Hornby castle arriving?

[Coach bogie]

I was in my local model shop and have been told that Tintagel Castle has now been deleted from the Hornby listings.

 

Has anyone any more information on this. My retailer has not been able to find out if it is a 'sell out' , technical challenge or to be replaced by a different named member of the class.

 

Any information gratefully received

 

Mike Wiltshire

[gwrrob]

I was in my local model shop and have been told that Tintagel Castle has now been deleted from the Hornby listings.

 

Has anyone any more information on this. My retailer has not been able to find out if it is a 'sell out' , technical challenge or to be replaced by a different named member of the class.

 

Any information gratefully received

 

Mike Wiltshire

 

Thats bad news Mike if its true.I hope mine is fixable then.

[7013]

They did have trouble with the tooling for this one, it could be that they are re-doing the tooling, or they are moving on to a different Castle with the same appearance, was Tintagel Castle a ltd. run? I am sure if the tooling is sound Hornby will want to get other similar Castles on the market in the near future.

[The Stationmaster]

They did have trouble with the tooling for this one, it could be that they are re-doing the tooling, or they are moving on to a different Castle with the same appearance, was Tintagel Castle a ltd. run? I am sure if the tooling is sound Hornby will want to get other similar Castles on the market in the near future.

 

I think the situation is that, as is usual nowadays, all the 'Castles' have been limited runs - i.e. they make a batch of however many and that is it until they make the next batch, which will probably be different in name/number &, hopefully, relevant detail. Like so many things today if you don't buy 'em when you can you won't get one - although some of the earlier ones are still on some retailers' shelves.

[coachmann]

Strictly limited production runs is a marketting strategy Hornby and Bachmann have been slow to grasp, although I suspect the Limited Editions of the past couple of years have woken them up. It makes sense when money gets tied up with producing a general release and recovery of ones outlay and profit is dependant on potential buyers umming-and-aghing as to whether they will make a purchase or not. Limited production runs tend to to focus minds on what is available today and not tomorrow.

[brushman47544]

They did have trouble with the tooling for this one, it could be that they are re-doing the tooling, or they are moving on to a different Castle with the same appearance, was Tintagel Castle a ltd. run? I am sure if the tooling is sound Hornby will want to get other similar Castles on the market in the near future.

I'm pretty sure this will be because the model is sold out. Don't forget that some of the batch were incorrectly fitted with the wrong smokebox door as for a BR version with front numberplate - wasn't Rails one of those affected. Presumably Hornby withdrew the incorrect models from the market. Perhaps they will have ordered replacement smokebox doors if the cost of manufacture and fitting is not too high, or maybe not. We've no idea how many models were wrong.

 

I would expect Hornby to produce another Great Western version in future, but I can't see it appearing out of the blue - it would be announced and/or appear in the catalogue first. So not this year at least - we're still waiting for 7029 Clun Castle IIRC.

 

Thats bad news Mike if its true.I hope mine is fixable then.

Depending what the problem is, perhaps in view of the error Hornby will have a spare chassis or two to swop over. It can't do any harm to ask them.

[The Stationmaster]

Strictly limited production runs is a marketting strategy Hornby and Bachmann have been slow to grasp, although I suspect the Limited Editions of the past couple of years have woken them up. It makes sense when money gets tied up with producing a general release and recovery of ones outlay and profit is dependant on potential buyers umming-and-aghing as to whether they will make a purchase or not. Limited production runs tend to to focus minds on what is available today and not tomorrow.

 

... and I bet they improve cash flow as well

[papagolfjuliet]

I think the situation is that, as is usual nowadays, all the 'Castles' have been limited runs - i.e. they make a batch of however many and that is it until they make the next batch, which will probably be different in name/number &, hopefully, relevant detail. Like so many things today if you don't buy 'em when you can you won't get one - although some of the earlier ones are still on some retailers' shelves.

 

If anybody is after one, 'Tintagel Castle' was still in stock at the Signalbox in Rochester when I popped in this morning.

[Ozexpatriate]

They did have trouble with the tooling for this one, it could be that they are re-doing the tooling, or they are moving on to a different Castle with the same appearance, was Tintagel Castle a ltd. run? I am sure if the tooling is sound Hornby will want to get other similar Castles on the market in the near future.

There are four Castles with the latest tooling in the 2011 catalogue.

• R2848 GWR Tintagel Castle
  
• R2849 BR Beverston Castle
  
• R2994XS BR Clun Castle (with sound) NEW
  
• R2986 BR Taunton Castle (A Date with the Duchy set) NEW

Given that there was a 24 month wait for Tintagel Castle, it would both surprise (and in a manner of speaking, disappoint) me to find large stocks of them left. I'm not keeping track of releases for the new 2011 BR Castles, but I don't recall them being released yet, so plans do exist to reuse the fixed Castle tooling.

 

Fixed spelling of Beverston.

[Ozexpatriate]

I would expect Hornby to produce another Great Western version in future, but I can't see it appearing out of the blue - it would be announced and/or appear in the catalogue first.

I certainly hope so.

 

I was a bit disappointed with my Tintagel Castle. After such a long period of anticipation it arrived - a very nice model (and unlike some, I didn't get a smokebox number plate), but lots of bits were broken and rattling in the box. Some of them were easily fixed (like the chimney) but there are some underframe details that I still haven't sorted where they belong or how I will attach them. Perhaps I'm foolish, but while I'll fix my No. 5011 I'm hoping that a new number might arrive intact.

 

Given the popularity of modelling the post-nationalization period, there are understandably more BR than GWR liveries modelled but the ratio is now at least 8:1. Oh, how things have changed since the 1980s! The 2011 catalogue evened up the early and late crests.

 

GWR: Tintagel Castle

 

BR:

Earl Cairns (Early crest)

Beverston Castle (Early crest)

Ince Castle (Late crest, double chimney)

Kidwelly Castle (Early crest, sound)

Swindon (Late crest - STEAM Museum special)

Great Western (Early crest)

Clun Castle (Late crest, double chimney, sound)

Taunton Castle (Early crest)

 

Multiple edits for accuracy - thanks everyone!

[OFFTHE RAILS]

There seems to be quite an interest in beavers in the previous posts but, to clarify, the spelling is BEVERSTON Castle.

Ian

[brushman47544]

Given the popularity of modelling the post-nationalization period, there are understandably more BR than GWR liveries odelled but the ratio is now at least 8:1. Oh, how things have changed since the 1980s! The 2011 catalogue evened up the early and late crests.

 

GWR: Tintagel Castle

 

BR:

Earl Cairns (Early crest)

Beaverston Castle (Early crest)

Ince Castle (Late crest, double chimney)

Kidwelly Castle (Early crest, sound)

Swindon (Late crest - STEAM Museum special)

Great Western (Early crest)

Clun Castle (Late crest, double chimney, sound)

Taunton Castle (Late crest)

 

Looking at the Hornby website, Taunton Castle in the Date with the Duchy set is early emblem, not late crest.

 

The balence that really needs to be addressed is that both Late Crest standard releases are double chimney. For a single chimney you have the Swindon L/E only. Perhaps Hornby has agreed not to produce one for a certain period so as not to undermine the Swindon sales, but an ex-GWR (as opposed to BR built) Castle with late crest and single chimney would fill a gap.

[craigwelsh]

With companies still trying to shift existing BR stocks of Castles for £79.99 i'd hope Hornby want to leave off a short while before doing some more.

 

Sound chip in Kidwelly isn't bad though i'm stripping it out of mine for the eventual Mitchell build and will sell on Kidwelly without it.

 

I found the 5013 class Castle GA in the NRM yesterday which will be useful too.

[The Stationmaster]

With companies still trying to shift existing BR stocks of Castles for £79.99 i'd hope Hornby want to leave off a short while before doing some more.

 

I would suspect Hornby might also be taking that view although if they could get their heads together and offer the right chimney etc/tender/livery combination they might find another sell out on their hands.

[Guest dilbert]

There are four Castles with the latest tooling in the 2011 catalogue.

• R2848 GWR Tintagel Castle
• R2849 BR Beaverston Castle
• R2994XS BR Clun Castle (with sound) NEW
• R2986 BR Taunton Castle (A Date with the Duchy set) NEW

Given that there was a 24 month wait for Tintagel Castle, it would both surprise (and in a manner of speaking, disappoint) me to find large stocks of them left. I'm not keeping track of releases for the new 2011 BR Castles, but I don't recall them being released yet, so plans do exist to reuse the fixed Castle tooling.

 

Given the much-publicised quality related problems concerning Tintagel Castle (smoke box number on boiler door etc...), how many of the original production run shipped to retailers were returned ? This in itself could explain why there are only BR types still available - the BR versions not having suffered the same problems as only one GW version was produced (I'm happy with my Tintagel Castle)... dilbert

[craigwelsh]

Modelzone actually list Tintagel as in stock online though at £119 i'm afraid and not the sale £79.

[Ozexpatriate]

There seems to be quite an interest in beavers in the previous posts but, to clarify, the spelling is BEVERSTON Castle.

Ian

Thanks for the catch! I guess I should have been wearing my specs looking at the catalogue.

[stuart galbraith]

Thanks for the catch! I guess I should have been wearing my specs looking at the catalogue.

 

Living very near the aforesaid Castle,I can tell you there arent any rivers suitable for Beavers within 10 miles. Its apparently a derivation of the word 'Blue Stone', the fields for which are littered with here abouts. But I digress....

 

Is there anything inaccurate about the configuration for the first build of Beverston castles released last year? If there is can someone point it out, because Id like to make sure mine is as accurate as possible. The only thing I dont like about it is the prominent boiler seam, which I really must try to do something about one day.

[Rugd1022]

Gratuitous bump!

 

Being probably the last person in England to get his hands on a Castle (7034 'Ince') I was wondering if anyone has actually managed to remove the centre splasher and do something about the moulded on nameplate and plinth? I had a go at removing them on mine yesterday but chickened out as the amount of pressure I was applying to get them to shift felt as if something else was going to break in the process. I've left them in place for now and already started weathering the body and tender..... so, have folk just fitted their shiny new etched plates straight on top of Hornby's moulding I wonder...?

 

Aside from the above niggle I'm absolutely smitten, it's a beauty and I'll definitely be having another. I've found that Hornby's BR green does look better after a wash of dirty black has been applied and wiped off, from a couple of feet away anyway.

 

Cheers

[7013]

I converted ny 'ince' to' Bristol Castle' Like you Rugd 1022 I chickened out after apply what seemed like undue pressure, I bit the bullet and applied etched plates over the names and numbers and TBH it looks fine.

[Rugd1022]

I converted ny 'ince' to' Bristol Castle' Like you Rugd 1022 I chickened out after apply what seemed like undue pressure, I bit the bullet and applied etched plates over the names and numbers and TBH it looks fine.

 

Thanks 7013 - I've definitely taking the same route, I just need to choose which one it'll be... been going through a heap of WR books and found more 'likely candidates' than I at first thought possible, I'm looking at 5060, 7004, 7014 or 7019 at the mo. Just loaded up a trial photo / work in progress in the Gallery

[BR(W)]

Thanks 7013 - I've definitely taking the same route, I just need to choose which one it'll be... been going through a heap of WR books and found more 'likely candidates' than I at first thought possible, I'm looking at 5060, 7004, 7014 or 7019 at the mo. Just loaded up a trial photo / work in progress in the Gallery

 

Greetings, Rugd1022.

 

May I ask how accurate you wish to be with your renaming?

 

Regards,

BR(W).

[The Stationmaster]

Thanks 7013 - I've definitely taking the same route, I just need to choose which one it'll be... been going through a heap of WR books and found more 'likely candidates' than I at first thought possible, I'm looking at 5060, 7004, 7014 or 7019 at the mo. Just loaded up a trial photo / work in progress in the Gallery

 

And well worth the visit to that place Excellent first stage grubbiness there Nidge - really must get going on mine sometime.

[Rugd1022]

Thanks Mike. Still plenty to do... I've already rubbed off some of the paint I added to the wheel rims just from handling it, will have to give it a final touch up when everything else is done. For me, the driving wheels are a big part of the Castle's character and Hornby have captured the elegance extremely well. It's not that apparent in the gallery photo, but there's a fair bit of weathering around the boiler bands which needs to come off and be done again, I washed on a layer of black but left it on too long so it needs 'cutting back'. I managed to break the drivers side injector and step off when seperating the body and chassis, they got tangled up in the sandpipe somehow . I gave all the black areas my usual treatment of Humbrol dirty black layed on relatively thick, then dry brushed gunmetal wafted over to bring out the detail (again, not apparent in the photo but looks much better in the flesh so to speak). I've never been happy with the results I've had so far when it comes to putting the right shade of mucky brown on loco chassis', I always seem to overdo it, so I'll just give this one a very gentle waft of brake dust. Dare say I should get an airbrush and try it that wa,y but I'm so used to doing stuff by hand now (far more satisfying I fnd).

 

Doing a quick conversion to black and white on another pic shows how good the model is to start with.... makes me want to dig out the Bradford Bardons all over again - this one has got the juices flowing and no mistake. Still needs etched plates, fire irons, real coal etc.... and a full rake of WR coaching stock to hang on the back by Jimminy!

 

[7013]

Rugd 1022 If you look at post #316 you can just make out the name plate I affixed to 7034, I made and fitted the Metcalfe & Davis lubricator reservoir that some of the Castles carried, as did 7013.