Updated rebuilt Merchant Navy

[Dunsignalling]

6 minutes ago, Forester said:

 

Theyhave  flooded the market with the Rebuilt MN over many years and they now sell poorly when new identities are released.

Why would they want to produce another which could be ony a minor improvement on the current one?

Easy to differentiate a new one, there are three types of tender Hornby haven't yet done with a rebuilt MN. Five if you include the coal-weighing one in  operational condition and as later rebuilt into a conventional form. 

 

John

[JSpencer]

9 hours ago, Forester said:

 

Theyhave  flooded the market with the Rebuilt MN over many years and they now sell poorly when new identities are released.

Why would they want to produce another which could be ony a minor improvement on the current one?

 

We could have said the same for the King, Princess Coronation (both types) and Princess. The rebuilt Merchant Navy falls far short of rebuilt West Country standards. 

[adb968008]

Not sure why everyone lauds the west country, last time I looked at a real one, it didn't have a massive mould line running horizontal across the boiler cladding on both sides in such a way as it looks like you can lift out a centre piece of the boiler.

 

Why it was designed like this to me is a mystery of modern OO, even Hornby Dublo didn't do that on their metal one.

 

Correcting this imho is probably more important than a new

Rebuilt MN which wasn't designed with a separate lid on the boiler.

 

However I still revert to my belief that filling gaps in prototypes not done in rtr is more interesting than retooling duplicates.. if they did fix the rebuilt WC, I wouldn't upgrade on that one change alone.

Edited April 20, 2019 by adb968008

[adb968008]

Mho

11 hours ago, Dunsignalling said:

Easy to differentiate a new one, there are three types of tender Hornby haven't yet done with a rebuilt MN. Five if you include the coal-weighing one in  operational condition and as later rebuilt into a conventional form. 

 

John

A new tender would reinvigorate sales of the old one, as would a new tender on the rebuilt WC.

 

A new tender for an existing model is a fraction the cost of a whole new loco tooling (and several tenders).

 

It also maintains commonality of appearance to those already with Bullieds in their fleet.

 

Additionally many people have many many Bulleid's in their collection, a new tooling would be an odd one out on a collectors shelf.. indeed it could have the opposite effect in that collectors might cash out their old collections and just stick with the odd new one... Unless of course, a new one was cheaper & better than the old one... which is how Piko are so successful.

 

I know thats the direction i’m heading with the Terrier.. to stick or dump, but not enmasse replace.

 

Edited April 20, 2019 by adb968008

[Ian J.]

20 minutes ago, adb968008 said:

Not sure why everyone lauds the west country, last time I looked at a real one, it didn't have a massive mould line running horizontal across the boiler cladding on both sides in such a way as it looks like you can lift out a centre piece of the boiler.

 

Why it was designed like this to me is a mystery of modern OO, even Hornby Dublo didn't do that on their metal one.

 

Correcting this imho is probably more important than a new

Rebuilt MN which wasn't designed with a separate lid on the boiler.

 

However I still revert to my belief that filling gaps in prototypes not done in rtr is more interesting than retooling duplicates.. if they did fix the rebuilt WC, I wouldn't upgrade on that one change alone.

 

The most likely reason for that design choice is as a tooling insert to allow variations, something that Hornby Dublo would have simply ignored. It just happens, though, that the three I have (WC and BB) from early in their releases don't show any differences in that area, so whether any models have been produced with such differences, I don't know.

Edited April 20, 2019 by Ian J.

[adb968008]

13 minutes ago, Ian J. said:

 

The most likely reason for that design choice is as a tooling insert to allow variations, something that Hornby Dublo would have simply ignored. It just happens, though, that the three I have (WC and BB) from early in their releases don't show any differences in that area, so whether any models have been produced with such differences, I don't know.

Most likely, but even Lima managed several different styles of class 47 cab in the 1980’s without a massive seam line and separate pieces.

 

Bachmanns Jubilee / 4MT daring back to the 1970’s had some separate components (cabs/chimneys) that you’d never know where separate components.

 

it was possible, even the Hornby railroad schools body is several bits, back in the early 1980’s.

Edited April 20, 2019 by adb968008