RMweb Gold The Johnster Posted January 23, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 23, 2019 Ok, Andy, how about a challenge for Bodmin if I may. As follows; build me a 42xx in early BR livery that is superior in detail, reliability, build quality, finish and running quality to my Hornby one bought brand new in local shop last year for £89, so for that price or less. And, to give you a head start as a sporting gesture, I don't even need it to traverse R number track radii of the sort you use in your plans, so that should make it easier for you! When you done that successfully to my satisfaction, I'll consider taking some notice of your opinions. No? Thought not... Current spec Hornby production is probably as good in terms of accuracy, finish, reliability, performance, and running as a rational person has a right to expect from mass produced RTR items, and the pricing is competitive in terms of the modern market and in relation to the specifications. There are some suspect redacted older mouldings still being knocked out and we expect these to be cheaper than they are (J83, auto trailer, etc), and I continue to moan about the 10' generic wheelbase minerals (and back the moaning up by buying from the opposition), but I am not party to what it costs the company to have these models built, assembled, packed, shipped, and marketed, either in terms of bare cash or in terms of production capability they may be denying to other projects, but plenty of new projects are coming on line and seem to be at a very advanced stage of development; H seem on top of the production game at the moment. Hornby are in a much better place than they were not very long ago, and this is good overall for the state of the hobby; I suspect even the competition do not actually wish them ill though Dapol might be a bit miffed... Andy was absolutely right to shut Bodmin's pointless and irritating trolling down firmly, quickly, and effectively; I assure you I am no fawning Andyfan sycophant (some sort of admiring elephant, I believe), but his firm and fair moderation makes this site one of the more pleasant to be involved with, as do the majority of contributors. Thank you, Andy. 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted January 23, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 23, 2019 I'm disappointed now he's been cut off in his prime. I was looking forward to what he thinks is decent. Or, even more interestingly, what was the model 10 years ago that Hornby have yet to surpass? 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Coryton Posted January 23, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 23, 2019 Wonder if this is a typo as id be suprised if this was dcc ready https://railsofsheffield.com/products/37438/Hornby-railroad-r3668-oo-gauge-class-j83-lner-green-0-6-0-tank-locomotive-no-8472 I believe Hornby have offered DCC fitted Railroad 0-6-0s, but with the decoder hard-wired in by the factory. A socket would be something new (and perhaps a bit difficult). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Coryton Posted January 23, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 23, 2019 (edited) According to Hornby's facebook page, the Hogwarts Express train set has just been declared overall winner of the Editors' Choice awards at the London Toy Fair. I have no idea how meaningful this is but it sounds impressive! Edited to add: I've just seen that the locomotive has a "working headlight". Unusual... Edited January 23, 2019 by Coryton Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porcy Mane Posted January 23, 2019 Share Posted January 23, 2019 I believe Hornby have offered DCC fitted Railroad 0-6-0s, but with the decoder hard-wired in by the factory. A socket would be something new (and perhaps a bit difficult). With the new Ruston rumoured to be coming fitted with 6 pin NEM651 connectors, bulk buying of the sockets & the blanking caps along with alterations in produduction line sequences just might make this a possibility? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
34theletterbetweenB&D Posted January 23, 2019 Share Posted January 23, 2019 (edited) Or, even more interestingly, what was the model 10 years ago that Hornby have yet to surpass? If nominated to step into the breach, I might have suggested the B1 or O1 which I felt were very good indeed. But recently Hornby have introduced nearly all metal loco body construction, seen on the J15 and D16/3 and then the B12/3 which is a further advance. Strangely this has not had a fraction of the acknowledgement I feel it deserves, and I am curious whether there are other recent products that have this construction?. Edit: well that was weird, somehow I got a threesome, hopefully corrected. Edited January 23, 2019 by 34theletterbetweenB&D Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porcy Mane Posted January 23, 2019 Share Posted January 23, 2019 (edited) Strangely this has not had a fraction of the acknowledgement I feel it deserves, and I am curious whether there are other recent products that have this construction?. Die-cast metal underframe for the Coke Hopper which I thinks has now been followed by Dapol using metal underframes for the Turbot. (and by association their BBE). Edited January 23, 2019 by Porcy Mane Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 47137 Posted January 23, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 23, 2019 If nominated to step into the breach, I might have suggested the B1 or O1 which I felt were very good indeed. But recently Hornby have introduced nearly all metal loco body construction, seen on the J15 and D16/3 and then the B12/3 which is a further advance. Strangely this has not had a fraction of the acknowledgement I feel it deserves, and I am curious whether there are other recent products that have this construction?. Edit: well that was weird, somehow I got a threesome, hopefully corrected. My Peckett has a diecast body, as I discovered when I had to grind a bit out to add a decoder. In H0, my ESU class 66, REE S100 and Roco S160 all have diecast bodies too. All four models are from the last two years or so. All four have excellent tractive effort and to my eye the body castings are as sharp as plastic mouldings. They look good and they work well. - Richard. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
'CHARD Posted January 23, 2019 Share Posted January 23, 2019 It won't get better if you Peckett. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold MikeParkin65 Posted January 23, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 23, 2019 If nominated to step into the breach, I might have suggested the B1 or O1 which I felt were very good indeed. But recently Hornby have introduced nearly all metal loco body construction, seen on the J15 and D16/3 and then the B12/3 which is a further advance. Strangely this has not had a fraction of the acknowledgement I feel it deserves, and I am curious whether there are other recent products that have this construction?. Edit: well that was weird, somehow I got a threesome, hopefully corrected. The J36 has the weight and quality Id expect from a professionally constructed kit and all for less than £130. Best RTR model i have bought in years. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold adb968008 Posted January 23, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 23, 2019 (edited) Or, even more interestingly, what was the model 10 years ago that Hornby have yet to surpass?Surely its the ClanSo great its impossible to be repeated. Edited January 23, 2019 by adb968008 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porcy Mane Posted January 23, 2019 Share Posted January 23, 2019 Surely its the Clan So great its impossible to be repeated. Surely its the Clan So great its impossible to be repeated. Surely its the Clan So great its impossible to be repeated. Surely its the Clan So great its impossible to be repeated. Surely its the Clan So great its impossible to be repeated. Whoa! I love repeats me, but stop trying to compete wif the telly. HMTL still not sorted I Reckon? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Johnster Posted January 23, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 23, 2019 Ah, the old die cast vs moulded plastic debate; that takes me back a bit, to the days of playground arguments about the merits of Rovex/Triang vs Hornby Dublo. I was a Triangler, but in awe of HD's sewing machine valve gear. At the same time I was contemptuous of tinplate 3 rail track and the short tinplate coaches. There is no inherent superiority to either material as used for model railway locomotives. Die cast is heavier for a given mass of material, which may be of some benefit to traction on modern models where the cab must be kept free of motors, but both ultimately depend on the quality of the casting or plastic mould. There was nothing wonderful about a Rovex Black Princess, any more than there was about a HD Duchess; neither was anywhere near like scale and neither could be controlled properly. I was told that Hornby Dublo stuff would still be running long after Triang's plastic had degraded to dust, but this hasn't happened yet and I've given it 60 years. If die cast is making a comeback it is for solid reasons connected with economic production and assembly, rather than for any other advantage, and to be fair those companies that have used it on recent models have not particularly made any fuss of the fact, though there may have been a perceived but mendacious quality point for the salesmen in it. The 'weak link' in my locomotive fleet at present is a Mainline 57xx body converted many years ago by myself to 8750 specification with the use of a K's 8750 cab. This lump of crude white metal is not even close to the standard of the plastic body it it attached to; admittedly this is not the same as die cast metal. I am on the lookout for a Baccy 8750 body or at least cab to replace it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold adb968008 Posted January 23, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 23, 2019 Whoa! I love repeats me, but stop trying to compete wif the telly. HMTL still not sorted I Reckon? Its so good it needed saying 5 times Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 47137 Posted January 23, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 23, 2019 ... If die cast is making a comeback it is for solid reasons connected with economic production and assembly, rather than for any other advantage, and to be fair those companies that have used it on recent models have not particularly made any fuss of the fact, though there may have been a perceived but mendacious quality point for the salesmen in it. I think we should add 'better performance' to this list of reasons. The four models with diecast bodies in my list all run very well, and they all have a decent amount of weight to them. I don't think "durability" belongs in the list of reasons, but better performance (longer trains, smoother running) is a good thing on top of the manufacturing priorities. - Richard. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hroth Posted January 23, 2019 Share Posted January 23, 2019 I believe Hornby have offered DCC fitted Railroad 0-6-0s, but with the decoder hard-wired in by the factory. A socket would be something new (and perhaps a bit difficult). The only time I've seen a DCC fitted Railroad 0-6-0 on general release was when Hornby did a maroon LMS Jinty for their Concessions. Otherwise DCC fitted "Railroad" level 0-6-0s have been for sets, I think the J83 was DCC fitted for a set at one time, as was the Pannier Tank, the SDJR Jinty and the Class 08. The Hornby Austerity R3533 "Lord Phil", which is NOT a Railroad issue, was initially advertised as being DCC Ready but turned out not to be. According to Hornby's facebook page, the Hogwarts Express train set has just been declared overall winner of the Editors' Choice awards at the London Toy Fair. I have no idea how meaningful this is but it sounds impressive! Edited to add: I've just seen that the locomotive has a "working headlight". Unusual... Not just a working "headlight", but its fitted IN the smokebox door, just where a shed plate would be. I imagine some Warner product manager saw the white blob and ignorantly assumed that it would be an ideal place to site a light. https://www.Hornby.com/uk-en/hogwarts-express-train-set.html If I'm going to have a red Hall, I'll stick with Olton Hall! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
robmcg Posted January 23, 2019 Share Posted January 23, 2019 If nominated to step into the breach, I might have suggested the B1 or O1 which I felt were very good indeed. But recently Hornby have introduced nearly all metal loco body construction, seen on the J15 and D16/3 and then the B12/3 which is a further advance. Strangely this has not had a fraction of the acknowledgement I feel it deserves, and I am curious whether there are other recent products that have this construction?. Edit: well that was weird, somehow I got a threesome, hopefully corrected. With the excellent J36 to add to the above, and the quality of such as the new Duchess tooling, I think it is truly a great achievement by the Hornby team. No other company has sustained such fine RTR 00 at least for steam prototypes although some have equalled it e.g. the Bachmann Stanier mogul and others. I have been photographing my new Duchess of Montrose and found myself wondering who could possibly make or assemble a model of such superb design and detail on their own? We owe a great deal to the people who design, manufacture and market these wonderful models. Incredibly, they will go around sharp curves too! Of course it's not only Hornby who make nice models, and some models are faulty, but overall it is outstanding... Having just bought a 1961 Kitmaster Beyer Garratt unassembled I am especially aware of how good modern RTR is! Mind you, the Beyer Garrat was very good for 12/6d in 1961... 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Coryton Posted January 23, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 23, 2019 Not just a working "headlight", but its fitted IN the smokebox door, just where a shed plate would be. I imagine some Warner product manager saw the white blob and ignorantly assumed that it would be an ideal place to site a light. https://www.Hornby.com/uk-en/hogwarts-express-train-set.html Well if it's a magic headlight I presume it can go wherever it likes. I don't think this set is aimed at many people who frequent this web site, but most of us benefit if it sells well. (As with the Coca Cola Christmas train). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hroth Posted January 23, 2019 Share Posted January 23, 2019 Well if it's a magic headlight I presume it can go wherever it likes. I don't think this set is aimed at many people who frequent this web site, but most of us benefit if it sells well. (As with the Coca Cola Christmas train). Actually I wouldn't "mind" the tooth dissolving Christmas train, it would be fun to run alongside the Santa Express at Christmas. I don't need the HP though, I got a "Chamber of Secrets" set from a charity shop for twenty five quid a few years ago so that box is ticked! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Legend Posted January 24, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 24, 2019 Ah, the old die cast vs moulded plastic debate; that takes me back a bit, to the days of playground arguments about the merits of Rovex/Triang vs Hornby Dublo. I was a Triangler, but in awe of HD's sewing machine valve gear. At the same time I was contemptuous of tinplate 3 rail track and the short tinplate coaches. There is no inherent superiority to either material as used for model railway locomotives. Die cast is heavier for a given mass of material, which may be of some benefit to traction on modern models where the cab must be kept free of motors, but both ultimately depend on the quality of the casting or plastic mould. There was nothing wonderful about a Rovex Black Princess, any more than there was about a HD Duchess; neither was anywhere near like scale and neither could be controlled properly. I was told that Hornby Dublo stuff would still be running long after Triang's plastic had degraded to dust, but this hasn't happened yet and I've given it 60 years. If die cast is making a comeback it is for solid reasons connected with economic production and assembly, rather than for any other advantage, and to be fair those companies that have used it on recent models have not particularly made any fuss of the fact, though there may have been a perceived but mendacious quality point for the salesmen in it. The 'weak link' in my locomotive fleet at present is a Mainline 57xx body converted many years ago by myself to 8750 specification with the use of a K's 8750 cab. This lump of crude white metal is not even close to the standard of the plastic body it it attached to; admittedly this is not the same as die cast metal. I am on the lookout for a Baccy 8750 body or at least cab to replace it. Isn’t the use of diecast just to get a bit of weight in small locos? I hadn’t seen it as anything other than that . 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkSG Posted January 24, 2019 Share Posted January 24, 2019 Not just a working "headlight", but its fitted IN the smokebox door, just where a shed plate would be. I imagine some Warner product manager saw the white blob and ignorantly assumed that it would be an ideal place to site a light. As has already been said, it's a fictional prototype so they can pretty much do what they like. I'm more worried by the spurious apostrophe in "Hogwarts Express' Train Set". That's how it appears on the Rails and Cheltenham Models websites, too, and Googling for "Hornby R1234" lists plenty of other retailers using that title. So it's not just a Hornby website error, it appears to be what they've actually put in the catalogue data. But I'm struggling to imagine how anyone working for a model railway manufacturer could possibly think that "express" is either an abbreviation or a plural possessive. Hatton's, on the other hand, have corrected that error and introduced one of their own - they have it listed as "Hogwart's Express", which is equally wrong (there's no apostrophe in "Hogwarts"). https://www.hattons.co.uk/430684/Hornby_R1234_Starter_train_set_Harry_Potter_Hogwart_s_Express_/StockDetail.aspx 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hroth Posted January 24, 2019 Share Posted January 24, 2019 As has already been said, it's a fictional prototype so they can pretty much do what they like. I'm more worried by the spurious apostrophe in "Hogwarts Express' Train Set". That's how it appears on the Rails and Cheltenham Models websites, too, and Googling for "Hornby R1234" lists plenty of other retailers using that title. So it's not just a Hornby website error, it appears to be what they've actually put in the catalogue data. But I'm struggling to imagine how anyone working for a model railway manufacturer could possibly think that "express" is either an abbreviation or a plural possessive. Hatton's, on the other hand, have corrected that error and introduced one of their own - they have it listed as "Hogwart's Express", which is equally wrong (there's no apostrophe in "Hogwarts"). https://www.hattons.co.uk/430684/Hornby_R1234_Starter_train_set_Harry_Potter_Hogwart_s_Express_/StockDetail.aspx Its just the dreaded "Grocers Apostrophe" https://blog.oxforddictionaries.com/2011/02/04/random-apostrophization/ 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted January 24, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 24, 2019 According to Hornby's facebook page, the Hogwarts Express train set has just been declared overall winner of the Editors' Choice awards at the London Toy Fair. I have no idea how meaningful this is but it sounds impressive! Edited to add: I've just seen that the locomotive has a "working headlight". Unusual... Editors of what would strike me as a very relevant question. Would it be Editors of national newspapers, websites, or model railway magazines (sorry chaps I didn't intend to be rude), or toy trade magazines, or paid advertisers magazines and retail trade journals, or what? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
exet1095 Posted January 24, 2019 Share Posted January 24, 2019 I see Hornby are still making they're usual bunch of crap even in 2019 and charging an absolute mint for it. So glad i gave up on Hornby a long time ago. It's about time they really upped there game and actually produced something of decent quality for a change. Not just a troll, but a troll that cannot spell. Hopefully, you will give up on RMWEB soon too. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hroth Posted January 24, 2019 Share Posted January 24, 2019 (edited) Not just a troll, but a troll that cannot spell. Hopefully, you will give up on RMWEB soon too. I feel that RMWeb has given up on the troll already... Edited January 24, 2019 by Hroth Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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