No.91 Shades of Green – Hornby Britannia R3094

I would say that the newly tooled Hornby Britannia is one of the best models of all time.  I would buy one of the Diamond Jubilee sets that have been recently advertised.  I already had a couple of ‘Britannias’ with the modified smoke deflectors.  With R3094 there was the opportunity to acquire a model fitted with the original ‘dangerous deflectors’ with handrails.


Hornby R3094 Diamond Jubilee Train Pack

What is in the train pack?  I can confirm that you get a model that is supposed to be representative of preserved 70000 ‘Britannia’ as running in 2012.  The locomotive comes with the latest overhead warning symbols, a speed recorder is fitted but the coupling rods are fluted.  There is no air compressor. The tender has an Early Emblem and the axle boxes are picked out in yellow to indicate roller bearings.  Oh yes, the model comes with the cab roof painted white as applied historically to engines hauling the British monarch.  At the same time the model seems to have been given an extra satin finish perhaps to represent an engine in super clean and shiny condition.

Hornby R3094 Britannia –by this time I had already changed the tender underframe

My train set is based around 1960 - give or take a couple of years.  How to integrate 70000?  For starters I would change the tender top to a Late Crest.

Hornby R3094 Britannia with exchange tender top

The view above highlights the ‘superior’ finish on R3094 Britannia relative to the ‘normal’ finish on a ‘run of the mill’ Britannia tender.  Placing the model on the layout did not improve the appearance!
Hornby R3094 Britannia with exchange tender top

I would apply some beeswax.

Hornby R3094 Britannia with exchange tender top (waxed)


Hornby R3094 Britannia with exchange tender top (waxed) – close up

Visually quite a passable combination but did it ever happen?  I would undertake some research!

First to Flickr and a picture by Nigel Kendall:

1964 view courtesy of Nigel Kendall

Nigel’s view of 70000 dated 1964 confirms that Britannia had been fitted with replacement smoke deflectors (with no handrails).

 A further search using Google soon highlighted the David Hay (Picture) Collection and in particular the section devoted to ‘Britannia Pacifics written by Derek Dean.  With regard to engine number 70000 Derek writes as follows:
....it was not until June 1958 that she was adorned with the new British Railways emblem (the Late Crest) whilst the modification for the Smoke Deflectors was not seen until emerging from Doncaster in January 1959. .....the Speedometer was eventually fitted in March 1960,.....the power warning plates were also added in 1960, ...and much more!.
It is evident that Hornby R3094 cannot readily be backdated my 1960s layout without changing the smoke deflectors.  However since the whole object of the exercise was to obtain a ‘Britannia’ with handrails it rather looks as though my model will need a change of identity.
However first some more pictures from Flickr.  No. 70000 has a complicated history and since being withdrawn from service it has had two major overhauls.  There is a view in 1997 by Neil Harvey showing 70000  running on the Keighley and Worth Valley line after its first overhaul complete with its original type smoke deflectors -  and no air pump.  The tender has a Late Crest.
1997 View courtesy of Neil Harvey 



Then there is a picture taken at Crewe prior to the most recent overhaul:




2000 view at Crewe courtesy of wwatfam (Flickr)
 
I would make a start backdating my model and over paint the white cab roof. 

Hornby R3094 Britannia with repainted cab roof


Hornby R3094 Britannia with repainted cab roof (close up)

The new paint was applied by brush bearing in mind advice here from Mikkel.  I used Humbrol GWR Standard Loco Green (104) and ‘satin’ black (Note 1).  I am waiting for the paint to harden before replacing the ventilators in the cab roof.  I would say that the colour match is quite good but the ‘sheen’ is not quite correct.

As regards a new identity I need to refer back to Derek Dean’s notes.  There are a number of possibilities.  For example 70004 was photographed in 1964 with handrails, overhead warning plate, fluted rear rods and still with an early emblem.  On the other hand 70031 kept its handrails and fluted rods for all its working life. 

I need to make a few further checks and then I can order some new ‘plates’.  To be continued!

Notes

1.  I actually used matt black which will be explained in the next installment!

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