Harry Potter locomotive versions

[George Stein]

Looking at USA & UK-based E-bay, the prices for the Harry Potter train sets vary quite widely. As the locomotive can be easily re-painted as a proper GWR engine, I'm wondering if the price differentials are a consequence of different models (quality?) of the locomotives in each of the sets. Is it the same Hornby locomotive,or has Hornby used different locos (e.g., Railroad Range) in different sets? An odd question, but I'm curious.

George Stein

Posts: 79
Joined: Fri Jan 06, 2012 9:47 pm

[naugytrax]

Some of the train sets are made by Hornby, who have the "Harry Potter" license for the UK, and some are made by Bachmann, who have the license for the rest of the world. (A similar arrangement to the "Thomas and Friends" franchises.) Both sets feature ex-GWR 4-6-0's, but the Hornby one is a 4-cylinder "Castle" type, originally derived form the Dapol model, whereas the Bachmann one is a "Modified Hall" 2-cylinder loco. Neither is quite like the loco used in the movie, which is an "original" Hall class engine. I believe some versions of the Hornby engine have had a headlamp mounted in the smokebox door. Bachmann nowadays have an original Hall in their OO scale range, and this may be used in more recent "Harry Potter" sets.
Accurate representation of the "real" (i.e., movie) loco is unimportant to those familiar with the books, who will know that the loco which hauls Harry and co. from Kings Cross north (presumably) to Hogwarts is specified only to be a red steam engine. The author, J.K.Rowling, has admitted that when she was planning the books she was confused between Kings Cross, the London terminus of the Great Northern Railway (East Coast Main Line), and Euston, the terminus of the London and North Western Railway (West Coast Main Line). Red steam engines never used Kings Cross, but in the time frame in the Muggle world which is apparently represented by the stories, BR London Midland Region was running maroon Pacifics out of Euston and perhaps she had them in mind. So it may be that the most authentic Harry Potter loco would be a Stanier 8P, and not any type of ex-GWR engine.
If I wanted an accurate model of GWR 5972 or another Hall, I wouldn't start with any Harry Potter loco. The randomness in pricing no doubt reflects that the demand for these train sets has been driven by intense marketing linked to the movies and unrelated to considerations of quality.

[Bigmet]

The deep irony of course being that the Hall used in the fillums simply wouldn't have the range to do the run to Scotland. It would be near out of coal in the bunker, and needing the fire out and ashpan emptied, by about Lancaster or York.

This was the why of Pacific classes for through running into Scotland. But hiring a pacific would have cost the film makers more - supposing one to be available - and it probably wouldn't have been able to run on the single line used to film the Northern end of the journey, because of greater axle loading. So I suppose in a world in which Ford Anglias can fly there must be some spells along the way to keep the loco going: 'ashius removious' and 'bunkerious replenishens' if I have grasped the pig-latin standard magic formulae correctly.

[Admin4]

They can do magic i doubt they need to worry about things like that

with the hornby ones the later ones are DCC ready but the early ones are simple enough to convert - i did mine and installed smoke unit

[6C]

Then tha magic needs applying to the old Dapol pancake motor - expeliarmus indeed

[luckymucklebackit]

I'm sure that somewhere in the Harry Potter history a West Country Pacific was rostered for the Hogwarts Express, wasn't Taw Valley painted in maroon for a while??

Jim

[Harry Judd]

I'm sure that somewhere in the Harry Potter history a West Country Pacific was rostered for the Hogwarts Express, wasn't Taw Valley painted in maroon for a while??

Jim

34027 Taw Valley was painted maroon for the book launch for Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire.

[Hilux5972]

The reason olton hall was used is because the director said that all other engines looked too modern. Nothing at all to do with steaming range. After the departure scenes, the loco was low-loaded and driven to the west highlands for the glenfinnan scenes then low-loaded to goathlsnd for arrival scenes

[Hilux5972]

Looking at USA & UK-based E-bay, the prices for the Harry Potter train sets vary quite widely. As the locomotive can be easily re-painted as a proper GWR engine, I'm wondering if the price differentials are a consequence of different models (quality?) of the locomotives in each of the sets. Is it the same Hornby locomotive,or has Hornby used different locos (e.g., Railroad Range) in different sets? An odd question, but I'm curious.

George Stein

Posts: 79
Joined: Fri Jan 06, 2012 9:47 pm

If you want a movie accurate hogwarts express, wait until the new year. Hornby are releasing its new hall, one of which will be Olton Hall in its hogwarts livery, and new Mk1 coaches too. I will be doing a bit of re numbering when they are released. If you need and further info about the Hogwarts express then pm me. I have the details of what rolling stock was used in the movies.

[Bigmet]

The reason olton hall was used is because the director said that all other engines looked too modern...

Now that is hilarious. Presumably he wasn't offered the Bluebell's 'Dukedog' 4-4-0?

[Hilux5972]

The reason olton hall was used is because the director said that all other engines looked too modern...

Now that is hilarious. Presumably he wasn't offered the Bluebell's 'Dukedog' 4-4-0?

Sorry I worded that wrongly. The producers had several pics of different locomotives and Olton hall was the only one that was suitably old enough from the pics.

[luckymucklebackit]

The reason olton hall was used is because the director said that all other engines looked too modern. Nothing at all to do with steaming range. After the departure scenes, the loco was low-loaded and driven to the west highlands for the glenfinnan scenes then low-loaded to goathlsnd for arrival scenes

It wasn't always transported by road, saw it a couple of times passing Dumbarton going to and from the West Highland Line.

Hogwarts2.jpg (116.13 KiB) Viewed 4488 times

Jim

[Newportonian]

I have always thought that Olton Hall was originally used as a back up locomotive because the directors original choice, either Nunney Castle or Pendennis Castle was unavailable when filming started.
To most people it wouldn't be apparent that Hogwarts Castle wasn't a Castle class locomotive and as has been said there is no exact description of what it should look like.
However the locomotive on the cover of the original book is all Maroon (even the smokebox) and features a very large diameter boiler and smoke deflectors. I would say the closest real life locomotive would be a Duchess,Rebuilt Merchant Navy or a Brit.

[HonestTom]

In the first book, Hermione mentions going to speak to the driver, which would seem to suggest that the locomotive should have a corridor tender - so an A3, perhaps?

Just to add, in the comic The League of Eztraordinary Gentleman, there's a bit where two of the main characters are chasing down the Antichrist and find the Hogwarts Express with the bodies of a number of the students, the Antichrist in question having gone on a killing spree. The Express in question, despite having been partially melted and being fused with a number of corpses, is obviously based on a Black 5.

Now I come to think of it, that was a pretty messed-up comic.