GraemeWatson

I know that, and indeed, like I said, I'm not complaining. It's merely interesting to compare the two, should anyone out there happen to Google it on a random RMWeb trawl. I'm going to add a photo of the boxes for both, because they look more similar on the box.

For those who are interested in such things, I've compared the EWS Manager's MK3 coaches from the 2010 train pack (feels like yesterday!) with the MK2 coaches from the 2024 EWS Business train (though more familiar to me as the Fife Circle set). I'm an EWS collector anyway (but by no means an expert!); the discerning prospective buyer may like to know that the liveries are different and are not like-for-like. The Manager's MK3 coaches are finished correctly in a Claret livery, with multiple horizontal stripes and the Business MK2 coaches are a finished regular maroon. I'm not complaining they are different, as they are two different trains for different purposes, but it's worthy of showing a side-by-side photo for interests' sake, for anyone who should happen to be curious. The RRP of R2890 was £183.90 (2010), and was reduced to £154.99 when I bought it. The RRP of R30251 is £300 (2024). Edited for clarity of expression, and with boxes of both sets, purely for the curation of historic interest.

I contacted Hornby after Christmas, because of a failed tender connection (out of the box). I explained the situation with a photo. They replied early in January (presumably as staff had time off). They very kindly agreed to supply a replacement part once it was available, and confirmed my address. I was pretty happy with that outcome.

This is an interesting point. I've actually been wondering for what reason the top contacts exist. The loco end of the board is double sided, with a row of thin vertical flat track contacts as your photo shows, and yet, there's no real reason for the top row of non wired contacts on the tender component, to exist. They don't for example provide an alternative way of conducting from the tender to the loco, and any "grip" effect they would have, is negligible. I'm very grateful that you provided your experience of the part number and repair on this project.

An update: Hornby customer services offered to sort this if I sent it to them, or to supply the part when it becomes available. I opted for the replacement tender connector part. As such, that's a very satisfactory outcome. For those joining the conversation at this point, this arrangement of contacts is incredibly small, much more so than the macro photo would have you believe.

I can assure that the model is NOT getting binned. I can also assure that there was no heavy handedness in handling it. One should reasonably expect the tender and loco to separate as per the manual. This was done on a flat surface and teasing apart gently. The metal contact that broke, has sheared from the point it was bent at manufacturing. There should have been no way for this to happen, unless it was adherent to the "male" end. By posting my picture, it is as much as a cautious warning for fellow new Dublo owners that this "can" happen as it is opportunity to look for a solution. It would be most irritating for one, let alone more than one of a set of great gathering engines to experience this. I've contacted Hornby, I will provide an update when I hear back from them. I am quite competent at replacing the part should it be provided. As an aside, I had expected this new type of electrical connection to be an improvement over the original "devil's plug" which was hard to remove in order to put the loco back in the box, and the more recent devil's plug with permanent drawbar. On balance, I think I prefer the plug and drawbar... The learning point for me, is that should I try to fit a decoder into one of these in the future, I probably won't try to uncouple it (which defeats the point of what they tried to achieve here).

I agree. These contacts are VERY small. I'm pretty competent at soldering, but there isn't a lot of space here and I suspect one false move will melt the plastic.

Unfortunately my tender on Sir Nigel Gresley did not like being uncoupled... One of the contacts must have been adherent in some way, and snapped it in half.

My Hornby Dublo Sir Nigel Gresley and Gannet models were both 21 pin.

A recent trip to New York afforded me the opportunity to visit Trainworld in Brooklyn, using the excellent NYC Subway system. As it happens, their Brooklyn branch no longer has a customer show room, and is a mail order centre only. When I assured them I had travelled... some distance... from the UK and had three specific things I was after, they very kindly let me into their reception and sorted it out. Happy to report that all items returned safely in my check-in luggage, and that the service from Trainworld was excellent. Top of my list was a Bachmann EMD GP38-2 Wisconsin Central #2001 locomotive (Product #61712). The keen-eyed will note the similarity of the livery to EWS (English, Welsh and Scottish). This is because Wisconsin Central was the parent company of EWS. Though Wisconsin Central no longer exists, having been bought out by Canadian National, the impact of its livery on UK Class 66 locomotives and stock remains to this day. I have wanted a Wisconsin Central locomotive for some time, as it not only represents a great cameo for EWS stock, and one of my best friends hails from that particular state, so it's nice to have that connection too.

Appreciate this post, Porcy. Perhaps the two I have had access to are unfortunately faulty in some way. It's helpful to note that yours works. Gratefully appreciated.

Agree. So I've now been able to test a selection of 21 pin decoders on two different examples of Hornby Tyne 9Fs. Both decoders work fine in a Bachmann diesel before and after fitting to the Hornby Tyne 9F. But both 9F models give out an electrical buzz sound when placed on DCC or analogue track with a decoder fitted, but, works fine on analogue track with its upside down blanking plug. This does remind me of the Hornby Class 50 reverse wired PCB situation, whereby the loco worked fine on analogue, but would blow chips up on DCC. Would be very interesting to hear from other members of they have successfully fitted decoders to their Hornby Tyne 9Fs. I'm concerned that I've reproduced the fault on two different locos.

I have an unusual problem with my example of R30133. It runs fine forwards/backwards on analogue, but in only one direction with analogue power, but DCC decoder fitted (I've tried a couple of different Bachmann 36-557A 21 pin decoders). On a DCC circuit, the chip will accept an address, but when put on the track, the loco is making an electrical buzz sound. I note with interest that the 21 pin arrangement means the decoder can only fit "upside down" compared to how they are normally wired up. I'm not assuming that this should be a problem, but that's not normally how 21 pin decoders fit (the black plastic block usually sits on the top). In this current state, it's therefore "not working" and I'll have to discuss that with my retailer for a return. Anyone else having issues with theirs? For reference, I've shown the 21 pin socket and how the decoder has to be arranged to sit on top of it. The final photo on the red box shows the plastic 21 pin retaining block, which in my experience, normally sits on top when fitted to a 21 pin socket. Edit: original out-of-box photo with the blanking plug fitted, as well as the page from the loco manual showing the decoder fitting the way I would expect it to be (plastic block facing up, for both blanking plug and decoder)

It isn't. Basically, the white lights never come on, only the red. The other loco in the pair, works fine.

So, I got the publicly released Early Crest BR Black pair. Prior to this, the two twins were available in one, non-matching livery, each. I'm sure it was during part of lockdown? I remember having a great difficulty trying to find one of the two, because my usual local model shops hadn't been given their full allocation. Because of this, one of them seemed substantially harder to find, and certain shops, aware of this, raised the price significantly above RRP, which I had to pay, to complete the pair. Fair enough. That being said, one of them had functionally unusual lights, a problem it has, to this day.