Jump to content
 

Hornby's Best Ever Models


robmcg
 Share

Recommended Posts

  • RMweb Gold

Talking of Avros,we hear of Lancasters,Lincoln’s etc. But what of the York ? I believe this was a conversion for passenger transport/troop use. My late father returned from service in India on one at the end of the war.Any thoughts ?

The York was developed as a private project, along side the Lancaster - using many of the same parts, however due the priority of Lancaster production -the prototype didn't fly till 43 I think.

Link to post
Share on other sites

post-4032-0-87430600-1546557216_thumb.jpg

 

post-4032-0-37579100-1546557257_thumb.jpg

 

 

I can justify this because Corgi, part of the Hornby empire  , makes/made a diecast model of one. :sungum:

 

Here's an Avro York at the RAF museum at RAF Cosford. Very difficult to photograph because of the number of exhibits they've managed to get in there. There's another one at Duxford in Dan Air colours as well.

 

An old friend (rather older than me) who did national service as an RAF photographer around the time of the Suez crisis, told me he'd flown in them going from one base to another. (Also in Hastings transports, one of which is in the first pic).  He said he was sitting level with the engines, which was incredibly noisy, also he could see flames coming out of the exhausts all the time. 

 

My Avro book says that there was a VIP version built during WW2 used by Winston Churchill to visit the Yalta and Tehran conferences and also used by King George VI.

 

imho Cosford is a very interesting museum.

Edited by railroadbill
  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

attachicon.gifP1060870.JPG

 

attachicon.gifP1060900.JPG

 

 

I can justify this because Corgi, part of the Hornby empire  , makes/made a diecast model of one. :sungum:

 

Here's an Avro York at the RAF museum at RAF Cosford. Very difficult to photograph because of the number of exhibits they've managed to get in there. There's another one at Duxford in Dan Air colours as well.

 

An old friend (rather older than me) who did national service as an RAF photographer around the time of the Suez crisis, told me he'd flown in them going from one base to another. (Also in Hastings transports, one of which is in the first pic).  He said he was sitting level with the engines, which was incredibly noisy, also he could see flames coming out of the exhausts all the time. 

 

My Avro book says that there was a VIP version built during WW2 used by Winston Churchill to visit the Yalta and Tehran conferences and also used by King George VI.

 

imho Cosford is a very interesting museum.

 

I may well be visiting Duxford at some point, with my cousin..

 

In the meantime this gem arrived...

 

post-7000-0-19325600-1546646025_thumb.jpg

 

Some people may get the 'Hump' and some may yell 'You shall not pass'  :sungum:  :sungum:

Edited by toboldlygo
  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

& flanges on the pony truck.

My Hornby rebuilt wc/bbs  came fitted with flangeless pony truck wheels but also with spare flanged wheels which I fitted,  run fine on 30" rad curves and do look better. Good candidates for Hornby's best locos.

I tried to fit a pair of flanged wheels on my Railroad P2 but that just didn't work, the wheel base was too long. Think Hornby did well with what is effectively a 2-8-0 chassis, 2-8-2 just too much.

Got several Railroad A1 Tornados that are being retro's to earlier A1 condition, they came with the (standard) flangeless trailing wheels.  Hornby's design does seem a good compromise to get pacifics etc round tight curves.

Edited by railroadbill
Link to post
Share on other sites

The last time I went to the FAA Museum, I had unrestricted access to the Historic Flight aircraft ;)

 

Alas no Trumpeter Albacore, the kits I've got are: Supermarine Attacker, Hawker/AW Sea Hawk, DH Sea Hornet NF21 & Fairey Firefly (Special Hobby)

Lucky you! (Insert jealous emoticon here).

I was interested in the Albacore because a late uncle who was in the FAA during WW2 flew them, and later flew Fairey Barracudas. So I thought I might make one of each  in his memory. There's a Special Hobby one in 1:48th scale, (actually 2 versions with different transfers) but I've come across a recent Trumpeter release as well. In the past there also seem to have been a couple of 1:72nd scale kits.

Reviews of both SH and Trumpeter kits are a bit mixed, so no clear leader. So choice may depend on what markings each one comes with.

 

One bit of history I came across was that the FAA flew from land bases in North Africa in support of the 8th army against Rommel's forces (and also alongside American forces in Operation Torch).

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

Lucky you! (Insert jealous emoticon here).

I was interested in the Albacore because a late uncle who was in the FAA during WW2 flew them, and later flew Fairey Barracudas. So I thought I might make one of each  in his memory. There's a Special Hobby one in 1:48th scale, (actually 2 versions with different transfers) but I've come across a recent Trumpeter release as well. In the past there also seem to have been a couple of 1:72nd scale kits.

Reviews of both SH and Trumpeter kits are a bit mixed, so no clear leader. So choice may depend on what markings each one comes with.

 

One bit of history I came across was that the FAA flew from land bases in North Africa in support of the 8th army against Rommel's forces (and also alongside American forces in Operation Torch).

 

Operation Torch - both schemes on the 1/72nd Martlet kit that Airfix do are from that ;)

 

post-7000-0-23866900-1546727613_thumb.jpg

  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

With the new-tooling Princess announcement here are a couple of old tool + editing creations.

 

post-7929-0-90244300-1546977657_thumb.jpg

 

post-7929-0-72519000-1546983441_thumb.jpg

 

This above BR blue version is the quietest, smoothest 00 model I have ever owned. Quieter than any I have bought which were made after about 2010.

Edited by robmcg
  • Like 4
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

With the new-tooling Princess announcement here are a couple of old tool + editing creations.

 

attachicon.gif46212_Princess_46212_3abcdef_portrait_r1200.jpg

 

attachicon.gif46210_R2448_Princess_portrait1_forward_gear5ab_r1200.jpg

 

This above BR blue version is the quietest, smoothest 00 model I have ever owned. Quieter than any I have bought which were made after about 2010.

Love these Rob and they show what good models the most recent Princess can be. You model in photoshop in the same way as others model in plastic and metal and you are a master of your craft. :)

Link to post
Share on other sites

Who needs Swindon when you have Eastleigh?

 

attachicon.gif30850_Nelson_LN_portrait_3abcde_r1200.jpg

 

Thats certainly what the LMS thought when they got the Royal Scots, though they realised their mistake (and perhaps understood why Swindon didn't want to sully the "Castle" design by handing over their drawings to Derby) and eventually got themselves a genuine Swindon designer to modernise the West Coast motive power...

 

 

:sungum: :jester: :senile:

Edited by Hroth
  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

Thats certainly what the LMS thought when they got the Royal Scots, though they realised their mistake (and perhaps understood why Swindon didn't want to sully the "Castle" design by handing over their drawings to Derby) and eventually got themselves a genuine Swindon designer to modernise the West Coast motive power...

 

 

:sungum: :jester: :senile:

 

Said it before, He moved on to bigger and better things.   ;)

Link to post
Share on other sites

Thats certainly what the LMS thought when they got the Royal Scots, though they realised their mistake (and perhaps understood why Swindon didn't want to sully the "Castle" design by handing over their drawings to Derby) and eventually got themselves a genuine Swindon designer to modernise the West Coast motive power...

 

 

:sungum: :jester: :senile:

 

The Royal Scots were something of a triumph of draughtsmen and some major component development like piston rings over design.  As I see it.

 

The Nelsons had good looks even if they were hard to fire..... and they didn't get speedy development.

 

Both engines very British indeed.    Having spent much of my life repairing British cars and bikes. I don't think it's a bad thing at all. We used to take imported UK built BLMC cars to bits and out them back together to make them run. Like BMC Minis which didn't whine if you shimmed the drop gears right.... (assuming the end float on output and input etc etc  were all good...  )  We used to drive 848cc Minis with 3 adults and luggage continuously at 70mph which was top speed.  Who needs more?  :) Of course Norton Commandos gave more, but I digress...

 

edit; p.s. don't mention Dr Gordon Blair of Belfast University and his reverse cone exhaust silencers!!!!  Crewe could have used him on 2Ps and Princesses...

Edited by robmcg
  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...