AWS Battery Box Removal - Hornby Unrebuilt WC/BB Pacifics

[Right Away]

This MUST have been covered previously, but I'm danged if I can find the info I require.

 

Is it possible to remove the AWS battery box incorrectly depicted by Hornby on their representation of pre-rebuilt No 34001, in one piece, ie without resorting to surgery?

 

It is appreciated that the centre headlamp and lamp iron will require refixing afterwards on the sloping front.

 

Ever since it's purchase this erroneous fitment has slightly niggled but as I was intending on renumbering and renaming the engine (something that was never done), I let it ride and grew to accept it.

 

Nevertheless, it would be interesting to know if this mod has been attempted with success and without drama.

 

Thank you in anticipation.

[Vespa]

I was interested in this battery box position and have spent a couple of hours looking at photos of the first batch of 20 locos. It is hard to find photos of Exeter in unrebuilt form but several others I have viewed have battery boxesover the front buffer beam. Some appear as the Hornby model and others seem recessed with the electric lights above practically hiding the battery. Later photos of Exeter in rebuilt form show the battery box on the front buffer beam, with the exception of one photo which has no battery box visible. This sort of thing also happened on the Britannia class where the battery box was usually on the right side near the cab when fitted. On some locos it was fitted on the left side under the cab. I am assuming that Hornby must have got this correct on the latest model of Exeter as many small discrepancies on much of the later models are correctly depicted. One range being the Stanier Class 5. Top feeds were altered for different batches along with fireboxes and on one model I have, the experimental oiler fitting on the front left cylinders, is modelled. I have seen photos of many of the first 10 WC's in unrebuilt form and all seem to have the battery box. Sadly only photos of 34001 that are abundent are of the rebuilt period and as I have said one photo shows no sign of a battery box.

Do you have any phot links to show it is modelled incorrectly?

https://railway-photography.smugmug.com/SRSteam/Bulleid-Locomotives/Light-Pacific-Class/3400134020-Built-1945/3400134004/i-tZp2TJH/A

Edited August 19, 2018 by Vespa

[Right Away]

Thanks Vespa.

 

I am certain that as "Exeter" was one of the earlier candidates for rebuilding (Nov'57) and that the directive to implement AWS was after this date, she never carried the equipment in original form.

[neilkirby]

On my west country it was just stuck down with quite a brittle glue, one twist with the end of a jewellers screwdriver and it was straight off. Usual disclaimer though, yours might not. I had two Maunsell brake coaches that came in the same pack that I wanted to strip down for repainting, on the first one, the windows popped straight out, the second one took hours of fiddling and cursing. and broke between windows. I consider myself lucky that none of the cracks went across the visable areas!

Neil