Hornby castle arriving?

[coachmann]

BR's smokebox numerals were supposed to be in Gil Sans. The LNER adopted Gill Sans characters with curly 6's and 9's whereas BR adopted the Gil Sans variant with straight leg 6's and 9's. The Eastern Region went and used curly characters on many smokebox plates!

 

If you obtain etched plates from a reputable company there shouldn't be a problem. I use Modelmaster waterslide transfers, which can be cut up to make any number required.

[craigwelsh]

If you obtain etched plates from a reputable company there shouldn't be a problem. I use Modelmaster waterslide transfers, which can be cut up to make any number required.

True bought it plates probably would be right but if I have a spare corner of an etch its free..

[robmcg]

True bought it plates probably would be right but if I have a spare corner of an etch its free..

 

I must be missing something.

 

The plate font is barely visible. Do you require scale wheels and gauge? Sliders with grease? Lower fall plate? Actual gloss paint as ex-works? Weathering as normal?

 

If the smokebox plate offends you, I can only agree, buy or make an etched version, but please don't use terms like "respectable modellers will fit etched plates".

Will you also make every other aspect of the model absolutely perfect? This is a mass-produced model. The people who design and make the moulds and production lines won't be happy, why don't you compliment them?

 

When I was involved in real steam and later railways we had a certain fear of modellers, rivet-counters, and avoided some of them. I seriously think the font on the smokebox numberplate is OK especially if you weather it.

 

5053 has a number which in most light looks perfect, oops hello in the cab the drifting-valve lever isn't perfect oops hello the front sanding pipe came from the factory 5 degrees out...

 

You've GOT to be winding me up, unless you one type who inhabits model shops, and when you say in humility, "laying track is quite tricky" and they answer with a patronizing smile,

"Not when you know what you are doing".

 

Which is like saying, "I write perfect music"....

 

My father was a NZ railwayman his father a top link steam driver, they through NZRLS every kind of information about BR and plate fonts weren't in any agenda. In fact when our express steam locos failed the crew would have tools to get an engine going on one cylinder, if it was a motion failure. Limping I suppose.

 

Perhaps the plate font is a niggle. Please don't suggest that "self respecting" modellers would replace it.

 

Rob

[gwrrob]

According to the Hornby wesbsite R 2850 7034 Ince Castle is an imminent release to the shops along with various Maunsell coaches.It has a double chimney.No sign of Tintagel though.

 

http://static.Hornby.com/files/newsletter-issue-19-jan-feb-2010-508.pdf

[Neal Ball]

.............No sign of Tintagel though.

 

 

 

I have mine on order with Rails in Sheffield, who advise there is no date yet for Tintagel Castle to be issued. How frustrating! - Gives me time to build the new shed though - new layout here we come! - something like 16 metres run, should give the Castle something to do!

 

Then I need to get more of those Slaters Toplight kits.

[brushman47544]

No sign of Tintagel is indeed frustrating. I prefer a single chimney version and want to see pictures of both Tintagel and Ince Castle to compare before deciding which to go for. Hopefully any delay to Tintagel is not enough for Ince to have sold out... But we may be lucky - Hattons at least have the BR green liveried 4 compartment Maunsell Brakes (R4395A & R4395B) in stock and they are not in the Hornby newsletter...

[The Stationmaster]

No sign of Tintagel is indeed frustrating. I prefer a single chimney version and want to see pictures of both Tintagel and Ince Castle to compare before deciding which to go for. Hopefully any delay to Tintagel is not enough for Ince to have sold out... But we may be lucky - Hattons at least have the BR green liveried 4 compartment Maunsell Brakes (R4395A & R4395B) in stock and they are not in the Hornby newsletter...

 

'Ince Castle' is in double chimney form according to the link provided above - and judging by that illustration it looks fairly accurate; no smokebox oil pipe cover on the left side, correct sandboxes, correct (Collett) tender, the double chimney looks reasonable. The only 'error' visible from that illustration is the cover over the inside cylinders which definitely doesn't appear to be the final pattern - and if that's all that's 'wrong' with it I shall be a happy bunny after my trip to Alton to collect it.

 

I wonder where 'Swindon' has got to as it too was due by now?

 

And rather coincidentally a few minutes after posing that question on here I had a 'phone call from Swindon advising me that the loco 'has been delayed until at least April'. However one thing which was previously unclear was clarified and it is that the loco will be modelled in the condition it was at time of withdrawal although it is not entirely clear if that means a Collett or Hawksworth tender (it definitely ran with a Collett tender in some of its later years).

 

For those interested the man from 'Steam' said they have now sold about half (500) but they expect the rest to go like hot cakes once people see it on the shelves.

[brushman47544]

'Ince Castle' is in double chimney form according to the link provided above - and judging by that illustration it looks fairly accurate; no smokebox oil pipe cover on the left side, correct sandboxes, correct (Collett) tender, the double chimney looks reasonable. The only 'error' visible from that illustration is the cover over the inside cylinders which definitely doesn't appear to be the final pattern - and if that's all that's 'wrong' with it I shall be a happy bunny after my trip to Alton to collect it.

I was hoping for a single chimney, late crest, Collett tender, which Hornby are currently not producing, as that's the period I model. I'm not convinced by the aesthetics of the Castle double chimney - real or modelled. So if I decide I don't like the look of the double chimney on Ince Castle when it's available, I'll go for Tintagel instead since the illustration makes it look very nice indeed.

[Neal Ball]

Additionaly, I have sent Hornby an email, asking when Tintagel will be in stock.... no reply!

[gwrrob]

Additionaly, I have sent Hornby an email, asking when Tintagel will be in stock.... no reply!

 

It will be worth waiting for Neal.

[Neal Ball]

It will be worth waiting for Neal.

 

I hope so! - Getting impatient. At this rate not only will the railway room be finished, so will the railway!!

 

The Hornby website now shows 4th quarter, but I guess / hope that is left over from 2009!!

 

 

http://www.Hornby.com/locomotives-89/r2848x/

[gwrrob]

Having now got my hands on the Hornby catalogue and price list,I see the full RRP for the digital sound Kidwelly Castle is ??235 .

[7013]

I have to disagree although I liked the Castles in all forms I did like the double chimney, some people feel it unbalanced the look of the loco but I saw the prototypes with doubles regularly in my youth and liked them. I believe because the Castles had so many little nuances,tweaks and variations it will be impossible to model every loco accuratley, however this is where our beloved small industries come in and can supply us with all those little bits we need to make our own version. I have some Davis and Metcalfe lubricator gear on order, but I would like to know where most people get their Castle detailing parts from in particular etched numbers and plates. With the latter in mind I wonder if anyone has renumbered/named their new Castle and how they did it because some of the postings seem to indicate there may be a problem. I am tempted to cut the nameplate off and stick an etched plate on with the three mounting bars sticking up from the splasher al la prototype

[neilabe]

I've also been waiting patiently for over a year for Tintagel Castle and the 12-wheel Pullmans, checking websites every day ready to thrash my credit card. I can't think of any other retail sector where the customers are treated so badly. What other industry would even think of producing a catalogue full of things you can't buy!

[robmcg]

I've also been waiting patiently for over a year for Tintagel Castle and the 12-wheel Pullmans, checking websites every day ready to thrash my credit card. I can't think of any other retail sector where the customers are treated so badly. What other industry would even think of producing a catalogue full of things you can't buy!

 

Maybe it's a tradition going back to the 1920s? There does seem to be a disjunct between catalogues and availability, but to be fair, the catalogues usually say "available fourth quarter" or similar. Also the production runs are tiny compared to most, so I take the view that we are lucky to receive anything at all at current prices. Also, if Hornby wasn't profitable we'd have even less choice.

 

The models from a couple of years ago, Scots, Patriots, N15s, A3s and A4s are still available in some shops and some are quite rare. My choice de jour? A large retailer has a weathered 'King Arthur' ... and factory-weathered models seem less common these days.

 

As to 'Castles', we have the excellent new 'Earl Cairns' and I suspect the late BR double-chimney version soon, with Collett tender, so the impatient amongst us will be able to re-number and detail to many different types and names.

 

This shows an older 'Ringfield' Hornby Castle

 

 

I look forward to making a Pullman train too, but wonder how the Hornby Spam Cans will deal with a prototypical 12-total! In the meantime I might pull a 'West Country' out sometime soon for a west-of-Exeter Pullman and will maybe use an M7 and Bulleids, and an 'N' for opposing or following traffic. Which of course has nothing to do with 'Castles'...

[drandles]

Just got my 5053 and what a nice job Hornby has done. It has just the right look for a Castle. As other have pointed out there are lots of detailed variation among members of the Castle Class, so I thought I would list main "variable" featues of 5053. It has:

 

2-row superheater boiler with small oil feed pipe covers on both sides of smokebox

wide frames at the front, with flat inside cylinder cover and rounded front edge

later BR style "curly" outside steam pipes

mechanical lubricator behind right had steam pipe

tall single chimney

cab side brass beading

horizontal cab side handrail just below window

exposed sandboxes under cab

fire iron tunnel on left hand side

Hawksworth tender

 

This is a good match for many of the 5013-5097 batch (excepting the Star rebuilds).

The only obvious error is that 2-row superheater boilers didn't have mechanical lubricators ?

A minor issue is that for most engines (including 5053) the fitting of BR style steam pipes (between 1952-1954) coincided with a change to a later style inside cylinder cover with a flat chequer plate and right-angled front edge. Some engines later got another variant with a raised center section.

 

One my first tasks will be to investigate removal of the mechanical lubricator. Has anyone done this ?

My engine will become 5030 Shirburn Castle of 87G (in 1958).

 

David

[Neal Ball]

I've also been waiting patiently for over a year for Tintagel Castle and the 12-wheel Pullmans, checking websites every day ready to thrash my credit card. I can't think of any other retail sector where the customers are treated so badly. What other industry would even think of producing a catalogue full of things you can't buy!

 

 

I agree! - It does seem to be that the catalogue dates are very fluid and should be taken with a pinch of salt. I suppose in the old days, if it was in the catalogue, it would be made in Margate. (Some by my partners Uncle, who gave him some Hornby mock-up locos). If a particular item sold well, they could increase the production at a moments notice. Now of course they have to fit in with the schedule in China, being shared with Bachmann (and others?) and then be shipped half way across the world. No longer are any manufacturers able to turn goods out at a moments notice.

 

But then what we will be getting will certainly be worth the wait. - It's just frustrating thats all.

 

I waited last year for the Pullman Observation car to be produced, only to find they were as rare as Hens teeth and still have not got one!!

 

Model Railway room almost finished.....

[robmcg]

Just got my 5053 and what a nice job Hornby has done. It has just the right look for a Castle. As other have pointed out there are lots of detailed variation among members of the Castle Class, so I thought I would list main "variable" featues of 5053. It has:

 

2-row superheater boiler with small oil feed pipe covers on both sides of smokebox

wide frames at the front, with flat inside cylinder cover and rounded front edge

later BR style "curly" outside steam pipes

mechanical lubricator behind right had steam pipe

tall single chimney

cab side brass beading

horizontal cab side handrail just below window

exposed sandboxes under cab

fire iron tunnel on left hand side

Hawksworth tender

 

David

 

A pretty good job, 5053. Now what we want is scale wheels and guage. <g> Everyone has their own 'take' ... and I think that modelling the curly steam pipes would have been tricky and I congratulate Hornby for the model. It is beautuful.

 

Rob

[Taz]

Ince castle now in stock at Hattons:

 

http://www.ehattons.....aspx?SID=25745

[Adrian Wintle]

What other industry would even think of producing a catalogue full of things you can't buy!

 

Unfortunately, lots of them.

 

I'm waiting on Tintagel Castle too (now that I know it has a useful livery).

 

Adrian

[Mr Brunel]

Rails of Sheffield have Ince Castle as well : http://railsofsheffield.com/br-4-6-0-ince-castle-castle-class-locomotive-dcc-ready-r2850-JJJA11928.aspx

[The Stationmaster]

Looks a bit of alright does that - I wonder when it will percolate through to the non box-shifters?

[Butler Henderson]

Looks a bit of alright does that - I wonder when it will percolate through to the non box-shifters?

Already seem to have - O`Loughlins of Kendal are advertising them on Ebay

[gwrrob]

Looks a bit of alright does that - I wonder when it will percolate through to the non box-shifters?

 

I see Hornby have modelled the mechanical lubricator forward of the steam pipes.I wonder if this part is removeable to place behind on certain prototypes.

[brushman47544]

I agree, it looks really good. But I think I'll splash out the extra cash for the Swindon Limited Edition 7037 since at RRP the difference isn't huge. From the picture on the back cover of the Hornby 2010 catalogue, it's basically the same speck with the exception of having a single chimney. However accurate it is - and I'm no expert - I really don't like the look of a double chimney on the Castles.

 

Of course if Tintagel Castle appears in the shops before the Swindon LE is released, then maybe that will get my money instead...