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Great British Locomotives


EddieB
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Have any subscribers had any experience of sending a real dog's breakfast back for a replacement?

 

I took a 'Coronation' back to Asda (for misaligned gold lining on the firebox), but that probably doesn't count.

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They certainly were.

When I took the loco off the base I found that the pin on the tender connection was crushed over at 45º - it had just been forced down, presumably when screwed (how apt). The brake standard was also at a slope. If there was meant to be a firebox door at any stage it's not there now. The steam bonnet cap is glued on* - but about a mm too high. The motion is neatly clipped in to the wheels - not at all...

 

Most people have been complaining about the accuracy of the models, but this is different; however accurate it is or isn't this is an abysmal standard of quality control. The V isn't anywhere near as bad, but the smokebox door is fitted wrongly. I hope this is 'teething troubles'. It's hard to fix a fault when it's the entire cylinder and motion missing

 

 

*About the only part that is.

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Before long we will be calling for a Battle of Britain class named "Biggles" or a Jubliee called "Kyrpton".

How about the old one 'Biggles Flies Undone'.

 

  

I wonder how many on here know where that one comes from?

Made me smile anyway, thank you Archchancellor!

Cheers

Phil

Or 'Street Starfish'.

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Didn't a denamed withdrawn School's class actually have Borstal chalked on the blank plate where the name plate was or is that railway urban myth?

Edited by John M Upton
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Not trying to jump the gun, but amongst various plans for locomotives in this series, I'm planning to do a scrap Deltic, and I've found some nice reference pics if anyone else is looking to do the same:

 

55003 sans most of the roof

https://www.flickr.com/photos/13359576@N00/2938988930

 

55004 with its nose cut off, exposing some of the inner workings

https://www.flickr.com/photos/63513902@N05/6924242249/

 

55021 sans cab and roof, showing some of the internal bracing for the bodywork

http://www.napier-chronicles.co.uk/21_9-82.htm

https://www.flickr.com/photos/96915808@N03/9050704706/

 

55011 minus nose, roof and rear cab

https://www.flickr.com/photos/blue-diesels/4324195965/

 

55001 minus roof and rear cab

https://www.flickr.com/photos/blue-diesels/9833328173/

 

55007 nearly cut up

https://www.flickr.com/photos/55727763@N02/5164887298/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/55727763@N02/8037200627/

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....Horsetan's comments seem to fly in the face of what I've found in the Dorset, Devon and south Hants (Southampton) area ....

 

Dorset / Devon / South Hants is a bit different to my part of North West London. Getting hold of the Jewish Chronicle here is no problem, though unfortunately the JC doesn't give away free knock-off models  :jester:

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Dorset / Devon / South Hants is a bit different to my part of North West London. Getting hold of the Jewish Chronicle here is no problem, though unfortunately the JC doesn't give away free knock-off models  :jester:

WH Smiths in Greenford Westway Cross sells them still

 

NL

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Hi there. I've been looking at this forum since buying my first GBL loco, and it's about time I joined.

I've just bought the 9F 'Evening Star' (my 6th model now) and what a truly awful specimen it really is !!

How can there be so much silver over spray on the wheels ?

The gap between the tender and the loco is far to great in my opinion, even with the coupling pin removed, but at least the overall finish is fairly acceptable, although I think the lined boiler is far to red in colour, and not lined orange as it should be and doesn't even come close to matching the dark red lining on the tender.

Right then, that's all I wanted to say !!

Cheers

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I've had a quick look at the 9F, and I can tell that it is based on the old Hornby tender drive variant, complete with the raised plastic marks for the tender transfer.

As for the standard of decoration, it struck me as being very - erm, silver, but if the people doing the painting are following a picture of the example model, in this case a 1970s Hornby loco, then I am not suprised that there are some errors.

 

I don't think I'll be keeping one of these ones.

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Hi Horsetan,

 

How would your area of west London be different if a stocking policy of a shop chain is decided nationally at head office level. Seems to me this would make all parts of the country the same as far as that chain is concerned. And is Greenford as mentioned by another poster not west London?.

 

There is nothing to be had from the local newsagents (non-WHS) in Golders Green/Hendon. By contrast, if I want a copy of the JC or Ha'aretz, or any other periodical catering for the (Orthodox) Jewish community or anything related to Israel, I'm spoilt for choice.

 

As far as WHS is concerned, I think their policy - supposedly national - is not consistently applied. If Greenford has it, why has Ealing (where I work) not done the same? Are they hiding it and hoping the thing will go away?

 

....it might be as well to not build up ones hopes too much about the Deltic.

If you're really unlucky, it might be a clone of the Kitmaster / Dapol Prototype Deltic.

Edited by Horsetan
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 If you're really unlucky, it might be a clone of the Kitmaster / Dapol Prototype Deltic.

 

Or the Hornby-Dublo one.

 

I'm wondering if there are multiple Chinese factories involved in producing these models. Since there's not going to be a deliberate decision by the publishers to alternate poor quality models with better quality models, the most likely explanation is that they are sourcing them from two different factories. One factory produces reasonable quality and the other doesn't.

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Thanks for the review weathering man.

I just popped round the corner and bought one, one thing you missed in your review is under the smokebox there are two moulded on head lights in completely the wrong place. They could prove difficult to remove.

Fortunately the smoke deflecters on my model were loose and I was able to pull them off that should make it easier to carve off the moulded lamps. The name plate on one side of my model was badly printed with one corner missing, this then will be the model that gets repainted BR black and weathered.

Time to get the knife and files and paint brushes out.

Darrel

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I have to say the plastic used is pretty tough the moulded lamps are a b$@r to carve off.

I recently carved off the handrails on a Dapol kit for a pug and they were nice and soft plastic. But this !

There is a mould seam along the top of the boiler as well that could do with removing.

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