Great British Locomotives

[melmerby]

 

* Don't worry, I only paid a £1 for it... 

You were robbed

 

Keith

[Jerry Rugby]

I bought the 28xx magazine but was a bit disappointed as they have used the old Hornby moulding for the body. For all of the models so far the producers have used Hornby mouldings as a base but as Hornby often have more than one version of a model, the accuracy depends on the version used. For Mallard, the Duchess and Flying Scotsman they used the more up to date models which provide a reasonable base for conversion. Mallard is the later super detail version which is more accurate than the earlier A4 which is now used by Hornby for Railroad. The A3 is also quite good even down the Scotsman's rivited smokebox door hinges! the Duchess used the scale Hornby streamlined body although the painting is a bit off with "sloping" gold stripes on the side towards the front. I intend to do a dirty black version anyway. The 28xx is the old Hornby tender drive version which can be seen by the oversized splashers and the smokebox and front end is too long. This could be cut to make the model a bit more accurate although the boiler taper is also wrong. A pity they used this mould rather than the later one. I would have bought more than one for conversion had they done so.

 

Most of the planned models appear to be based on Hornby prototypes so it depends on the model version used as a base. If the schools is the earlier one it will be less accurate. I do hope they use the later model for the LMS Class 5 rather than the Railroad version. Only a few such as the K3 and Butler Henderson are not modelled by Hornby. Presumably they have a deal to use Bachmann moulds, (maybe the magazine's connection with the NRM has facilitated this).

 

We'll no doubt have to wait a see what we get. A bit of swings and roundabouts but even the £9 for a model is not bad for a shed road or scrapyard but if models use earlier Hornby moulds then they certainly arn't worth more the one!

[Horsetan]

Hi,

You are quite right not to be optimistic about the 'Schools' I regret to say.

Among other things there will be moulded on handrails on a boiler that's too fat.....

  

 

....If the schools is the earlier one it will be less accurate...

Whatever sorry mess masquerades as a "Schools" will be interesting, because the 1981 Hornby version had a boiler which was undersized, rather than too fat.

 

.... I do hope they use the later model for the LMS Class 5 rather than the Railroad version. ....

Your hopes may be dashed on this one as well.

[EddieB]

  

 

 

Whatever sorry mess masquerades as a "Schools" will be interesting, because the 1981 Hornby version had a boiler which was undersized, rather than too fat.

 

 

Your hopes may be dashed on this one as well.

It's rumoured to be a bog standard comprehensive.

 

I'll get my blazer...

[melmerby]

It's rumoured to be a bog standard comprehensive.

 

I'll get my blazer...

Well it certainly won't be a "Free" School

 

Keith

[andyram]

Well it certainly won't be a "Free" School

 

Keith

Unless it carries the name "Lord Gove". The only time I would happily torch a steam locomotive!

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Fortunately my school was "approved".......

[lightengine]

Unless it carries the name "Lord Gove". The only time I would happily torch a steam locomotive!

Perhaps he could follow in the footsteps of William Husskison?

[Jerry Rugby]

Personally I'm not too bothered about moulded hand rails - these can easily be replaced.It is the basic shape and dimensions of the body that is key to being a useful model that can be adapted. I don't think any of the first 3 (A$, Duchess and FS) could be considered as obsolete models although the 28xx is. Comparing the GBL models with Hornby's actual products, the bodies clearly come from the same tooling. Hornby continues to use some of the inaccurate models in their Railroad range. Just hope some of the later GBL models use the modern tooling- especially the Black 5 from my point of view. No dount the Deltic will be the Hornby Railroad  (ex Lima) tooling.

 

Still, can't complaint at model prospects at this price - they would sell a few more to modellers if the model base is reasonably good.

[Wolf27]

With regard to post 524 about the Deltic and its potential origins. I would suggest that the old Lime model would be used and the old Mainline 45 for the GBL version. Dont expect any game changers here!

 

cheers

 

Shane

[Il Grifone]

You were robbed

 

Keith

 

Possibly, but it isn't that bad! (Just as long as GBL don't use the Acro version to copy......).

[TheQ]

Has anyone who took out a subscription received the 2800 yet? I'm still waiting on it arriving yet my local newsagents got theirs 3 days ago!

Remember the subscription copies are being sent in pairs!!

[TheCuckoo]

I saw the 28xx in W.H.Smiths today and thought it looked ok.

[TheQ]

Remember the subscription copies are being sent in pairs!!

I've just bought an extra ( which is the least damaged by transport yet), which will be improved (and GWR'd) to sit quietly on some corner of the layout. The subscription set is to decorate the railway shed. I probably will buy some other extras from the up coming locos

that would be relevant to my railway.

[TheQ]

Apologies, it appears when I edit a post on this tablet, it comes up as a quote!

[Il Grifone]

As I did say in my review, at a quick glance only it does look like a 28xx but it is very far from ok on closer inspection.

It is very inaccurate as a portrayal of a 28xx and is next to impossible to correct due to the large number of faults and dimensional errors on both the loco and tender, it has been made to the standards of the early 1960's and cannot be considered as a scale model in any shape or form.

I'm sure to some people it might look 'ok' but the fact is it isn't unfortunately and has little worth as a model of the class.

Regards

 

The standards of the early sixties were actually quite good generally - some are still in Hornby's catalogue or only recently removed. Unfortunately removal of the competition from Dublo permitted standards to slip in some cases and the origins of the 28xx can be found in the rather poor Tri-ang 'Hall',which dates from 1966. Things only started to improve again with the advent of R-T-R Airfix and Lima.

 

EDIT

 

Through some mental aberration, I forgot 'Mainline'

Edited April 7, 2014 by Il Grifone

[melmerby]

The standards of the early sixties were actually quite good generally - some are still in Hornby's catalogue or only recently removed. Unfortunately removal of the competition from Dublo permitted standards to slip in some cases and the origins of the 28xx can be found in the rather poor Tri-ang 'Hall',which dates from 1966. Things only started to improve again with the advent of R-T-R Airfix and Lima.

I disagree

Hornby Dublo was hardly competing for the same market. They were much more expensive, locos apart from the very late ones were die-cast and coaches generally were printed tinplate (except Pullmans).

Some of the later goods wagons however had reasonable quality plastic bodyshells which live on today in Dapol's range.

(IMHO Dublo's reluctance to start making decent 2-rail products earlier hastened their downfall.)

 

Keith

Edited April 5, 2014 by melmerby

[darrel]

Remember the subscription copies are being sent in pairs!!

Ahhh thanks for that, it's annoying having to wait that little longer. Every time I went into the newsagents it was looking at me saying buy me the owner of the shop kept persuading me and finally I caved in and bought it.

A lot has been said here about the shape of the model, I won't add to that but I will comment on the finishing.

The first two models the wheels and connecting rods were nicely coloured and looked realistic however on the next two models they 're painted silver. My first job then was to paint them I used railmatch oily steel colour this made a huge improvement to the look of the model.

On the 2800 I was not too impressed with the crest on the tender so I repainted the tender and added a new transfer from HMRS that I had left over from another project, of course the tender now did not match the loco so it too was repainted. The milk churn safety valve on the model only the top of it is copper colour so that was repainted to look like the prototype. A quick spray with Matt varnish finished off the job. Total time just over an hour. I am thinking of weathering this one as well. 

I really will have to avoid going into the newsagents.

[69843]

 

That thought begs an interesting question - had Hornby Dublo carried on and allowing for what happened to the Triang organisation, then what would today's Hornby Railways now be called I wonder.

Answers on a postcard please !!.

 

As Hornby Dublo would have been adapted over the years and, as changing trends dictate, I still think we would have Hornby as the name

[petethemole]

Given that Lines Bros/Triang also owned the Wrenn brand at that time, maybe they would have re-branded as Wrenn?

 

Pete

[69843]

Hi,

I think you have misinterpreted what I meant.

Obviously had HD continued it would have continued with the name but might have been 'modernised' by now to a simple 'Hornby'.

 

What I was getting at was that, if the above happened and Meccano Ltd had not been purchased by the Triang organisation so that HD had continued as a different company what then would the former Triang Railways have become as obviously no 'amalgamation' would have happened.

I'm imagining that the Triang organisation still went through what actually did happen and that the model railway section was still denied the use of the Triang name.

In this scenario there would never have been a 'Triang Hornby' and the later enforced change to 'Hornby Railways' could not have happened as 'Hornby' would still exist as part of Meccano Ltd as a rival range.

So what I wondered would the former Triang Railways that we know today as Hornby Railways have become.

 

I suppose to be truthful its a pointless question but as our hobby is littered with 'might have beens' I thought i'd throw it out there for a bit of fun.

 

Hope all is well down there.

Regards

My bad.

 

I'll just grab my coat....

[Nimbus]

All in all I think many would agree a great loss to our hobby - imagine if HD had continued today as a separate range and developed along the lines (pun intended!) that we have seen - perhaps its even possible to think that what we have from Bachmann could so easily have been a 21st century Hornby Dublo.

 

But, a better-proportioned V2, in all probability!

 

The Nim.

[buffalo]

...Incidentally, the safety valve bonnet should be brass rather than copper for the coned part with the top feed covers painted the colour of the boiler cladding although in BR days many safety valve covers were painted over completely...

Although there were always exceptions in various classes, the GWR painted over the bonnets on all but express classes from the early 1920s and many were probably painted when in the simple liveries of WW1. Similarly, the 28XX were built with cast iron chimneys from about 1918 and all copper caps were subsequently painted over. By the early thirties the remaining painted copper caps had been replaced by one or other cast iron type. The 'model' shown in # 489 has outside steam pipes and a curved drop in the running plate which were only introduced in 1935.

 

I could go on, but it's just not worth it. Still, it does have the right number of spokes in the pony truck wheels.

 

Nick

[darrel]

Here is my repainted model 

[S.A.C Martin]

Just how badly out is the Bachmann [V2] model.

Thank you very much in advance for any advice.

Regards

 

It depends whether or not you can see the difference between the real thing's boiler shape and the overall flatness and fatness of Bachmann's. It can be made into a reasonable, nice representation of a Gresley V2 by changing the smokebox door, the dome, buffers, chimney and other components, but only major surgery - or (as I intend to) replacing the body altogether with one of Graeme King's excellent and forthcoming resin V2 body shells is key.

 

Here's my modified Bachmann one - Tim Easter has also done one on RMweb in a similar vein. The modifications hide the majority of the body shell errors but when lined up next to a Hornby A3 (the V2 boiler type is dimensionally similar to the A3 in terms of the shape and size of the barrel) it looks very off.

 

 

 

The latest V2 - as mine is - has a terrific chassis underneath it. Very smooth running and surprisingly sure footed. Cartazzi is fixed and uses the same floating axle the Bachmann Pacifics A1, A2 and now A4 have.