Old Hornby Gresley 'Teaks'

[BHD]

Hello All

A quick question to those more versed than I, on the older (R478) Hornby teaks and LNER Matters !

I am contemplating a static diorama with a GBL Mallard and some of the above coaches.

Question is that I have heard they are too short - they look like they may be based on the 57ft chassis - is this true?

TIA
Pete

[TomTom]

Yes, they are. Introduced in the seventies along with the LMS ones but shortened to fit the 57'chassis - they should be 61'6". Apparently the dimensions of panelling etc were compressed to fit the smaller chassis, but in some ways are better than the current version as they have the correct tumblehome and look far more like the real thing than the slab sided replacements, so it will be a case of making your mind up - the older ones are far cheaper but passable to many eyes....

[Firefly16]

If it's any help, I would go for the older version. Not a great LNER fan, I bought the brake composite for its bogies for a scratchbuild project. On receiving it from Hattons I liked it so much that I decided to leave well alone - in fact I'll be buying flushglazing for it at some future date. The older Hornby coaches of this period have the merit of interchangeable components - mine came with a buffer missing, a problem easily solved by swapping its underframe with that of a Margate Maunsell bought for cannibalising. But best of all, the underframe was embossed with the proud legend 'Built in Great Britain'.

[Bigmet]

The sole decent RTR OO models of LNER gangwayed stock are Hornby's current Gresley BG - these often ran as the first vehicle in express trains - which because of the narrower body and more vertical bodyside of the real thing is well represented by the model, and Bachmann's Thompson coaches, which are very fine. Not cheap however, and that also applies to Hornby's announced Coronation set.

What most of us interested in the dry side have done over the years is build coach kits, and of these long the simplest option is the Ian Kirk range which are of simple plastic kit construction, readily 'worked on' to whatever standard the model builder requires.

More on what can be done with the old Hornby teaks on the specialist forum:
https://www.lner.info/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=14049

[Ken Shabby]

I have one in regular service on which I did that trick to darken the teak. . I can't recall exactly how I did it, but I did replace the LNER lettering with BR(E) coach numbers to give it a yet to be repainted early fifties look.
It runs in a rake of carmine and cream Triang Mk1 coaches, which is supposed to represent an excusion from the Eastern Region.

Ken

[BHD]

Thanks All

Sorry for the tardy response - due to lurgy

Pete

[Mountain]

The old ones run ever so well and they look good as well. Not had any modern ones, but the old ones are so nice and they can be found at such great prices secondhand, I would go for a long rake of the older ones and just buy some fancy new 12.5 (12.6)mm metal wheels if one wants to upgrade them.