Hornby 2 BIL

[dinkyme]

Have a look at Hornby web site, Youtube clip of 2BIL now showing, it looks good

[Bartb]

The clip on youtube gives you a good look at part of the roof.

 

John

[Xerces Fobe2]

So how much work to make a 2BIL into a 2 HAL?

 

XF

[Tigermoth]

I have been waiting for this one to be made official, this is really great news, it's been a long wait ! Next step is how to convert it to P4 ? Thank you Hornby.

Edited December 18, 2012 by Tigermoth

[Re6/6]

XF,

 

. .... Don't know where you would get the roofs.

 

 

 

 

MJT aluminium roof section might do. It's not quite the correct profile though I don't think, but I'm going to try one of them for an original style 2HAL, using the Branchlines sides as a basis to save all that hard work in plastic card Colin!

[Gwiwer]

Bil and Hal had entirely different bodies and interiors. The cab and DTCL interiors were similar but not identical. I'd be wary of trying to rebuild one into the other but be my guest if you wish.

 

I accept the points about the window-frame rivets as the frames are actually screwed in - trust me I've been up close and personal with 2090 and others) and the images posted above clearly show that. I suspect that if 2090 was laser-scanned the screw heads have been interpreted as rivets at some stage.

 

Te Hornby BR version (at least) is something of a compromise in terms of styling and timeframe. Plain green units didn't for the most part have air horns but rather retained whistles until their next C1 overhaul at which time they also emerged with SYP or FYE and a first class stripe none of which are present on the Hornby samples. None of that is beyond the skill of a decent modeller to alter but it might be nice if whistles were to be included on a sprue for use if required. It's a thought.

[Southernman46]

Yes, and no...

 

 

Cobblers - you'll be counting Mr Joy of Sex's beard hairs next !! he's in the real BIL btw

 

Not serious either......................good times

Edited December 18, 2012 by Southernman46

[Southernman46]

So how much work to make a 2BIL into a 2 HAL?

 

XF

 

Don't even think about it - about the only common feature is the number of wheels and the livery -wait for Bachmann 2016 after the 4-COR and 4-SUB,

[The Evil Bus Driver]

Hi Andy,

 

Branchlines produce an etch for the stencil number plates. These have to be very carefully painted, but are dead-on for appearance once fitted. The 2 BILs never had route indicator roller-blinds and believe it or not, carried a tail lamp on the rear of the train! The left-hand window on the cab front was hinged to enable the changing of these stencils by leaning out of the window. What fun in the wind and the rain that must have been.

 

Colin

 

(Edit: I note that the route indicator panel shown on the SR liveried model here in this topic has a black panel. I might be wrong (often am), but these were plain white panels, back-lit at night. It was just the number stencils that were black.)

 

Perhaps that would be an idea for Pete Harvey. Could be sent out in a normal envelope too...

[The Evil Bus Driver]

Top picture has 118 rivets visible

Edited December 18, 2012 by The Evil Bus Driver

[SRman]

Roxey also have some etched headcode stencils (letters or numbers are available in separate packs). They are nicely etched but I did find them somewhat oversized when fitting to my Ayjay 'Tin' HAL. I'm not sure whether the etches are oversized or the Ayjay apertures are undersized.

[BG John]

As they have detailed interiors, do many of the droplights have a notice saying "Do not clean soot off the window"? I seem to remember them on the ones I travelled on from Bracknell to Reading!

 

Although I've always modelled the GWR, it's almost tempting to build a layout to run a few on, as they, and the 2-HALs, were the first trains I travelled on, but those rivets do seem a bit OTT.

[TRAILRAGE]

From normal viewing distances no one will notice those rivets with a bit of gentle weathering or if your that bothered smooth them down. Personally i think from what I've seen it looks pretty dam good but I'll reserver final judjement until i actually get to see one in the flesh

[Gwiwer]

As they have detailed interiors, do many of the droplights have a notice saying "Do not clean soot off the window"? I seem to remember them on the ones I travelled on from Bracknell to Reading!

 

Although I've always modelled the GWR, it's almost tempting to build a layout to run a few on, as they, and the 2-HALs, were the first trains I travelled on, but those rivets do seem a bit OTT.

 

A good many of them had the "Do not lean out of the window" decals "modified" by ther Great Unwashed Public to read "Do not clean soot off the windows". The emergency alarm cord decals were similarly adorned with legends such as "Virgin's last hope" and in the toilet the instruction "Gentlemen lift the seat" was suffixed with "So that's why it's missing" in at least one unit

[Miss Prism]

(Just wait until Miss Prism notices.)

 

Actually, I can forgive the designer going into a sensible 'non-clever' mode on the compartment side lamp ducting.

 

I just hope this is a pre-production stop-gap measure and production run will have the correct tops.

 

I doubt whether anything will change now, as they are due for release soon. A turning shaped differently to a handrail knob would do the trick, and wouldn't cost any more to apply.

[John M Upton]

So, enough of this green nonsense let's talk blue. What ones made it into Departmental Service and with what sort of modifications as that will be where any interest in the new 2-BIL will be for me.

[Ceptic]

They both look the same to me. Two photographs taken at different times when the lighting was not identical. The earlier green was much lighter and could be clearly distinguished. Besides, both motor coaches have the later BR coach emblem: if one of the units was in the earlier green it would surely have the earlier lion-and-wheel item as well?

 

The two wouldn't necessarily be photos, knowing Hornby's prolific use of artist's (CAD) impressions for their side elevations.

 

I'm sticking with my view,...two different Greens.

 

Compare the forth and fifth pics in Andy Y's preview.

http://www.rmweb.co....-announcements/

[Gwiwer]

So, enough of this green nonsense let's talk blue. What ones made it into Departmental Service and with what sort of modifications as that will be where any interest in the new 2-BIL will be for me.

 

I no longer have the records of paint dates I once kept but IIRC around 30 - 40 of the 152 originally built made it into blue, possibly a few more. Departmental service? 2090 was retained and as is well-known has long since been vested in the NRM as part of the National Collection and again IIRC another one or two units (2135 sits in my mind as one) were retained but possibly not used after withdrawal in case of need. I believe the intention was to use them as tractor units for other screw-coupled stock as nothing newer could multiple with them and could only couple by means of the emergnecy draw gear and not the buckeye.

 

It was the Hal units which were converted into 2-car parcels sets after retirement from passenger use and the 1925-built suburban motors were still in use as de-icing units at the time.

[Ceptic]

XF,

 

A. Sell the Hornby 2 BIL bodies on ebay (but keep the interiors. With the proceeds, buy Branchlines etched sides, cabs and body detailing packs. Don't know where you would get the roofs.

 

B. Alternatively still sell bodies, buy Plastikard in various thicknesses. Purchase sharp knife and bottle of Liquid Poly.

 

C. Wait and hope that Hornby sell so many 2 BILs that they are inspired to produce a RTR 2 HAL using the same chassis!

 

All the best (and don't wait for option C.)

 

Colin

 

Possibly use a couple off second-hand Hornby Mk.1s. These are much the same profile. Just need cutting to length, end domes fabricated, the over-sized gutters + vents shaved down and all the HAL's roof details added.

[jonhall]

Is something strange going on with the interior partitions, the compartments don't seem to line up with the doors, or is that a feature of the prototype?

 

Jon

[Gwiwer]

Side doors on the compartment side and interior compartment doors should align to the mid-point of the compartment with the exception of the coupe at the outer end of the DMBT / DMBS. Doors on the corridor sides do not align to the compartments. The motor coach has a "half compartment" or coupe immediately behind the brake van with seats facing towards the centre of the unit and with the lucky users facing an almost blank wall of varnished wood with just two rectangular framed pictures (sometimes an SR map or a mirror instead) for amusement. Accordingly the compartment side and internal partitioning have just one window and the door before the window-door-window pattern commences along the rest of the coach.

Edited December 19, 2012 by Gwiwer

[Tigermoth]

...Rockers ! These units rocked, going back to my younger days as a ten year old living in Fratton, i remember most evenings after school i would rush down to Fratton station buy a platform ticket and then "bunk" it down to Harbour on a BIL/HAL just to take the Bristol bound Hymek back to Southsea, first coach window down mouth full of exhaust and then back to Fratton on another BIL/HAL where i would calmly walk out of the station with a big grin on my face ! What i remember most about these units was the weight of the doors, the all wood interior panelling, the motor compresser sound whilst in the station but most of all the rocking, sticking my head just out the window you could see how these things swayed from side to side, good fun.

[RFS]

The two wouldn't necessarily be photos, knowing Hornby's prolific use of artist's (CAD) impressions for their side elevations.

 

I'm sticking with my view,...two different Greens.

 

Compare the forth and fifth pics in Andy Y's preview.

http://www.rmweb.co....-announcements/

 

They really are the same green! Look at the illustrations in Hornby's own announcement:

 

 

 

One difference I've noticed is there's no "I" on the doors to identify first-class on the NRM version.

 

I've pre-ordered one of each so when I get them I'll be able to give a definitive response!

[brushman47544]

 

Let me out, my friend's about to be sick...!!!

[Gwiwer]

Let me out, my friend's about to be sick...!!!

At least with a side corridor you could get out if you had to Unlike a Hal where you were stuck in the compartment (in the motor coach) until the next stop.