

[PJT]

10 minutes ago, robmcg said:

Carlisle Canal engines had a certain special charm!

 

They did and still do.  Hornby very nicely gave us Coronach (what a great looking nameplate and what a great sounding name!) and I mixed and matched from a pool of A3 and A4 bits to create Bayardo, Sir Visto and Flamingo - the last, like Flying Scotsman, running in BR service with an A4 non-corridor tender.

 

I know the Hornby A1/A3 range has its faults, like pretty well all ready to run models, and granted one or two of them are glaring.  I still reckon though that it captures the feel of the class really well; it has all the dignity and imperiousness of the real thing - as perfectly shown in your image of Coronach.

 

Pete T.

 

[toboldlygo]

11 hours ago, Sarahagain said:

 

I notice that loco has the GWR route restriction and power class blue spot.

 

Is this one of the ones built at Swindon during WW2?

 

Yes it is a Swindon built 8F

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

On ‎29‎/‎05‎/‎2020 at 00:03, robmcg said:

 ...my favourite being 60093 'Coronach'...

It's always fun looking up the Gee which lies behind the name. Coronach was half brother to Captain Cuttle and Call Boy. Equine Coronach was retired early with respiratory problems: perhaps he needed the equivalent to a Kylchap fitted...

 

Now look up Ladas, and see how many relatives he had among the other A3s.

[robmcg]

Who needs A3s when you can have chain-driven valves and steam reversers..?

 

[Black 5 Bear]

Stop teasing us Rob. We've been waiting nearly three years to get hold of one of these blue M/N's.

Due apparently Autumn, but the question is which Autumn ?

Edited May 31, 2020 by Black 5 Bear

[Hilux5972]

Since we have the A4 in experimental blue livery, I’m really hoping we get a SR Pacific, GWR King, and whatever the LMS had, if they indeed had any? Would be great to have reps of the purple from each region. Perhaps as a special edition collection. 

[Hroth]

14 hours ago, robmcg said:

Who needs A3s when you can have chain-driven valves and steam reversers..?

 

And oil leaks and fires under the casing.  They were just as bad as some of the Pilot Scheme diesels! 

 

Very pretty though. 

[robmcg]

19 hours ago, Black 5 Bear said:

Stop teasing us Rob. We've been waiting nearly three years to get hold of one of these blue M/N's.

Due apparently Autumn, but the question is which Autumn ?

 

Well, we can have 34102 'Lapford' from a weathered Light Pacific, I've just committed a mortal sin though, I renamed it from narrow cab 34041... oh dear artistic licence goes a long way but not that far.  I've fixed slightly with shadows and trickery. after all 34102 was one of the last two original style Light Pacifics in service was it not?, and reached 100mph in the last weeks of Southern steam in 1967.

 

 

 

 

Edited June 1, 2020 by robmcg
correction to pic

[robmcg]

5 hours ago, Hroth said:

 

And oil leaks and fires under the casing.  They were just as bad as some of the Pilot Scheme diesels! 

 

Very pretty though. 

 

You forgot the inaccuracy of the reversers. All could have been fixed with a bit of re-design, better materials, and the rebuilds were pretty good but I read that some drivers preferred the originals.... 

[gwrrob]

On 29/05/2020 at 11:56, toboldlygo said:

 

Yes it is a Swindon built 8F

 

It scrubs up well with some excellent subtle weathering.

 

[robmcg]

One could easily describe the early 2000s Hornby Merchant Navy models as 'game-changers' even if pre-dated by blue box WDs, but they hold up well in my opinion.

 

Here is R2169 35028 'Clan Line' after a bit of edited treatment with rebuilt Light Pacific detail added.  Quite a hard model to find these days in good order, too.  Just reduced the handrail knobs a tad, and added deflector struts, mostly.

 

 

Looks good from the other side, too.

 

 

 

[Black 5 Bear]

The Rebuilt Merchant Navy and Stanier 8f are both long overdue an update/retool in my opinion.

Manufactured to the same standard as the Princess/Coronation Pacific classes and other recent releases, Hornby will have yet another set of winners in their range.

Edited June 6, 2020 by Black 5 Bear

[sirwilliamfrs]

On 31/05/2020 at 10:52, Hilux5972 said:

Since we have the A4 in experimental blue livery, I’m really hoping we get a SR Pacific, GWR King, and whatever the LMS had, if they indeed had any? Would be great to have reps of the purple from each region. Perhaps as a special edition collection. 

Not experimental blue but a great looker! https://railsofsheffield.com/products/35924/Hornby-r3682-oo-gauge-br-blue-duchess-of-gloucester-princess-coronation-class-4-6-2-steam-locomotive-no-46225?gclid=Cj0KCQjw_ez2BRCyARIsAJfg-ks9WXPIThNQVfy-8xXzLrChDORkPEp0fHfFrghNOPTkIs-CK4Gr9LIaAk0sEALw_wcB

[robmcg]

13 hours ago, Black 5 Bear said:

The Rebuilt Merchant Navy and Stanier 8f are both long overdue an update/retool in my opinion.

Manufactured to the same standard as the Princess/Coronation Pacific classes and other recent releases, Hornby will have yet another set of winners in their range.

 

Possibly but I think the cost of complete re-tool of these popular prototypes would be a long-term return, not the cash Hornby needs right now.

 

Maybe I'm being too pessimistic, and Hornby will invest for medium and long term. Certainly the cost of the 2000 model Merchant Navy has been re-paid many times over.  Recent releases like 35014 and 35030 are still nice models too.

 

Here is another edited version, which bears passing relation to the model... :)  Helped by some detailing similar to the Light Pacific models.

 

Edited June 6, 2020 by robmcg
typos

[Hilux5972]

18 hours ago, sirwilliamfrs said:

Not experimental blue but a great looker! https://railsofsheffield.com/products/35924/Hornby-r3682-oo-gauge-br-blue-duchess-of-gloucester-princess-coronation-class-4-6-2-steam-locomotive-no-46225?gclid=Cj0KCQjw_ez2BRCyARIsAJfg-ks9WXPIThNQVfy-8xXzLrChDORkPEp0fHfFrghNOPTkIs-CK4Gr9LIaAk0sEALw_wcB

Yeah that’s is a great looker. Would be nice to have a purple one though if there is any LMS locos that received that livery. 

[atom3624]

It seems that the vast majority of 'Hornby's best ever models' are kettles - and I've nothing against that at all - there are some wonderful models.

 

I feel more mention should be made to some of the fantastic 'Modern Image' locomotives they make / have made as well.

Opening main line of OP #1: "Which of Hornby's RTR 00 models is best?"

 

Here's a vote for my Class 50, D421 - what an absolutely incredible model - Hoover in real life, super-smooth rocket as a model ... REALLY!!

 

It's always been so smooth and quiet, I hadn't realised a little more attention had been required.

 

One of those pesky buffer ladders was annoying me - wrong angle and a bit wobbly ... fixed now.

I decided a little clean and 'general lube all over' including the motor and shafts was required ...

 

What was a super smooth, not totally silent, fast-ish locomotive has become near-silent, smoother again and ... WOW ... it must run nearly as fast as my Super Detail HST - which is VERY fast ... if I really push it, which isn't necessary, and is frankly a tad dangerous!!

What a superb model - here's to the Hornby Hoovers!!

Yes, I love the opening doors and rotating fan as well ... I know many have misgivings, but each to his / her own.

 

Al.

Edited June 7, 2020 by atom3624

[robmcg]

Hi atom3624,   I nearly left a heart on that post,   but I do understand great locomotives even diesel electrics, and think they can be great models.  I even have good memories of fast trips in the 1960s behind diesels... keen drivers running late, braking into curves, accelerating hard, it was just like the motorbike racing I got into in the 1970s!

 

I had dabbled in DCC sound too and for me it works much better with diesels but in the end I chose to collect steam.

 

Without sound.

As you say, each to their  own.

 

Best,

 

 

[robmcg]

With me wittering-on about Hornby's outstanding B1 and availability in the B1 threads, here are pics of two of three weathered versions I have, 61138 and 61243.

 

Last night I bought a pristine 61032 and eariler i the day a pristine 61243 so my cup floweth over, or will do in due course when the new models are received.

 

61138   R2999

 

 

61243 below with electric lights, different smokebox R3000

 

 

Different lighting on different days accouts for much of the diferences,  Both pics mildly eidted, nothing major.

 

The pristine ones will look more like 1040 from LNER days.  What great models!

 

 

cheers

 

or if you like 61138 with scenery of sorts...

 

 

Bravo Hornby! Can't wait for 61032 to arrive o the doorstep later this week.

 

 

 

Edited June 10, 2020 by robmcg
typos, addition.

[PJT]

You're quite incorrigible, Robbie.

 

Something about glass houses and throwing stones here... I won't tell you how many of both Hornby and Bachmann B1s I have, except to say that I bought yet another one yesterday (a repairer, like most of my B1s).

 

Looking at 61243 above, I find the Scottish radiused strengthening gussets under the footplate corners visually really fascinating.  There seems to be an endless battle going on between an old fashioned, graceful, flowing line under the footplate and the 'modern' sharp-angled corners above it.  A bit Gresley/Doncaster underneath and Thompson/Darlington on top, if you like.  Or am I just getting a teensy bit OCD about it?

 

Good luck with the arrival of your latest!

 

Pete T.

 

[robmcg]

Thanks Pete, I had wondered if the running plate gussets were a Cowlairs solution to firebox stay fractures or something else fragile about the engines, being mostly welded and/or fabricated rather than cast, in places, wartime necessities and all.

[Mountain Goat]

I was thinking of all the items that I had that impressed me the most that Hornby made, and there have been some real gems, but out of all of the models and other items that Hornby have made, one thing stands out above everything else. And it is now an older item. Their hydraulic bufferstops. They can take some pounding. They look the part even though they may be a little freelance in design... But it is how well they work that has impressed me! They saved many an express train from damage when I was younger! 

[Ruffnut Thorston]

The 'Hydraulic' buffer stops were first made for Super 4 track, introduced in 1962.

 

Then modified to fit System 6 track in the 1970s.

 

The lamp on top was originally tooled to fit the original Double Track Level Crossing Gates, for Standard Track, in the 1950s!

 

I use them on either end of a length length of straight track, for testing and DCC programming.

 

Hornby Dublo buffer stops are also sprung, but a bit stronger springs than the Tri-ang Railways based version.

 

[Mountain Goat]

I have a few HD buffers with my HD 3-rail collection. The springs are far to firm to be of any practical use, but they are robustly made. 

[boxbrownie]

On 11/06/2020 at 07:20, Sarahagain said:

 

I use them on either end of a length length of straight track, for testing and DCC programming.

 

 

What a clever idea, I’ll pinch that if I may? 

 

I always liked the Hornby hydraulic stops, it was very satisfying letting a Loco just brush up to them, that was before the days of sprung loco buffers of course!
 

No place for them on my little branch line station, but I can at least play with them on my DCC test track now 

[No Decorum]

Hornby’s ordinary buffer stops are very robust too and grip the track quite firmly. They have failed to prevent a minor disaster a couple of times but have prevented one more often than not.