Hornby K1

[Bernard Lamb]

Warning.

Post contains Hornby bashing and telling them how to run their business.

 

I find it a totally dreadful picture.

With all the stick recently could not Hornby have published a better shot?

They should have looked at how the real railways did publicity shots.

It hardly gives me confidence that they have turned the corner.

I would have thought that this release, the first of the eastern trio in an advanced state, would have been worthy of a finely tuned publicity campaign.

There is a lot riding on it being a success.

It just creates a slovenly impression to me.

Bernard

[Horsetan]

.....I find it a totally dreadful picture......

 

It certainly seems to suffer from the usual problem of not handling a digital camera properly, or at least not waiting for it to focus correctly.

[DavidH]

It certainly seems to suffer from the usual problem of not handling a digital camera properly, or at least not waiting for it to focus correctly.

 

Par for the course on Twitter and Facebook it seems. Most people won't notice or care, and sometimes I think they are to be envied ...

[Horsetan]

....Most people won't notice or care, and sometimes I think they are to be envied ...

 

The eternal sunshine of the spotless mind.

[toboldlygo]

I don't think the picture on FB is meant as publicity shot of an kind. It's just a hurried photo taken on mobile phone (probably), to show proof that something has arrived....

[7013]

Ok folks so take a look at the picture in Hornby Magazine, it has a close up and highlights the added detail. As far as I can see there are no moulded handrails or smoke box darts, all lovely wire and separately detailed. There is a wealth of added bits so it looks very promising. With much of the railway media going to Hornby tomorrow this is a timely reminder that when Hornby get it right they are up there with the best. Hopefully Andy and others will bring some better photos and details of the K1 ( and hopefully others). I can see this loco being one of those 'must haves' regardless of what region one models.

Edited June 12, 2014 by 7013

[Paul Cram]

I have to disagree that this is a North Eastern engine. The Thompson one was hardly in the North East and the rest were built by British Rail.

[The Black Hat]

I have to disagree that this is a North Eastern engine. The Thompson one was hardly in the North East and the rest were built by British Rail.

 

Sorry Paul, I can't agree at all. The K1 is very much a north eastern engine.

 

There were many class members delivered to work from North Eastern sheds. Heaton, Darlington, Thornaby, York, etc all had some. The Alnwick service was known for using them. Although the class was seen across the LNE system in what became BR ScR, NER and ER, there was a sizeable contingent to the North East.

 

The Thompson K1/1 might not have been, but this model is very much a standard K1. The build date of the prototype slips into British Railways time, but other engines built by previous companies are known for their links to where the designs came from. Everything from Castles and 8Fs were still built by British Railways, even the J72 which did start as an NER machine. A1 and A2 were built during British Railways, but the design links to LNER practice. You dont see anyone naming them as a BR design or as a BR standard, even with the build date.

 

Dont be confused by the use of the NER lettering. It doenst always stand for North Eastern Railway, as in the company. The fact that the area with its boundries formed by the border with Scotland in the north, the North Sea Coast in the East, the lines into Yorkshire and Humberside at the South and the pennies to the west - has a strong geographical coverage that links to the name, region and identity. The K1s allocated to sheds, that were clearly in this area. NER can equally be applied to North East Region, which returned under British Railways as its own region using pretty much the same geographical area as the pregrouping company - no small conincednce there.

 

Many have an interest in the NE Region for the transition period, hence calls and requests for other engines made by other companies, elsewhere.

 

But as for Hornbys K1, its looking great and it should be obvious that this photo was a release to social media and not the proper staged photo shoot for the traditional magazines - even though some of them might use it subsequently. The choice of engine actually could be argued as being more pro-North East Region than any other within the last few years. While engines have been released that did appear across the wider railway systems and also had examples allocated 'up north' the main focus has been for creating the chance to model somewhere else and its been an added bonus for others to claim the chance to model an example that featured elsewhere. That happens in modelling, but given the numbers of K1s across the north east, it could be seen as move northwards and answer the calls that the K1 has made appearing highly in wishlists for years.  

 

Its looking great, its very much a North Eastern model and its very much wanted - well done Hornby!

 

Edit - detail added.

Edited June 11, 2014 by The Black Hat

[hornbyandbf3fan]

Didn't expect it to be so advanced in the design stage. It looks very nice, a good companion for my B1 me thinks, especially for recreating my profile pic. Looks like Hornby are trying to get back on the right track with their customers, a commendable effort and one which should be applauded. I eagerly await more better quality piccies and obviously the real thing in person!

[Paul Cram]

Sorry Paul, I can't agree at all. The K1 is very much a north eastern engine.

 

There were many class members delivered to work from North Eastern sheds. Heaton, Darlington, Thornaby, York, etc all had some. The Alnwick service was known for using them. Although the class was seen across the LNE system in what became BR ScR, NER and ER, there was a sizeable contingent to the North East.

 

The Thompson K1/1 might not have been, but this model is very much a standard K1. The build date of the prototype slips into British Railways time, but other engines built by previous companies are known for their links to where the designs came from. Everything from Castles and 8Fs were still built by British Railways, even the J72 which did start as an NER machine. A1 and A2 were built during British Railways, but the design links to LNER practice. You dont see anyone naming them as a BR design or as a BR standard, even with the build date.

 

Dont be confused by the use of the NER lettering. It doenst always stand for North Eastern Railway, as in the company. The fact that the area with its boundries formed by the border with Scotland in the north, the North Sea Coast in the East, the lines into Yorkshire and Humberside at the South and the pennies to the west - has a strong geographical coverage that links to the name, region and identity. The K1s allocated to sheds, that were clearly in this area. NER can equally be applied to North East Region, which returned under British Railways as its own region using pretty much the same geographical area as the pregrouping company - no small conincednce there.

 

Many have an interest in the NE Region for the transition period, hence calls and requests for other engines made by other companies, elsewhere.

 

But as for Hornbys K1, its looking great and it should be obvious that this photo was a release to social media and not the proper staged photo shoot for the traditional magazines - even though some of them might use it subsequently. The choice of engine actually could be argued as being more pro-North East Region than any other within the last few years. While engines have been released that did appear across the wider railway systems and also had examples allocated 'up north' the main focus has been for creating the chance to model somewhere else and its been an added bonus for others to claim the chance to model an example that featured elsewhere. That happens in modelling, but given the numbers of K1s across the north east, it could be seen as move northwards and answer the calls that the K1 has made appearing highly in wishlists for years.  

 

Its looking great, its very much a North Eastern model and its very much wanted - well done Hornby!

 

Edit - detail added.

This was a Scottish built loco delivered across the former LNER with allocations in Scotland and East Anglia in addition to those in the North East. That doesn't make it a North Eastern loco in my book. The J72 was A North Eastern design built by BR.

 

Edit

Just to further clarify the development was of the K4 as stated elsewhere which itself was a development of the K2 which was a GNR loco.

Ref: RCTS Locos of the LNER part 6a

Edited June 13, 2014 by Paul Cram

[S.A.C Martin]

Also posted on their twitter feed.

 

1402490195669.jpg1402490195669.jpg

 

Looks rather like a return to form. I hope and pray the chassis is more in line with the Hornby B1 and less with their DoG though.

[The Black Hat]

This was a Scottish built loco delivered across the former LNER with allocations in Scotland and East Anglia in addition to those in the North East. That doesn't make it a North Eastern loco in my book. The J72 was A North Eastern design built by BR.

 

The K1 is a North Eastern bit of kit, the majority of the fleet was based in the North East

 

Engines dont have to be built in the same place they operate and the K1 was basically built under a sub-contract in Scotland. A lot do both, but theres others that are built to run elsewhere. Many would think its the deployment that would in turn stipulate where an engine is based and what region it ran. What about design? The K1 had parts designed at Doncaster, but the clear evidence of the Darlington NER style standardisation with the same group standard cab, tender and parts is there to see... 

 

Theres examples of engines running elsewhere migrating in. A Fairburn 42085 carries a Darlington shed plate, was built in the midland, ran there before moving to the North East, and thus becoming an adopted North Eastern machine...

 

 So Im guessing that a Black 5 built at Armstrong and Witworth in Newcastle isnt a midland region engine too then? Someone better tell Mr Riley about that then....  

 

 

Still... if thats what you go off and thats what opinion you have... its all just a hobby and your entitled to think that if you want.

 

Edit: Smiles added....

Edited June 11, 2014 by The Black Hat

[7013]

The Twitter photo is pretty poor like the Hornby website one. The Hornby Magazine photo is bigger, closer and shows the detail better, it does look good at first glimpse, sometimes the pre prod added detail looks a bit odd because it is a different colour and contrasts with the overall appearance, i'm no expert on these locos and am not bothered whether it was a NE loco or not if the production models look good (and the indicators are promising) one will be wandering down my way, I agree with Simon though in the hope that the chassis has proper bearings.

Edited June 12, 2014 by 7013

[toboldlygo]

The Twitter photo is pretty poor like the Hornby website one. The Hornby Magazine photo is bigger, closer and shows the detail better, it does look good at first glimpse, sometimes the pre prod added detail looks a bit odd because it is a different colour and contrasts with the overall appearance, i'm no expert on these locos and am not bothered whether it was a NE loco or not if the production models look good (and the indicators are promising) one will be wandering down my way, I agree with Simon though in the hope that the chassis has proper bearings.

 

It will be interesting to see if Andy Y gets his hands on the K1 EP and gets some better pics at Hornby today

[Strathyre]

Not wanting to be in any way pedantic or controversial the K1's origins lie directly with the K1/1 which was rebuilt by Edward Thompson from a Gresley K4 which had itself been built specifically for the West Highland line (the K4s were one of only two classes of locomotive that were built specifically for that line).

 

At the end of the day they all had 'British Railways' written on the tender so does it really matter that much?

 

Looks lovely whatever it DNA!

 

Paul

[Andy Y]

It will be interesting to see if Andy Y gets his hands on the K1 EP and gets some better pics at Hornby today

 

I have just got back from Planet Thanet and will post the pics of the K1 (and several more things!) tomorrow.

[MikeParkin65]

I too hope for a smooth running and durable chassis though whether that needs to have brass bearings or not I remain to be convinced. More significant for me will be tender pick ups so that it will reliably traverse the remaining dead frogs on the layout. The crosshead looks more metallic in the Hornby mag photo than on facebook so I remain optimistic that it isn't plastic.

Edited June 12, 2014 by MikeParkin65

[dibber25]

Handled the K1, D16 and 700 PP samples today. The K1 bristles with separately fitted detail all in a greyish plastic so its easy to see that they are separate fittings. All three look very nice to me. Saw one or two other things that other folk took not a lot of notice of, too. No photography was allowed in the development area but a certain other manufacturer doesn't even allow the press to look through the door, so Hornby were being very open with us.

CHRIS LEIGH

[Andy Y]

Seeing as everyone's been restrained today and not pestered me I've done a quick K1 snap over a cuppa.

 

 

Please bear in mind this is an EP sample with some revisions still to be possibly made and may not reflect all materials used in the finished product. Likely availability for this may be right at the end of the year or at the early part of next.

 

It certainly looks and sits very well capturing the real thing to a T. It's fair to say everyone was very taken with this.

[davidw]

Stunning on the basis of that photo - I've ordered one and couple more orders may happen too... Thanks

Edited June 12, 2014 by davidw

[S.A.C Martin]

Thanks for the pic. Straight away I'm thinking that looks like B1 quality. Very nicely detailed, obviously some elements of the B1 cad work may have been reused? The tender is standard I believe with the B1 and it looks like the same pony truck shared with the L1 (and 8F before that).

 

The K1 was a good choice and I'm very much looking forward to it, even if I'm probably going to end up building a K1/1 straight away for it...!

[Horsetan]

I'll be waiting to see when the first wrecked / damaged one turns up on eBay.....

[Nimbus]

I'll be waiting to see when the first wrecked / damaged one turns up on eBay.....

 

...to match it with half a Dave Bradwell kit?

 

The Nim.

[The Black Hat]

Thats looking fantastic!! Have to admit I did not think it would be this fast. Congrats to Hornby for getting this one out as soon as they have. Maybe this is due to no railroad model released with it, so theres less need to spend time tailouring both for the initial release.

 

Have to say that Im thrilled to see it looking as good as it is. Can't wait for it to land and get purchased.

 

Wonder if the smokebox door is seperate as I have seen one carry a different one. Rare though it was....

 

Thanks to Andy for posting that teasing pic. Cant wait to see more....

[toboldlygo]

Thanks for the pic. Straight away I'm thinking that looks like B1 quality. Very nicely detailed, obviously some elements of the B1 cad work may have been reused? The tender is standard I believe with the B1 and it looks like the same pony truck shared with the L1 (and 8F before that).

 

The K1 was a good choice and I'm very much looking forward to it, even if I'm probably going to end up building a K1/1 straight away for it...!

 

The K1 did use a shortened B1 boiler so it's more than likely.

 

Your cut and shuts are legendary Simon