Hornby P2

[bigwordsmith]

MUltiple embarrassment - my preordered Railroad has just arrived and my local retailer called to say they've gout the fully loaded one I ordered - fortunately he was happy to sell it on!

[31A]

Top marks to Hornby for choosing to produce a model that seems to have made many of us impulse-buy, breaking our loco selection rules in the process. Lots of Hornby models in the shops now. RRP being charged by box shifters for main range Cock o' the North. Retailers and Hornby's cashflow must be looking healthier. Good news! Long may it continue.

 

Good news indeed, although hopefully the backlog doesn't all arrive in a great flood - otherwise it'll be BAD news for my cashflow!!

[Legend]

Good news indeed, although hopefully the backlog doesn't all arrive in a great flood - otherwise it'll be BAD news for my cashflow!!

Yep does look like there's a fair number of models on their way. Looks like they've turned corner

[Guest spet0114]

I've not heard anything yet either.

 

Are you worried you are going to end up in the same boat as Hitler?

 

I contacted Hattons on Thursday.

But the person I spoke to couldn't tell me if my pre-order would be fullfilled this week.

In fact I got the impression they were unsure if they would be getting any stock this week.

 

Just out of interest, when did you place your pre-order?

Mine was placed in May 2013.

My pre-order is dated November 2013, so I'm presumably well down the list. I'm just hoping we don't see a re-run of the 'Great Goodbye' fiasco....

[Bulleidboy100]

My R3207 has been shipped by MRD - £92.95 - Ordered in January 2013.

[robmcg]

Last night 6pm NZ time TMC models had 8 main range in stock, this morning 9am  (10pm UK) they are out of stock. Their price was £113   I GOT ONE  !!!   actual £97 ex-VAT

 

Oops, sorry, no dancing allowed here, we are a mature sensible lot.

 

I got it with a simple google search btw   it was 2nd shop in the list for 'Hornby R3207'.   

Edited September 12, 2014 by robmcg

[edcayton]

Somebody appears to be breaking one on eBay.

 

Ed

[31A]

A few quick pictures of mine (R3207 'standard' range) after I'd added the extras last night, and some initial thoughts.  The headlamps don't come with the model!

 

 

 

 

The first thing that struck me was how beautifully the livery has been applies, including the fine red lining onthe loco rear frames, tender frames and axlebox covers. Also the edge of the running plate, and cylinder covers.  The black / white lining includes the 'panel' on the back of the tender which was missing from the Railroad version, and very neat lining out of the centres and tyres of the loco wheels.  On the tender, the cab front (including the floor) is in apple green, and a quick improvement would be to paint the floor black - I think I may have read somewhere that the LNER painted tender fronts dark green?

 

Nameplates are neatly printed on the casing; a note on the box says 'Includes two etched nameplates' and indeed two separate nameplates are included.  I haven't taken these from their packaging yet, but they look to me very much like printed plastic!  A pair of (actual) etched plates would be a big improvement; I'm not sure whether any suitable are available.  I see both Modelmasters and 247 Developments list Cock o' the North plates for Class A2/3 - not sure whether these would be different?

 

Buffers are solid but none the worse for that, and apart from the main horizontal boiler handrails, the other handrails (and smokebox door handles) are also solid mouldings - this is less evident however on this loco where they are neatly picked out in silver, than it might be on another engine where the details might be in 'body' colour.  Apart from the three across the bufferbeam, lamp irons are also moulded solidly and in my opinion look a bit 'flat'.  The cab roof vents are solid, and the cab interior detailing is basic but adequate.  The cab seats appear to be separate items, but other details are moulded and not picked out in colour - very sensible in my opinion on a loco like this with an enclosed cab, especially if it helps to contain costs.  The safety valves appear to be brass turnings, recessed into the cab roof.  Other detailing is very neatly moulded, including representations of the rotary valve gear, which hang from the footplate in front of (but not attached to) the drive crank on the second driven axle.  From pictures of the real loco, there was a short vertical handrail inside the casing at the front, on the right hand side (looking forward) only, next to the smokebox door - difficult to see how this could have been moulded on the model (or indeed added neatly).  On the tender, the coal is a moulded solidly with the body but not too high for real coal to be added on top.

 

Turning to the mechanism, I was impressed by how close the driving wheel flanges are to one another!  The pony truck is pivoted with the typical Hornby 'two pins' arrangement, but behaved well during my test runs.  Initial reaction to performance was that it is somewhat 'graunchy' as if in need of some lubrication, but smooth running once started.  Quite possibly it will ease up with running.  The instruction leaflet shows how to take the body off and this seems simple; however having removed the fixing screw I then couldn't free the chassis from the body at the rear end, and suspect the motor may be a tight fit (as already mentioned elsewhere in this thread).The leaflet says the loco is fitted with a five pole motor and shows a flywheel.  The drawbar has two positions, and I found I was able to run the loco with the drawbar on the closer setting through my 'test piece' (a crossover formed by two Peco double slips) without difficulty.  There is no electrical connection to the tender, which has no pickups; however all 16 pickups on the loco seem to work correctly without needing adjustment, so current collection should be quite adequate.

 

The extra parts supplied for the purchaser to add include loco brake rigging, front vacuum pipe, front steps, cylinder drain cock pipes, cab doors and a moulded plastic fall plate between loco and tender.  All the above fitted neatly (with minimal flash cleaning required on the brake rigging and drain cock spigots), and with them fitted the loco still passed my 'curving test', although it's as well that the drain cock pipes are very flexible as the pony wheels brush them aside on curves.  The leaflet shows a front draw hook as a separate item to be fitted, but on mine this was already in place.  I may seek out a suitable screw coupling, to improve the front end appearance.  The pony truck includes a pocket for a front coupling and one is supplied as a separate item; however the pocket doesn't protrude forward unduly.

 

So first reactions very positive and overall quite impressed.  Question is what do I do with it now, on a 1960s layout?

 

[edcayton]

 

 

"and of course completely out of period.  Perhaps Thompson didn't happen and Peppercorn had it restored to original spec and preserved it. The P2's would have been useful loco's during the war.

 

Ed"

 

And Alan Pegler bought it because, of course, the un-rebuilt Great Northern was safe in Clapham (remember, Thompson never happened), so in the sixties CotN was a natural for all those RCTS and LCGB specials.

 

Simples

 

Ed

Edited September 13, 2014 by edcayton

[Steffi_C]

Steve, you can get the correct plates from Fox: http://fox-transfers.co.uk/2001-cock-o-the-north-54148

 

The Hornby 'etched' plates are a waste of space I'm afraid.

 

Thanks for a really interesting review, can't wait to get mine!

Edited September 13, 2014 by Steffi_C

[teaky]

Thanks Steffi_C.

 

Hmmm, black or red.  What's the history please?  Hornby have used black.  When did the red ones feature?

[Steffi_C]

Thanks Steffi_C.

 

Hmmm, black or red.  What's the history please?  Hornby have used black.  When did the red ones feature?

 

Definitely black plates with the green livery.  Red plates would only be for the later black livery - which would require a major rebuild to the Bugatti nosed version..

Edited September 13, 2014 by Steffi_C

[Markeg]

Just paid for mine and will be winging its way to OZ in a couple of days.

Will invest in the Fox Plates too, I think.

 

Mark in Oz.

[31A]

I think the only time red plates were used on LNER (or ER locos) was when some were so painted in the late 1950's - early '60's?  Apart from certain blue A4s, and 4472 sometimes in preservation?

[teaky]

Definitely black plates with the green livery.  Red plates would only be for the later black livery - which would require a major rebuild to the Bugatti nosed version..

Black livery.  Of course.  I'd forgotten they we'ren't Thompsoned before that happened.

 

Thanks Steffi_C.

[teaky]

My R3207 has been shipped by MRD - £92.95 - Ordered in January 2013.

Won't get mine until second batch apparently.  (Octoberish)

[Guest 43300]

Steve, you can get the correct plates from Fox: http://fox-transfers.co.uk/2001-cock-o-the-north-54148

 

The Hornby 'etched' plates are a waste of space I'm afraid.

 

Thanks for a really interesting review, can't wait to get mine!

 

If they have started suppying plastic "etched" plates this must be a new development! I'm not really into steam locos, but I have at least one of the most recent diesels which they have supplied with plates (a Class 67) and I'm pretty sure they are etched metal.

[AdamOrmorod]

When I opened my set of etched plates, they sounded very much like metal when they were placed on my desk. Most aftermarket plates seem to be recessed so the name stands slightly proud of the background, which isn't the case with Hornby's P2 plates, though this doesn't mean the plates haven't been etched at all, just that the letters themselves aren't.

Also, how has anyone who has attached the cab doors gone about it? They seem extremely fiddly.

[WD0-6-0]

Anymore date wise for the TTS version?

Edited September 13, 2014 by WD0-6-0

[bigherb]

 

Also, how has anyone who has attached the cab doors gone about it? They seem extremely fiddly.

They where pre fitted on the Railroad version.

[84A]

If its of help to anyone, four have just been listed on eBay @ £130.00 inc post:

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hornby-LATEST-RELEASE-R3207-LNER-P2-CLASS-2-8-2-Cock-O-The-North-/201169821500?pt=UK_Trains_Railway_Models&hash=item2ed6a7df3c

[AdamOrmorod]

They where pre fitted on the Railroad version.

Well they aren't on the main range one, mine were in the bag along with all the other "fit yourself" parts, as mentioned previously by 31A. 

Edited September 13, 2014 by Ade the Pianist 4468

[31A]

When I opened my set of etched plates, they sounded very much like metal when they were placed on my desk. Most aftermarket plates seem to be recessed so the name stands slightly proud of the background, which isn't the case with Hornby's P2 plates, though this doesn't mean the plates haven't been etched at all, just that the letters themselves aren't.

Also, how has anyone who has attached the cab doors gone about it? They seem extremely fiddly.

 

Well the plates could be metal I suppose - as I said, I was so underwhelmed by their appearance that I didn't even open the packet they came in!  They reminded me of the pictures we were shown of the plates that came with the 'Great Gathering' A4s - just flat printing, rather than what I know as an etched plate.

 

Actually I didn't find it as difficult as I expected to fit the cab doors, although it's going to be harder to describe what I did than it was to do it!  Holding the loco vertically cab uppermost, I found the doors would remain balanced in place (the upper lug seemed to lodge behind the cab seat) long enough to get a brush full of plastic solvent (Mek Pak in my case) onto the lugs, then pressed own with the tip of a modelling knife to hold the lug in place for long enough for the solvent to bite.

 

I was more worried about the front steps as I usually have trouble getting them to stay vertical until the glue sets, but the fitting of these is well designed this time with locations moulded on the rear of the buffer beam as well as underneath the running plate, so that again they would remain in place by themselves long enough to get solvent onto them.

 

 The drain cocks and front vacuum pipe were tight push fits, and I didn't use any glue at all on them.

[w4rrn]

Steve, you can get the correct plates from Fox: http://fox-transfers.co.uk/2001-cock-o-the-north-54148

 

The Hornby 'etched' plates are a waste of space I'm afraid.

 

Thanks for a really interesting review, can't wait to get mine!

Just ordered my plates now, ready for my TTS P2 :-)

[robmcg]

A few quick pictures of mine (R3207 'standard' range) after I'd added the extras last night, and some initial thoughts.  The headlamps don't come with the model!

 

P1000689 RMWeb.JPG

 

P1000690 RMWeb.JPG

 

P1000692 RMWeb.JPG

 

The first thing that struck me was how beautifully the livery has been applies, including the fine red lining onthe loco rear frames, tender frames and axlebox covers. Also the edge of the running plate, and cylinder covers.  The black / white lining includes the 'panel' on the back of the tender which was missing from the Railroad version, and very neat lining out of the centres and tyres of the loco wheels.  On the tender, the cab front (including the floor) is in apple green, and a quick improvement would be to paint the floor black - I think I may have read somewhere that the LNER painted tender fronts dark green?

 

Nameplates are neatly printed on the casing; a note on the box says 'Includes two etched nameplates' and indeed two separate nameplates are included.  I haven't taken these from their packaging yet, but they look to me very much like printed plastic!  A pair of (actual) etched plates would be a big improvement; I'm not sure whether any suitable are available.  I see both Modelmasters and 247 Developments list Cock o' the North plates for Class A2/3 - not sure whether these would be different?

 

Buffers are solid but none the worse for that, and apart from the main horizontal boiler handrails, the other handrails (and smokebox door handles) are also solid mouldings - this is less evident however on this loco where they are neatly picked out in silver, than it might be on another engine where the details might be in 'body' colour.  Apart from the three across the bufferbeam, lamp irons are also moulded solidly and in my opinion look a bit 'flat'.  The cab roof vents are solid, and the cab interior detailing is basic but adequate.  The cab seats appear to be separate items, but other details are moulded and not picked out in colour - very sensible in my opinion on a loco like this with an enclosed cab, especially if it helps to contain costs.  The safety valves appear to be brass turnings, recessed into the cab roof.  Other detailing is very neatly moulded, including representations of the rotary valve gear, which hang from the footplate in front of (but not attached to) the drive crank on the second driven axle.  From pictures of the real loco, there was a short vertical handrail inside the casing at the front, on the right hand side (looking forward) only, next to the smokebox door - difficult to see how this could have been moulded on the model (or indeed added neatly).  On the tender, the coal is a moulded solidly with the body but not too high for real coal to be added on top.

 

Turning to the mechanism, I was impressed by how close the driving wheel flanges are to one another!  The pony truck is pivoted with the typical Hornby 'two pins' arrangement, but behaved well during my test runs.  Initial reaction to performance was that it is somewhat 'graunchy' as if in need of some lubrication, but smooth running once started.  Quite possibly it will ease up with running.  The instruction leaflet shows how to take the body off and this seems simple; however having removed the fixing screw I then couldn't free the chassis from the body at the rear end, and suspect the motor may be a tight fit (as already mentioned elsewhere in this thread).The leaflet says the loco is fitted with a five pole motor and shows a flywheel.  The drawbar has two positions, and I found I was able to run the loco with the drawbar on the closer setting through my 'test piece' (a crossover formed by two Peco double slips) without difficulty.  There is no electrical connection to the tender, which has no pickups; however all 16 pickups on the loco seem to work correctly without needing adjustment, so current collection should be quite adequate.

 

The extra parts supplied for the purchaser to add include loco brake rigging, front vacuum pipe, front steps, cylinder drain cock pipes, cab doors and a moulded plastic fall plate between loco and tender.  All the above fitted neatly (with minimal flash cleaning required on the brake rigging and drain cock spigots), and with them fitted the loco still passed my 'curving test', although it's as well that the drain cock pipes are very flexible as the pony wheels brush them aside on curves.  The leaflet shows a front draw hook as a separate item to be fitted, but on mine this was already in place.  I may seek out a suitable screw coupling, to improve the front end appearance.  The pony truck includes a pocket for a front coupling and one is supplied as a separate item; however the pocket doesn't protrude forward unduly.

 

So first reactions very positive and overall quite impressed.  Question is what do I do with it now, on a 1960s layout?

 

Superb review and photos, thankyou.

 

Rob