Hornby K type Pullman coaches

[Bigmet]

In fairness to Hornby, they are the most difficult to mould of the numerous types of gangwayed grouping era coaches, and they were also the first newly tooled coaches from Hornby in China, so at the start of their learning curve there.

I wasn't sure, but thought either they or the first of the new detail lit Pullmans were. Before my time. The Hornby Collector's guide gives a time frame of 2004 for the first 61' 6" corridor coaches. Does that sound about right?

You are correct now I stop and think about it, the light fitted Pullmans must have been the first as they came initially without NEM pockets for the couplers. By the time the Gresleys were released Hornby had standardised on the NEM coupler pocket. However the slab sided Pullman exteriors don't present the challenge of putting beading onto a curved surface that has bedevilled RTR production of Gresley coaches over the years.

Regarding progress, I am grateful we get any in OO! It is slow because of the relatively small market: from 1960 to 2000 there was very little from Hornby, and some of the body moulding and mechanism standards of models from circa 1960 exceeded those which came later in that period. (I still slightly regret the loss of Triang's TT, mechanisms to a better standard than the contemporary OO product, and real finesse in some of the body mouldings.) The 'better stuff' available in OO since 1999 is only available off the back of HO development investment, as I think most of us recognise.

[GWR_fan]

I thought that I would look to the upcoming "Queen of Scots" train pack R3402 as a potential source of additional coaches for an LNER rake. Alas, Hornby's illustration is useless as it uses the "Golden Arrow" Pullman coaches. Really, how serious a model railway manufacturer is Hornby these days??????????????????????????

http://www.hornby.com/uk-en/lner-queen- ... -pack.html


At least hopefully it has the list of contents correct.

"Contents:

- 'A4’ 4-6-2 4500 Garganey in LNER garter blue
- All-steel K-Type Brake Third 'No. 77'
- All-steel K-Type Kitchen First 'Thelma'
- All-steel K-Type Parlour First 'Sheila' "


On a further note I was listening to the sound on the yet to be released TTS "Mallard". The sound is more a generic American theme. At any moment I was expecting a bell to ring.

[Bigmet]

I can see what Hornby have done there, putting firsts in the train pack. Probably got equal quantities of all the all-steel K car types in production, whereas 'ane fule no' that the thirds and brakes need to be in double the quantity of the firsts. On introduction the QoS was formed BT/PT/KT/PF/KF/KT/PT/BT, and this remained the basis of the formation. Notice how the kitchens are near the centre of the set, three out of four vehicles? This made reprovisioning easier, and also enabled the most efficient interworking in service should one kitchen have a problem arise.

The irony in Hornby making these cars is that the standard power was of course a C1 atlantic, until quite late in the thirties as the A4s and V2s entered service in numbers, making plentiful six coupled wide firebox power available.

...Really, how serious a model railway manufacturer is Hornby these days?...

Down in the 'engine room' the team developing the product for manufacture, are way outperforming the guys in marketing! The models now to as good a standard as anything we have ever seen in OO RTR. The guys selling the stuff not nearly so clued up...

[Black-Marlin]

The irony in Hornby making these cars is that the standard power was of course a C1 atlantic, until quite late in the thirties as the A4s and V2s entered service in numbers, making plentiful six coupled wide firebox power available.

I managed to pick up the set of 5 cars in Glasgow for £150, ostensibly for my C1 to haul but, having done a little research beforehand, I also bought another locomotive that I think will look exceedingly fine at the head of the train: Model Rail's LNER-liveried D11/1. In keeping with the irony already mentioned, it's another Bachmann model...

[Bigmet]

I thought that I would look to the upcoming "Queen of Scots" train pack R3402 as a potential source of additional coaches for an LNER rake. Alas, Hornby's illustration is useless as it uses the "Golden Arrow" Pullman coaches. Really, how serious a model railway manufacturer is Hornby these days?...
At least hopefully it has the list of contents correct.

"Contents:
- 'A4’ 4-6-2 4500 Garganey in LNER garter blue
- All-steel K-Type Brake Third 'No. 77'
- All-steel K-Type Kitchen First 'Thelma'
- All-steel K-Type Parlour First 'Sheila' "...

It did! (I have just managed to buy one s/h at a sensible price.) It's all wrong of course, the three cars from this pack combined with the five cars sold separately for an eight car train, has way too many first class seats. Then again; it looks lovely winging along with the LNER liveried C1 (or any other LNER wide firebox loco I care to put on) up front, and that's the main thing. Probably the most accurate pre-WWII LNER express train that's possible from unaltered RTR OO models, (the error, just two vehicles that should be 3rd class rather then first class) at least until Hornby's Coronation coaches appear.

[Bigmet]

And 'just in case' anyone else could use the All-Steel K type cars in the R3402 set, Hattons are advertising 4 sets as 'new'. This most likely unsold stock from A.N.Other retailer's shelf; or did they lose track of them in their own stockroom? Whatever the reason, it supports my opinion of not being in a rush for useful releases: it will come around if missed when first released...

(I did think about mentioning this in 'bargains' as the price is quite likely much the same as when first released.)