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Hornby Britannia - Original unlined BR Black


Garry D100

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Built in January 1951, ran trials then was painted green for naming on 31st January. Thats a pretty short timespan for a livery. I wonder how many collectors that one will mop up. I'd have thought one of the plain unlined green Brits from the end of steam would have captured more hearts and minds.:)

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Built in January 1951, ran trials then was painted green for naming on 31st January. Thats a pretty short timespan for a livery. I wonder how many collectors that one will mop up. I'd have thought one of the plain unlined green Brits from the end of steam would have captured more hearts and minds.:)

 

I image the appeal is in remembering the first of the Standard locomotive era, and all the history of BR steam encapsulated in that 'first' iteration of post-war BR steam engineering.

 

Rob

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The bargain bin beckoneth, to accompany the exchange trial light pacifics and austerity black A4's.

 

Here's a thought. One of the reasons given for discounting the Railroad range (including Tornado) is simplified lining.

 

This loco is well, just black! Curiously it is no cheaper than lined and marked models previously issued. Once more, the consumer will decide on this one. Unless the restored loco gets some serious exposure in this livery (unlikely as OC has been on tour for several years already) I wonder whether this was a good idea,

 

N

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I know Oliver Cromwell was turned out in plain green, but not any others. Do you know which ones were Larry?

 

Ed

 

Ed, two that spring to mind are 70010 and 70047, having recently seen photos of them in a couple of books. I'm sure there were several more.

 

HTH, Nidge ;)

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Don't forget that the real 70000 will appear on the main line this year in BR unlined black, as per its first few days of testing in 1951. But that begs the question whether Hornby will represent the loco as it was in January 1951 (plain black, no name, black covers on the axle boxes) or whether it will be in 2011 condition (plain black, yellow axlebox covers with red stripe, OHLE warning labels and possibly with nameplates)? I doubt Hornby will add the air pump though as per 2011 condition.

 

http://galleryneil.fotopic.net/p68046978.html

 

Regards,

 

Dan

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Ed, two that spring to mind are 70010 and 70047, having recently seen photos of them in a couple of books. I'm sure there were several more.

 

HTH, Nidge ;)

 

 

Other definites for plain green were 70028, 70045, and 70001. As far as 70000 in black is concerned I seriously doubt that all the details are likely to be accurate for the original in 'trial running' condition with the small flat dome and hollow driving axle ends - but you never knowblink.gif

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The Stationmaster :

I seriously doubt that all the details are likely to be accurate for the original in 'trial running' condition with the small flat dome and hollow driving axle ends - but you never knowblink.gif

Glad you raised this as I have no history books on the Brits. Was the small flat dome replaced in later life, and if so when?
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Other definites for plain green were 70028, 70045, and 70001. As far as 70000 in black is concerned I seriously doubt that all the details are likely to be accurate for the original in 'trial running' condition with the small flat dome and hollow driving axle ends - but you never knowblink.gif

 

 

Plus the wee step platforms on the top side of the tender tank, most early BR inset tenders BR1/BR1A/ BR2/BR2A, didn't have them until there was a spate of fireman sliding off the slope of the tank when trying to reach for the water crane bag at some localities, some Ivatt 4mt engines in Scotland had similar steps fitted for the same reason. Hornby or should I say Tri-ang got their first Britannia model correct all those years ago :- small dome, no tender step platforms, no yellow axlebox covers. Are these steps an added detail on the modern model and will they be omitted on this black version? The Yellow painted axlebox covers came in later in their lives and AFAIK the presence of the red stripe through the yellow meant the difference between Skeffco and Timpken roller bearings, different lubrication was used, I can't remember where I read this but it sounds feasible to an engineer.

I wonder if Bachmann will do a Standard Five 73000 in it's first livery - lined black but with the footplate edge lined in red only, some say only a single line but new clearer photos now show a red line running along the top edge and returning along the bottom edge, in similar style to the Brits. Again something for the collectors.

All the best.

Dave Frk

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The Stationmaster : Glad you raised this as I have no history books on the Brits. Was the small flat dome replaced in later life, and if so when?

 

I doesn't know but I presume so Larry as it was 'blamed' for problems with water carry-over as I understand things. I presume the RCTS book will have definitive details but it doesn't appear in my library so I can't check it.

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I know Oliver Cromwell was turned out in plain green, but not any others. Do you know which ones were?

 

70013 got the fully lined livery when it was outshopped from Crewe for the final time. For about three years prior to that, Crewe 'economy' unlined green had been the rule for Brits.

 

The RCTS BR Standard Locomotives Vol. 1 gives as having unlined or plain green livery nos.

70004 (1966), 70005 (by 6/64), 70014 (not 6/64 - but it was definately unlined in 1966), 70018 (not 6/64), 70020 (not 12/63), 70026 (not 1964), 70027 (by 4/67), 70038 (not 7/67), 70041 (by 5/66),and 70046 (not 9/66). 'Not' I take to mean the date it was confimed as not having lining.

 

This list is far from being exhaustive as there's a photo on p129 of 70017 in plain green derailed at Carlisle; 70045 at Carlisle in July 1967, dirty but looking unlined (p118); plus I've seen photos of 70025 (July 1965), 70031 (Feb 1964), and 70048. There were others including, I think, 70024.

 

 

The plain green livery, often with missing front number plates and usually missing name plates, was very common in the latter years. A black 70000 was, on the other hand, very short lived three weeks or so) and is only likely to appeal to the collector.

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I think it was Appolo off Stockport shed that turned up in Abergele one Saturday morning while I was spraying a full-size livestock trailer in a nearly sprayshop. I'd lost interest in the railway scene some years before but I did wander outside to have a look at the commotion. The loco was in the usual state for the period circa 1966....painted on nameplate, but I can't say I noticed the livery under the grime. That's how it was then. Nothing to get excited about, although I do understand the national panic as people who had taken steam for granted suddently got a wake up call. All I'm saying really was the unlined green on the Brits was the symptom of an era best forgotten, whereas unlined black belonged to an exciting new future.

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... Was the small flat dome replaced in later life, and if so when?

It happened very early in design terms. Riddles informed a meeting of the Institution of Locomotive Engineers in March 1951 that the problem of water in the cylinders was due to the 'steam dryer' under the dome, and that the immediate fix was a higher dome cover to allow the steam dryer fitting to be positioned higher, and a reduction in maximum boiler water level. Subsequently the steam dryer fitting was abandoned entirely, but this produced no further external change to the dome cover.

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It happened very early in design terms. Riddles informed a meeting of the Institution of Locomotive Engineers in March 1951 that the problem of water in the cylinders was due to the 'steam dryer' under the dome, and that the immediate fix was a higher dome cover
Thanks for that.:)

 

I'd been watching some movie footage from 1958/9 and was convincing myself Britannia had a shallower and flatter dome. Just shows how we can kid ourselves.

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