Hornby's Best Ever Models

[PJT]

On 11/06/2020 at 01:07, robmcg said:

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.

 

I've been through all the books I have which would be likely to have the answer to that and I can't find it.  Very frustrating because I know I've read all about it but can't remember where or, more importantly, what the answer actually is.  My brain seems to periodically chuck away little snippets like that to make room for more new incoming facts!  

 

Can someone out there put us out of our misery, please?

 

Pete T.

 

[Mountain Goat]

12 hours ago, No Decorum said:

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.

 

I agree there and when into 00 gauge I used them for that reason. 

I once saw an accurate rail built buffer stop (Nearly all of them were of the rail built type in these parts) dissintergrate on a club layout when a locomotive failed to stop. I have also hit those Hornby R083's flat out on occasions and they tend to ping off the rails while reducing the locomotives momentum. They kind of rremind me of car crumple zones to protect the passengers, though the R083's are robust enough to be used many times. 

Fair play to Hornby with these two designs. Though the R083 does not match the prototypes used in my area, most of the general appearance look OK enough for me to use them, and because they are so robust, I never did buy any other buffer stop other then a single hydraulic buffer stop from Hornby and I once bought a Peco sleeper built buffer stop secondhand in with other bits and pieces. Was the type which was filled with stones or coal? Anyone able to clarify?

[Ruffnut Thorston]

Hi.

 

Most likely used ballast would be used to infill sleeper built buffer stops.

 

Coal wouldn't stay in the buffer stop for too long... especially in winter!

[boxbrownie]

7 hours ago, Mountain Goat said:

 

I agree there and when into 00 gauge I used them for that reason. 

I once saw an accurate rail built buffer stop (Nearly all of them were of the rail built type in these parts) dissintergrate on a club layout when a locomotive failed to stop. I have also hit those Hornby R083's flat out on occasions and they tend to ping off the rails while reducing the locomotives momentum. They kind of rremind me of car crumple zones to protect the passengers, though the R083's are robust enough to be used many times. 

Fair play to Hornby with these two designs. Though the R083 does not match the prototypes used in my area, most of the general appearance look OK enough for me to use them, and because they are so robust, I never did buy any other buffer stop other then a single hydraulic buffer stop from Hornby and I once bought a Peco sleeper built buffer stop secondhand in with other bits and pieces. Was the type which was filled with stones or coal? Anyone able to clarify?

So under your built to scale buffer stops you place a wood screw disguised with grass/weeds in the baseboard just high enough to catch the chassis......no Loco run on and one safe buffer stop........then again you could always just use the controller properly 

 

[No Decorum]

2 hours ago, boxbrownie said:

........then again you could always just use the controller properly 

 

… then again, there’s my six-year-old grandson. 

[Mountain Goat]

3 hours ago, boxbrownie said:

So under your built to scale buffer stops you place a wood screw disguised with grass/weeds in the baseboard just high enough to catch the chassis......no Loco run on and one safe buffer stop........then again you could always just use the controller properly 

 

 

There are those times where moments of concentration go and CRASH!

They are not immune to happening on the real railways as well. I heard of an early morning shift where a traincrew of a freight train were not paying attention and had been diverted into a long siding and they had not noticed. By the time they noticed it was too late!

Another tale a train driver I worked with told me was that there was a siding with a river and a footpath at the end of it. The shunter and a driver were well used to it... Backing rows of merry-go-round wagons into the sidings, but on this one occasion, someone on a previous shift they had taken over from had added more wagons to the train. Now this new traincrew could not be bothered to walk back and take a look, so they just carried on and backed the train in the usual way. They were then met by a member of the public who had gone over the fence and run up the length of the trainto meet the traincrew and all he could do was gain enough breath to tell them to stop the train. One at a time they had backed around 20 odd merry-go-round wagons full of coal into the river! I bet they could have done with one of those Hornby buffer stops!

[robmcg]

Lovely recent Hornby piece de resistance, BR 46207 in Crimson Lake as per 1958-61 when shen was withdrawn.

 

Took three months to arrive because of Covid but worth it.

 

Hardly any editing to photo of the model itself.

 

[robmcg]

Something new and lovely, 4169 from South Wales.   Marvellous! 

 

 

Mind you, if you want real power....

 

 

both pics edited but I've always thought the 42XX and 52XX underrated....

Edited June 22, 2020 by robmcg
correction

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

On ‎11‎/‎06‎/‎2020 at 01:07, robmcg said:

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.

It was to prevent / limit cracking in the running plate.

 

(There were some problems with firebox plates cracking, but that received a different mod, and out of sight for modelling purposes.)

[Hroth]

On 13/06/2020 at 09:43, boxbrownie said:

So under your built to scale buffer stops you place a wood screw disguised with grass/weeds in the baseboard just high enough to catch the chassis......no Loco run on and one safe buffer stop.

 

So your Best Ever Hornby Model is chuntering at speed towards the buffer stop, and the hidden wood screw...

 

Ow. 

 

Ok, its better than the c.a. 3ft drop to the hard, hard floor, but that wood screw, with its sharp edge might do an equally nasty bit of damage to the underside of the loco, despite the grass/weeds.  To prevent that, a small piece of medium density foam in front of the screw would help, the screw provides the stopping power, the foam some cushioning and then the grass/weeds to disguise the lot!

 

[boxbrownie]

1 hour ago, Hroth said:

 

So your Best Ever Hornby Model is chuntering at speed towards the buffer stop, and the hidden wood screw...

 

Ow. 

 

Ok, its better than the c.a. 3ft drop to the hard, hard floor, but that wood screw, with its sharp edge might do an equally nasty bit of damage to the underside of the loco, despite the grass/weeds.  To prevent that, a small piece of medium density foam in front of the screw would help, the screw provides the stopping power, the foam some cushioning and then the grass/weeds to disguise the lot!

 

Yes exactly.......sorry I didn’t include full instructions and diagrams 

[robmcg]

A bit of west London suburban drama, or everyday 1950s scene... 

 

[Hroth]

2 hours ago, robmcg said:

A bit of west London suburban drama, or everyday 1950s scene... 

 

 

The Fat Controllers on board again, I see.... 

 

[robmcg]

16 hours ago, Hroth said:

 

The Fat Controllers on board again, I see.... 

 

 

A minor indiscretion, I hope.

 

I had thought I may have caused deep offence to students of the Western Region by having a bow-ended Collett in red-cream with incorrect window spacing, or even worse, spring hangers which on that carriage, in that year, were 4 inches longer as part of an unrecorded Swindon  parts re-cycling scheme.

[robmcg]

Better than a Black 5....   

 

 

[toboldlygo]

And suddenly like a Great White Shark appearing off a beach... 

 

It's time to run, as I'm back renaming Bulleids.

 

There's been a few Cowboy's selling renamed Bulleids on eBay, trying to capitalise on the hard work Glenn (@mattingleycustom) , myself and few other's put into them.

 

A rename of a crappy rename (and some restoration work later) for a client, who admitted he overpaid on eBay 

 

34004 Yeovil - pristine (for me)

 

 

 

A few patches of a slightly different shade of BR Green, quite the norm for Steam in the mid to late 60's..

 

 

Edited August 12, 2020 by toboldlygo
text

[Metr0Land]

I recently got one of the bow ended Collett compartment carriages.  These seem to scrub up quite well with some judicious weathering and a few passengers (though they're not all that visible here).  I'e left the tension lock couplings in for now whilst I decide which rake to use it with.

 

 

[MikeParkin65]

On 12/08/2020 at 16:49, toboldlygo said:

And suddenly like a Great White Shark appearing off a beach... 

 

It's time to run, as I'm back renaming Bulleids.

 

There's been a few Cowboy's selling renamed Bulleids on eBay, trying to capitalise on the hard work Glenn (@mattingleycustom) , myself and few other's put into them.

 

A rename of a crappy rename (and some restoration work later) for a client, who admitted he overpaid on eBay 

 

34004 Yeovil - pristine (for me)

 

 

 

A few patches of a slightly different shade of BR Green, quite the norm for Steam in the mid to late 60's..

 

 

Lovely work. Any idea what its minimum radius curve will be with the steps and draincocks fitted?

[toboldlygo]

10 minutes ago, MikeParkin65 said:

Lovely work. Any idea what its minimum radius curve will be with the steps and draincocks fitted?

 

I've found they go round my 4th Radius curves (just) with them on. However this one will be a cabinet queen when she goes back to her owner.

[Metr0Land]

The Thompson suburban coaches were eagerly awaited by myself and many modellers.  By producing the EP's in aluminium colour Hornby were wise IMHO as it didn't detract from questions about right colour etc.  When the production 8 compartment 3rd came out, it was really very plain, since there was no panelling like the Gresley coaches,  and less 'interesting' bits on the sides like the Thompson brake or composite.  Thus it needed to be 'got at' to bring out the best in it.

 

rev Thompson 8 cmpt 3rd weathered by Sarah S1ddons, on Flickr

rev Thompson 8 cmpt 3rd new by Sarah S1ddons, on Flickr

Edited August 21, 2020 by Metr0Land

[Metr0Land]

Have we had the J50 on here?  It's a lovely performer straight out of the box but far too pretty given the awful state that most of these were in.  Another lockdown project completed!

 

rev Weathered J50 by Sarah S1ddons, on Flickr

[atom3624]

Just purchased an excellent used new-tool B12 - BR black.

 

There's a lot of hype surrounding this, and I had an R150 ~45 years ago, so bit the bullet - loose steps was the only 'issue', obviously, easily resolved and running her forwards and backwards at half power for a bit.

 

Tender was ridiculously light - as is known - so a fair bit of lead was inserted here to compensate a little.

Loco weight is acceptable, and there's no room to add any more anyway, even if I wanted to - it was only a 4P3F so shouldn't be made too phenomenal at hauling!!

 

So far, it's living up to expectations - very smooth and quiet - little dabs issued everywhere, including motor and gears where the shafts are.

I bid the retooled B12.

 

Al.

[atom3624]

B12 is running superbly, just as expected.

It's going to be a bit of a project, perhaps, and to be renumbered from 61533 to 61572 as the preserved one could appear next major overhaul .... livery change.

 

A 'project' I've considered for some time was to replace my old-but-good tender driven 61663 Everton with a new-type, loco-driven B17.

The Hornby older one is said to be a B17/4, but everywhere I read, the B17 Everton was rebuilt into a B17/6, somewhat conveniently.

 

I 'won' a new B17/6 61669 Barnsley for a good price - thank you to the seller if reading - and have already replaced the splasher nameplates with Fox's Everton ones, and this morning replaced the smokebox door numeral - metal plate.

 

A renumbering sheet, to permit 61572 will be used for Everton as well - only need to replace the final '9' with '3' - relatively straightforward.

I prefer to use a very small, tightly wound pad of Brasso in tweezers - worked very well for me in the past.

 

The B17 probably runs better than the B12 - which is saying a lot.

It crawled around hauling 10 carriages, at very low setting without hesitation - circle of 4th radius in more than 4' !

Yes, I've removed one of the insulators on the front bogie mount to aid traction.

 

Al.

[Metr0Land]

Just like the real thing, Hornby's Hawksworth coaches are very slab sided, and the full brake especially so with its large unrelieved panel areas.  A bit of weathering helps to break this up.

 

 

[robmcg]

Hornby BR Brunswick Green Princess..   no one mention 61XXs or Kings!

 

edited smoke etc... I didn't change the green

 

 

 

Edited September 13, 2020 by robmcg