Class 66 in OO Gauge - New Announcement

[RBC]

I see Hattons still have a few variations in stock.

After reading about the issues these locos had, will the ones advertised still be subject to these problems or were they ironed out in later batches.

Regards

[3rd Rail Exile]

19 minutes ago, RBC said:

I see Hattons still have a few variations in stock.

After reading about the issues these locos had, will the ones advertised still be subject to these problems or were they ironed out in later batches.

Regards

There haven't been any later batches yet as far as I'm aware, though there indications (mentioned up-thread by others) that this may happen in the future.  All Hattons' 66s currently in the market are from the same batch, so may still be subject to the same (minor) issues. 

Edited September 4, 2021 by 3rd Rail Exile

[RBC]

Many thanks.

[ERIC ALLTORQUE]

12 hours ago, RBC said:

I see Hattons still have a few variations in stock.

After reading about the issues these locos had, will the ones advertised still be subject to these problems or were they ironed out in later batches.

Regards

If you want a one they currently have i would go for it, the next to sell out will be pink ONE with 18 left and if its a bad egg they have plenty to go at for replacements.The fixes are all in this thread but its now almost as long as a quick guide on how to keep your other half or girlfriend happy.

[adb968008]

£119 when Hornby, Bachmann and Heljan are all pushing £200 makes this a good deal…Even Bachmann's 66’s are more expensive.

 

I doubt the next Hattons 66’s will be anywhere near this cheap.

 

Edited September 4, 2021 by adb968008

[JohnC]

Any small problems with these locos was very easily fixed.

I never had to return any of the locos I bought and I have 16 of them. They are superb models with awesome haulage power and, at £119, you cannot go wrong.

 

[Pete the Elaner]

On 04/09/2021 at 08:46, RBC said:

I see Hattons still have a few variations in stock.

After reading about the issues these locos had, will the ones advertised still be subject to these problems or were they ironed out in later batches.

Regards

What later batches? There has only been 1.

Many of the issues are fixable but if you get a dud, send it back for replacement or refund.

 

Hopefully the issues will have been engineered out for the second batch...if there is one (I suspect there will be but nothing has been announced yet so who knows).

[Hilux5972]

10 hours ago, Pete the Elaner said:

Hopefully the issues will have been engineered out for the second batch...if there is one (I suspect there will be but nothing has been announced yet so who knows).

Hornby magazine reported that Hattons have said all issues WILL be sorted for FUTURE batches. So yes there will be more released. 

[dave56]

Finally took the plunge on the Hattons Freightliner 66, the colour is not as bad as I expected.

[steven156]

3 minutes ago, dave56 said:

Finally took the plunge on the Hattons Freightliner 66, the colour is not as bad as I expected.

Hattons own pictures really don’t do the loco any favours, their own pictures make it look very pale compared to this one.  

[dave56]

4 minutes ago, steven156 said:

Hattons own pictures really don’t do the loco any favours, their own pictures make it look very pale compared to this one.  

Agreed they look over exposed compared to mine.

Happy I took the plunge now.

Edited September 6, 2021 by dave56

[ERIC ALLTORQUE]

4 hours ago, Hilux5972 said:

Hornby magazine reported that Hattons have said all issues WILL be sorted for FUTURE batches. So yes there will be more released. 

I would not hold your breath waiting,we could all be older than Yoda by then and if the axlebox is to rotate still it needs a lot better job than the first attempt,it could be the best thing since sliced bread if they get it right.

[TomScrut]

9 hours ago, ERIC ALLTORQUE said:

I would not hold your breath waiting,we could all be older than Yoda by then and if the axlebox is to rotate still it needs a lot better job than the first attempt,it could be the best thing since sliced bread if they get it right.

 

The reasoning behind the axle box issue is in the aforementioned magazine and it is an interesting one. There is a bit of overflow on one of the suspension components on the bogie which means it doesn't seat properly into the main bogie mould, making the axle box hole no longer concentric to the axle. Trim it off and refit and it supposedly is spot on, do drilling or anything of the sort needed.

 

I haven't tried sorting it yet though.

[Jack374]

20 minutes ago, TomScrut said:

 

The reasoning behind the axle box issue is in the aforementioned magazine and it is an interesting one. There is a bit of overflow on one of the suspension components on the bogie which means it doesn't seat properly into the main bogie mould, making the axle box hole no longer concentric to the axle. Trim it off and refit and it supposedly is spot on, do drilling or anything of the sort needed.

 

I haven't tried sorting it yet though.

This is true, there is a part of the moulding which prevents the subframe from seating correctly.

 

However, 'trim, refit, done' isn’t quite correct as you have to remove all the axlebox caps to remove the subframe and trim the excess. Therefore, you have to refit all the caps yourself. I’ve seen many examples where people have done it and the models run sweet, however I decided for the other reason below, to trim the caps and glue them in permanently to the subframe, thus no more connection to the axle = faultless running and prototypical look, just not operation.

 

The nail in the coffin regarding axle boxes for me is the side play in the axles, very much required for a Co-Co loco, but to me it just looks wrong when going round curves, resulting in the axles box caps 'popping out' by what would be 6 inches in 12" to the foot size. On Bo-Bo locos or wagons, rotating axle boxes of this design work perfectly, but a whole new approach - probably frame-mounted rather than axle-mounted - is needed to do it justice, IMO.

 

For the sake of a few pence, Hattons would do well to include some if not a full 12 spare axlebox caps in the detail bag. I mean, they’ve gone to the fuss of a pair of cut-valance fully detailed buffer beam replacements with steel sprung buffers, so why not throw in 12-off axlebox caps in case of glue failure or loss?

 

Just my tuppence worth!

 

Jack.

[Hilux5972]

33 minutes ago, TomScrut said:

 

The reasoning behind the axle box issue is in the aforementioned magazine and it is an interesting one. There is a bit of overflow on one of the suspension components on the bogie which means it doesn't seat properly into the main bogie mould, making the axle box hole no longer concentric to the axle. Trim it off and refit and it supposedly is spot on, do drilling or anything of the sort needed.

 

I haven't tried sorting it yet though.

I have followed the modifications to the bogie sides given in the magazine. It has worked a treat. No wobble, no shedding axle box ends, no glue, no drilling. Very glad I didn’t just jump in straight away. 

[TomScrut]

37 minutes ago, Jack374 said:

However, 'trim, refit, done' isn’t quite correct as you have to remove all the axlebox caps to remove the subframe and trim the excess.

 

Yeah, I wasn't suggesting it was a 5 minute job, if anyone wants to do it I recommend they buy the magazine. The reason I haven't done it yet is because it's not a 5 minute job.

 

I have however glued plenty of axle box covers back in on these and therefore I won't mind doing another few!

[Graham108]

2 minutes ago, TomScrut said:

 

 I recommend they buy the magazine. 

 

If there's a solution to a problem, then IMHO Hattons should be providing it FOC to all purchasers

[TomScrut]

57 minutes ago, Graham108 said:

If there's a solution to a problem, then IMHO Hattons should be providing it FOC to all purchasers

 

Maybe so, but it would seem they aren't helping so I am trying to point people in the right direction as to where to get the information. I don't think it is fair for me to be saying exactly how when it would be ripping off an article about it in a magazine.

Edited September 7, 2021 by TomScrut

[spamcan61]

The original web page which showed the modification is here, this is presumably where HM got the info from:-

 

https://www.tomstrains.co.uk/2020/fixing-the-axleboxes-on-a-hattons-class-66/

 

 

[newbryford]

12 hours ago, Jack374 said:

 

 

For the sake of a few pence, Hattons would do well to include some if not a full 12 spare axlebox caps in the detail bag. I mean, they’ve gone to the fuss of a pair of cut-valance fully detailed buffer beam replacements with steel sprung buffers, so why not throw in 12-off axlebox caps in case of glue failure or loss?

 

Just my tuppence worth!

 

Jack.

 

By adding the axle ends from the word go, that's as good as admitting that there's an inherent problem with the initial design.

 

(which in hindsight....................................)

[adb968008]

There may only be 12 axleboxes on the sprue… why would they expect to have needed more ?

 

There is potentially a nice after market brass axlebox to be made here, by the likes of Markits etc, especially as there are variants of axleboxes.

 

Front steps wouldnt come amiss in after market either.

down the road I expect spares will sort themselves, with damaged / broken / missing / boneyard models ending up s/h on ebay. I’m still betting on Hattons having a bunch of boneyarders, they did with the Garratts, which had their own foibles.. those spares turned up about a year after the last of the new ones sold, presumably retained for the end warranty period etc.

 

Edited September 7, 2021 by adb968008

[Graham108]

On 07/09/2021 at 11:11, spamcan61 said:

The original web page which showed the modification is here, this is presumably where HM got the info from:-

 

https://www.tomstrains.co.uk/2020/fixing-the-axleboxes-on-a-hattons-class-66/

 

 

Thanks for posting

[Tony Walker]

I think the next run of these will depend on how the Dapol 59 is received and how the rotating axle boxes work. If the modifications work well, then we could see the same modification done to the 66. I still believe that the 66 and the 59 are being made in the same factory, hence my comment.

[Graham108]

 "I still believe that the 66 and the 59 are being made in the same factory"

 

What leads you to believe this?

[Pre Grouping fan]

12 minutes ago, Graham108 said:

 "I still believe that the 66 and the 59 are being made in the same factory"

 

What leads you to believe this?

There was a myth that was dispelled by hattons a long while back now.