westerner Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 I notice that Hattons have in the new Radley GWR signal box. Looking at the hattons pctures it looks pretty untidy, with the windows askew and not the best of paint jobs. I was wondering, before I send off any hard earned cash, if anyone has bought one and is the one illustrated a one off and the others look better. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 7013 Posted August 9, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 9, 2011 Looks awful a real tatty model, certainly will not be paying out for that even though I hail from near Radley Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold gwrrob Posted August 9, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 9, 2011 Looks awful a real tatty model, certainly will not be paying out for that even though I hail from near Radley Absolutely.Wheres the QC in China for this. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
amdaley Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 The painting on quite a few buildings coming from China isn't great on both Hornby & Bachmann.QC is not very good. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium spamcan61 Posted August 9, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 9, 2011 I was going to say the one on Antics looks much better put together:- http://www.anticsonline.co.uk/2129_1_106486972.html ..but that photo is all over the internet, so I assume it's a Hornby stock image. Can't see if it's got the 'gingerbread house' door windows like the Hattons one anyway. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
iL Dottore Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 The model does look fairly tempting.... If the model is of good basic quality, I wouldn't be fussed about the paint job (that, at least, is fairly easy to rectify - I did an upgrade of a Hornby McKenzie and Holland box that was a bit time consuming, but turned out well). If badly painted, the model can be dismantled and repainted; but if the base model is poor to start with (like a recent Bachmann RTP I purchased), there is often very little that can be done. I noticed in the Hattons' picture some of the windows are not straight, again fairly simple to remedy (carefully remove, clean up rebate where the windows sit, clean up/repaint windows if needed, re-install with epoxy glue) F p.s. if you decide to strip and repaint, use a 3M cubitron radial sanding brush (gets into nooks and crannies and is gentle with the moulded detail) to key the surface and use acrylics for the repaint (for some reason - and in my experience - Skaledale and Scenecraft resins take acrylics better than enamels) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
westerner Posted August 10, 2011 Author Share Posted August 10, 2011 Thanks for that Il Dottore. However if one is paying something like £16-£18 for a signal box why should one have to do so much remedial work. I'll wait 'til my local model shops have them in and give them a close look before deciding whether to buy or not. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
iL Dottore Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 ... one is paying something like £16-£18 for a signal box why should one have to do so much remedial work.... Really, one shouldn't have to do remedial work, but if the alternatives are either to pay £16 and put in 3 - 4 hours of remedial work or spend a lot more time scratchbuilding the same prototype subject (I spent about 120+ hours building the Chagford Road Signalbox), the RTP would have to be a very bad model for me not to at least consider it as an alternative to a scratchbuild. F p.s. mind you, having said that, I am starting to become dissatisfied with RTP in general and am heading towards having 100% scratchbuilt buildings on my layout.... It'd have to be a pretty exceptional RTP model or an absolute pig to scratchbuild for me not to scratchbuild Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
westerner Posted August 30, 2011 Author Share Posted August 30, 2011 In the end I took my own advice and when I was in Aylsham this afternoon went to the Bure Valley railway shop and they had one which I was allowed to inspect. It was far better than the one that Hatton's posted pictures of. The windows are straight and the paint job is far better as you can see. An lastly just plonked on the layout All i need to do is add an interior probably repaint the brown bits add the name board and weather it. I must admit it's the first Ready To Plonk building I've bought from either Bachmann or Hornby and apart from the thickness of the walls, for all my earlier misgivings, I'm quite pleased with it. Oh and by the way it only cost me £15-49 which is less than hatton's and no postage. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NINJA Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 Here's on of those Hornby ones from years ago, a little work and it is passable and cheap. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Neal Ball Posted August 30, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 30, 2011 In the end I took my own advice......... All i need to do is add an interior ......... Is it possible to get it open to fit an interior? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
westerner Posted August 30, 2011 Author Share Posted August 30, 2011 It's open at the bottom and the sides although thick look to be smooth and even so I'm hoping I can fit it from the bottom on its own legs a it were. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
iL Dottore Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 It's open at the bottom and the sides although thick look to be smooth and even so I'm hoping I can fit it from the bottom on its own legs a it were. I did an upgrade (installed interior, repaint, lighting) of a Hornby Scaledale signalbox some time ago (McKenzie and Holland type) and the results were published in BRM (I forget which one). The article took the reader through the upgrade step-by-step, so it may be helpful for your upgrade (even though I did make some errors in the interior detailing) F Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium brushman47544 Posted August 31, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 31, 2011 I bought one from Hattons.It has only a very slight excess of black gutter paint touching the first row of roof tiles on the rear, over about a centimetre. Importantly, the windows are straight and fit properly. Overall it looks good - now I need to think about a floor and other details... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobi323 Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 In all the pictures I have seen it looks pretty good. But if it is a bit wonky it may give it a bit of character and make it look a bit more prototypical. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Great Bear Posted November 25, 2011 Share Posted November 25, 2011 This is called "Radley" signalbox but the pictures I've seen (e.g. in Clarke) show Radley being a brick built platform one, so why the name? Is the model based on a protoype elsewhere? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted November 26, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 26, 2011 This is called "Radley" signalbox but the pictures I've seen (e.g. in Clarke) show Radley being a brick built platform one, so why the name? Is the model based on a protoype elsewhere? It is based on the earlier Hornby kit (pictured above in this thread) which in turn was - I understand - based on Dunster on the West Somerset line. However just to confuse us all the original Dunster 'box is now at Minehead http://www.signalbox.org/branches/kw/minehead.htm Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim V Posted November 26, 2011 Share Posted November 26, 2011 Mysterious, Radley box is a type 4/5 box, while the one illustrated is a type 27! So it can't be a model of Radley. It doesn't look too bad a model, and IMHO the new model renders the roof better than the old kit. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Phatbob Posted November 30, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 30, 2011 The little signalman inside is going to get cold in the winter though. There's no sign of any flue or chimney! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.