Ollie K

Morning Tony, A while ago someone posted this image in the Turbomotive's thread. I was surprised it didn't generate more conversation as it appears to show exactly that: 6202 hauling a long train in reverse, with a Class D lamp code on the tender rear. It doesn't appear to be banking another loco. The crew member just visible in the cab appears to be facing towards the camera. Anyone the wiser what's going on here? ( Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnmightycat/49596730417/ ) Completely agree with your sentiments on the otherwise fine-looking model being spoiled by a deliberately erroneous 'feature'. Even more curious when you note the model itself isn't marred with a front coupling pocket to allow it to tow RTR stock tender-first, and that Hornby's own marketing literature notes "the smaller reversed turbine did not have enough power and was not strong enough to reverse if the locomotive was connected to a heavy rake of coaches. Due to this, the ‘Turbomotive’ always had to be facing forward when hauling passenger trains." https://uk.Hornby.com/community/blog-and-news/engine-shed/turbomotive-stanier-success I reckon this has been in the offing for a while: the unrebuilt W1s were supplied with overscale lamps fixed into either express passenger or (also weirdly) royal train headcodes. The upcoming Black 5 is also causing consternation over the same feature, albeit with brightly lit lamps this time. Cheers, Ollie

Your inconvenience notwithstanding, pleased to hear it. Since so many of the photos on this thread were lost when RMweb broke down, would be great if Railway Modeller could send you any unused ones from the photoshoot. I work for a car magazine and we always send owners who’ve lent us their pride and joy the professional shots of their cars as a memento. Cheers, Ollie

Between the front frame plates behind the mesh, the Turbomotive housed a radiator for cooling the turbine oil. Hinging the flap meant it could be positioned open when the locomotive was running to promote optimal airflow, while closing it when stationary allowed the smokebox door to be opened and provided a platform for the crew to stand on during servicing. Think of it as the opposite to a car's bonnet: left open when on the road, and closed during maintenance.

Congratulations Phil. I don’t normally buy RM but picked up a copy today entirely on the strength of the cover image and throughly enjoyed the depiction of Potters Bar. Would’ve been happy to see it get twice the number of pages - truly inspirational.

There's an interesting image here of the V-fronted cab mock-up. Here's it's captioned as a film prop, but I've also seen it described as a training aid / opinion canvasser for loco crews. https://www.a1steam.com/educational-resources/prince-of-wales/history-of-the-gresley-class-p2s

Can someone put me out of my misery? I've searched for a 'looking upwards' black and white photo depicting a late-crest A4 heading southbound under the M&GN girder bridge at real-life Little Bytham, hauling a goods train. Would be a perfect photo to replicate on the model, but I've been through a load of books in my lunch hour and scoured the web but can't find it anywhere...

Agreed - great that the detail pack is comprehensive, but a bit of an own goal that the couplings don’t fit. One of the supplies three-links was broken in mine so hopefully that’ll be replaced along with the missing guard irons - I’ve contacted Hornby and they should be posted soon. I got the intact couplings in eventually with some careful trial and error filing of the ‘stem’. A removable cab roof, or perhaps detachable cab seats, would make fitting the crew less of a pain.

Interesting thread. As a fully paid up LNER Pacific fan(atic) the loco I’d most like to see is… a C12 4-4-2T (GNR C2)! Operated out of KGX on suburban services, as various main line station pilots (KGX, Peterborough, Grantham etc) then on branches in Lincs and Yorks until the late Fifties. Sadly with none preserved to scan, no ‘namers’ and only one livery that isn’t basically black (beautiful GNR green) my expectations are well and truly managed, but wholeheartedly agree that there’s more to life - even for an ECML modeller- than the big glamour locos. (Wikipedia Commons image)

At first I thought so too, but after looking at a lot of photographs first of A4s (and noting how the small rectangular panel just below the chimney appears and disappears from photos to photo depending on ambient light, film quality and weathering) I think Hornby has actually got this correct on the Bugatti nose P2. Here’s the best view I’ve found so far. A Hepburn shot of 2003 at Kirkcaldy in 1936 from The Gresley Observer. In almost all angles in this image compendium the panel is as good as invisible, but it’s also glimpsed here. So perhaps the model makes it more prominent, but for my money, it’s correct. Ollie

Some initial impressions having received my P2s. So far, very pleased. Unable to run them beyond the rolling road because the layout is in disarray ahead of moving house. • The packaging works. Three models, zero bent/broken details or scuffed paintwork that I can see. The way it ought to be, but credit Hornby post-W1 debacle for recognising their existing packaging was no longer fit for purpose. • Diecast running plate of nos 2002/07 makes an appreciable difference to the sense of quality when the loco is lifted from the box and placed on track. Haven’t gone to the bother of weighing each to see the difference and the all-plastic 2003 is surely plenty over-endowed with haulage capacity for the majority of layouts, but makes for an interesting comparison. • Credit for the running plate join between the differing front ends. Worried me when I first saw the CAD but at anything other than close-up it’s pretty imperceptible. • Guard irons /have/ been included for 2002/07. Missing from 2003’s detail pack. • The ugly NEM pocket is easy to remove from the pony truck: lever it up with a small flat-bladed screwdriver and it lifts free (easier if the pony truck is unscrewed first). Nice not to have to take the Xurons to a fresh model to snip away the coupling housing when it’s not required. More of this please (Bachmann). • If any of your LNER Pacifics need a tender scoop, there’s one underneath 2007 that ought not to be there. • Wishful thinking? The builder’s plate reads ‘2023’, not that my phone is able to take a sharp shot that close. If Fox / 247 do a set of plates I’ll update that when the real 2007 is completed, adding the extra pipework and warning flashes it’ll doubtless have to carry. Will probably stop short of painting hi-vis waistcoats onto the included crew…

There’s a review of 2007 in the new issue of Hornby mag. It states the next set of models in the run will feature 2002’s extra deflectors plus further locos with the Bugatti nose. Etched nameplates are in the detail bag.

This morning was the first time I’ve ever witnessed a Deltic roar past at full chat. Certainly leaves an impression. Several families on the same bridge left with very excited children!

Now you say that, I remember reading as much somewhere. Cheers Jamie.

Looking again at the samples, I wonder if the large separate deflectors for 2002 will be in the detail pack for customer to fit. The models pictured don’t have a front steps, screw link front coupling, drain cocks, loco brake rigging or a cab crew fitted - items usually in the Hornby accessory packs. So I hope we’re going to get a best of both worlds solution that will allow the buyer to choose whether or not to fit the deflectors. At this price point and given the extent of other manufacturer detail packs (featuring lamps, etched nameplates etc) I don’t think that’s a massive ask…

Glad to see the physical models at last, but disappointing the larger 2002 deflectors have apparently been omitted despite being present on the earlier CAD and previously confirmed to another poster on here that they would be fitted. Would be good to see Hornby provide updates on details like this in The Engine Shed blog.

Perhaps try one of these? No personal connection, just a satisfied customer. https://westhillwagonworks.com/locomotive-parts/42-loco-tender-drawbars-for-Hornby-9f-2022-release-only-pack-of-3.html

Cheers David, it was thanks to you I became aware of them. Will look to get both. Ollie

Hi all, haven't been able to find a clear answer for this anywhere online so hopefully someone here can help. Tim Shackleton has produced two books titled Aspects of Modelling: Locomotive Weathering Projects. This one, with the Deltic on the cover, was published in 2011: In 2015, this version arrived with a new cover: Can anyone (perhaps weathering gods @landscapes or @Timara ) confirm if the books are in any way different, with new or updated content inside? Or was it simply a new cover? Thanks in anticipation...

While Sir is away, here’s a shoddy cameraphone video from the 1:1 scale Little Bytham yesterday. 60103 passes on its ‘Centenary Weekender’ special, running about 45mins late with the diesel on the back working hard to help reduce the arrears. Plenty of friendly people on the bridge - the usual Stoke Bank vantage points were all pleasingly busy.

Now in production in China, and a finished sample should be ready to look at this time next month. So hopefully on for delivery this summer, as promised... https://uk.Hornby.com/community/blog-and-news/engine-shed/all-aboard-br-standard-class-2mt-loco

Just been weathering a similar wagon using the Tamiya panel line wash. For the heavier staining here do you brush paint it on directly in enamels? Looks very effective!

Tony, do you have any images to illustrate how tight a curve radius your coaches (or wagons) with the bar and hook system can manage? I’ve always thought them an elegant solution when I’ve visited LB, but wondered how they’d fare on more cramped layouts. Could they cope with third or fourth radius set-track (perish the thought)?

Mine is one of the Hattons bargain bin examples: not in my usual prewar modelling period but at that price it seemed worth a punt for a new-tooling Pacific. It’s next in the renumbering/renaming/weathering queue. Insipid green notwithstanding, it’s spot on. Running plate straight (unlike the A2/2s) no loose details in the box and a smooth runner. Massive discount seems to be to clear stock of a slow-selling livery as opposed to shifting a flakey product.

Ask and you shall receive… Purely as I’m also interested to see what Graeme’s up to (and it might answer questions for others in future) I’ve just had the bonnet off my A2/3. The metal shroud protruding from the motor and stretching over the top of the driving wheels is released via two small screws. Once removed it reveals the motor worm drive and a tall screw tower mounting. No other gears are exposed. The shroud’s rear acts as a retaining bracket for the front of the motor, as per the Hornby A3 / A4 chassis. As seen here the loco still runs with the cover removed, but the worm drive skips out of mesh in forward drive (better in reverse) and would require an alternative means of securing the motor. If the motor cover was sawn off just ahead of the first screw hole it appears to me it would be held by the aft screw, continuing to do its job retaining the motor but leave the space above of the first pair of driving wheels clear. Does this help? Ollie

The instructions supplied warn to remove the separately supplied accessory parts before placing the loco into the blister pack. By way of experiment, I've gently tried packing up mine (LNER 5024) into the packaging with the brake rigging fitted and fire irons / shovel lightly tacked into place atop the tanks, and found they don't foul at all. Not sure if it's different with the other versions.