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Hornby's Best Ever Models


robmcg
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Indeed it might be considered a pretty basic model, for me it's the 'air' around the front bogie of the Hornby Princess which is a slight drawback, but the shape of the model doesn't offend me. At least Hornby have I think done correct boilers as in domed/domeless. Some see the boiler taper as all wrong but I must be blind to that particular failing, as I was with the tender frame thing until it was pointed-out.. Also the two-piece truck assembly under the firebox-cab is a bit toy-like compared to the later Coronation models.

 

They are quite cheap to buy, though, and very smooth-running. And they say so much about the history of steam from the 30s to the early 60s. So I forgive a great deal. 70mph averages with heavy trains in the mid-1930s! Long distances at over 70mph., 80mph even....

 

Here is the previous pic with the valance edited-out of the tender frame, as well as the previous edited touch-ups of such as the trailing truck.. It was noticeable (the plastic valance) once pointed-out. For what it's worth I have also edited wheels, front bogie bearing area, added a lubricator next to firebox, reversing lever well 'up', (that is, down), oh, and some smoke.. :)

 

post-7929-0-41344400-1401850929.jpg

Edited by robmcg
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Indeed it might be considered a pretty basic model, for me it's the 'air' around the front bogie of the Hornby Princess which is a slight drawback, but the shape of the model doesn't offend me. At least Hornby have I think done correct boilers as in domed/domeless. Some see the boiler taper as all wrong but I must be blind to that particular failing, as I was with the tender frame thing until it was pointed-out.. Also the two-piece truck assembly under the firebox-cab is a bit toy-like compared to the later Coronation models.They are quite cheap to buy, though, and very smooth-running. And they say so much about the history of steam from the 30s to the early 60s. So I forgive a great deal. 70mph averages with heavy trains in the mid-1930s! Long distances at over 70mph., 80mph even....Here is the previous pic with the valance edited-out of the tender frame, as well as the previous edited touch-ups of such as the trailing truck.. It was noticeable (the plastic valance) once pointed-out. For what it's worth I have also edited wheels, front bogie bearing area, added a lubricator next to firebox, reversing lever well 'up', (that is, down), oh, and some smoke.. :)attachicon.gif46207_Princess_at_Speed_6ab_crop1_r800.jpg

Never noticed the different boilers before. But looking at photos of R2313 Princess Louise and R2225 Princess Arthur Of Connaught, there is a clear difference between the two.

 

Anybody know how this came about?

 

Not sure what the issue is with the valance on the tender.

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Curiously enough,both models....the Lizzie and the King could do with a considerable revamp from Hornby.

I hope this happens soon. There are two or three liveries which I'd like to buy. LMS crimson, LMS/BR black and BR express blue.

Turbomotive would also be nice.

 

There are some black R2426 Princess Elizabeth's in BR black available on Ebay. Been tempted to take a punt.

Edited by Mike70
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Never noticed the different boilers before. But looking at photos of R2313 Princess Louise and R2225 Princess Arthur Of Connaught, there is a clear difference between the two.

 

Anybody know how this came about?

 

Not sure what the issue is with the valance on the tender.

Various boilers , with top feed 'dome' or a separate dome with a regulator underneath were fitted, and changed, throughout the lives of these engines. Hornby have the two basic versions to suit the relevant engine and period. There were many internal boiler variations too, the Irwell book of the Princess Royal Pacifics by Ian Sixsmith gives an overview of the many variations of boilers, as well as the many other alterations through the life of the engines.

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That's exactly what Stanier did, (found that this was a dead end, and had a new pacific designed from a clean sheet).

Maybe the Coronation Pacifics were from a 'clean sheet' in some ways, but the Lizzies proved that Euston to Glasgow could be done non-stop (effectively) with fast and heavy trains with a 4 cylinders and divided drive, reliably. Then the later engines got all the glory.

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Various boilers , with top feed 'dome' or a separate dome with a regulator underneath were fitted, and changed, throughout the lives of these engines. Hornby have the two basic versions to suit the relevant engine and period. There were many internal boiler variations too, the Irwell book of the Princess Royal Pacifics by Ian Sixsmith gives an overview of the many variations of boilers, as well as the many other alterations through the life of the engines.

 

For such a small class... there were a lot of detail differences. I'm still scratching my head how I managed to acquired the latest version of Princess Arthur.. (R3015) for less than 65 quid...

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Like Ian says the Princess Royal and the King Class are both crying out for a major revamp - a few others need nips and tucks too.

 

That being said the Princess Royal is a very imposing loco and quite honestly I'd forgotten how long they are in the flesh(or to be more accurate plastic)!!

 

Here's my latest acquisition 46207 Princess Arthur, back in one piece (after a major rewire) and ready for it's trip to the dirty works ;)

 

post-7000-0-11919500-1402500267_thumb.jpg

 

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Hi, one of my favourites is, as stated by others, the Britannia class. I've attached an image of a rather work stained 70040, with it's nameplates removed!

 

All the best,

 

Market65.post-22631-0-72246400-1402775832.jpg

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Indeed the Britannia has to be up there with the finest ever RTR 00, and the models look so good in reality, they are quite hard to 'capture' in a photo, the proportions close up with a digital camera can go all over the place.

 

Another model which is hard to photograph without showing up its early heritage is the Princess, LMS 6201 having arrived here,  great shafts of light around the front bogie with the generous clearances given for type 2 curves, but of course I shamelessly modify my pics as here I have done, but I may have gone 'a bridge too far' in the case of the smokebox front in the 2nd pic below.

 

In researching pictures for various minor details of the Princess 6201 which I received a couple of days ago I noticed many and various things like lubricators positioned in different places, and the LMS model is half in restored condition (speedo fitted) and half in older BR or LMS condition,  but I was able to add sanders and things roughly, which doesn't really change the 'look' of the model, and then tried a complete 'copy-paste' on the smokebox front, which does.  The Hornby smokebox front, below,  and below that the 'fully edited' version.

 

I can see why some take exception to excessive 'meddling' with photos of models... it IS rather confusing and weird even to my eye,   hmmm  better have a break and think about my errors!.

 

post-7929-0-25136600-1402785985.jpg

 

'real' smokebox front

 

post-7929-0-23402600-1402784835.jpg

 

But I kept the Hornby 'front' for this angle,  in all cases I have darkened-up  bits here and there, without much accuracy in places; the originals have black objects behind the front bogie to help.

 

post-7929-0-25794500-1402786537.jpg

 

Rob

Edited by robmcg
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Eeek!

 

Looks like she's gone bog-snorkelling.

 

Is there an engine under all that mud?  C'mon, a smeared clean around the cabside number surely!!!!

 

No mud or bogs were harmed in the weathering of this loco.

 

I have a few photo's of them dirtier ;)

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8A in 58.... ;)

Er....no.Edge Hill used its Lizzies on prestige turns such as The Merseyside Express before the advent of D211 onwards and they were reasonably clean in their red livery into 1960/1.The new diesels were both unreliable and underpowered in any case .The rot set in when they were transferred to secondary duties

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Er....no.Edge Hill used its Lizzies on prestige turns such as The Merseyside Express before the advent of D211 onwards and they were reasonably clean in their red livery into 1960/1.The new diesels were both unreliable and underpowered in any case .The rot set in when they were transferred to secondary duties

 

There are some photos from the 50s with very grimy examples, some like toboldlygo's version and some showing what looks to me like intensive not-being-cleaned express service with a lot of oil spray from motion on wheels and adjacent underframes, this latter common on Duchesses too... looking at my Irwell Press pics mainly.   I like the look of the oily motion, suggests reliable hard work.  Possibly the rust and scale effects more likely after 1960?  But that said, even when stored or in intermittent use many looked half decent.

 

typo edit

Edited by robmcg
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There is a pic on p.64 of Irwell's 'The Book of the Princess Royal Pacifics' ,of 46208 on the Merseyside Express  in 1956 looking about as grimy as your model of 46207, and one on p.59 of 6207 in 1949 just as grimy, so you are exonerated.   In neither case are cab numerals or tender emblem particularly legible.

 

Rob

Edited by robmcg
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