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Hornby Princess Coronation Class (Duchess)


Dick Turpin
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This is an update.

Following a 30+ minute phone conversation, the supplier has agreed to contact Hornby to find out if they have a replacement item to send. Getting them to agree to this was like " extracting blood from a stone "

Initially advised: Sold out at Hornby!!!

This major retailer does not hold back any items in reserve to cover any major defects. ( Not a very clever business model )

When they are gone they are gone attitude - end of story

My other options are to return for a refund or they require the item returned to them for it to be forwarded to Hornby, with no guarantee that they will have the parts to effect the repair

Any body like to know the retailer?

It's not: Hattons, Rails, CMC, Invicta but a major retailer. so guess who!

 

If paying by credit card you are protected for purchases over £!00 under the Consumer Credit Act 1974 for faulty goods, supplier going bust etc.

 

Contact your credit card company for help if things are not rectified.

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All our locos are tested be them new or preowned, and shown to run in front of the customer if present, another good reason to support your local shop large or small where the potential purchase can be fully inspected.

That of course assumes you have a local shop anymore....

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What happens to all the faulty loco’s that are returned to retailers, or fail their test run prior to despatch? Do they get returned to the manufacturer and credited or replaced? And if so, what do the manufacturers do with them all?

 

I suspect that in the past I have been sent stock that had previously been returned, certainly I have had stuff where the wheels show signs of previous running (more than a quick test) and the model has not been quite right. Such things do put you off the retailer involved...

 

Just wondering what the industry protocol is!

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Collected mine yesterday...

Wow what a model! With the peckett and now this Hornby are on a roll!

I unfortunatly don’t have a layout at the minute so it’s straight into the cabinet on the wall sat above an original totem sign for Derby Midland, compared to this I’d say the colour is spot on!

Well done Hornby!

post-18185-0-42469100-1509736974_thumb.jpeg

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I'm not a great fan of the RMWeb tendency to join the mob and light the flaming torches when criticism is handed out either to companies or individuals but I had a D400 (and then a second which I have kept as I wanted the model) which need a considerable amount of attention to it's buffer beam detail etc. that some buyers would simply not have the tools or capability to carry out. My correspondence with the "Customer support" at Hornby was unhelpful (so different from particularly the US manufacturers) and I can be sure that if I lose any of the details in use they are unlikely to have any spare parts - they definitely will not have spares for the rather vulnerable and ill-fitting ladders by the buffers - I know after market brass alternatives are available but that is not the point in the basic retail environment. I hope this is not too much off-topic as I have a SWS at home unopened (after a spontaneous encounter with Derails at the Cheltenham show and a cash windfall following the sale of some On30 stock). I will be test running the loco over the weekend....I will report back...the loco does look very nice though..

 

Chris

Mine has been unpacked, placed on a yard (not a metre) of track, and gently run on DC. It looks good, runs well and appears to be intact. Thank you to Derails. Now to think about DCC options - including sound? - and some very subtle weathering - anyone got any real loco reference shots? ( I am out of my comfort zone on this one!)

post-1107-0-81888600-1509738159_thumb.jpg

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Mine has been unpacked, placed on a yard (not a metre) of track, and gently run on DC. It looks good, runs well and appears to be intact. Thank you to Derails. Now to think about DCC options - including sound? - and some very subtle weathering - anyone got any real loco reference shots? ( I am out of my comfort zone on this one!)

attachicon.gifSWS 1.JPG

If you can find one, this booklet is useful for weathering Duchesses...

 

The Colour of Steam series 'The LMS Pacifics' by Derek Huntriss.  ISBN 0 906899 1  published in 1988. by Atlantic.

 

Every Princess Royal and every Coronation is illustrated in 72 colour photographs.

Edited by coachmann
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If you can find one, this booklet is useful for weathering Duchesses...

 

The Colour of Steam series 'The LMS Pacifics' by Derek Huntriss. ISBN 0 906899 1 published in 1988. by Atlantic.

 

Every Princess Royal and every Coronation is illustrated in 72 colour photographs.

Another recommended book is "1964 - the Last Summer of the Duchesses", see

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/1964-Summer-Duchesses-Alan-Castle/dp/1909134112

 

Colour images, very good value.

 

Cheers,

 

Keith

Edited by tractionman
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That cabside stripe was regarded as a crude defacing thing by railway enthusiast around at the time. Times have certainly changed when folk say it would look nice.....

 

That said, it would have to be on a model if the period was towards the end of the Duchesses lives. Forty years ago there were modellers who wouldn't touch the GWR in the 1930's because they didn't like the roundel! What goes around comes around.....

Edited by coachmann
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That cabside stripe was regarded as a crude defacing thing by railway enthusiast around at the time. Times have certainly changed when folk say it would look nice.....

 

That said, it would have to be on a model if the period was towards the end of the Duchesses lives.

That is the issue, it would really reduce the timespan of the layout and more importantly reduce how many Duchesses I could have on it !

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That cabside stripe was regarded as a crude defacing thing by railway enthusiast around at the time. Times have certainly changed when folk say it would look nice.....

 

That said, it would have to be on a model if the period was towards the end of the Duchesses lives. Forty years ago there were modellers who wouldn't touch the GWR in the 1930's because they didn't like the roundel! What goes around comes around.....

That means one day people will like Pacers too.

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That cabside stripe was regarded as a crude defacing thing by railway enthusiast around at the time. Times have certainly changed when folk say it would look nice.....

 

That said, it would have to be on a model if the period was towards the end of the Duchesses lives. Forty years ago there were modellers who wouldn't touch the GWR in the 1930's because they didn't like the roundel! What goes around comes around.....

 

Surely that's, '...what goes aroundel comes aroundel...?'

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Well I cracked for one of these Ivatt Duchesses. Possibly the ultimate UK express power. I am always surprised BR did Duke of Gloucester than a BR version of these.

 

Anyway here are pics :

 

First surprise Hornby provide twice instructions on how to remove the tender body! (This is not a complaint just an observation).

post-15098-0-11198500-1509743691_thumb.jpg

 

Four Hornby Duchesses side by side. Bottom, 1977s Duchess of Sutherland, this is the only one with working lamps. A 90s Duchess, tooling on the front was changed to from the sweeping up of Sutherland to cut through. Top, one of the last previous versions of Hornby's Duchess, City of Edinburgh in Semi form. Just below her, the new Sir William Stanier. The original tender drive ones had no mould joint running across the dome and top feed, while the last loco drive previous version did. This is fixed on Stanier.

post-15098-0-33358100-1509743729_thumb.jpg

 

Comparing the two cab interiors between Stanier left and Edinburgh right. In practice you won,t see these interiors on the layout, even if the cab roof vents can open (by about 2mm) on Stanier, unless you have set track curves.

post-15098-0-23313600-1509743754_thumb.jpg

 

The front bogie is greatly improved on the new model being sprung/attach to the loco chassis in the middle rather than a long slim bar running backwards to between the front drivers of the previous model. The new model has sand pipes too.

 

post-15098-0-17816600-1509743785_thumb.jpg

 

On the previous version, the coal could be removed while the new Stanier has reverted back to a tender full of moulded coal with no option to remove it or see the trimming part. (The recent Merchant navies also have removable coal).

Edit: the coal can be removed from Stanier to reveal the coal pusher. But not very easily.

 

post-15098-0-49545800-1509744726_thumb.jpg

 

Overall the model is better than the previous one before, it is heavier, but not as heavy as a Britannia. While better, this model shows the last previous ones were very good. In most visible areas, other than those sited above, there is little to choose between them. Did Hornby loose the previous tools?

Still very happy with my Ivatt version, and equally happy with the older City of Edinburgh.

Edited by JSpencer
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Guest Midland Mole

On the previous version, the coal could be removed while the new Stanier has reverted back to a tender full of moulded coal with no option to remove it or see the trimming part. (The recent Merchant navies also have removable coal).

 

I don't understand, you can remove the coal on the new one. You need to remove the coal to see the lovely coal pusher detail in the new tender. I have chucked the coal load from my Stanier in my bits box with all the others.

Alex

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I don't understand, you can remove the coal on the new one. You need to remove the coal to see the lovely coal pusher detail in the new tender. I have chucked the coal load from my Stanier in my bits box with all the others.

Alex

I have thrown quite a few out this week too, only half full bunkers I will be supplying! too much detail to go to waste with a full load!

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I don't understand, you can remove the coal on the new one. You need to remove the coal to see the lovely coal pusher detail in the new tender. I have chucked the coal load from my Stanier in my bits box with all the others.

Alex

Thanks. I just checked and indeed it does but not very easily. Wow, well done Hornby.

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Thanks. I just checked and indeed it does but not very easily. Wow, well done Hornby.

 

Yes it was a little fiddly to get out. :D

If the coal loads can be removed from a loco, I always do. I have a box full of the damn things!

Alex

Edited by Midland Mole
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