Background

The arrival of the Hornby Star was something of a disappointment, what with the combination of a full fat price but with detail to 1990s standards.  Thankfully the second hand market was priced accordingly and a BR Green example was sourced a year or two after release.  The original intention was to do a loco in unlined green, the typical livery for a Star in the late 40s.  However after coming across a photo of 4025 ex works at Swindon dated 1948 in plain green with British Railways on the tender, it got me thinking about GWR black.  Confirming the livery with the data in GWRJ no.7 the key resource for determining the livery of wartime 4-6-0s, resulted in 4025 being the loco chosen.  A handy choice when I later found a 1947 photo of the loco in Martyn Welsh's Art of Weathering.

The work included: the removal of the moulded on cab side handrails and replacement with 0.45 wire, removal of all lining, careful removal of the smokebox number plate (and rebuild of the smokebox door strapping), steam pipes removed (and put away just in case they are needed for a future build), new smokebox dart.  The BR tender was rebranded to G crest W and coupled up to one of my Castles, while various Hornby spares (plus some Finney axle box castings) were used to build a new 4000gl tender.  With that done the loco was sprayed into satin black (Halfords).  Number plates were from Narrow Planet (which was handy as it avoided the need to buy a set of Italian Monarch names just to get the cab plates), while transfers were from HMRS.    One final detail which was required was the STAR CLASS lettering on the centre splasher, fortunately a member on the GWR Facebook group offered to create some for me which adds a perfect finishing touch.   The loco is fitted with a Lenz Gold in the tender (which required compete rewiring as Hornby apparently are not consistent with the pins used for the loco - tender connection resulting in a mystery short circuit which took an age to resolve.)

Finally the loco was given some weathering as it was far too shiny and black, I started by painting the frames, footplate and smokebox along with the insides of the tender in various mixes of Vallejo Grey Black, along with browns and black.  It was then given a going over with  Dullcote to tone down the satin paint and to give a better key for the weathering powders which followed. 

The one thing I havent done  is replacing the moulded vertical handrails, knowing what a pain they are to solder I really didnt fancy it with glue.  

Remaining Work

Unsurprisingly like the other "complete" locos 4025 requires Dinghams, Lamps and a crew to be finished.

Useage

4025 will see use on the various expresses and maybe the parcels, as one of my favourites it will be a permanent fixture in the fiddleyard.