How Many Hornby A4's Have You Got

[mattingleycustom]

As a purely SR modeller I only have 18 A4s !

 

Glenn

[Dunsignalling]

As a purely SR modeller, I currently have none, but I would be interested in 60026 Kingfisher in late BR condition for railtour duty.

 

I know about R2203, but can any of you experts tell me if Hornby has done it to post-tender-drive, main range specification?

 

If not, is there another one that could be renamed with minimal  (or preferably no) further alteration?

 

John

Edited July 15, 2023 by Dunsignalling

[DougN]

On 21/06/2023 at 16:21, DougN said:

So I am down to about 6 left to chase down, Silver Fox, Herring Gull, Great Snipe, Sir Wilson Murrough, Dominion of Canada (if it has a single chimney) and the unreleased Empire of India. I don't like how Osprey came out in gloss LNER Green... so no. 

Saying above, that I didn't like Osprey in the high gloss finish. I found one 2 weeks ago at an exhibition but couldn't resist.  Roll forward to last weekend, I looked closely at the loco and decided that I would respray with Tamiya semi gloss varnish to the main body, along with Flat Varnish to the loco roof and the tender back plate, coal and water filler areas. To make things very straight forward I used the Tamiya spray packs TS 79 (semi gloss) and TS 80 (flat). I am so happy that I did. The loco now matches the standard range. All very straight forward to do. I also used the Tamiya masking tape to have nice sharp breaks between the 2 finishes. 

 

 BTW the Hornby High gloss reacted to the IPA used to clean the body. It produced a white bloom which would come off but you can avoid it by not doing what I did. Thankfully it disappears with the above varnish. 

[DonnyRailMan]

At last count Severn Crescent Railway as NINE A4s now.

[K Hatton]

8 hours ago, DougN said:

BTW the Hornby High gloss reacted to the IPA used to clean the body. It produced a white bloom which would come off but you can avoid it by not doing what I did. Thankfully it disappears with the above varnish. 

Useful to know, did you just spray over the affected areas or did you manage to get the white off somehow? 

 

I've used IPA to remove some weathering from a loco recently and can't seem to clean the white marks off. 

[Rugd1022]

Always been a fan of the A4s but never owned a model of one, something I’d like to put right before too long. Earlier this year I was on a night job, walking from Crewe station down to Basford Hall Yard and passing the depot spotted one of the preserved examples outside the shed in wartime black, it stopped me in my tracks and me realise just how much I like them in the metal. It’s now time to dig out the Irwell Press ‘Book Of The A4s’ and pick one! Which ‘victim’ amongst the current models available would be best for the job…?

Edited August 16, 2023 by Rugd1022

[DougN]

On 16/08/2023 at 20:33, K Hatton said:

 

I've used IPA to remove some weathering from a loco recently and can't seem to clean the white marks off. 

 I removed as much as I could with another application with a cotton bud, where I couldn't dissolve it I rubbed it with a dry cotton bud to remove as much bloom as possible. I was left with some areas or white which I then luckily varnished over and they disappeared.  

 

I did have some other weird goings on with the Varnish on the tender side, It appeared to be like crocodile skin. Was this too close when I sprayed it or another reason I don't know.  The solution was very gently sand the varnish with 2000grit modelling paper this removed the texture and respray with no ill effects. just be very very gentle with the sanding. 

 

[rogerzilla]

A mere two - the high-gloss Osprey and the high spec NRM-condition Mallard (which is far too matt).

[K Hatton]

9 hours ago, DougN said:

 I removed as much as I could with another application with a cotton bud, where I couldn't dissolve it I rubbed it with a dry cotton bud to remove as much bloom as possible. I was left with some areas or white which I then luckily varnished over and they disappeared.

Thank you for the response, I may give this a try before resorting to a complete strip and respray.

[Ighten]

On 08/07/2023 at 04:22, Hilux5972 said:

If you look really closely it seems like the front opening cuts into the side slightly more than the rear opening. Could just be a trick of the light though too. Hard to tell. 

 

Think it just looks different due to how the outer casing is fitting at that point.. no doubt this is slightly different for every engine and probably changed quite a lot during an individual engines life as well. Even temperature would move it.

[Classsix T]

On 30/06/2014 at 17:07, Mike70 said:

Just curious.

 

Some people hate them, but a lot of people love them.

Adorable locomotives, as a pinnacle of what boiling water can do to advance stuff across distance, who are these people who 'hate' on that ? Or do you mean the model specifically by Hornby? Again though, who are these people enraged by such a thing?

 

Anyway, never thought I'd post in this particular thread, but, just the one. Although it has two tenders!

Bittern with the extra water carrier. To my mind the easiest way to get a model of SNG as was in the 90s.

 

C6T.

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

On 07/07/2023 at 20:16, G-BOAF said:

Hornby's double chimney is odd, in that the front opening is larger in diameter than the rear. I'm quite sure that on the prototype the two openings are the same size

Which size is correct?

Why are they different?

The final exhaust apertures should be the same size. I believe the design diameter is 17.5", 4.5mm for 4mm scale. For equal size appearance, it is easier to open out the rear aperture slightly than to line up the front aperture.

 

Why different on the model? Perhaps someone had a bad day with the measuring stick, or whatever was used to take the notes. Easy enough in the latter case to have a wobble and thus record 18" for the front and then what looks like 16" for the rear aperture.

 

Interestingly Hornby managed equal size apertures on the A3 (pre metal footplate) models.

 

It's not worth getting too fussed about this dimension. There was thermal expansion and contraction, rust and the deposit of soot, ash and gluey lubricant to reckon with too. The really significant components of the Kylchap exhaust ejector, both dimensionally and in alignments to obtain optimum effectiveness; are all fully concealed: the magic happens out of sight.

 

As for the OP's question, 3 on 'my BR(ER) ECML' layout. That way I can have all three tender types.  Because the locos are present in roughly just proportion to what was seen working at my chosen location, there are more of each of V2, Pepp A1, N2 and N7 than A4's, and really altogether too much W1, but then you cannot have a twelfth of a loco.

[DougN]

If any one is looking for A4's at the moment check out Clark Railworks, there is a good selection available... though slightly less by my recent purchase!

[Jenny Emily]

1 hour ago, DougN said:

If any one is looking for A4's at the moment check out Clark Railworks, there is a good selection available... though slightly less by my recent purchase!

Silver King and Lord Farringdon in BR green are in my possession from Ellis Clarke now as I was there today. 
 

The TMC rename/renumbers are very well done - they look like they came from the factory with those identities. The weathering is also superb. 

[DougN]

On 16/09/2023 at 09:48, Jenny Emily said:

The TMC rename/renumbers are very well done - they look like they came from the factory with those identities. The weathering is also superb. 

Great to hear that Jenny.. 2 of yhe locos i purchased were weathered by TMC. I have seen some locos years ago weathered by them but this will be the first 2 I will own weathered by them.

 

I have yet to really gain the skill to weather things nicely. I have recently been watching the weathering video series by Hornby Mag. Its encouraging me to have a go. 

[NZRedBaron]

Man, I hope that Golden Eagle hasn't gone by now, or by Wednesday my time- I've wanted an LNER green A4 for a while.

[ThaneofFife]

youll have a game beating jenny kirks A4 collection !

[Jenny Emily]

2 hours ago, ThaneofFife said:

youll have a game beating jenny kirks A4 collection !

I only have 20 - still need 14 more to get the full house in BR livery. 
 

some are very elusive having never been released in the BR liveries in the new tooled DCC ready versions. The Silvers are particularly noticeable by their absence hence why I snapped up the renumbered Silver King. I’m only aware of Quicksilver having been made available, but it is a curious one featuring older style valve gear on a new style body and chassis with the new type tender that has the tender pickups. 

[DougN]

On 17/09/2023 at 21:25, Jenny Emily said:

I only have 20 - still need 14 more to get the full house in BR livery. 
 

some are very elusive having never been released in the BR liveries in the new tooled DCC ready versions. The Silvers are particularly noticeable by their absence hence why I snapped up the renumbered Silver King. I’m only aware of Quicksilver having been made available, but it is a curious one featuring older style valve gear on a new style body and chassis with the new type tender that has the tender pickups. 

Jenny, I will have all the LNER liveried versions very soon.... that is 16. I must stop for a while as I will have to start renaming... A bit easy with Peregrine, and Seagull as they can be done from Mallard's as they had all the Double chimney versions, collecting enough single chimney versions would be hard work...  As they make a lot less of them. Also the number of tenders that match also reduce. 

 

Considering my layout can only cope with a maximum of 2 at any time this is a bit silly... 

[Captain_Mumbles]

I really love my A1s, A2s, and A3s and have lots of them, however I have a love hate relationship with A4s.  I only have three. One is the Weird Mallard with gold fittings and just lives in the display case, because it is mallard. One Purple one that lives on display because it is purple. But the surprise for me is my old faithful cheap 2nd hand railroad DCC sound fitted Gadwall. Which goes, and goes, and goes. While I build my layout, it runs all day, for days and days. With a rake of 5-7 modified railroad teaks behind it.

For me I just didn't like them with the motion covered up. And that is entirely just my taste. When I get an opportunity to find a another Garter blue A4 I'd like to build an early BR A4 in blue with red wheels and motion exposed. That would be my version of an ultimate A4. Another one might be an apple green A4 with the side valances removed, but I do not know if that was a thing. I have tried to colorize a photo of what looks to me like an early BR A4 with 'British Railways' on the tender but the engine won't colorize properly on the app, for me tell what it was. Maybe my issue is I dont know enough about em!

 

Cheers all!

 

Edited September 19, 2023 by Captain_Mumbles

[NZRedBaron]

On a side note, I've just purchased that model of Golden Eagle from Clark Railworks; this takes my A4 collection from 1 to 2.

[Dominion]

40 minutes ago, Captain_Mumbles said:

 … When I get an opportunity to find an another Garter blue A4 I'd like to build an early BR A4 in blue with red wheels and motion exposed. That would be my version of an ultimate A4.

 

Cheers all!

 

How about this one ? R3771.

The photo is from Hattons as I am not currently with mine.

As for a balance free LNER green one your hunch that that combo did not exist is correct. Tom

[Captain_Mumbles]

59 minutes ago, Dominion said:

How about this one ? R3771.

The photo is from Hattons as I am not currently with mine.

As for a balance free LNER green one your hunch that that combo did not exist is correct. Tom

AHhhhhhhhhhhhh yes, it is so refreshing to see the big red wheels turning.

The problem with that for me is, that is preservation era. I am almost certain that A4s never wore the 44XX no and with no valances. I think I have seen an old picture but it could have been from the late 60s or 70s So therefore I would be looking at a 60XXX no with British Railways on the tender. 

Well that is what I think I know.

[micklner]

50 minutes ago, Captain_Mumbles said:

AHhhhhhhhhhhhh yes, it is so refreshing to see the big red wheels turning.

The problem with that for me is, that is preservation era. I am almost certain that A4s never wore the 44XX no and with no valances. I think I have seen an old picture but it could have been from the late 60s or 70s So therefore I would be looking at a 60XXX no with British Railways on the tender. 

Well that is what I think I know.

Post war Merlin.

 

 

 

[Coldgunner]

On 08/07/2023 at 09:30, NZRedBaron said:

Cheeky update here; I've just purchased my first ever A4 for my layout- a second hand 2008 Hornby 'Railroad' tooling of Falcon in LNER condition. I'll let you know when it arrives (if I remember to do so).

 

Welcome to the club!

 

If you get annoyed with the 'fat' railroad tender, you should be able to locate a replacement on Ebay. That's what I did with my railroad 60022 several years back.