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Hornby Locomotion - are you building a layout?


xm607
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  • AY Mod changed the title to Hornby Locomotion - are you building a layout?
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Yep, I am. Still not decided what part of the S&DR to model. Skerne Bridge appears in many of the illustrations of the railway, but that feels a bit too obvious.

Maybe something generic just to give the feel of the line, I don't know yet. As long as the overall feel is right then I'll be happy.

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I am getting the same thoughts, something generic, as the Hornby model will be as it is now, it would have to be altered a bit, no bell and generic crew for instance, and then there’s the wagons, the later versions have been produced but not the early 1925 ones. The only hints to a layout is the one built in the early 1970’s and described  in the September 75 Railway Modeller and in some books, so a bit of further research me thinks, and that would be for a small pastiche one, I can’t find a model of a horse drawn Mail stage coach ether, I sure that there was one!

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1 hour ago, xm607 said:

I can’t find a model of a horse drawn Mail stage coach ether, I sure that there was one!

 

Transport Replicas by Varney, they used to whitemetal kits including a Royal Mail Stagecoach. Not easy to come by these days but I managed to nab one on eBay the other year.

Keep an eye out, set a saved search, and hope one pops up 😉

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I would love nothing more than to backdate Locomotion into it's condition in 1825 (named "Active" but unlikely to have had nameplates) but it would require way too much work, would need replacement wheels that would most likely need to be custom made, and would need someone with greater skill than me. Removing the bell and nameplates will suffice for me.

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I recall an article in Railway Modeller from the 1970's that featured a layout based on the first days of the S& D with scratchbuilt rolling stock.   What stuck in my mind was the builders comment that he had not weathered anything because of course it was all brand new which seems a great excuse if you don't want to weather your  Hornby Locomotion and stock.

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I would imagine things would only stay clean for literally the first two or three days. Once the opening was over and the crowds are gone, the waggons are back to coal use 😉

I'll definitely be weathering it all. I want it to looked worked 👌

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6 hours ago, Fair Oak Junction said:

I would imagine things would only stay clean for literally the first two or three days. Once the opening was over and the crowds are gone, the waggons are back to coal use 😉

I'll definitely be weathering it all. I want it to looked worked 👌

 

Locomotives were generally cleaned thoroughly in early days- there are some contemporary references to this I can't put my hand on immediately, but wagons would get dirty quickly- which might be a reason for chauldron wagons being black....

 

Les

 

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The Stockton and Darlington layout referred to above was in the September 1975 RM (for obvious reasons). It was built to P4 standards, and still exists as a static exhibit at Darlington Railway Museum (due to reopen after refurbishment later this year). So if anyone fancies reviving that layout and converting the Hornby model to P4…

 

Richard

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1 hour ago, Les1952 said:

Locomotives were generally cleaned thoroughly in early days- there are some contemporary references to this I can't put my hand on immediately, but wagons would get dirty quickly- which might be a reason for chauldron wagons being black....

 

I do agree about the fastidious cleaning habits of the railways back in the day, but on a predominantly colliery line I doubt it would take long into the working day for the loco to get dirty. Plus I'm just not a fan of pristine models in general. As for the waggons being black I think that was also due to weatherproofing. I think pitch was used?

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The part of the S&DR that interests me the most is the Gaunless Bridge, but as far as I can tell it only carried horse drawn traffic. Shame really, it would make an interesting centrepiece.

The original bridge has recently been restored and moved to Shildon as part of the redevelopment.

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The Gaunless iron bridge is an interesting and unique piece, I think that rule 1 would allow steam hauled trains over it whatever! It’s just one of a few set pieces that could be used.

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19 hours ago, xm607 said:

The Gaunless iron bridge is an interesting and unique piece, I think that rule 1 would allow steam hauled trains over it whatever! It’s just one of a few set pieces that could be used.

 

Well....I am a firm believer in the use of Rule 1. Maybe I will consider modelling the bridge for the diorama layout.

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The Locomotion model is shown to be run on second radius curves as a minimum, but I am sure that it will work on first radius, I wonder if Hornby are just giving this as a default minimum curve.

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8 hours ago, Seaniom said:

 

Ooooh, very nice! I'm trying to not get too excited for this, but that plan isn't working very well 😄

If they can achieve a wood effect like that on the finished one I'll be happy.

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I've emailed the NRM archive team about drawings of the Gaunless Bridge that are supposedly in their collection.

They were done by the NER in 1901 when the bridge was dismantled and moved. Fingers crossed I can get hold of copies 🤞

Edited by Fair Oak Junction
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