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Well I have never been a big fan of 47s (real or model), however, this model looks to be right up there at the forefront of modern model developments. I will be sorely tempted to buy a 47 if they produce something a little more up to date operator wise. But a blue one is beckoning!

Yes, it is sad to see 18000 looking so forlorn in Didcot. Unless some money is spent stopping the rot it will be too late to restore it. I am one of those fortunate people who saw her when she was working and she was a site to behold. I hope that someone somewhere realises that 18000 was a significant locomotive in our railway history and deserves to be more than a rotting shell. At least this model will bring back memories of that very loud gas turbine screaming through Didcot.

I got mine first batch, the sound is incredible, I was fortunate enough to see the real thing on occasion going through Didcot, and on its spectacular 150+ mph high speed run. It is really a niche model but I love to collect (and run) the weird and wonderful that have graced our railways over the years.

Well, it is a lovely looking loco, I know it is a converted 56, but it now looks the finished article. The prototype will be a powerful loco and makes good use of available engineering. As far as the model is concerned I believe it will be quite popular. There are those who despair about long waits for models, and rightly or wrongly Bachmann seem to get the most stick. It would be nice if it came to the market sooner rather than later. But hey! I’m still waiting for the Dapol 59, so I can wait for this beauty.

Is this the 18000 thread or a debating society regarding tools?

I must confess I have had no problems with my warships and in practice do not notice the length of the couplings (I use Kadee 17). If this bothers anyone there are plenty of fixes available. To say you are disappointed and considering selling what was the model of the year 2020 is like throwing the baby out with the bathwater. The D6xx warship is a superb model, the only letdown is in the eyes of the owner, and the solutions are there if you want them. Okay nobody wants to cut and mess about with new models, but this is only the coupling, not a major piece of bodywork.

They may want a rethink in the light of the Hitachi 800 debacle

I have not purchased any Bachmann locos for a while, not because of price, but more a case they do not produce anything I want/need. However that said I have three Bachmann Class 37s, two have earlier chassis that take an 8 pin decoder, the other slightly later that takes a 21 pin decoder and has switches on the bottom for tail lights and cab lights. All three locos run beautifly, are nice and weighty, and can pull a really heavy load. They all have sound fitted, and it really brings them to life. Must be one of their better locos.

I dont think we should get too uptight about this, of course people purchase according to what they can afford and what their expectations are. But I think aspiring to get a better version of a particular model is not unreasonable.

My only Hornby 66 (Captain Tom) is ok on even track, give it something a bit awkward to negotiate and its limitations are exposed. It is too light, and having a free centre set of wheels does not help. I have retired my model and will keep it in memory of that great man it was named after. I spent money on this loco to support a good caus, but agree with rob D2 spending money on poor models is tnot to be recommended

Have just taken the plunge and prized my body/chassis apart, a bit un-nerving to start with but came away quite easy. I have put some lead strip under the existing weight to keep the centre of gravity low. Each wagon now weighs in at 83 grams and are so much more stable on my layout. I had already put Kadees on, now they are excellent wagons istead of very good.

It is very early days yet and already its being consigned to history. I remember that a similar view was held when DCC first started and it was seen as a flash in the pan and would never catch on. If it develops and brings new people into the hobby using a system that is cheaper than DCC then lets embrace it and encourage it, not sit back in our metaphorical arm chairs smoking our pipes grumbling it will never catch on.

With the track construction of my layout complete this was the first opportunity I have had to give my 66 a really good run. Slight wobble initially but that largely disappeared after a bit of running, such a superb loco that looks and sounds the part. Interesting to compare the Hatton's 66 with my other 66 (Hornby Captain Tom Moore). It's not until you put them together that you see the gulf in quality. Captain Tom will join my 'collectors' loco stable in memory of that fine man. I have a Hornby 60 and a Dapol 59 on order so they will more than make up for Captain Toms retirement. But all in all I have to say my Hatton's Freightliner 66 is a beautiful loco.

I wonder if Kernow will do another run of these superb models, I missed out first time around, so would like to add at least one to my heritage stable.

Just finished wiring 6 of these into my layout, care has to be taken and patince is the by word. However once set up ( very simple with the control units) they work really well, throw length is easy to adjust, programming is simple, and they can easily be disguised. Very happy with these.

I have two locos with Corless motors, One worked fine wthout any adjustments, I believe i switched the back EMF off on the other, but I cannot swear to it as it was a long time ago.

I did mention this to Accurascale when I enquired about something else, and they said it will probably go ahead but it is a matter of timing.

Just a thought on this; given that Accurascale are currently up to their necks with model development, then perhpas this project will go ahead when there is sufficient space in their programme to develop this model.

More like Hornby maximising profits

You clearly missed the connection between Capt.Tom, the loco and its significance in raising money for the NHS to fight the Pandemic then Colin!

The merits or otherwise of the Hornby 66 are not in question here, everyone knows it was released in that livery for one purpose only, and that was to raise funds for Captain Toms Charity. The fact that it was cheap allowed access to a greater number of people who enjoy the hobby, which was borne out by the huge demand. There is little doubt that the Bachmann model is better, it should be for the price, whether Bachmann tried to jump on the bandwagon is a moot point, I would not buy their version anyway, they have introduced it with half an eye on drawing in more people to their collectors club which could be construed as the aformentioned jumping on the bandwagon, or, at worst, in bad taste. It may also be interpreted as catering for the more discerning modeller, it really matters not a jot. Despite the fact the model is old tooling and basic the Hornby gesture with this 66 will be remembered long after the Bachmann one. And Captain Sir Tom Moore will be remembered long after the locomotive eventually goes to the scrapyard.

I believe there were lot of people who would not buy a Hornby 66 given that there are two much better versions on the market. However, like me a lot of people bought the Captain Tom 66 as a way of supporting the NHS during a very difficult time in our history. It was akin to buying War Bonds in the USA to support the war effort.

Agreed Colin, but it did say "These available on Ebay". Never mind, I will look closer next time.

I must confess I did not go into ebay because I do not use it, I just googled Sir Tom Moore and amogst other things there were references to the Hornby Cl 66 one at £190 and another at around £140. Of course it is up to individuals what they do with their locos, but it would be in bad taste if they tried to make a fast buck on the back of his passing, by the same token if they made a further contribution to his fund it would be a good thing.

RIP a true gentleman and hero of our time. I am sad to see some people cashing in by posting the Hornby Loco on Ebay at extortionate prices