Hornby is now cooking with gas!!

When "another manufacturer" recently announced it was going into buildings, they announced that a gasholder would be available in N gauge.
I bemoaned the lack of this particular item in OO gauge, but many thought it would be too big in OO anyway.
Now Hornby have made my wish come true and in time for Christmas too !! Thanks to " Father SK Christmas are therefore due, proving that I am even handed and give credit when it is due (as well as criticism when necessary).
Now I wonder how compatible the two ranges are, could I get away with a Hornby gasholder and a .........

Bearing in mind coal gas went out around the same time BR were turning off their coal-fired kettles, you would be restricted to just using the gasholder and perhaps one or two of the buildings on a modern layout - nice that Hornby gives us the choice by selling it in parts. One or two of the smaller buildings would fit any industrial corner of a layout. You could of course model a 'preserved' gasworks next to a 'preserved' railway

If anyone does get the holder to go up and down the lower part of the top section need to be stained a rust colour. This was caused by the dirty water in the bottom half which acts as a seal between the parts as the top rises.

Nice diorama Hornby have set up - but surely BR in the period depicted would not have allowed the shubbery to grow on the embankment to the extent shown - particularly near the flammable gas works

QUOTE Nice diorama Hornby have set up - but surely BR in the period depicted would not have allowed the shubbery to grow on the embankment to the extent shown - particularly near the flammable gas works



Gary

The gasholder is too small isn't it? The one in my town was a hell of a lot bigger than that.

Good effort though. They are really doing quite a good job with their Scaledale range.

I'd really like to see them do a coal mine. I reckon it would be popular given how many coal mines there used to be in Britain, until Maggie that is.

QUOTE (neil_s_wood @ 26 Oct 2006, 00:37) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>The gasholder is too small isn't it? The one in my town was a hell of a lot bigger than that.
...

Gasholders did come in different shapes and sizes and many remained even after the introduction of North sea Gas.

Check these out:


Gas works Repton village


Fakenham, Norfolk

QUOTE more like the old 60's Tri-ang rubber one (anyone else remember them)

If you can find one that is still round it will be worth a small fortune! When I showed the Mrs one a few months ago she questioned why on earth anybody would pay £20 for it, even with its rugby ball profile! I was scratching my head also but there we go...

The question of shape retention should not be an issue with the Skaledale version hopefully!

Happy modelling
Gary

QUOTE Has anyone else spotted the Policebox "TARDIS" on the street, another possible release

That has just materialised!!!

Gary

Missed the point there bangerblueed, Bachmann's is in N gauge, whilst Hornby's is in OO. So which one do you think will have a larger market to sell to?

QUOTE (Gwent rail @ 27 Oct 2006, 23:41) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Missed the point there bangerblueed, Bachmann's is in N gauge, whilst Hornby's is in OO. So which one do you think will have a larger market to sell to?

Ah, but there is always "Lyddle End"...

Also, Bachmann are producing parts of the gas works- s'pose Hornby want to reduce Bachmann's sales with an all-in-one gasworks.

Re: the Tardis, it comes from the Harburn hamlet (www.harburnhobbies.co.uk) range. There's a lot of non-Hornby products there, like an EFE Bus, Cararama "Bubble car", Corgi vans etc.

Each day, the peak demand for towns gas came just before meal times. However the gas was manufactured in the retorts that ran continuously, and so the gas holders were required to accumulate the gas that was produced ready to meet the peak demand. The very greatest demand came before a Sunday lunch time, when the joint went in the oven, and at this time, gas pressure could become a problem if the pipes leading to the outlying districts were a bit undersized to pass the gas required. I heard of one village where the stoker used to bank up his retorts on a Sunday morning and then carry up sandgags onto the top of the retort where he would also sit to increase the pressure in the pipes by the extra weight pushing down on top of the holder.

The small gas works were closed down during the 1950s where it was possible to link the town and village systems to one of the larger more modern gas works. When natural gas arrived, the all the remaining gas works were closed down and all the towns were linked to the new natural gas grid. Many of the holders were retained as the pipes feeding into the towns could still not meet the increased peak demand as nearly everybody converted from oil and coal to gas. If they were in good condition, the storage capacity was useful. So it is quite in order to have the gas holders next to your track, but without any gas works or a rail connection. You could imagine that the old gas works buildings have been cleared for a gas distribution department sub depot and add a Portakabin, a stack of black iron pipes, some coils of yellow plastic pipe, a pile of hard core, some diggers and some gas board lorries and vans. (Yellow plastic pipe was used after 1970).

Colombo

Seems like a gas works is a viable option for any layout fram late 1920s on then, bearing in mind that from the advent of North Sea Gas a smaller installation is more appropriate.
As my new layout is meant to be dated during the transitional period between steam and diesel, also in a small Welsh valley community, I suppose a full gas works and a small storage tank are both in keeping.
Thanks for the information, Colombo.