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Great British Locomotives

EddieB

By EddieB
in Other Magazines

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Il Grifone

Il Grifone

Posted
Posted

SWMBO just returned (from yet another shopping safari) bearing Asda's last V2. She doesn't look bad at all, apart from some rather ragged lining on the boiler (makes me less reluctant to repaint her BR green!) and GBL's enthusiasm for excesses of silver paint. I'm glad to see that they've finally produced a model with decent buffers.

Could one of our LNER experts please elucidate as to exactly what is wrong about the boiler shape? (I can see the dome is too flat, but all LNER boilers look the wrong shape to me - we taught the SR and LMS how it's done, but the LNER didn't seem to want to know*). It will probably follow my usual rule anyway - Can I make it better or will I just mess it up. If the latter, consider it 'not broken' and 'don't fix it'!

 

* :jester:

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Il Grifone

Il Grifone

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Hi

 

Well we did show them how to build valvegear properly in the first place...... (A little help from a certain André Chapelon was needed too!) Then with four cylinders divided drive and a proper boiler, they would have ended up with something like a 'Princess Coronation'.....

 

(Our locomotives were already up to the job and didn't need these new-fangled ideas!)

 

Fast getaway required! Coat already on.....

 

Best regards

Edited by Il Grifone
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Ruffnut Thorston

Ruffnut Thorston

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The original Tri-ang Railways R.553 (Tender R.554) Caledonian Single No. 123 from 1963...

 

gallery_12119_3162_523084.jpg

 

gallery_12119_3162_392008.jpg

 

gallery_12119_3162_225298.jpg

 

gallery_12119_3162_586059.jpg

 

gallery_12119_3162_486692.jpg

 

gallery_12119_3162_494610.jpg

 

gallery_12119_3162_323031.jpg

 

This loco has had some slight modifications over the years, such as the cab handrails, and some black paint added to shade some pipes, etc.

 

It is also missing the backward projection of the safety valves (I have digitally modified some photos to be more complete...)

Edited by Sarahagain
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RJS1977

RJS1977

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SWMBO just returned (from yet another shopping safari) bearing Asda's last V2. She doesn't look bad at all, apart from some rather ragged lining on the boiler (makes me less reluctant to repaint her BR green!) and GBL's enthusiasm for excesses of silver paint. I'm glad to see that they've finally produced a model with decent buffers.

 

Enough about the wife, what does the loco look like?

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Wolf27

Wolf27

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I'm contemplating using parts of the A3 and V2 to make a 'GBL A2/1'. Wheels, cab, running plate sections and tender from the V2 and boiler, front bogie and Cartazzi truck from the A3. Valve gear and cylinders can be modified from either. It won't be a runner but a nice siding filler. Is it do-able?

 

Cheers

 

Shane

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Il Grifone

Il Grifone

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Posted (edited)

Enough about the wife, what does the loco look like?

 

I had just realised the ambiguity and was going to correct it.   Too late!

 

To be clear the 'she' refers to the V2.  :jester:

 

(I don't think SWMBO would appreciate looking like an Orion slave girl in green!)

Edited by Il Grifone
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railroadbill

railroadbill

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Going back to Swindon vs the rest for a minute, the rather good issue 22 magazine on the V2s points out that V2 blast pipes were modified after testing at Swindon, resulting in a big increase in steaming capacity, needed after self cleaning smokeboxes were introduced. Think they did something similar with the blast pipes on ex LMS type 2 and 4 2-6-0s.  Then Swindon did have the test facilities.

 

Also the V2 was one loco that didn't look good in black, imho, and it was a great improvement when they got painted BR green.  Perhaps the original apple green suited them best though.

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Cleefy

Cleefy

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There was only the one in Lincoln WH Smiths when I did a bit of late night shopping last night. Unless you're planning on repainting it, I would look elsewhere - the boiler lining looked like it had been applied by hand in the middle of an earthquake.

Edited by Cleefy
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Il Grifone

Il Grifone

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The GWR had two Orions. They were green.

 

Is there an 'official' colour for an Orion slave girl? Certainly not chrome green, perhaps closer to a BR experimental light green?

 

I don't think there is. Apparently the make up department had problems and the shade varies.

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Smiffy2

Smiffy2

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There was only the one in Lincoln WH Smiths when I did a bit of late night shopping last night. Unless you're planning on repainting it, I would look elsewhere - the boiler lining looked like it had been applied by hand in the middle of an earthquake.

Do you mean a V2 or an Orion slave girl? This could apply to either...

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Il Grifone

Il Grifone

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Having wasted (or is that 'waisted'?) some time researching this important topic on the 'net, I have come to the conclusion that the exact tint varies considerably, even having a slight 'metallic' appearance*. This is to be expected in an alien species, since human skin tone varies considerably also. However none of the tints exactly resemble a railway colour, so we can say rule 1 applies.

 

* This could be the poor quality of the scan as the colours seem to reflect a lack of the B-Y component - NTSC wasn't said to stand for 'Never Twice the Same Colour**' for nothing).

 

** or 'Color' if you prefer seeing it's American (Thank you Herr Bruch and co. of Telefunken!)

Edited by Il Grifone
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Il Grifone

Il Grifone

Posted
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Do you mean a V2 or an Orion slave girl? This could apply to either...

 

Not only do the local branches of W.H.Smith not have any locomotives, they don't have any Orion slave girls either! (I gather they tend to be expensive, however! - rather beyond Grifone purchasing power, not to mention what SWMBO might have to say).

Edited by Il Grifone
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Il Grifone

Il Grifone

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Hi David,

 

I note your comment 'slight metalic appearance'..........................

 

Could you perhaps be referering to that well known but much mis-remembered Swindon variant.......Chromatic Green.

 

 

I'll leave you in piece now to enjoy your tea.

 

Best Regards

 

TWM

 

Hi

 

The relevant pictures are here  http://io9.com/5890053/rare-star-trek-set-pics-show-you-green-orion-slavegirls-like-youve-never-seen-them

 

In particular picture no. 4 has dodgy colour (note the palm on the left as a reference). The shadows do tend to suggest a certain green from the West Country however.

 

The Gorn costume must have been seriously uncomfortable under the studio lights!

 

Best regards,

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stewartingram

stewartingram

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Based on what was said earlier, I went into my local newsagents in Chatteris this morng; as he no longer stocks GBL, I asked him to get me a copy of 123, which he ordered from the wholesaler while I waited. Now I wait to see if the system works. I will let you know.

 

Stewart

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