A look at the Hawksworths

[D826]

Might not be the whole of the train, since some of it is out of shot, but there's a cracking photo in Diesel Hydraulics in the West Country (Huntriss and Gray published by Ian Allenin 2000), of Western Dragoon in maroon, August 1966, crossing Clinnick viaduct, allegedly on the 07.45am Kensington to St Austell motorail and the 8 coaches in view are all Maroon Hawksworths

 

One of the most handsome coaches ever made in my opinion.

 

You boys in OO don't know what side your bread is buttered - I have been drooling over the images of the Crimson and cream one on the Hattons website. I can only dream of such things in N - the curtains might be iffy to some, but its like saying Penelope Cruz's nose is unattractive - the overall package is most comely gentlemen.

 

cheers

 

Matt W

[Mallard60022]

Just as I was getting really involved in researching LNER coaches and teetering on the brink of admiring those from the LMS and continuing with my obsessive fascination with Maunsells and Bulleids, THIS Hawksworth in BR Maroon appears.

Oh s*d it. Now I'm going to have to dust off all those books lurking in my collection of GWR/WR stuff and contact Geoff at Comet. SWMBO must not hear of this.

I suppose I'm going to have to consider a generic Oxfordish area or GC GW Joint location now for a possible layout so that I can justify all these beautiful outpourings from the factories/cottages.

36E (ex 83D/83H and 72A/83C + a little bit of 15A, 75B, 75E, 36A).

[gwrrob]

THIS Hawksworth in BR Maroon appears.

Oh s*d it. Now I'm going to have to dust off all those books lurking in my collection of GWR/WR stuff and contact Geoff at Comet. SWMBO must not hear of this.

 

36E (ex 83D/83H and 72A/83C + a little bit of 15A, 75B, 75E, 36A).

 

Sounds good to me Phil.

[Garry D100]

Ordered my B&C version today so will post pics up if noone else beats me to it :-)

[Garry D100]

Depends on whose postie runs the fastest then.....

Mine uses a car for parcels, what about yours lol.

[brushman47544]

For those curious about the model appearance match between a Hawksworth and BR Mk1 I today unpacked 'Great Western' and a single maroon corridor 3rd Hawksworth and ran it at the head of a train of Mk1s.... looks great, with either Bachmann or Hornby Mk1s.

The loco was the usual drama to unpack, loose coal inserts, dubious fall-plate, fiddly connector, but runs well, one corridor connector on the new Hawksworth fell off when released from insert, but clipped back in nicely..

 

[/img]

 

 

Rob

Thanks for the photo, Rob. My Hawksworth Corridor 3rd arrived yesterday and I lined it up with a Maroon Bachmann Mk1 and the colours are a pretty good match, unlike Hornby's (correct) and Bachmann's (too dark) versions of BR(SR) green. Now there's a thought - a mixed rake of Hawksworths and Maunsells. Where are my photo books...

[Rugd1022]

Very, very nice Larry, thanks for posting those pics.

 

As soon as my eyes fell on the first photo I said 'wow' out loud, I know it's easy to gush about each new model we see these days but that really is a beauty. This one just oozes finesse and I can't wait to get my hands on some, in both liveries. If that top photo were in black and white it could easily be slipped into one of the Jim Russell books. I wonder what these would look like mixed in with some Bachmann Colletts and Airfix Centenaries...

 

Now then... who's going to be the first one to commit blaspheamy and repaint three of them in blue and grey livery.....!

 

Nidge

[iak]

Flippin Heck that is tasty!

I think its fair to say that if Coach is impressed then Hornby have a good product.....

Now how far and wide did they wonder in their early years

[iak]

oOOO

Now you've got me thinking Coach...

Any get to Liverpool or North of the border he asks as his credit card runs away and hides

[davidw]

My Hawksworth corridor brake composite in BR blood & custard arrived this morning, and what a beauty. People will make up their own minds but to my mind, Hornby has raised the bar yet again. It is to be hoped Bachmann is now blushing after reintroducing their elderly LNER Thompson coaches onto a 2010 market!

 

End detail with yellow spot. Just look at that bogie detail....

 

Rivets along the cantrail below the gutter and on top of the roof.,,,,

 

The BR crimson (blood) is shown against one of my own coaches with Comet sides. It is different and a tad dark even for a freshly painted coach, but it ain't gonna stop me buying more! Best yet and this coach gives me confidence in the future of RTR coach production.

 

 

Larry G.

 

Oh boy! How Am I going to justify any of those on the ECML!

 

they look astonishing!

[BR(W)]

iak,

 

I think your best bet is the 'North and West' expresses, all using the Crewe to Shrewsbury route and working from Liverpool and Manchester to Plymouth and Penzance, and South Wales (Swansea and Cardiff) and back, of course. One day WR stock was used, another, LMR - and there were through coaches, one in particular, generally a BCK, to Glasgow. An LMR loco. (generally a Scot, Coronation or Brit.) worked to Shrewsbury where a WR loco (Castle mostly) took over. The celebrated 'double home' run from Shrewsbury to Newton Abbot formed the backbone of the most famous of these 'North and West' cross country expresses.

 

I have a picture of a chocolate and cream (with BR roundel) BCK (admittedly a mk. 1) sitting at Glasgow Central from one of these services in the early sixties, but there is no reason why this could not have been a Hawksworth BCK...

 

Now you've no excuse!

 

BR(W)

oOOO

Now you've got me thinking Coach...

Any get to Liverpool or North of the border he asks as his credit card runs away and hides

[iak]

My credit card has left the Building...................

[7013]

I was going to get maroon examples but seeing the crimson/cream example I'm not so sure now, IMO the curtains do not look at all obtrusive on these examples, a stunning coach.

[Andy C]

Oldham was some way away from traditional GWR territory yet it saw GWR coaches. These ran at Wakes from Oldham Mumps to Torquay, Paignton and Cornwall. Then of course they returned. SR Maunsell coaches were also seen in Oldham at Wakes. My old pal Jim Davenport photographed these trains but I have not come across a Hawksworth coach. High-waist early 1930s coaches and late 1930s 'Sunshine' stock was photographed, so there was no physical reason why a Hawsworth could not have been in the Wales Fortnight West of England trains. That is certainly the excuse I am making for a couple!

 

 

Stop it Mr Goddard, stop it at once with this idle chit chat that could affect my credit card. Ive already resisted the temptation for that rake of Maunsells in the siding at Derker the photo of which you waved enticingly in front of me.

The Hawksworth BG though is a definate for the parcels!

(although I do have two old mainline Colletts converted to EM which could definately run on the wakes special...)

[brushman47544]

I have a picture of a chocolate and cream (with BR roundel) BCK (admittedly a mk. 1) sitting at Glasgow Central from one of these services in the early sixties, but there is no reason why this could not have been a Hawksworth BCK...

 

BR(W)

...as a last minute replacement for a defective Mk1, perhaps... You can't run without a brake vehicle

[Andy C]

Hi Andy. Blood & custard Hawksworth and a green Cravens Unit would look well at Newhey. But you've gone bluey! I like the blues when its played by Big Bill Broonzy, Jimmie Yancy and Sweet Emma, but the blues on a Cravens? It just don't ring my bell man.....B)

 

 

OT but: We do have a green Cravens on now - Phil Taylor has just finished off a DC Kits power twin which ran at Expo the other week and will be out on the layout at Oilifax this weekend.I honestly think the blue will never make it to EM and go straight to P4 and the new layout .

 

Back OT: Unfortunately I suspect the Maroon hawsksworth BG will not be looking at those release dates

.

Those coaches are rather nice though, and I do have space for another coach on the ECS working............

[7013]

There used to be a train running from Cardiff to Newcastle The Ports to Ports Express. It stopped running before Hawksworths were around, but in a 'What if' world the Ports to Ports Express will have meandered from GWR to LNER lines may well have been made up with a train that consisted of Hawksworths, Gresleys, Thompsons, MK1.s etc. Its fun to dream.

[melmerby]

There used to be a train running from Cardiff to Newcastle The Ports to Ports Express. It stopped running before Hawksworths were around, but in a 'What if' world the Ports to Ports Express will have meandered from GWR to LNER lines may well have been made up with a train that consisted of Hawksworths, Gresleys, Thompsons, MK1.s etc. Its fun to dream.

 

If you look at cross country trains at Oxford you may well find all of those and Maunsells & Bulleids as well.

 

Keith

[robmcg]

My Hawksworth corridor brake composite in BR blood & custard arrived this morning, and what a beauty. People will make up RTR coach production.

 

Larry G.

 

Beautiful photos, great models!

 

Here is a link showing maroon Hawksworths on my layout. Doesn't show much detail but they look good to me.

 

 

Cheers,

 

Rob

Edited September 24, 2010 by Mod2
Removal of requoted images

[iak]

There used to be a train running from Cardiff to Newcastle The Ports to Ports Express. It stopped running before Hawksworths were around, but in a 'What if' world the Ports to Ports Express will have meandered from GWR to LNER lines may well have been made up with a train that consisted of Hawksworths, Gresleys, Thompsons, MK1.s etc. Its fun to dream.

 

I like the attitude

I'll have the finescale thought Police paying a visit if I'm not careful

[The Stationmaster]

There used to be a train running from Cardiff to Newcastle The Ports to Ports Express. It stopped running before Hawksworths were around, but in a 'What if' world the Ports to Ports Express will have meandered from GWR to LNER lines may well have been made up with a train that consisted of Hawksworths, Gresleys, Thompsons, MK1.s etc. Its fun to dream.

 

 

The 'Ports to Ports (Barry - Newcastle) originally used, as I understand things Great Central stock because the GW did not allow its coaching stock onto the NER. Post grouping I believe it finished up with one LNER set and one GWR set on opposite legs and it did of course run on into BR days, albeit with its identity and route changing as time went on.

[Adrian Wintle]

The 'Ports to Ports (Barry - Newcastle) originally used, as I understand things Great Central stock because the GW did not allow its coaching stock onto the NER. Post grouping I believe it finished up with one LNER set and one GWR set on opposite legs and it did of course run on into BR days, albeit with its identity and route changing as time went on.

 

The coach formations I've got (c.1930 and 1938) both show it as alternating LNER and GWR stock.

 

Adrian

[Garry D100]

Nice work and pictures as always Larry :-)

 

Mine arrived today so for what its worth I took some pictures along with the maroon version to compare.

 

 

 

I am really pleased with the blood and custard version, the first for me in that livery.

I was going to keep this as the odd one out and get a couple more maroon.

Now thinking more B&C and use the maroon as the odd one with mk1's.

 

I think this must be one of the best coaches that Hornby have produced so far.

[The Stationmaster]

Has anybody yet tried to remove the numbers to allow renumbering and if so any ideas of the best way to go about it without ruining the paintwork please?

[The Stationmaster]

Yep......I did just that before spraying the coach illustrated on the 24th. Using the back of a Swann Morten craft knife straight blade, I lightly scraped them off a bit at a time. The trick is lightly so that marks are not left on the paintwork.

 

LG

 

Many thanks Larry, I'll have to see what transfers Bob has when I go to collect my 'shopping' from Alton