East Sussex Finescale
Hornby 2 BIL & 2 HAL
Creating a Hybrid Unit
by Colin Watts
Fellow finescale modellers!
Over the years a number of 2 BIL and 2 HAL units were damaged with several having replacement vehicles including the ‘Mary’ style as used in the ‘Tin-HALs’ and later 4 SUB units.
However, three 2 BIL units acquired HAL Driving Trailer Composites whilst two 2 HAL units ran with 2 BIL Driving Trailer Composites.
Detailed history of these five units can be found within the pages on 2 BIL units here and 2 HAL units here.
For any modellers considering converting Hornby’s BIL and HAL units here is a summary of these units.
2 HAL 2611 had its DTC replaced from 2 BIL 2113 between September
1959 and March 1961.
Livery was BR(S) green.
During this time unit 2113 underwent repair at Lancing.
2 HAL 2626 had its DTC replaced from 2 BIL 2028 from January 1967
on.
Livery was BR(S) green with small yellow
warning panel.
Unit 2028 received an all-steel DTC.
2 BIL 2056 had its DTC replaced from 2 HAL 2646 from November
1947 on.
Livery was SR thence BR(S) green with
yellow warning panels from 10th March 1965 and full yellow ends
(wrap) from 22nd November 1968.
Unit 2646 was disbanded.
2 BIL 2070 borrowed a DTC from 2 HAL 2601 between June 1956 and
August 1957.
Livery was BR(S) green.
Unit 2601 presumably undergoing repair.
2 BIL 2088 had its DTC replaced from 2 HAL 2653 (the two were in
collision) from December 1949 on.
Livery was SR thence BR(S) green until
scrapping in 1962 (Barnham derailment).
Unit 2653 received an all-steel DTC.
This leaves the potential for a modeller to buy one each 2 BIL /2 HAL, swap the DTC coaches and renumber to give two hybrid units!
Since posting this article in May 2017 Hornby’s 2019-releases announcement came with R3699 hybrid 2 HAL unit 2611 (albeit strangely referred to as a ‘2 HIL’ unit).
Kind regards,
Colin Watts
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webpage is kindly hosted by www.BloodandCustard.net
May
2017
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