New Hornby steam loco - £384.99 rrp

[robmcg]

The old Rivarossi model upon which this new Hornby model is based was very, very nice, in my opinion.

 

Here is a version I bought s/h for UKP180 on Ebay just recently... boxed, runs well, early motor version from 1970s or 80s.

 

 

Very impressive model,  and a few years ago I had an MTH version   or Precision Caft Models version, I forget which, which cost about UKP300 on Ebay.  

 

 

Given that the new Hornby version of 4014 has RP25 wheels, a good motor, and better detail e g cab glass, I suspect it won't be at all bad.

 

To finish, Hornby-Rivarossi did a weathered Big Boy some years ago, 4014 no less, and with a bit of detailing and photo enhancement it doesn't look bad at all, but it was panned by critics for the weathering,  I think it is superb.  But the US buyers are often obsessed with smoke and sound and such useless gimmicks, and few have seen real working steam railways...  maybe.

 

 

Last picture is edited, will remove if asked.

 

Good on you Hornby for producing this fine model.

   

Edited August 18, 2019 by robmcg
typo

[w124bob]

I friend of mine is a huge UP steam fan, currently runs 4 Big Boys all with sound . He paid £400 plus a few years ago for the first run from Rivarossi and that was DC. Athearn version is listed at about $650 DC so that price of £385 looks like a bargain! His sound chips are a mixture all after market fitted , one pair have ESU decoders fitted with sugar cube speakers , consisted sound awesome. I just wish he'd let loose with the weathering . All run through Peco med rad points and his 24inch rad curves.

Edited August 17, 2019 by w124bob

[PatB]

On 15/08/2019 at 18:30, 34theletterbetweenB&D said:

Spot on. Cannot remember what I paid for my Rivarossi Big Boy at Victors back then, (complete with motor visible in cab), I think the price was about half what one then paid  a year or two after for the new and exciting OM1 compact SLR .

 

Unlike the long gone OM1, the Big Boy still runs as well as ever, with the motor now in the firebox. (Rivarossi couldn't find enough space in that immense boiler to get the motor out of sight!) The shaft drive to both powered trucks however was a level of mechanism sophistication unknown to contemporary RTR OO steam , which was still stuck at open frame motor driving directly on an axle, grindy wow noises and all.

 

Not 1970s, but picking an old RM at random, I found an ad from Kittle Hobby of Swansea from early 1993. It lists the Rivarossi Big Boy at a smidge under £200, from a rrp of a smidge under £250. I don't think a price rise of 50% over 26 years could be regarded as unreasonable. A rough, back of an envelope calculation says that's annual inflation of about 1.6%, which is hardly breathtaking. 

[friscopete]

I painted a  brass Max Grey 0 gauge version once .Awesome when  put on the customers garden railway with PFM sound..I wanted to weather it but the customer wanted it shiny .

Edited August 17, 2019 by friscopete

[PatB]

2 hours ago, friscopete said:

I painted a  brass Max Grey 0 gauge version once .Awesome when  put on the customers garden railway with PFM sound..I wanted to weather it but the customer wanted it shiny .

Should have got it chromed then ;-). 

[Steamport Southport]

I still reckon one of ours could pull two of the bu@@ers backwards.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jason

[stewartingram]

3 hours ago, Steamport Southport said:

I still reckon one of ours could pull two of the bu@@ers backwards.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jason

Certainly would if Tony Wright built the chassis.

 

Stewart

[robmcg]

Some photos of the new Hornby-Rivarossi model from Hattons... I have added vignette, sharpened a tiny bit.

 

Very impressive if I may say so, having owned three earlier versions, as well as an MTH die cast version.

 

I note that it is in 1940s coal-fired form with radiators at front, not identical to the as-restored oil-fired setup.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 20, 2019 by robmcg

[dibber25]

Hard to believe anyone can dismiss smoke and sound as 'useless gimmicks' in this day and age! (CJL)

[robmcg]

There was meant to be a tiny element of levity in that statement. 

 

For me, they are useless, unrealistic, and a waste of time.  Each to their own.

Edited August 21, 2019 by robmcg

[Steamport Southport]

14 hours ago, dibber25 said:

Hard to believe anyone can dismiss smoke and sound as 'useless gimmicks' in this day and age! (CJL)

 

I do. Unless it's very well done and I've only seen it done properly in a handful of circumstances. Most of the time I would put them both in the same category as flashing lights and "jokey" scenes. Fun, but usually just a gimmick and shouting "look at me".

 

One was a large scale US narrow gauge logging layout that even had working bells and the other one that I liked was a SR seaside resort as it was quite subtle.

 

 

 

Jason

[John Tomlinson]

The older Rivarossi stuff seems to me to be very reasonably priced on ebay in the UK.

 

Big Boys typically seem to go from £110-£130. I appreciate these may not have all the finesse of current models, and probably not the same fine wheel flanges, but that's a lot of loco for your dosh!

 

The other week I picked up a Challenger with Traxx(?) sound for just £99, sold as not working very well, a strip down and clean did the trick and very handsome it is in its UP two tone grey passenger livery. The sound is quite fun as well, and it is very solidly built.

 

I could acquire a taste for this stuff, despite not really fitting a BR East Midlands themed layout!

 

John.

 

P.S. the old style flanges run fine on my Peco 75, so not that gross, my Challenger is one with motor in the cab, presumably dating from the '70's.

Edited August 21, 2019 by John Tomlinson
P.S.

[dibber25]

6 hours ago, Steamport Southport said:

 

I do. Unless it's very well done and I've only seen it done properly in a handful of circumstances. Most of the time I would put them both in the same category as flashing lights and "jokey" scenes. Fun, but usually just a gimmick and shouting "look at me".

 

One was a large scale US narrow gauge logging layout that even had working bells and the other one that I liked was a SR seaside resort as it was quite subtle.

 

 

 

Jason

Smoke doesn't really bother me. It doesn't 'scale' so it seldom looks right. However, when I did MRC cover models for Colin Gifford I always had to provide smoke. Usually it was by way of Colin blowing cigarette smoke down a tube but it certainly made for some real atmosphere in some of the photos. As to sound, well, in my North American models I view it as essential. Models without sound are just too tame. I test-ran a Hornby 'Big Boy' this afternoon and it would REALLY benefit from sound in my view. (CJL)

[robmcg]

23 hours ago, John Tomlinson said:

The older Rivarossi stuff seems to me to be very reasonably priced on ebay in the UK.

 

Big Boys typically seem to go from £110-£130. I appreciate these may not have all the finesse of current models, and probably not the same fine wheel flanges, but that's a lot of loco for your dosh!

 

The other week I picked up a Challenger with Traxx(?) sound for just £99, sold as not working very well, a strip down and clean did the trick and very handsome it is in its UP two tone grey passenger livery. The sound is quite fun as well, and it is very solidly built.

 

I could acquire a taste for this stuff, despite not really fitting a BR East Midlands themed layout!

 

John.

 

P.S. the old style flanges run fine on my Peco 75, so not that gross, my Challenger is one with motor in the cab, presumably dating from the '70's.

 

I agree, the early model Rivarossi Big Boy was good value but has gone up a tad lately, being a model of a very impressive restoration...

 

here is an older model with flanges and early motor, goes well, boxed, nice condition, bought for UKP180 about six months ago.. sorry if this is a repeat,

 

 

Edited August 21, 2019 by robmcg

[PaulRhB]

Yes they are good value but those prices are about the max you want to pay. I picked up the very nice Athearn Genesis one with Soundtraxx Tsunami  for £370 incl post on eBay. Fortunately it’s the oil burner too so just needs renumbering and the radiators taking off to make a good representation of 4014.

[John Tomlinson]

53 minutes ago, robmcg said:

 

I agree, the early model Rivarossi Big Boy was good value but has gone up a tad lately, being a model of a very impressive restoration...

 

here is an older model with flanges and early motor, goes well, boxed, nice condition, bought for UKP180 about six months ago.. sorry if this is a repeat,

 

 

That's a lovely picture Rob, what's not to like about this for the price of a much smaller Duchess or Lord Nelson!

 

John.

[mdvle]

8 hours ago, Steamport Southport said:

I do. Unless it's very well done and I've only seen it done properly in a handful of circumstances. Most of the time I would put them both in the same category as flashing lights and "jokey" scenes. Fun, but usually just a gimmick and shouting "look at me".

 

Smoke is problematic, not just for the already mentioned fact that it's behaviour doesn't scale, but also the fact that you are putting stuff into the air to breath and in some cases to settle on the layout.

 

As for sound, it really depends on what you are doing and what prototype you are modelling.  For North American stuff, anyone trying to operate prototypically finds it important given the way North American prototypes operate where the horn and bell are essential parts of operation.

 

 

[No Decorum]

14 hours ago, mdvle said:

 

Smoke is problematic, not just for the already mentioned fact that it's behaviour doesn't scale, but also the fact that you are putting stuff into the air to breath and in some cases to settle on the layout.

 

As for sound, it really depends on what you are doing and what prototype you are modelling.  For North American stuff, anyone trying to operate prototypically finds it important given the way North American prototypes operate where the horn and bell are essential parts of operation.

 

 

I agree about the smoke – especially in the confines of the roof space. In addition to that, smoke oil can make an awful mess of a model. As for appearance, it doesn’t look right but it’s a representation, just as sound is. Perhaps I would like smoke if the side effects could be overcome. Sound is a different matter. It is improving all the time but it still doesn’t resonate in the chest cavity as real diesels do. For all that, I love sound so long as it’s good sound. It isn’t only the sounds themselves, it’s that you have to drive the things. I find doing that much more enjoyable than just turning the knob on a controller.