brian777999 Posted August 22, 2014 Share Posted August 22, 2014 Was the Hornby 3.5 inch live steam Rocket loco any good ? I had a second hand one many years ago but I could never get it to work properly. I suspect that there was some damage there somewhere. Does anybody regularly steam one on their garden layout ? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOARD OF TRADE Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 There is a video of one running v well with a rake of coaches on a wooden trestle layout somewhere on youtube.Sorry I cant remember where exactly or give you a link Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevelewis Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 There were problems from the beginning, poor running qualities etc lack of sufficient steam , controllability, etc. The problem was it was produced down to a price I cant remember what the original price was, but a reasonable 16mm/foot live steam gas fired loco running on 32mm or 45mm gauge track would have cost around 4 times more! The other big snag was the 3.5" track gauge which made the Rocket more or less a stand alone product, apart from the coaches, there was nothing else reasonably available. At the time of the Rockets availability I bought quite a few live steam locos, but never considered a Rocket!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sturminster_Newton Posted January 23, 2018 Share Posted January 23, 2018 There are devotees with lots of them and the coaches. A few suppliers made replacement gas tanks. The loco was geared 4:1 I think so the limited power was increased by the engine running at a higher speed than its leisurely progress might indicate. Whilst it ran on 3.5" track (Gauge 4) it would be feasible to create a metal and wood running line using available track chairs and rail from ME suppliers, and cutting your own sleepers from decent hardwood. It could have been a much better model but like OO live steam it did not really have the support or the interest to make it a valid and viable model. Leaving those early adopters that bought into either system left with an expensive white elephant. Shame really if the Rocket had been accompanied by other models of Rainhill Trials competitors it might have had a better representation. Produced during the chaos of Hornby's financial crisis it was never going to get the extra development needed. Shame really as it would have kick started a number of Garden railways just as the Big-Big system did in the late 60s. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatB Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 One of the members (I forget who) of the Somerset 0 Gauge Group brought one to a Sunday running session many years ago. I think it ran for all of 10 feet and then spent the rest of the afternoon being fruitlessly dismantled and fettled. I always thought the gearing (in the wheel hubs IIRC) looked rather clever. I believe that one of the problems involved the insulation between the small real boiler and large cosmetic boiler. Said insulation would get wet from careless boiler filling and would then soak up all the available heat from the burner, resulting in little or no steam. It was an interesting venture but, as noted above, even if it ran OK there wasn't much you could actually do with it in the absence of any other equipment. Didn't Hornby eventually offer a Y-point so you could at least have more of a layout than just a circle or oval? Or is my memory playing tricks. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
locomad Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 I've have one it can be very fickle, very much like the manmod traction engines, it's not best outside so tends to be put down on the garage floor. I rarely use it now, but do for grandchildren visits get it out from time to time, I because of lack of time prefer the manmod as you don't need track. One thing I notice if you use it from cold it works ok, but re use it from hot it can be a real pain Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted January 24, 2018 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 24, 2018 (edited) A replacement gas tank is a must now as the plastic ones can fail setting fire to the tender which is hard to replace I had a steam one but the cranks whizzing round too fast for the wheels and short runtime meant I settled on a beat up static one I restored for display instead. I did consider motorising it but then I'd want a layout for it Edited January 24, 2018 by PaulRhB Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian777999 Posted January 24, 2018 Author Share Posted January 24, 2018 I am surprised that they never bought out a motorised version of it. Surely it would not have required too much modification ? I wonder if the tooling still exists somewhere ? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Neal Ball Posted January 24, 2018 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 24, 2018 I had the 31/2 inch version, but PX it ages ago after I had a fire around the gas canister mentioned above. I still have the OO Triang one, with carriages in its original box. Not run for years 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Phil Parker Posted January 25, 2018 Administrators Share Posted January 25, 2018 It was a bit gutless. I managed to run mine on a circle of track in a car port, but I doubt it would have handled the coaches as well. Pity, as the coaches were some of the best models Hornby have even made. A Y-point was available and I'm sure that someone now makes a suitable cauldron wagon as a kit. Barmy product, but I'm glad they made it. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Ryde-on-time Posted January 26, 2018 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 26, 2018 A Y-point was available and I'm sure that someone now makes a suitable cauldron wagon as a kit. It's Modeltown who make the wagon kit. I don't have any first hand experience of the wagon kit but the have purchased some of their building kits which have been excellent quality http://www.modeltown.co.uk/shopping/site/Product/coal-wagon-3-5-gauge-hcw-1452684 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevelewis Posted January 26, 2018 Share Posted January 26, 2018 A Rocket still exist jus a few doors from me the owner is an ex BR E engine driver, who is now mainly into 0 gauge in his lounge ( lucky man!) His Rocket has had every available modification part which was available fitted , which has made it able to perform on an oval of track outdoors but the performance is not great. It goes to show though if live steam is seriously desired then it costs there is really no getting away from that fact, I 'did' Garden Railwaying from the mid 70s until around 2014, during which time I owned around 12 live steam locos, all were expensive, all but 2 were excellent performers the 2 which were poor came from manufacturers who ceased trading years ago, the other manufacturers still trade to this day. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
truffy Posted January 26, 2018 Share Posted January 26, 2018 I because of lack of time prefer the manmod as you don't need track. I had a mamod (Google "manmod" and you get some 'interesting' results! ) as a kid. Could be fickle, as you say, but great fun when it worked. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spam Can Man Posted December 31, 2020 Share Posted December 31, 2020 I bought a static one from the Signal Box at Orpington High Street more than 30 years ago (the shop closed many years ago!). I had plans to either make a bigger boiler or adapt an old Mamod boiler and use a meths burner or fit an electric motor. The gears were fitted to the driving wheels just like the working ones and it would need copper tubes going from the boiler to the cylinders. It currently resides in the loft. One day I must dig it out and have another go! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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