robmcg

More likely a simple production fault. These are complex models really, assembled from very large number of parts, and a fault bolt or set screw would easily be overlooked by the people assembling them Good luck whether you ask for an exchange or not, I would be inclined to ask for one. When I looked at the video it never occurred to me that the bolt on a middle driver was tightening up, I was looking for signs of rods touching or piston rod issues. Cheers.

Was not 60502 the A2 timed by Cecil J Allen north of York with 10 total sustaining an average of over 90mph for 15 miles with a maximum of over 95mph, on level ground? Not bad for any engine. I'm not sure of the train size nor the exact speeds, and forget the source, but it wouldn't surprise me given the steaming capacity and breathing of the engine. Possibly not too much trouble getting the coal forward in the grate...

Amazing, incredible earthmoving and constructional machination going on, 3mm ply being the magic touch. It fused my brain trying to work out the subtleties so I will be content to observe the creation of these great examples of the steam age. In the meantime I tidied the recent pic of 6220 and the Coronation Scot on Shap, well a generic approximation of that great train with your engine and carriages Graham, this time without the extra colour light signal feed insulators on the scenic telephone pole... Having photographed several of the blue engines both the 2004 model and 2018 one, I think the body of the early version is nicer in some ways, thicker handrail notwithstanding. But of course they were at their very best in the war... Hornby's black versions are among my favourite models. Not that these last two have anything to do with Hills of the North.... it's just that I have reputation for thread drift which I have to uphold. It has nothing to do with bells, morse code, or telepathic transference either. Single line tablet exchange I can understand.

The bolt, or set-screw? should be made with a non-threaded section long enough to allow freedom of rotation and some side-play and still be nipped-up securely. Either this 'binding' B17 as a faulty bolt or an incorrect one. Semi-permanent threadlock might work but I wouldn't call it ideal.

AY. Ah yes! I put 3rd Rail Exile's photo of 21C7 in the best ever thread just now, thoroughly air-smoothed!

Hi Al, yes, some of the older Hornby engines are indeed great, my most silent and smooth is a 2004-era Princess class, factory weathered BR blue, and I rather like the look of it too. Maybe I should have included the new-tooling Princess class and the new original Merchant Navy class in my recent post, they are both superb, the new Duchess is great too. The very recent wartime black Merchant Navy 21C7 appeals to me I have one on order, and 3rd Rail Exile did a couple of quick photos of his recently-received example. He has given me permission to mess with his quickly-taken photo and I came up with this. Original in the Merchant Navy thread, 2 days ago. Thanks 3rd Rail Exile.

Forgive me what does 'AS' mean please?

In my limited experience TMC have been excellent, friendly, patient and logical. The models I have pre-ordered from them have all been delivered in a timely manner, and they will refund payments made if requested when there are delays to delivery from, say, Hornby.. No connection, just a satisfied customer.

Lucky you with the front steps fitted and extra drain pipes! I have never found it easy to fit those steps! Looks great, thanks for the photos.

In a rare moment of thread discipline, I was thinking last night about the quality of the recent A2 models, and am of the opinion that if assembled properly, and all five on mine are close to that divine and perfect state, then the A2 equals the Clan, Britannia, and Bulleid Light Pacific. Let down in the case of BR era A2/2 and A2/3 models by flat paint, perhaps. The paint doesn't worry me and looks great weathered. I tend to compare large green engines mostly because they are my main interest, I understand such as the J36 is very good, and the B12. The A2 has excellent wheels, the detailing is fine, they must be very hard to assemble and all credit to those in China who succeed at this. Above all, they have a look of quality modelling. Credit also to Hornby and those who developed the model. When people criticise Hornby for assembly issues I would be interested to see how well they would do if confronted with the task of assembling the parts which make up one of these models. At around UKP170 retail. Here is an edited version of a photo I put in the A2 thread a week ago. I have left that front step kicked-up, I tend not to notice it. Another aspect of RTR 00 models, the price of labour in China is much higher than it was, and Hornby emerged from the Sanda Kan debacle rather well, all said and done. Maybe I will buy a Chamossaire just to finish the matter.

The A2s all operated passenger trains regularly. With very high steam raising capacity, 6' 2" drivers, they just about deserved the 8P/7F rating Cecil J Allen recorded 60502 sustaining an average of over 90mph with a fairly heavy train with a maximum of 95mph for 15 miles north of York on level ground. I forget the exact numbers but that's close. The engines had poor ride at speed, were prone to frame cracking and steam leak issues and were not universally liked by crews used to Gresley engines, thus they tended to be used on secondary trains and fast freights. Being relatively few in number compared to A3, A4 and V2s doing the kind of work for which the Thompson Pacifics were designed, they never really had their shortcomings fixed, sadly. It makes interesting reading, the Thompson Pacifics, designed during the war with standardised and fabricated parts, when the LNER was very short of power. I really like them!

Doesn't look like a rod fouling to me, more a gear meshing issue. I'd be inclined to return it, unless you are willing to disassemble and inspect. Sorry. And it's only a guess on my part looking at the video. Good luck.

Some more pictures of the engine named after that denzion of locomotive design art, Edward Thompson, as modelled by Hornby... mostly just to test depth of field and generally play with my new camera... a Canon M6 MkII which stops down to F40. This first one is a single shot, no stacking, but liberal use of colour and sharpening tools, no details on engine changed. This below similar but two shots grafted together, and finally a single shot with nothing but cropping and resizing. Edit; Having thought more about Thompson's Pacifics I am of the view that they were potentially a great design, sadly not developed, for various reasons. After the war the LNER had a lot of Pacifics and V2s, maintenance was better than in 1942-47 and crews had not really taken to Thompson's Pacifics. The steam leaks, frame cracking and poor ride were all in my opinion 'fixable'. The large firebox and double chimney combined with unpopularity led to high-ish fuel use? Thompson was no Gresley by character, and wasn't known for tact. I have no idea why Peppercorn didn't keep the double chimney at first, others may know. Tactless though rebuilding Great Northern was, it was potentially a good engine, too. Just my thoughts for today at least. here is my embellished edited pic of the day...

Talk of a Black 5 ascending Stoke brings to mind anecdotes I've read about B1s and Black 5s, and their comparative merits. I wondered if these things receive much attention in the B1 books which are in hand? For what it's worth a friend Dave Tierney was a fireman at at Hitchin in the 1958-62 period and here is a quote from him.. "Check out the running of 61251 on the North Devon line during the trials. It exceeded a Castle's timing with a Castle's load during the Interchange trials. 61251 was a Hitchin Bongo that I fired on many times, but it wasn't the most powerful Bongo we had, in my opinion 61097 was." Needless to say he thought the B1 better than a Black 5. The removal of O1s from Windcutters and replacement with 8Fs .... another story.

Mine all run smoothly straight from the box, but do not get extended running. Does the local supplier you cite give new engines extended test runs before sale? My suppliers of A2s are TMC who have weathered two and that requires a degree of wheel turning, and Kernow, who do not normally remove from box , and all good apart from a broken rear coupling and bent steps and tender brake rods. To be honest, I would not trust some shop employees to have the skill to take one of these A2s out of the box, test run, and replace it, without damaging it.

A touch of RTR never did anyone any harm, especially when Tony has had a hand in design and manufacture of a model. I think Tony has an A2/3 but is not a reviewer because of his obvious and welcome influence on its quality. Here is my edited adaptation of the A2/3 'Edward Thompson' at Nottingham Victoria, background from Hornby's advertisement, coloured by me.. No argument about the green... photo taken on my desk, average room light mostly natural, PSP6 editing. What a lovely model! Even if straight from a box.

Edward Thompson in the pose used in the Hornby ads, but named... Rather attractive, which I doubt I would have said six months ago! And no debates about green!

I must be very lucky with 5 from 5 randomly bough all ok, albeit a few minor assembly issues, like that small front step a bit bent. Here is the other side of the LNER A2/3 'Edward Thompson'. Slightly edited with tone and contrast. Fully edited version from slightly different angle in 'best ever' thread'. Apologies I have edited this one above a bit, mostly darkening the bright parts. These models certainly are fragile and I suspect mishandling during packing. Are the 8 from 12 rejects broken badly? Irreparable? Not that a buyer should accept anything faulty.

George Heiron was my hero back in the 60s when I read 'Model Railway News' with his work on the cover, back around 1963 when I would lie on the floor after school reading Kitmaster or Airfix ads. It occurs to me also that LNER4479 chose well in using an older tooling version of 6220... the top front steps are poor on the newer models, and the lined wheels less attractive to my eye. Question is, will I buy all nine new Stanier blue carriages...?

I have just bought a digital copy and after a quick perusal am very well pleased! TW does write a good caption. (60022 article)... much yet to read, great value.

I'm not sure if 'Hills of the North' includes things south of Carlisle, but I have never been known for exactitude. Somehow Graham and I got to exchanging ideas about models on Shap, starting with A1 60161 when it was at Polmadie in 1951 I think, and he took a lovely shot of a Bachmann model on the Shap bank layout. In for a penny, as they say, we thought the new Hornby carriages in particular deserved attention, and Graham took a couple of shots from an angle likely to emulate the great master, Eric Treacy, who took many superb photos on Shap from 1937 to 1952 on. Here are two of the basic photos; From these, and Eric Treacy's photos alongside I was able to do something which is our tribute to the Bishop. Part of a front wheel and some of the track is directly from a Treacy photo, coloured by me. I have been shameless in moving things around, changing colour tone and contrast, It reminds me of the basic rules of composition, which I generally ignore, my own pics being based on the great maxim, 'the eye forgives'. In the style of Eric Treacy's famous Shap photos, Hornby 6220 'Coronation' looks good as it attacks the bank with a down 'Coronation Scot', 1937.

For those wondering about the LNER livery, here is 500 as received today, nothing broken, nothing fallen off, runs smoothly. 5 out of 5 good A2s now. But they don't go far on test track. Photo is unedited but for crop and re-size. Lighting from adjacent window and reading lamp.

All this talk of baseboard clearances, have you seen the Carlisle prototype? A2/3 60507.... who needs a Britannia or and A3 eh? wikipedia photo ben brooksbank

Indeed, 'In stock' on Hornby website. I can't wait!

With all the drama of Coronation Scot carriages and LNER4479's superb photo I could not resist modifying it a little with a pic with my own 6221 'Queen Elizabeth'... thus... Thanks LNER4479... the last 7 carriages are yours.