Hornby Coaches

[J Yoder]

I've been looking at old Hornby coaches as affordable possibilities for detailing and conversions. I know that a lot of the Hornby coaches have significant issues. Which coaches are good buys (even with a reasonable amount of work) and which ones should I avoid?

[Hatfield Shed]

Quite difficult to answer. Hornby produced some coaches described as LNER Gresley and Thompson types from about forty years ago. As was typical of UK RTR at the time these were a pastiche, a combination of stock parts with body sides and roofs representative of the constructional styles of the vehicles. These are very compromised both dimensionally (always short on length for a start), and by the production technique, which lagged well behind standards in HO. Personally, I would suggest steering clear of these.

Since the move to production in China, matters are somewhat improved. Hornby first essayed a group of Gresley design coaches, a selection of gangwayed types. These carried the varnished teak livery, which was particularly well executed. Unfortunately, the canvas on which this livery was laid was badly flawed: the body shape incorrect, the beading detail incorrect, the grain direction selectively misplaced. They look quite exquisite as the finish is very fine: unless of course you know what the prototypes look like (examples still operate in preservation) and then they look like what they are, a botched up job.

Latterly the more gross errors have been rectified, and a range of non-gangwayed stock of Gresley and Thompson designs have been introduced: happily good scale models. Does that help?

Bachmann are to release a selection of Thompson gangwayed types, still awaited. There were some earlier models from this source of the same stock, part of Bachmann's 'probe' on entering the UK market: rather basic toolingbut can be worked up into decent models.

[Danby Wiske]

It all depends on your definition of "a reasonable amount of work"!

Graeme King of this parish wrote a magazine article a good few years ago which turned the old Hornby Gresley coaches into something presentable. I'm afraid I don't have the details to hand, but I'm sure someone else will chip in...

EDIT: Found it here: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1624&p=23179

[jwealleans]

I was going to recommend Graeme's article. The old Hornby Gresleys are available very readily and cheaply and can be made up into very convincing and much more accurate carriages with some thought. He also does resin clerestory roofs to enable older GN/ECJS carriages to be made up (see the Grantham thread from ~ 2 years ago for these). The finish you can achieve on these is also surprisingly good.

[J Yoder]

I've been looking for the issue with Graeme's article and I've found some costly options via Ebay. Does anyone know whether BRM sells digital back issues that far back? I think that might be my preference.

I'm also going to be looking at buying an OO scale ruler, since that seems it looks like I will be working on my scratch building skills.

[Kestrel]

If you want to ask about BRM selling digital back issues, just e-mail them on either

Ben Jones (Managing Editor): benj@warnersgroup.co.uk

or

Howard Smith (Features Editor): howards@warnersgroup.co.uk

They're very helpful

[J Yoder]

Thank you! I really appreciate that advice.

[drmditch]

It is also quite possible to use the (old) Hornby mouldings to make 52' stock as in .... here....

Of course, no sooner had I made mine then Hornby produced their new models!

[Atlantic 3279]

If BRM can't help at reasonable cost then let me know via PM......

[J Yoder]

If BRM can't help at reasonable cost then let me know via PM......

Thank you! I'll let you know.

[Kestrel]

There used to be someone on the net who kept an index of all the magazines, BRM, RM, HM and MR.

[Bedders]

The BRMNA have a magazine article index, though it's not been updated for a couple of years - http://www.brmna.org/xrefs.shtml