Hornby R3203 West Country Class 34013 "Okehampton" - Conversion to 34005 "Barnstaple"?

[Graham_Muz]

This is slightly off topic, but Braunton was mentioned. I see there are two Hornby Re-Built West Country Class "Braunton" on ebay. New models with sound R3160XS - which is the same R number as Wincanton. There is mention in previous posting about the wrong tender, and for that reason Hornby decided to produce Wincanton - but did they produce both??  They are priced at full RRP with no mention of re-name or numbering - in fact one is described as still sealed in its box. Am I losing it, or were some produced as Braunton?

Indeed it is a mistake as those sellers on eBay are using the original Hornby artwork rather than that of the actual released model of Wincanton my guess is that they have been told the model via the R number is on its way and used the old artwork and listing information. I was in discussion with SK at Hornby once they announced their intention to do Braunton and pointed out that it wold require a new tender moulding, that then prompted the change to be Wincanton and I was able to break the news on my own blog, that can be read here, last January.

[Bulleidboy100]

Indeed it is a mistake as those sellers on eBay are using the original Hornby artwork rather than that of the actual released model of Wincanton my guess is that they have been told the model via the R number is on its way and used the old artwork and listing information. I was in discussion with SK at Hornby once they announced their intention to do Braunton and pointed out that it wold require a new tender moulding, that then prompted the change to be Wincanton and I was able to break the news on my own blog, that can be read here, last January.

Thanks Graham. I did read your January blog again before originally posting, so was pretty sure it was a mistake. However, just occasionally you think "Have I missed something". 

[The Black Hat]

Okay everyone. You might want to sit reading this.

 

Ive gone and bought a Southern region engine.   Its actually the second one I've ever had, but given my loyalties to all things North Eastern, and those that favoured more standardisation, like Stanier and Swindons produce this engine is to be the token example of Southern power on my layout as if Im being accruate I cant run an entire session with Eastern region stuff thats not augmented with things from elsewhere as Im modelling modern day privitisation and preservation. The first Southern engine (in case your interested) was Winston Churchill, but that still was sold in the conversion to DCC Sound. Now, I have recently been able to buy a discounted WC Crewkerne and know that there are experts in the field far more knowledgeable than me on these machines - one of the few southern designs I do like!

 

So, can someone please offer advice as to which rebuilt West Countries around today I can change Crewkerne into?   Im hoping for Braunton, given I already model half the west coast fleet, or those that run with it, including 5043 Earl of Mount Edcumbe, but if not Hartland is a second option.

 

Thanks in advance...

[Dunsignalling]

Okay everyone. You might want to sit reading this.

 

Ive gone and bought a Southern region engine.   Its actually the second one I've ever had, but given my loyalties to all things North Eastern, and those that favoured more standardisation, like Stanier and Swindons produce this engine is to be the token example of Southern power on my layout as if Im being accruate I cant run an entire session with Eastern region stuff thats not augmented with things from elsewhere as Im modelling modern day privitisation and preservation. The first Southern engine (in case your interested) was Winston Churchill, but that still was sold in the conversion to DCC Sound. Now, I have recently been able to buy a discounted WC Crewkerne and know that there are experts in the field far more knowledgeable than me on these machines - one of the few southern designs I do like!

 

So, can someone please offer advice as to which rebuilt West Countries around today I can change Crewkerne into?   Im hoping for Braunton, given I already model half the west coast fleet, or those that run with it, including 5043 Earl of Mount Edcumbe, but if not Hartland is a second option.

 

Thanks in advance...

Depends how much work you want to do.

 

Hartland, as preserved, will be a good match for the model of Crewkerne but, if you want Braunton, you will need to change the tender body for the sort that came with Hornby Dublo/Wrenn WCs.

 

New unpainted body shells are still obtainable (for about £12 IIRC) but will obviously need painting and lining plus the addition of a few detail parts (Ladder etc).

 

Hope this helps

 

John

 

Edited for clarification. See Post 60 of this thread for explanation.

Edited September 25, 2014 by Dunsignalling

[darren01]

New unpainted body shells are still obtainable (for about £12 IIRC) but will obviously need painting and lining plus the addition of a few detail parts (Ladder etc).

Hi Where can you get these from?, as I have a West Country I wold like to change.

Darren

[Dunsignalling]

On 24/09/2014 at 01:24, darren01 said:

New unpainted body shells are still obtainable (for about £12 IIRC) but will obviously need painting and lining plus the addition of a few detail parts (Ladder etc).

Hi Where can you get these from?, as I have a West Country I wold like to change.

Darren

 

 

'Torrington' and 'Union Castle' are on my hit-list!

 

John

Edited September 8, 2021 by Dunsignalling
Obsolete/hijacked Web address deleted

[PhilH]

Pedantic point of information post:

 

Braunton is not part of the West Coast fleet, it comes under the Locomotive Services Limited umbrella. They would be most upset to have it reported as being under WCRC ownership.....

[The Black Hat]

Pedantic point of information post:

 

Braunton is not part of the West Coast fleet, it comes under the Locomotive Services Limited umbrella. They would be most upset to have it reported as being under WCRC ownership.....

 

I never said that Braunton was. I said it runs with the WCRC fleet and as I model some of the WCRC fleet and those that run with it I was hoping for Braunton. If I was being pedantic, given Im in the North East with a WCRC steam ban in place what I need lots of are WCRC diesels!

 

I have looked at some pics and think Hartland might have the same tender as Braunton. Im wondering if Hornby have made the other tender type as part of a rebuilt Battle of Britian and thus could be a straight swap? Or would that leave the BB owner with a duff engine?

[Combe Martin]

Hornby have not made the re-bodied tender at all, so you can't accurately model any of the re-built Bullied Light Pacifics that hauled them when running in this state.  I believe there were 4 tenders attached to 5 locos.  One was used twice.  But there may be a greater expert who may correct me here ??

[Dunsignalling]

I never said that Braunton was. I said it runs with the WCRC fleet and as I model some of the WCRC fleet and those that run with it I was hoping for Braunton. If I was being pedantic, given Im in the North East with a WCRC steam ban in place what I need lots of are WCRC diesels!

 

I have looked at some pics and think Hartland might have the same tender as Braunton. Im wondering if Hornby have made the other tender type as part of a rebuilt Battle of Britian and thus could be a straight swap? Or would that leave the BB owner with a duff engine?

Braunton has (and had, from the date of rebuilding) a BR rebodied tender with a water capacity of 5250 gallons.

 

The top corners of the tank are a bit higher than on the cut-down versions of either size of SR tender and it lacks the prominent shoulders either side of the bunker. There is a very slight slope in this area but, unless one is looking quite closely, it appears flat.

 

Hornby have not (so far) made this type of tender; the model of Crewkerne has the 4500 gallon type and I thought Hartland did too but I have looked it up and she retained a 5500 gallon tender which was cut-down at the time of rebuilding. 

 

Therefore, my previous statement that Crewkerne is a good match for Hartland is incorrect so far as BR service is concerned. However, 34101 was running with a 4500 gallon tender on the NYMR In 1996 so (unless it's been swapped since) it's OK for the preservation era.

 

I will edit my earlier post accordingly. 

 

John

Edited September 25, 2014 by Dunsignalling

[The Black Hat]

Ive noticed that Braunton is running with a Merchant Navy tender. Would it be an option to buy one of these and swap the tops, or are the two tenders for the two different classes different sizes?

[PhilH]

Braunton's tender is a new build complete with emu wheels.

Edited September 25, 2014 by PhilH

[Dunsignalling]

Ive noticed that Braunton is running with a Merchant Navy tender. Would it be an option to buy one of these and swap the tops, or are the two tenders for the two different classes different sizes?

The tender that runs with Braunton is a a new-build replica of the 5,250 gallon type it ran with in BR days, which was the rarest of all types to run with Bulleid Pacifics.

 

The reason Hornby changed their last release to Wincanton was precisely because they don't make the right one for Braunton. Tenders attached to a few rebuilt WC and MN locos received these bodies but there weren't many of them as they were only made to repair tenders that were corroded beyond economic repair.

 

I think it would be a good move for Hornby to tool this body because it would enable them to produce several more rebuilt locos of both sizes for relatively little outlay. For now, the only suitable tender body for Braunton is the Hornby Dublo / Wrenn moulding which, Ironically, was wrong for almost all the locos Wrenn produced!

 

It fits nicely over the Hornby chassis but doesn't match the fixings and, of course, there is the need to paint and line it to match Hornby's excellent finish on the loco. For Hartland as running in preservation, the one that comes with Crewkerne is fine and probably the better bet unless you are an expert painter.

 

Neither type of Merchant Navy tender produced by Hornby ran with light pacifics in BR days though Tangmere currently runs on the main line with with a 6000 gallon one modified out of all recognition that I think belonged to Port Line originally. It's a Bulleid tender, Jim, but not as we know it.   

Bulleid tenders are a complete minefield for modellers as the number of loco/tender permutations gets in to double figures (of which Hornby cover less than half) and many locos were paired with different types at different times.   

 

John

[Combe Martin]

When Braunton was first restored it's brand new 're-bodied type' tender wasn't available so it initially ran with a borrowed Merchant Navy tender.  This was one of the longer wheelbase ones (longer than a Light Pacific one) though I don't know it's capacity.   It is now pared with it's correct tender.

[Dunsignalling]

When Braunton was first restored it's brand new 're-bodied type' tender wasn't available so it initially ran with a borrowed Merchant Navy tender.  This was one of the longer wheelbase ones (longer than a Light Pacific one) though I don't know it's capacity.   It is now pared with it's correct tender.

The long wheelbase Bulleid tender is the 6000 gallon one as originally paired with the final ten Merchant Navies.

 

I've found some pics of Braunton running with it on the West Somerset before going main line and the tender is similar to the ones Hornby produced with their early Rebuilt MNs except that the top edges of the bunker don't turn in and there appear to be some additional (post-BR) fittings on the rear deck. 

 

I haven't turned up any of 34046 running elsewhere with this tender so I think she probably received the new one before commencing railtour work. IIRC, a lot of the modern electronics required to work on NR infrastructure are housed in the new tender to distance them from the heat and vibration of the loco so that would seem logical.

 

John

Edited September 26, 2014 by Dunsignalling

[Combe Martin]

On 24/09/2014 at 01:30, Dunsignalling said:

gandr-wrenn.co.uk

 

'Torrington' and 'Union Castle' are on my hit-list!

 

John

 

Dont try this web site address now, it tries to take you to something dodgy !

[Dunsignalling]

2 hours ago, Combe Martin said:

 

Dont try this web site address now, it tries to take you to something dodgy !

Deleted from original post.