robmcg

As to A2 tender heights I am pleased to say that my two BR versions have arrived and are beautiful, the very slight droop on the horizontal lining below the cab side is of very little consequence to my eye, and the camera shows it as very minor, the cab and tender steps are quite close to equal-height. The cutoff lever below the running plate is not perfectly straight, and neither is the running plate itself, but then, it is still a simply astoundingly good model. I look forward to detailing the model! Rob

Hi G-BOAF The A1s in my photos a few messages up are straight out of the box via Hattons, set to close-coupling or perhaps not coupled at all for the photo (I don't remember), they are modified, or 'photoshopped' (I use Paint Shop Pro 6) pics but NOT in the cab-tender or any other dimension. It wouldn't be hard to fix anything in a photo, though. I think the A2 in the early BR green Hattons pic may be a bit 'out' with cab droop but the lens used for their photo was not kind. For what it's worth the coupling bar seems to have some effect on how the engine-tender sits, depending on its vertical alignment. All three of my A1s have an apparent slight droop at the rear of the cab, and/or high tender, but it is very slight. If the A2s are similar, I won't be complaining. Here is a pic of early BR A1 60114 showing minimal droop, it helps to position the engine to de-accentuate the engine-tender gap... Looks like the tender ride-height is too high too, with a Hornby Gresley not helping! Best, Rob

Lovely photos, lovely finish. May I ask if the weathering is dusted, brushed or sprayed? The natural light certainly helps too! Brilliant models and I have both BR A2s en route to NZ via Hattons, I hope the footplate issues are minor. My A1 60158 'Aberdonian', one of the early 2001 versions has a small amount of droop but it appears mostly to be in the lining, to my eyes. Even factory catalogue photos show a tiny amount. I don't think lens distortion did the Hattons' 50528 any favours either. Below that is late Bachmann A1 60115 'Meg Merriles' with similar footplate and the cab steps are not quite right, maybe? Rob

Indeed... here is my BR olive green.. which has correct offset for return crank on both sides. Pictured in, um, same old north London area? Brisk acceleration of washing machine..! Cheers, Rob

I notice 67772 early crest black BR in the November Hornby releases, http://static.Hornby.com/files/newsletter-issue-28-november-2010-533.pdf Hopefully the return crank will be forward offset rather than the backward offset in the pic... a fault continued by Bachmann too. looks a superb model though. Rob

Are you sure about this? The numbers given in Jim Grindlay's Modelmaster Publications 'British Railways Steam Locomotive Allocations 1948-1968' Part 4 60001-69999 gives the following for shed 2F 1959 Woodford Halse; 67740, 67771, 67789. But of course many were under ex-GC Rugby aegis? Anyway the above book gives 67716-9 for 1959 the shedcodes 32B 32A 30A 32B respectively, no mention of transfers etc. Anyway I mention it out of curiosity. Cheers, Rob

Thanks for that Ceptic, Hornby have done themselves proud with this particular train, it's very impressive. 'Alfred the Great' can haul 9 twelve-wheel Pullmans too, as I have found. Rob

I must say the maroon brake composite which arrived here with the 28XX is a really attractive model! RTR models really are incredible these days. Rob

Thanks very much, the picture could very easily represent Somerset c1957, in fact I labelled it 1957 at first, given the mix of blood and custard and maroon, but early crest on a clean loco.. the relevant shed for 7007 was Worcester so it's not inconceivable...? the two carriages visible behind the three Hawksworths (BCK, TK, TK), are maroon BR Mk1s FK M19223 and BCK W21021. I hesitate to speculate on the nature of any carriages behind that! <g> ... the diorama is only 6 feet long, after all. Rob

With PSP6 paintbrush tool, which gives almost infintely variable size colour opacity and feathered edges. As far as I know Photoshop would be similar, but I've never tried it. Too mean to pay for it! <g> Rob

For what it's worth, and if the picture in the previous post from loaded OK., the Hornby 'Great Western' and Hawksworths are photographed with a Canon A620 point-and-shoot camera, natural room light plus a 60w tungsten reading lamp, and Paint Shop Professional 6 image enhancement. All in celebration of those of us who used to print photos on bromide paper of trains and 'burn' the sky sufficiently to enhance the steam and/or smoke with bits of card or hands... ... and yes, I HAVE seen inside-cylinder locos emitting steam from between the frames like that! <g> Rob

Who says BR didn't run three Hawksworths in a row on expresses? Even managed lower quadrant signal (butchered Hornby) in this shot. Cheers, Rob

Quote [bill Harvey, in his 'Sixty Years in Steam'. A summary sentence covers it: "these new tank engines (the L1)...giving as much and more trouble to maintain as the 38 year old locomotives (GCR design A5) they were replacing". He gives a nice catalogue of their failings, mostly driving axle bearings on the mechanical side, and a tendency for the side tanks to leak due to the welded seams splitting, from the rough ride] Quote Ahh. Sounds like the kind of things which happened to British cars of the era! <g> Maybe Thompson and some Stanier designs were used by Austin... Wolseley and others which were rather under-bearinged.. (try that in Microsoft spell checker!) Rob

Thankyou Bernard, I greatly enjoy hearing about the 'real' side of things, as a schoolboy I used to hang around NZ steam sheds in the earlly 1960s albeit I had Hornby Dublo at home... In view of this might I be permitted to offer this link to an excellent montage of photos of real 1960s steam..? Plenty of material for weathering and general atmosphere, being around Wolverhampton Not entirely about L1s, (and turning the sound down or off may help.) The large shed atmosphere was certainly something like L1 territory. The reputation for difficult maintenance and roughness is something I've heard, but I hesitate to speculate on why it arose except to add that B1s and other Thompson locos were variable in ride and such as steaming. (but then so were all other 'common' locos of the day)... Rob

Thankyou Nidge, and Peter, these locos can go almost anywhere. Well, maybe not North Wales, the Withered Arm or Evercreech Junction, but with Bachmann's GCR 2-8-0 and the L1 doing all the work which mattered.... Does anyone have any anecdotal stuff about what it was like to drive, fire and maintain L1s? Rob

British Railway Steam Locomotive Allocations 1948-1968' by Jim Grindlay Modelmaster Publications lists 10 L1s at Darlington or Hull area pretty much throughout their lives; Sheds in 1952 1955 1959 67442, 51A 51A 51A 67550, 51A 51A 51A 67754, 51A 53B 51E 67755, 53B 53B 51A 67759, 53B 53B 51L 67763, 53B 53B 51A 67764, 53B 53B 51L 67765, 53B 53B 51C 67766, 53B 53B 51E 67777, 51A 51A 51A All the others were; predominantly Stratford 67721-67739 predominantly Kings Cross/various KX sub sheds, 67743-67800 with exceptions as in the first list and some KX locos throughout the number series 67701-67800.... or Norwich Yarmouth Ipswich where many of the first locos 67701-67721 worked, also a few later numbers on ex-GE sheds. A very few went astray ? around 1959 with about 7 at 9G Northwich and a couple at 40A Lincoln and others at 40E Colwick (this latter being 67753/58/88/99) Hope this helps, there are exceptions here and there, like three 2F entries for 1959 67740/71/89 (Bescot?) Rob

My blood and custard BCK arrived today and it is superb. I don't mind the curtains, we had similar in some carriages here in NZ and while they were never all exactly the same in each window except for workshops photos the effect to me is fime. It reminds me of the summer evening weekend or holday trains both here and in film I have seen of the Pines rolling through Radstock in c1960. (behind anything from a 7F to a pair of Std 5MTs., Spam Can and 4F, or 9F, 4MTs... ) Rob

Perhaps the early crest loco 67772 front steps will be kinder to type 2 or 3 radius curves too! I think the early crest nominally 67772 is a Robert Stephenson & Hawthorn loco, My 'British Railways Steam Locomotives 1948-1968' by Hugh Longworth gives 67701 Doncaster, 67702-67730 Darlington, 67731-67765 North British, 67766-67800 Stephenson Hawthorn. The book gives no differences in weight for the different builders, but 4 locos 67770-1-2, 6, 9, had slightly smaller cylinders (18 3/4" down from 20") from 1954-on, and 5 locos 67747, 53, 61, 95, 98, had boiler pressure reduced from 225lb to 200lb. All withdrawn by the end of 1962. Not that it makes much difference to what looks to be a stunning model! Rob

Excellent summation of the situation, thankyou. I wonder when Hornby will produce a stepped-frame black BR version? Rob

I concur with yourt thoughts and look forward to seeing the BR L1 soon down here in NZ, together with the Hawksworth blood and custards and more maroons... the standard of modelling by Hornby is truly excellent, what pleasure. Larry's photos of the weathered L1 are marvellous too. What an excellent forum! Rob

As you pointed out, the need for adaptors for GW and LMS additions to trains of BR Mk1s and/or ER and SR stock would have been a considerable influence on things, quite apart from loading-gauge issues. There are a lot of DVDs of 1950s-1960s trains around now which show a lot of interesting combinations. 'Heyday of British Steam' (5 volumes) comes to mind, with S & D Fowler 2-8-0s hauling Thompson stock through Radstock, also a grimy 'Evening Star'.... I'm sure there are others. Rob

A list here earlier suggested possible arrival of R4404 (blood and custard full brake) and R4405 (blood and custard corridor 3rd) on 20 Sept. but R4408 (bck) arrived earlier than the same list's 'possible' arrival on 27 Sept. The other blood and custard carriages, R4406 brake third and R4407 composite, were listed at 30 Sept. Like you I wait with anticipation. Thanks for looking at the video clip I made, a pleasure. The mixtures of carriages in the 1950s and 60s certainly was interesting, here in NZ at holiday times with extra mostly steam expresses we used all kinds of 'occasional' old main line stock and suburban carriage stock to augment regular trains, with often old 1st class 'provincial' (that is, older main line) carriages which rode beautifully to be had for 2nd class fares. Carriage stocks were severely stretched at Easter and Christmas-New Year. With modelling BR I get the feeling that if it was improbable and unlikely, it probably did happen somewhere... Rob

Beautiful photos, great models! Here is a link showing maroon Hawksworths on my layout. Doesn't show much detail but they look good to me. Cheers, Rob

Quite apart from detail alterations to tooling, I await improvement to the 4-pin arrangement for engine-tender connection. I opened by new 'Great Western' today and the harness and pin were blessedly intact and went together OK., but I cannot see people coupling and uncoupling this style of thing unless they have good eyes and dexterity. I know this is a vexed question for many, and apologise if the subjct is covered elsewhere. My answer would be simply more robust connectors. That said, the loco looks and runs beautifully at the head of a train of Mk1s with new Hawksworth at the head. Rob

For those curious about the model appearance match between a Hawksworth and BR Mk1 I today unpacked 'Great Western' and a single maroon corridor 3rd Hawksworth and ran it at the head of a train of Mk1s.... looks great, with either Bachmann or Hornby Mk1s. The loco was the usual drama to unpack, loose coal inserts, dubious fall-plate, fiddly connector, but runs well, one corridor connector on the new Hawksworth fell off when released from insert, but clipped back in nicely.. Rob