Older Hornby Models, Were They So Bad?

[Colin]

Shame about the U and the G6!!

[Steamport Southport]

52 minutes ago, Butler Henderson said:

The Airfix pre-production model did feature in the magazines at the time but the subtlety of the difference between the two was presumably not recognised by Airfix who generally did not understand the model railway market as demonstrated by the lack of adequate production of Mk2D TSOs because their were stacks if FOs and BSKs available.

 

They could have released anything and it would have been more accurate than the Hornby version.

 

Wasn't the mock up the GEM kit?

 

 

Jason

[SD85]

Weren't Hornby planning to produce a Z class in the eighties? At least that's what I've heard. 

 

With regards to 4-4-0s, it always interested me that Triang chose to make the L1 back in the early sixties. Even now that is not an obvious prototype to choose, and in fact if one wishes to run inter war 4-4-0s of SR design one still is reliant on kits or scratch builds. Did Triang choose to model the prototype because the class was often used on Kent Coast services past their HQ? 

[Ben B]

My youngest has a train set (I consider it distinct from a model railway; she was 5 when we knocked it together for her, and most proper model railways probably have lower populations of My Little Ponies and Hatchimals towering over the lineside), she loves it and to be fair to her, is very careful with it.  But modern models are just unthinkable; I know the perception is that 'kids don't want train sets, sell to adult collectors' but the Hornby Railroad range, and those much-derided older models, has been a godsend.  They work, they're basic enough not to fall apart when you pick them up, and the odd derailment doesn't smash them to bits.  I bought one of the 48DS loco's last year, and wouldn't think for one minute she'd be able to safely use it on her set.

 

It's also given me a chance to use some of my own childhood stock from the 80's- my Bulleid "Fighter Pilot" must be very late 80's or early 90's at a pinch, as it was my first 'proper' (non-Thomas) loco.  It still runs, even if it growls like mad, and I love it.  Just the right level of detail and practicality.  And whilst the old Triang-Hornby DMU is basic, it has its charms (I have two; my Dad's old 50's original, and my own BR blue one.  I also have a Class 110 which to be fair is a marked improvement, detail-wise).  Having bought the new Ruston last year, I bought another 00 model over Christmas... a proper, 80's vintage Hornby 08 in Railfreight/ED livery, which I'd coveted since I was 6 and saw it in a catalogue... I finally bought one, aged 35, for the princely sum of £22.50 from a shop in Bridgenorth.  Yes, it has a poorly-detailed and proportioned body, incorrect chassis, and is generally a bit naff, but I still really like it, and given how few models I buy nowadays I'm surprisingly as happy with the 08 that's as old as me, as I was with the little Ruston!

[roythebus]

The major error on the Kitmaster coaches was the channel-shaped solebars. they should be flat, not have an exterior ledge on them. Otherwise they were excellent for their time, don't forget the Kitmaster Blue Pullman was a good model too. I managed to get enough bit a few years ago off eBay to make a 6 car set, including an unbuilt motor coach! All I need now is a motor bogie for it.

 

I got one of the first Triang Hymeks, fitted it with rubber-tyred Trix wheels from the AL1 and it would pull the house down. I only recently got rid of that one again on ebay!

 

[brianusa]

This era was the basis of my second coming into OO trains, prior to that it was a prewar Dublo SNG set.  I thought they were OK at the time, certainly no worse than Dublo and it wasn't until the introduction of subsequent manufacturers with more detailed models that I realised there was something better.  Those had their own set of problems though and I subsequently settled on tinplate trains  which have virtually no problems at all; certainly wouldn't satisfy the ardent enthusiast but have held my attention for the last twenty years or so.

      Brian.

[Invicta]

8 hours ago, Steamport Southport said:

I know we are getting slight OT. But Mainline and in particularly Airfix had quite a lot of models that were going to be produced before the plug was pulled.

 

Many of them have since appeared from Dapol, Replica and Bachmann. But others were going head to head with Hornby such as Black Fives and Schools. At the time there doesn't seem to be much reluctance to duplicate.

 

 

IIRC (and I don't remember where I read this) Airfix had originally planned to do a fairly balanced range with an express passenger loco, freight loco and a large and small tank engine for each of the 'big four' - Looking at that list of planned releases in addition to what they actually did put out, there seems to be some sign of that logic, although they clearly planned to go a lot further than that- Looking at that list of Airfix's planned releases through LMR glasses, then Compound, Crab, Black 5 and 8F in addition to the Scot and 4F they did release, gives a pretty useful cross-section of LMS standards- (no tank loco though)

 

Was the 2P planned by Airfix as well as the Compound?- looking at the tender-drive one that eventually surfaced in the Mainline range, and passed via Dapol to Hornby, it always struck me as having a very 'Airfix' feel to it's design and construction

[russ p]

Did either company plan any diesels? 

[Invicta]

1 minute ago, russ p said:

Did either company plan any diesels? 

 

Airfix did a 31, and Mainline a Peak, Warship and 03- I don't recall whether they planned anything else

[Philip D]

18 hours ago, Ben B said:

 

 

...And whilst the old Triang-Hornby DMU is basic, it has its charms.... it has a poorly-detailed and proportioned body, incorrect chassis, and is generally a bit naff, but I still really like it...

 

When running 'Northworthy' at the last Mickleover show, included in the stock mix next to the Bachmann 2EPB and the latest Hornby Terrier was my Tri-ang EMU, now converted to DCC. A bit of nostalgia for the purists, and the most reliable runner on the track.  OK the moulding is coarse, the scale hopelessly inaccurate but it works 50 years on, and I love it!

[Butler Henderson]

18 hours ago, Invicta said:

Was the 2P planned by Airfix as well as the Compound?- looking at the tender-drive one that eventually surfaced in the Mainline range, and passed via Dapol to Hornby, it always struck me as having a very 'Airfix' feel to it's design and construction

Never seen any mention of the 2P nor the Class 56 as being proposed by AIrfix. The toolingy were owned nor the models made by Kader and hence these tooling like the ex Airfix tools were owned by Palitoy and subsequently passed to Dapol and then Hornby

[GWR-fan]

What was once old is now new.