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Hornby Star Class


gwrrob

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Checking through my spreadsheets I found this information about 4000 gallon Collett tenders to Diagram A113.

 

If I was a proper researcher I would cross reference all my sources but I do not cross reference my files and various lists.

 

GWRTenderA113.XLS

 

For tender numbers 2384 to 2403. Supplied As-Is. Additional information welcome.

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Tried to contact them by e-mail and telephone to take delivery of mine at NEC.Impenetrable as the Kremlin,I'm afraid.What is irritating,if indeed they HAVE them there,is that I need not then have pre-ordered .We shall see.

I shall go armed with a copy of my order anyway.Happy days!

Just had e-mail from Geoff Davies to the effect that,although they had intended to have sufficient stocks for collection at Warley,they have not yet had enough from Hornby to enable that to happen.Thought I would share this with you. Surprise.surprise....

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Mine still has not arrived by post as a pre order so I would be miffed to find out that they were on general sale before pre-orders were completed.

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If that's the case then Hornby's research would have lead them to a number where the tender attached was conclusive and matched what they were going to use on the model.With their previous my money is the production model will be the same as the decoration sample Mike.Are you going to have another chat with SK on Saturday. ;)

 

No! (to your final question - he'll be too busy and I sometimes doubt the veracity of what he says in face-to-face situations although we do seem to get sensible replies to emails, probably all down to the hassle of shows and long hours?).  

 

Anyway today I collected my 4003 from Steam although I've yet to have a really good look at it but it did compare quite well looking at while I was sitting near the real one.  In fact 'Lode Star' in Steam does explain something which was puzzling me about the Hornby models.  I couldn't for the life of me work out why KOGC has a silver painted regulator handle but now I know - they copied the polished steel one on the real 4003, wonder what colour it will be on 4061?

 

Overall the shape and appearance are very good and it's only the ha'porth of tar things which let it down (the real 4003 definitely has 10 spoke bogie wheels, I counted 'em) including that cab rear handrail which really shows up on the real thing.  Not sure when I'll get a better look at it/test run but probably not until next week sometime.  Incidentally having time for a good look round at Steam today I realise where Hornby got their odd colour scheme ideas for the shunters truck - the one in Steam has varnished wood footboards!

 

But something important for anyone going to Steam to collect their Star or visit the museum - the little cafe area upstairs in Steam does top notch bacon rolls and a very nice pot of tea, highly recommended, nice staff too.

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It makes me feel quite old when the people who design the models of things which were in use 50 years ago could think that shunter's trucks might have varnished footboards. The silver regulator handle is a brave attempt at truth though, cab controls were generally very clean, it's just that polished metal generally does not look like matt silver.

 

That said, I am a firm believer in the fact that prototypes were generally more variable and often 'unusual' than can be safely modelled without criticism.

 

And also (I must be getting VERY old) I don't care much if the spokes are 10 or 12 so long as the model generally looks very good, which it does. After all, the gauge is hugely wrong but we overlook that...

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It makes me feel quite old when the people who design the models of things which were in use 50 years ago could think that shunter's trucks might have varnished footboards. The silver regulator handle is a brave attempt at truth though, cab controls were generally very clean, it's just that polished metal generally does not look like matt silver.

 

That said, I am a firm believer in the fact that prototypes were generally more variable and often 'unusual' than can be safely modelled without criticism.

 

And also (I must be getting VERY old) I don't care much if the spokes are 10 or 12 so long as the model generally looks very good, which it does. After all, the gauge is hugely wrong but we overlook that...

And the models run on electricity, not coal and water! ;)

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5043 has a polished silver regulator handle an reverser! I no that's just how tyseley may have wanted it but I wonder why! We're they always painted red normally?

I was under the impression that they were painted red in everyday traffic although unpainted polished/laquered finish seems common on engines in museums - easy enough to correct of course.

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Miss Prism,

 

According to the Martin Finney instructions, lot A113 comprised of tenders number 2384-2403. By my count that is twenty, so plainly not all King class were even fitted with these tenders unless ten on A117 were built to the design as well.

 

Regards,

 

Craigw

 

If you can supply the tender numbers for A117, I may be able to match them to their loco's.

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I was under the impression that they were painted red in everyday traffic although unpainted polished/laquered finish seems common on engines in museums - easy enough to correct of course.

We've discussed GWR regulator and reverser colours once or twice before, though without any firm conclusions. My impression is that the red paint is not seen before WW1, and may have been introduced as late as the early twenties. As ever, dated photos are the answer but cab shots in service are rare and the levers/handles were often shown as polished steel in works grey photos.

 

Nick

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The Star may not be perfect but overall it looks to be a nice model that well represents the prototype and if an awful lot better than I would be able to achieve if I tried building and painting a kit (I'm OK on building, but my painting skills leave a lot to be desired) so I'll happily buy one. Yes for sure there are areas that could be improved and the Hornby of 5 years ago would have done something better but sometimes I think it worth taking a step back and just accepting that it is still a nice model of a much loved locomotive and I don't see any other RTR alternatives.

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Just had e-mail from Geoff Davies to the effect that,although they had intended to have sufficient stocks for collection at Warley,they have not yet had enough from Hornby to enable that to happen.Thought I would share this with you. Surprise.surprise....

Having just handled a Lode Star on the Steam stand at the NEC,I am both relieved and delighted that my 'investment' is a sound one.I like it and I'm really looking forward to drooling over mine a.s.a.p.Anyway,colleagues....it does it for me.I sincerely hope those of you in the same situation will feel the same as I do.
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Did Steam give any inclination on when the rest of them will be dispatched.I've heard nothing on mine.Glad you're happy with it Ian.

I was told this afternoon that SK had told Steam that 210 of their special order were ready for despatch. They are not yet all sold either.

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My Lode Star sat in the post office over the weekend. Having just collected it it looks a lovely model. No.24 in the production run according to the certificate AND extra bogie spokes as well! :yahoo_mini: .

 

As I said before I think its a great model and not nearly as late as the Heavy Freight Tanks.

 

didcot

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Apart from Richard Foster getting rather confused about cylinders and their position (4018 was not fitted with Castle cylinders) and a couple of other details, I thought his Star review in Model Rail was generally very fair and reasonable within the constraints of magazine space. Most of his ire seemed to be reserved, understandably, for Hornby's insipid green, described as "murky".
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Apart from Richard Foster getting rather confused about cylinders and their position (4018 was not fitted with Castle cylinders) and a couple of other details, I thought his Star review in Model Rail was generally very fair and reasonable within the constraints of magazine space. Most of his ire seemed to be reserved, understandably, for Hornby's insipid green, described as "murky".

And apart from his assertion that the Stars didn't 'muster the same appeal from schoolboy train spotters,seeing as they were withdrawn in the mid-1950's before train spotting really took off as a hobby',I would agree. There are still some of us dino spotters around who logged Stars and Saints into their Ian Allan ABC's well before that,Richard.Anno Domini !

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Well Ian I am looking forward to creating a picture of 4061 Glastonbury Abbey roaring past with 400+ tons behind at 60mph... with no visible exhaust of course.... the GWR enginemen knew how to burn Welsh coal correctly!

 

(actually I will be free with exhaust.... cold weather enhanced steam will be my excuse)

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And apart from his assertion that the Stars didn't 'muster the same appeal from schoolboy train spotters,seeing as they were withdrawn in the mid-1950's before train spotting really took off as a hobby',I would agree. There are still some of us dino spotters around who logged Stars and Saints into their Ian Allan ABC's well before that,Richard.Anno Domini !

As my copy of the 1954 ABC reminds me that there were only 4 Stars listed, 4053, 4056, 4061 and 4062, I have recalled several other Stars that I remember seeing prior to 1954. Using the Rail UK directory, the Stars that I saw were on their last legs and were withdrawn a few years earlier. I recall the glee when a Star or Saint turned up amongst some of us dino spotters!

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