Britannia Class locos an Observation (inc DOG and the Clans)

[VESPA]

As most will know I have a fascination for the Britannia Class locos. Over the past week or so I have been putting etched nameplates on most of my collection. They cost me a fortune but look really great. As I was more close up to them and with so many being done, I have noticed massive differences in the detailing even with the very latest types. Some locos with sliding roofs have narrow roof sliders and others wider ones. Some have got to the point of having seperate oilers in the running plate and others even with the very latest motor in boiler locos have moulded on oilers. I think that the latest offerings have as many alterations as the real locos had. Sadly one of the first ones to be attacked was 70044 Earl Haig and I got that at Christmas. At the time I only gave it and Lord Kitchener a cursory once over. Both were from Hornby direct and both were damaged. Hornby couldn't supply me with a replacement whistle which was broken off and lost in the factory I assume and the other had bent valve gear. The valve gear wasn't too much of a problem but the whistle foxed me for several weeks. I managed to obtain a very similar whistle from another loco and stuck that on. It looks the part as well. I couldn't return either as they were LTD stock and unavailable. Surely though, Hornby could have some of these small parts available if they are so easily damaged or broken off.

I also did my 3 Clans with plates and on really close inspection these are absolutely brilliant models with dtailing down to wires inder the running plate to the speedo. My DOG was a bit of a disappointment by way of Hornby supplied nameplates as these were just plastic. I only ordered one set for the trainpack and assumed that the others were engraved. So I will have to order another set for that. I missed a few locos out as I was only going to use engraved plates on the super detailed ones but now I think I will do them all and not just SD and rename and number ones.

Lastly, I seem to have got hold of two Black Prince Train packs. I can only assume that I took delivery of one and the order was repeated after I returned a damaged set. So that was years ago and one will now become 70029 Shooting Star

[mjb1961]

I've noticed this as well ,I've got five flying scotsmans,a railroad and a TTS ,both railroad version bodies but the railroad has sprung buffers but the TTS doesn't ,the others are the royal duties ,wartime black and the USA tour ,all high detail and look to be the same level of detail but there is a piece of detail on top of the boiler in the middle ,don't know what it's called but the three high detailed ones have an oval shape and the railroad ones are round ,I'm sure that in real life gresley didn't make differences to the bodies ,what I'm saying is a flying Scotsman is a flying Scotsman and should all be the same ,as for sprung buffers well I can only say that for a factory manufactured  product they can't have any standardisation to work to,also the TTS gadwall ,the tender has sprung buffers but the loco doesn't ,I can't understand that ,yet the A4 mallard dcc fitted in green has sprung buffers and that is a railroad range loco ,I really do think that Hornby could do a lot better if they set a standard and kept to it ,,,,,,,,mjb

[VESPA]

MJB,

I can clear that up for you right away. I to have too many FS locos and from the initial Gresley design the dome on the boiler was round and stayed that way for some time as the engine was originally classed A1. Later in life the dome became a "Banjo" dome and that is the elongated version on the A3 as the loco became. These domes are to allow the steam to be regulated to the cylinders. I found this link to explain it a bit better....  http://locomotive.wikia.com/wiki/Steam_Dome