Great Gathering A4 Collection

[iankemp]

 

Welcome to the Hornby newsletter...

On 3rd July the National Railway Museum in York celebrated the coming together of the last remaining six Class A4 locomotives under the aptly named title "The Great Gathering".[/size]

 

The six remaining A4 locomotives are "Mallard", a major resident at the NRM, "Dominion of Canada" on loan from the Canadian Railway Museum, "Dwight D. Eisenhower" on loan from the National Railroad Museum, USA, together with the privately owned "Union of South Africa", "Bittern" and "Sir Nigel Gresley".

All six locomotives returned to the NRM in October and can be seen one last time together at Locomotion, Shildon in February 2014. [/size]

 

The Hornby Great Gathering Collection includes each of the six locomotives in their respective liveries as seen at the National Railway Museum. When you order all six you will be entitled to claim a specially commissioned glass display cabinet so that the models can be seen as a complete collection.

We have a small number of complete Great Gathering sets available to buy direct from Hornby from tomorrow evening, Wednesday 18th December. Each set of six locomotives will be supplied with matching limited edition certificate numbers.

How to order...

These Great Gathering sets will be sold by telephone only.  The order line will open at 5:30pm GMT on Wednesday 18th December.

Telephone Order Line - 01843 233519

Please note that when you call this number you will be placed in a queue.  Calls will be answered in a first-come, first-served basis.  Telephone lines will not be opened until 5:30pm on Wednesday 18th December - please do not call before then or your call will not be connected.

Once all of the available sets are sold the telephone order line will be closed.

The cost of this set of six locomotives is £999.99.  Details on how to order The Great Gathering display cabinet will be included with each model - a £10 delivery charge will apply to cabinet orders.

There is a maximum of one set per customer.  These models are only available to UK callers.[

 

 

Damn you Andy, I was about to do the same thing, You beat me to it! LOL!

[iankemp]

I've had another look, there are no certificates with the locos, I was in the shop when they were delivered and have the original box, not in that nor the loco boxes, need the cert number to order the display cabinet.

60009 has the boiler side plates too in a bag with the etched name plates.

 

 

Just using MS picture manager to shrink the photos below 1mb

 

Mr B

here is a pic of what the real numbers look like if someone cares to do a comparison picture!

 

Bitterns number. If someone could do one of the model at that height and then do a pic with them together then the differences will be seen.

 

[Hilux5972]

MrB, according to Hornby, the certificates are sent seperately to ensure that the entire set has the same number.

[iankemp]

I think the numbers are placed a bit to far up and also a bit bigger than what they should be on the end! That is the only fault with the Hornby A4 models. If they got the numbers the right size then they would be able to place them in the right position. 

 

Do the models have the speedo gear on one of the drive wheels?

[G-BOAF]

I think the numbers are placed a bit to far up and also a bit bigger than what they should be on the end! That is the only fault with the Hornby A4 models. If they got the numbers the right size then they would be able to place them in the right position. 

 

Do the models have the speedo gear on one of the drive wheels?

numbers/letters seem the right size to me, but wrong placed IF this is reprasentative of the models being supplied. The Lamp iron is interfereing with Bittern's number.

 

Hornby have got it right originally, as can be seen. The ONLY difference is that on every Super Detail LNER A4 to date, the numbers have been clearly BELOW the lamp iron:

 http://locoyard.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/Hornby-a4-class-review-8.jpg

 

Is it only me who can see this???

[G-BOAF]

Problem is these are supposed to be collectable series as soon as you start amending the model faults if any its no longer collectable anymore to a serious collector.  Presumably this will relate to a  big loss in residual value.

600009 Springbok is not even close to the bodywork, I was really surprised on seeing her at the NRM how the plaque is mounted.

 

6.jpg

 

Of course 4468 speed record plate is mounted on a wooden backing. I think 60007 plate commemorating the 1959 record is straight on the cladding. The difference is that one can place an etched replacement ontop of 4468 and 60007. With 60009, and the plate standing proud, the body colour behind the raised plate should be green! I wonder if anyone around today knows why BR mounted the Springbok the way they did, or if it one of time's mysteries.

[Hilux5972]

So that the plate JUMPS out at you lol

[Mike70]

Any chance of some pics of what's IN the box (given box pics are still photoshopped!)

Also, do they come with the Great Gathering headboards?

 

DoC did have painted handrails, and painted tyres, at least she did by the time the bell was fitted. the NRM restoration worked to colour photos of the period.

It may have had a chrome handrail when first built. Some corronation locos did. But from what I can see from photos, Mallard did not, so it is my suspicion that the burnished metal was doncaster giving her a 'send off' when restored in 1963.

 

The strip on the tender SHOULD BE (if the York mockups are anything to go by), on the edge of the tender chassis, hence more or less in line with the bottom of the skirt.

 

It is my suspicion that the Great Goodbye sets are part of a follow-on order. Unless this was part of the plan all along, it all sounds very much like Hornby responding to the sucess of the original sets. In which case, with production slots hard to get, I would hazard a guess they are a new order and not yet produced. But happy to be proven wrong!

HTH

 

There is a good article on the website below which talks about the chrome/stainless steel handrails;

 

http://www.sirnigelgresley.org.uk/a4name/a4name4.html

 

I understood it was only the Commonwealth loco's which got them.

They must have been overpainted at some point.

 

Recently I bought the R2339 version of Mallard, because I want a model which represented it in operation.

Like you said, the shiny handrails seem to be Doncaster giving her a good send off.

 

I'd like a model of DOC in operation.

It sounds like the preserved version is pretty much there or there abouts.

So I'm going to try and get hold of one of the Great Gathering or Great Goodbye models.

Easier said than done no doubt...

[Bon Accord]

Gents,

Individual GG loco's are now in stock at Hattons and also Wonderland of Toys (Edinburgh) and presumably elsewhere. I've just bagged DOC and Bittern from our friends in Liverpool - much to my amazement!

[Hilux5972]

Any chance of some pics there Bon Accord? None on hattons website. What's the box sleeve like?

[Bon Accord]

I'm afraid I've only just ordered them online - I originally thought they'd all be taken with preorders. Hopefully some of the lucky recipients who already have theirs will post some more photos - there are a couple on the previous page of this thread.

[Hilux5972]

Oh I see.

[trent]

Gents,

Individual GG loco's are now in stock at Hattons and also Wonderland of Toys (Edinburgh) and presumably elsewhere. I've just bagged DOC and Bittern from our friends in Liverpool - much to my amazement!

Well lucky you Jim as they must of had a very small number as they're listing no stock now....arggghhhhh!!!

 

Have to go with the G'Gbye I suppose, not that it matters.

 

Martin

[Bon Accord]

Well lucky you Jim as they must of had a very small number as they're listing no stock now....arggghhhhh!!!

 

Have to go with the G'Gbye I suppose, not that it matters.

 

Martin

 

Martin,

I had the email notification thing set up to let me know when in stock and it came in this morning - when I looked on the site about an hour ago it said "more than 10 in stock" for the Garter Blue A4's so they certainly shifted quickly!

[Mike at C&M]

A4s just arrived at C&M, and no certificates!

 

I have just phoned Hornby and asked as what is happening, so I will share the information here.

 

The numbered certificates are being sent out to retailers today by recorded delivery, and each set of certificates will carry the same number.

[Wicor Models]

A4s just arrived at C&M, and no certificates!

 

I have just phoned Hornby and asked as what is happening, so I will share the information here.

 

The numbered certificates are being sent out to retailers today by recorded delivery, and each set of certificates will carry the same number.

We got ours today too, 2 arrived with damaged boxes so will have to wait for replacements from Margate. Postie has been but no certificates so we can't ship them, I don't know why they couldn't send the certificates out with the models.

 

Dave

[Bon Accord]

I too ordered a Gresley.  I expect that the order will be cancelled as I suspect an IT blooper.  I expect they entered their stock receipt into the system and their system didn't offset their pre-orders against that stock for several minutes (there was a 4 minute delay between the stock notification and the advice that the pre-order I had in place a year ago had been sent for picking).  I live in hope of saving £22 over the Goodbye version, but somehow doubt it.

 

I can't help but wonder the same thing. I've just had the second email from Hattons saying "Order Processed" after the initial "Confirmation" one, so I shall await developments with interest!

[Mike70]

I can't help but wonder the same thing. I've just had the second email from Hattons saying "Order Processed" after the initial "Confirmation" one, so I shall await developments with interest!

I've just tried ordering DOC from Wonderland.

 

It's accepted the order, but I'll believe it when I see it.

 

The price there is only £6 less than Hattons Great Goodbye price.  So as long as I get one, I'm not fussed either way.

[MrB]

Any chance of some pics there Bon Accord? None on hattons website. What's the box sleeve like?

I've posted photos in posts 558 & 561. if you need bigger one I can rescale them bigger.

[brushman47544]

A4s just arrived at C&M, and no certificates!

 

I have just phoned Hornby and asked as what is happening, so I will share the information here.

 

The numbered certificates are being sent out to retailers today by recorded delivery, and each set of certificates will carry the same number.

 

That makes some sense, in that Hornby doesn't then have to check each box and ensure the same certificates are already there or insert them, which would take some time I suspect.

[Bon Accord]

Well I've got a Post Office tracking number for today's order of Gresley but not for the 12 month old one of South Africa!

 

Just received the "Picking List Packed" email complete with tracker number, so it would appear it's game on!

[Bezzy Oppo]

180 calls in 15 minutes.....still not thro'.

[hornbyandbf3fan]

I'm still hoping that Sir Nigel Gresley or Bittern in standard release. Would any of the pre-order ones (i.e not released yet) be suitable for easy conversion to Bittern?

[G-BOAF]

MrB has posted new pics, flash shots, but make some of the detail clearer.

Mine should be on their way at some point for me to criticise and doubtless spend unnecessary money correcting (certainly 22 and 19).

See 'Mallard' comments for my suspicion as to how Mallard's tender livery error occurred

 

Further impressions (some much more rivet counting than others!).

 

Bittern - OK except for front number. How this happened I don't know, Hornby have always got it right on past. Unexplainable and inexcusable. 4464 and LNER cab and tender lettering does appear to be more or less in line.

 

Mallard - sadly, given the purpose of the whole celebration, worst of the bunch, front number too high, touching the lower lamp bracket. LNER lettering on tender too high - my suspicion is that someone, either Margate or China has 'corrected' the LNER lettering to sit in the middle of the slab side of the non-corridor tender. This is incorrect. The lettering was below midpoint, since the non-corridor tenders, being narrow than the Corridors, has smaller raves, and therefore 'taller' slab sides. The lettering is aligned to be in the middle of a corridor tender (from tank bottom to beading), thus should be a little below mid-way on the non-corridor tender Look carefully at any picture of Mallard in LNER livery and LNER is slightly below the middle. Hornby has got this right on EVERY non-corridor detailed A4. Why start getting it wrong now??

 

Dominion of Canada - looks great. Everything seems to be aligned and well made. Tender lettering could have been a bit thinner, but aside from fitting etched letters and producing a Canadian Whistle, Hornby are to be highly commended. Silver trim correctly below tender body side. Excellent!

 

Dwight D Eisenhower - from what I can see the best of the bunch, Like Mallard, should have been an easy one to get right. Unlike Mallard, they have excelled themselves. Even down to the nameplate letter spacing!

 

Union of South Africa - Printed Springbok is a shame as green paint should show under raised etch. front OHL flash looks a little lop-sided(?) Firebox OHL flash is interesting. Since overhaul in 2012, this flash has been up by the washout plugs. As presented, 60009 is correct for running prior to overhaul! Someone in the design office was not looking at the date of photographs. I still think the South African Coat of Arms on the cabside is a little on the large side. Comparing photos, it certainly shrunk a bit at the last overhaul. So 60009 is actually more 2009 than 2012, but nothing that can't be easily corrected with a few decals, but a shame. Thankfully Hornby didn't copy the awful smokebox parabola that Crewe applied in 2012! Tender raves should be black down to beading, rather than green as Hornby have depicted. MrB, your example seems to have its smokebox numberplate mounted upside down, or at least its pointing slightly downwards, so I presum that's what's happened, since 60009 upside down is still 60009!!

 

Sir Nigel Gresley - would love to say like 60008 its perfect. BUT it seems to have an odd whistle, almost like someone copied a TMC repaint that had a wartime double chimney from Charles Newton fixed to it. Another oddity is that the glazing, rather than having wooden window frames, seems to have them body-colour. Again from what I can see this is incorrect - throughout its history Grelsey like every other A4 has had wood/brass window surrounds! Another oddity in that Hornby have always got it right. Like Mallard's tender, someone has actively made them incorrect.

 

Sorry if this is sounds hyper-critical (some of it may be, but much else isn't). Everyone on here is getting very excited, I'm just trying to throw some sound analysis into the mix.

 

Hope those who tried to phone through this evening were sucessful, if not order the 2014 set pronto!

 

G-BOAF

[w4rrn]

Hopefully I'll have my models of Mallard and DOC by the weekend. But bittern was the model I was really after. I did have one on reserve from Hobbyco in Sydney Aus. But I managed to get one this afternoon from transport models in Preston via eBay at a very decent price. I was going to preorder a GGodbye version from Hattons but this has saved the wait and I'll have a matching 3. Transport models still have a DOC & DDE on eBay at the moment.