Hornby Merchant Navy announced (formerly Facebook leak)

[Ian Hargrave]

That is what I thought but the impression I get from some posters here is that theirs came with the parts already fitted which I find odd.

I think what they meant is the brake rodding as mentioned in Ian's post 1578.

[SRman]

Yes; my 21C3 Royal Mail arrived today, courtesy of Royal Mail. It does, indeed, have the brake rodding already fitted, but the bag of separate fittings for brake pipes and drain cocks, etc.

21C3 is currently running in on DC on my rolling road. There seems to be a slight whine from the motor/gears but hopefully that will quieten down further with running.

[Steamport Southport]

Yes the parts are in a bag.

 

No flanged trailing wheel though which is a slight disappointment. The two other modern era Hornby Pacifics that I have had one supplied. A Battle Of Britain and an A4.

 

 

Not all of us have train set curves you know....

 

 

 

Jason

[No Decorum]

Yes the parts are in a bag.

 

No flanged trailing wheel though which is a slight disappointment. The two other modern era Hornby Pacifics that I have had one supplied. A Battle Of Britain and an A4.

 

 

Not all of us have train set curves you know....

 

 

 

Jason

I agree except that my disappointment isn’t slight. What is worse is that it looks impractical to provide a little sideplay. Early retooled A4s were better in this respect – there was plastic which could be carved away easily. I’ve been studying pictures of the Duchesses with a mixture of anticipation and trepidation, wondering how the flanged trailing wheel arrangement will turn out.

[JSpencer]

I agree except that my disappointment isn’t slight. What is worse is that it looks impractical to provide a little sideplay. Early retooled A4s were better in this respect – there was plastic which could be carved away easily. I’ve been studying pictures of the Duchesses with a mixture of anticipation and trepidation, wondering how the flanged trailing wheel arrangement will turn out.

Are you referring to have side play for say 3ft curves or a lot tighter?

 

One would hope the former is possible.

[No Decorum]

Are you referring to have side play for say 3ft curves or a lot tighter?

 

One would hope the former is possible.

My stuff is laid to 6' (bit of a mistake really, because a bit tighter would have allowed something less like a giant oval). For the sake of one and all, second radius would be ideal but perhaps third or fourth would entail fewer compromises. I‘m sure that whatever way Hornby goes about it, some people are going to be unhappy.

[JSpencer]

My stuff is laid to 6' (bit of a mistake really, because a bit tighter would have allowed something less like a giant oval). For the sake of one and all, second radius would be ideal but perhaps third or fourth would entail fewer compromises. I‘m sure that whatever way Hornby goes about it, some people are going to be unhappy.

 

Ok, I agree that a model should be designed to use flanged wheels on that and down as low as 3' or 4' radius. My kit built W1 copes easily with those.

[GreenGiraffe22]

after removing the pipework and completely rebuilding the station area eradicating every last trace of the shortest of radius 1 curves on my inner loop, I am pleased to report that the Merchant Navy is no longer bound to my outer loop, as long as it keeps to a steady speed, probably scale equivalent of about 30/40 mp any faster and the front bogie lifts off the rails on the radius 2s. 

[Robin Brasher]

The June Model Rail includes another excellent review by Chris Leigh to add to my collection. I think I have been reading his reviews for the last 40 years.

 

Before reading his review of the original Merchant Navy locomotive I had no idea that the cladding on 'Royal Mail' was made of Limpet Board and this is reproduced on the Hornby model. I don't like the fixed rear truck. The flangeless wheels are clearly visible on the photograph on page 11. The Hornby rebuilt Merchant Navy locomotive had a pivoted rear truck. It produced no adverse comments so if works and looks all right why fix it?

 

The review suggests using 'Royal Mail' with Maunsell or Bulleid coaches but as the Hornby model depicts 'Royal Mail' as it was in the early 1940s and the Bulleid coaches were not built until the late 1940s Bulleid coaches are not suitable for 'Royal Mail'. The main coaches that you would see 'Royal Mail' with are Maunsell coaches and this highlights the limitations of the locomotive that Hornby have chosen to model.

 

The wheel back-to-back in the review of 0mm is wrong as is the wheel back-to-back of 14.4mm for the N gauge Castle

[SRman]

I was going to pose my Royal Mail with some Pullman cars, but then realised that at the time of the locomotive being in the modelled condition, most Pullmans had been withdrawn and stored for the duration of the war.

I do have some fully lined olive green Maunsell coaches, so maybe those will form the train for 21C3's portrait photo.

 

Incidentally, 21C3 has now been run on the rollers for the requisite time ... plus an hour, because I forgot I had left it running! She now has a DCC Concepts Z218 decoder fitted and runs nicely, although slightly noisy at very low speeds - I may have to tweak the decoder setting to reduce that effect. As for hauling power; well, she has successfully hauled an ex-LMS Stove R 6-wheel van (in BR crimson) quite happily! Seriously, I haven't really tested pulling power yet, but I get the feeling she will haul as many coaches as I can fit behind her.

Edited May 5, 2017 by SRman

[Ian Hargrave]

I was going to pose my Royal Mail with some Pullman cars, but then realised that at the time of the locomotive being in the modelled condition, most Pullmans had been withdrawn and stored for the duration of the war.

I do have some fully lined olive green Maunsell coaches, so maybe those will form the train for 21C3's portrait photo.

 

Incidentally, 21C3 has now been run on the rollers for the requisite time ... plus an hour, because I forgot I had left it running! She now has a DCC Concepts Z218 decoder fitted and runs nicely, although slightly noisy at very low speeds - I may have to tweak the decoder setting to reduce that effect. As for hauling power; well, she has successfully hauled an ex-LMS Stove R 6-wheel van (in BR crimson) quite happily! Seriously, I haven't really tested pulling power yet, but I get the feeling she will haul as many coaches as I can fit behind her.

This is 21C3 as she ran in wartime.Troop trains ran to and from all parts of the U.K.Lined olive I don't think is totally appropriate but I might be wrong on that,Try instead the plain SR olive coaches from the Return From Dunkirk set or other regions... GWR Colletts,LNER Gresleys,LMS Staniers and of course SR Maunsells in malachite.At that time,anything goes and the Southern was the conduit to the Channel ports for embarkation to France.Enjoy a great model.

[7013]

Whole heartedly agree with Ian, I have Channel Packet, it runs and looks lovely with Pullmans, Maunsels and parcels vans. I am not proud, if I like a loco I run it with what looks good. I appreciate for some people historical accuracy is important, for me enjoyment is important, if that means a little modellers licence so be it, happiness is a personal thing sometimes.

[Ian Hargrave]

Whole heartedly agree with Ian, I have Channel Packet, it runs and looks lovely with Pullmans, Maunsels and parcels vans. I am not proud, if I like a loco I run it with what looks good. I appreciate for some people historical accuracy is important, for me enjoyment is important, if that means a little modellers licence so be it, happiness is a personal thing sometimes.

 

And three rousing cheers for that

[GreenGiraffe22]

Mine is with the Dunkirk set at the moment it's lost a ladder off its buffer beam somewhere on the layout... no idea where though.  

 

[toboldlygo]

Scalpel - check

Microsol - check

Paintbrush - check

Victim..sorry Merchant Navy - check

 

 

 

[toboldlygo]

SPOILERS   

 

[Jack P]

Pardon my ignorance, but what are royal mails differences with how she ran post war? surely the livery was the same?

[JSpencer]

Pardon my ignorance, but what are royal mails differences with how she ran post war? surely the livery was the same?

 

To start off, the front end (given smoke deflectors) and the rear of the tender (ladders replacing the steps).

[toboldlygo]

To start off, the front end (given smoke deflectors) and the rear of the tender (ladders replacing the steps).

 

Slightly more than that, raves on the rear of the tender were cut-down, vacuum cylinders were stacked like a pyramid to allow room for the TIA water treatment tank etc.

 

Should also be noted that steps at the rear of the tender (below the buffers) - where the same Southern pattern of step as used on the Q1 - these were altered to a BR design later on.

[ed 66 plant]

SPOILERS   

 

35022_inWorks.jpg

Hi TOBOLDLYGO,

                              Did you remove the cabside nos. with a scalpel and were the replacements a single complete transfer/from where etc?

I am in the process of converting 35028 to 35030 and have everything but these.

You obviously thought it better to remove the nameplates rather than glue over?

Incidentally I have had it fitted with the ESU Loksound decoder and it sounds great--still some tweaking to do .

The only thing missing is wheel slip but I have a Zimo + Bullied sound file about to be fitted to Bude--this has wheel slip.

It will be interesting to compare.

regards,Ed

[brushman47544]

Hi TOBOLDLYGO,

                              Did you remove the cabside nos. with a scalpel and were the replacements a single complete transfer/from where etc?

I am in the process of converting 35028 to 35030 and have everything but these.

You obviously thought it better to remove the nameplates rather than glue over?

Incidentally I have had it fitted with the ESU Loksound decoder and it sounds great--still some tweaking to do .

The only thing missing is wheel slip but I have a Zimo + Bullied sound file about to be fitted to Bude--this has wheel slip.

It will be interesting to compare.

regards,Ed

 

and it appears you used white numbers for 35022 whereas 35028 looks like straw. Is 35028 wrong or does it depend on the period?

[toboldlygo]

Hi TOBOLDLYGO,

                              Did you remove the cabside nos. with a scalpel and were the replacements a single complete transfer/from where etc?

I am in the process of converting 35028 to 35030 and have everything but these.

You obviously thought it better to remove the nameplates rather than glue over?

Incidentally I have had it fitted with the ESU Loksound decoder and it sounds great--still some tweaking to do .

The only thing missing is wheel slip but I have a Zimo + Bullied sound file about to be fitted to Bude--this has wheel slip.

It will be interesting to compare.

regards,Ed

 

I removed the cabside numbers with Microsol, leave it for 10 to 15 minutes and then they come off very easily with a cocktail stick, if they don't I use a bit of very fine wet and dry - scalpel is the last resort. I then use a bit of Auto Glym Paint restorer to get a gloss finish where the new numbers are going.

 

The cabside numbers are complete sets (water-slide) from Fox Transfers (ref no: FRH4008/35XXX 10" )

 

I think putting the etched plates on top of the original plastic ones makes them stick out too far on the air-smoothed casing, plus it think there are a couple locos where the plates weren't mounted in the same place.

[toboldlygo]

and it appears you used white numbers for 35022 whereas 35028 looks like straw. Is 35028 wrong or does it depend on the period?

 

The replacements are straw, they always do look lighter than the tampo printed originals - I've have renumbered enough Bulleids to know that

 

White should only really be applicable for the express Blue livery

[ed 66 plant]

I removed the cabside numbers with Microsol, leave it for 10 to 15 minutes and then they come off very easily with a cocktail stick, if they don't I use a bit of very fine wet and dry - scalpel is the last resort. I then use a bit of Auto Glym Paint restorer to get a gloss finish where the new numbers are going.

 

The cabside numbers are complete sets (water-slide) from Fox Transfers (ref no: FRH4008/35XXX 10" )

 

I think putting the etched plates on top of the original plastic ones makes them stick out too far on the air-smoothed casing, plus it think there are a couple locos where the plates weren't mounted in the same place.

Thank you very much for your kind assistance--I have ordered the cabside no.sets and the microsol.

Ed

[Jim104]

Does the Microsol affect the base green colour at all ?

 

 

I removed the cabside numbers with Microsol, leave it for 10 to 15 minutes and then they come off very easily with a cocktail stick, if they don't I use a bit of very fine wet and dry - scalpel is the last resort. I then use a bit of Auto Glym Paint restorer to get a gloss finish where the new numbers are going.

 

The cabside numbers are complete sets (water-slide) from Fox Transfers (ref no: FRH4008/35XXX 10" )

Edited May 13, 2017 by Jim104