Hornby LNER Pacifics Discussion

[S.A.C. Martin]

So we have the following arriving across the course of 2012:













...and then this in the Railroad Range:



What, if any, locomotive combinations can we make with the above?

As far as I can work out, removing the valances (Heresy!) on Great Snipe could give any of the post war A4s up until 1948 (minus the double chimney ones - Graeme's resin chimneys would sort that out) and a large majority of them from 1948-9, bar the A4s which took on experimental liveries or had non-corridor tenders.

The apple green NRM Flying Scotsman and Book Law strike me as being extremely useful for LNER/early BR renamings - is there anything on Flying Scotsman bar the overhead warning stickers, chimney and deflectors that would need correcting?

The black Flying Scotsman I am unsure of, but there must have been a few A3s with the banjo dome, and it's not that much of a stretch to fit a single chimney minus the deflectors, for a wartime A3?

The Railroad Flying Scotsman is an interesting one - looking to be more detailed and more accurate than the old Railroad one but keeping the moulded handrails and buffers the previous Tornado model had.

Tornado I left in for completion's sake.

EDIT: Title changed to better reflect the topics discussed.

[Daddyman]

Assuming these digital mock-ups are faithful to what will come out, Hornby appear to have changed the boiler on 4472 and 103. And a quick search on Google images suggests that this is in line with the real thing, which appears no longer to have an A4 boiler. That is, if I've understood the defining characteristics correctly: mudholes arranged sloping on A4 boiler and/or one washout plug intruding into first segment of boiler (on the LHS only?).
That means a few new options are availaible for modellers: any LHD A3 with the smaller cab-rear cut-out (introduced 1937-ish?) can now be modelled (tender permitting of course). Don't know how many that fits, but someone on here will know. Humourist, for example, seems possible with only the removal of the smoke defelectors, if you have a GN tender spare. As does Salmon Trout (no tender swap necessary for a brief period in 1937), which I opted to model with the incorrect boiler from the previous Hornby 4472 release. It might also mean 4472 in its 1960s preserved guise is also possible, for any Waverley Route modellers...
Regarding the A4 with stainless steel numbers, Sir Nige in its 1970s guise is also more or less possible with chimney swap and removal of valences (ignoring missing bodyside hatch above cylinder and assuming chrome strip can be removed from tender).

[S.A.C. Martin]

4472 definitely does have an A3 boiler fitted. The A4 boiler was sold to Jeremy Hosking for use on Bittern, and is being overhauled at Crewe.

[Daddyman]

Right.
There also a difference on the leading edge of the firebox - rivets on 4472/103, none on 1930s loco. That might be spanner in the works for all my suggestions above.

[S.A.C. Martin]

Right.
There also a difference on the leading edge of the firebox - rivets on 4472/103, none on 1930s loco. That might be spanner in the works for all my suggestions above.

That's a good shout, I sincerely had not noticed that - is this a new tooling to the A3 range...?!

Further question then - modern addition, or as it should be?

EDIT: Looks like its authentic, albeit late 50s/60s perhaps:

Sir Hugo

[Daddyman]

Dunno, the blond leading the blind, I'm afraid!
Checked my White Knight and that has A3 boiler and rivets. My other BR green A3 (identity of original Hornby base model forgotten) has A4 boiler and no rivets...
This suggests neither new tooling for Hornby nor modern alteration on real thing. The only photo I can see the rivets on in Locos of the LNER is Night Hawk in 1948 (Fig. 72).
Another issue might be the wrap-around mudhole in the same spot on the firebox. Not all seem to have that...

[S.A.C. Martin]

Looks like they can be used for various mods then

It occurs to me that the wartime black one would be an easy choice for a repaint into BR green if they don't sell as well as, say, the LNER liveried variants...!

[Saint Johnstoun]

If you are using either of the NRM Scotsman variants and remove the smoke deflectors then you have the problem of extending the handrails as it would seem that all deflector fitted Hornby A3s have the handrails cut short.

[60800]

Don't forget the double tender Bittern to look forward to as well

[60800]

Compiled from Hornby's split image:

[Daddyman]

If you are using either of the NRM Scotsman variants and remove the smoke deflectors then you have the problem of extending the handrails as it would seem that all deflector fitted Hornby A3s have the handrails cut short.

You're right, and fiddly to get the wrap-around at the smokebox front, but not such a big problem for the likes of people on here, eh? Romford 'small' handrails are reasonably close in size to Hornby's.

[Saint Johnstoun]

Yes, for those of us who can - I produced 2508 Brown Jack using an NRM Scotsman body and simply carefully pulled out the handrail wire on both sides, added two suitable new handrail knobs either side of the smokebox, and then replaced the wire using new, longer lengths which were carefully bent at the front to fit two more handrail knobs which were carefully inserted into two new holes either side of the smokebox door.

The handrail wire had to be carefully touched in with green or black paint but one would not know now.

[mick b]

I was lazy just added the handrail knobs and a superglued short length of wire to fill the gap. Never had a problem with the ones I have done.

[S.A.C. Martin]

Would it be possible to see pictures of your conversions, please gents? I'm drawing up plans for my own modelling and would be interested in seeing the two different approaches.

Having procured a few GNR 8-wheel tender bodies, I think the possibilities this year for some quite interesting A1/A3 combinations is high. Top on the list of my priorities are ones which were based at Copley Hill and had the BR branding, and the number and depot on the bufferbeam, in the LNER apple green. More than I thought, to my surprise.

[mick b]

There are pictures on mine on my LNER thread its the NRM versions you need to look at.