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Hornby Britannia - Original unlined BR Black


Garry D100

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I know Oliver Cromwell was turned out in plain green, but not any others.

 

A colour picture of 70052 'Firh of Tay' in plain green (with red nameplates) taken at Nottingham Midland in April 1964 on page 58 of 'Steam Railway' no. 384 (Jan/Feb 2011).

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I expect the next one will be 70044 with massive Westinghouse pumps on the front and no smoke deflectors. It would be a neat change and at least the engine ran like that for four years from 1953 to 1957, at which point the pumps were removed and deflectors were fitted along with the name Earl Haig.

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Reminds me of those Dapol/ Airfix kit samples where they were assembled and the transfers put on without any painting :lol: .

 

Actually the Kernow pics remind me so pleasantly of my days building Rosebud Kitmaster models that I have bought one, from Hattons at UKP110. A bit pricey but the memory of those c1964 Kitmaster models; the 'Schools', L&Y Pug and Beyer Garratt stick in my mind, also the prototype 'Deltic'... Hornby have done the hard assembly work AND fitted a fantastic power unit to 'Britannia'.

 

AS to detail differences on original Britannia class locos, a 2 page full list of service mods and such as tender variations is given in The Book of the Britannia Pacifics, An Illustrated Accompaniment, Irwell Press, ISBN 1-903266-49-1 , which includes photos of every loco and was UKP6.99. A more comprehensive list is in 'The Book of the Britannias' by Richard Derry, I think also from Irwell Press.

 

The dome was enlarged during early production and 'duly applied' to existing early locos during repairs, presumably during 1951 and possibly into 1952, after water carry over problems.. Plain olive green is described as being the livery of 'a few outshopped in the 1960s'

 

Rob

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  • 3 weeks later...

For those who wonder what the Hornby model looks like, here is my version in an unlikely? pre-naming Feb 1951 black guise.

 

I don't know how often it was steamed after manufacture, but I'm sure it represented the hopes of British Railways!

 

Rob

 

Britannia_70000_March_1951_3b_text.jpg

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The only express passenger loco I can think of that looks better in plain black. The image certainly shows the very neat outlines of this class. In fact, green rather spoiled them. Obviously man Riddles knew a thing or two about design having worked earlier in his career with plain black LNWR express locos!:)

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Thanks Coachmann,

 

I incline to agree about the aesthetics of a black Britannia, and on a different note the pic above was loaded less than 1 hour before the earthquake in Christchurch NZ which wrecked the inside of the house and the loco is as far as I know still on it's side after the wrenching sideways forces, Jan and I fortunately uninjured and have come to Wellington. House a mess, dramatic drive north on evening of quake.

 

Rob

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Seeing this it makes you wonder why UK outline purveyors don't follow the lead of their US counterparts and supply undecorated examples for those who wish to apply their own liveries.

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Thanks Coachmann,

 

I incline to agree about the aesthetics of a black Britannia, and on a different note the pic above was loaded less than 1 hour before the earthquake in Christchurch NZ which wrecked the inside of the house and the loco is as far as I know still on it's side after the wrenching sideways forces, Jan and I fortunately uninjured and have come to Wellington. House a mess, dramatic drive north on evening of quake.

 

Rob

Rob,

 

I'm very sorry to hear this. I'm glad your both ok.

 

Regards

 

Richard

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Thanks Coachmann,

 

I incline to agree about the aesthetics of a black Britannia, and on a different note the pic above was loaded less than 1 hour before the earthquake in Christchurch NZ which wrecked the inside of the house and the loco is as far as I know still on it's side after the wrenching sideways forces, Jan and I fortunately uninjured and have come to Wellington. House a mess, dramatic drive north on evening of quake.

Sheesh. A real RMWeb link to the Christchurch tragedy. Sincerely hope you and others manage to get back to your homes and start rebuilding as soon as it's safe to do so. A UK RMWebber was in Christchurch the previous week, took pics of the cathedral, is now in the North Island, says she can't wait to visit again, lovely country.

 

Hideous events.

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Thanks all who wrote after quake in ChCh NZ.

 

Jan and dog and I ok... drove out of ChCh five hours after the big shake, damaged roads, much drama, now after five days we are in Wellington. Old cottage on Christchurch substantially intact but wrecked inside and chimney down, city is very bad. Hope to set up in Kapiti 50kms north of Wgtn... but early days, the quake was shallow violent and generated lateral forces of 1.8G ... tables moving, things falling, walls very mobile, where we were you could not stand, but double tongue-and-groove construction on wooden piles on sandy subsoils our house was a bit like a boat.

 

Many aftershocks still going are shallow and horrible, still no power water sewer etc in east ChCh liquefaction plus deformity/shaking damage so good to be out. The V8 (2001 GM 5.7 Holden Calais) was good, it was raining too as we drove out in evening dull grey yellow light, very surreal, many broken roads, some bridges, but quite lucky I chose roads less damaged in the September 4th 7.1 quake, we slept in the car 80kms north of the city, next day fluked an accessible motel unit in Kaikoura, and two days later brought car and ourselves to Wellington on the Kaitaki. I have lived in the Brighton house in Christchurch for 26yrs but we both love Wellington now! Anyway, we are British..... God Save the Queen. remember The Blitz oh, did someone say the GM LS1 V8 was American? oops...

 

The 200-or-so 00 Hornby and Bachmann BR steam engines and a few diesel and 200 or so carriages are probably mostly ok and will be retreived in a few weeks if the house stays as intact as it was when be locked it up. The layout was intact on a solid table but now I'm worrying too much, ... where's that cup of tea?

 

Many thanks for the thoughts.

 

Rob

 

 

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