New Hornby Rocket

[jcredfer]

3 hours ago, aaron3820 said:

So, who’s gonna be the first brave person to try and fit sound to one of these things?

 

I do know of someone who is trying, on one of the L-Edition packs.  There are a few options, so it will be interesting to see the approach.

 

Julian

 

Edited March 6, 2020 by jcredfer

[Pre Grouping fan]

There's someone on Facebook Alan Thompson/Valle View Model Railway has managed to do it. Think they managed to fit it all in the barrel which is quite impressive. Also think they added firebox flicker as well. They were going to fit a different speaker in the barrel with a 3d printed enclosure to make it sound better. 

 

Not sure if this link will work:

 

[Coppercap]

3 hours ago, Hroth said:

As R3809 has been in the wild since mid-February, R3810 should have been in Hornbys hands by now. Given the problems that have affected some recipients of the Centenary Pack, it could be that Hornby are sampling the standard Rocket Pack as a quality check. It might also be that some standard packs have been diverted to provide spare locomotives to replace failed Centenary pack locos.  Wether any Standard Pack pre-orders are disappointed depends on how many were produced, how many are required to replace failed Centenary locos and how many fail quality control!

 

Apparently, as yet, Hornby haven't got any spares or spare parts for these yet. 

[Robin Brasher]

Hattons have closed the thread 'Hornby Rocket - pre-order from Hattons' but this thread seems to be going well with informative posts and interesting pictures. 

 

I hope to give my 'Rocket' another run at Winterborne Kingston Village Hall this evening.

[stewartingram]

2 hours ago, Johann Marsbar said:

Looks like a rather temporary bufferbeam as well (secured with chains), from the photo I took!

 

 

 

As I was the one that asked, I think I should have looked at my pics first!

No lamps for certain, the temporary chained front bufferbeam, and what looks like chain link coupling on the rear of the coach?

Has Rocket ever been on the mainline elsewhere? I know Lion has - what about lamps on that?

I'm thinking mine, when it comes, may get a run out so probably would need lamps & these mods. (or maybe a 4-character roller blind, or high intensity lights.....NOT).

 

Stewart

[Coppercap]

Of course, the new Hornby Rocket is a bit of a mix of the Rainhill 150 replica's condition, and it's current condition (it was rebuilt in about 2010). Noticeably, the Rocket replica's trailing wheels are now not those as originally fitted, and while the tender barrel was originally yellow, it is now in bare wood. I recall they had issues with the driving wheels after the replica was originally built, but before Rainhill 150 - they are bare wood at Rainhill 150, but I think they were painted yellow when first completed (I think new wheels had to be made fairly quickly, so it's probably those at Rainhill 150).

[Butler Henderson]

1 hour ago, stewartingram said:

 

As I was the one that asked, I think I should have looked at my pics first!

No lamps for certain, the temporary chained front bufferbeam, and what looks like chain link coupling on the rear of the coach?

 

The youtube video I linked to back on page 38 of the replica in Hyde Park shows the couplings quite clearly.

[Mel_H]

A helpful update, just in, courtesy of model shop Derails, about the shipping of the non-limited edition batch of Rockets:

 

 

Good Afternoon,

You are receiving this email as you have pre-ordered the R3810 Hornby Rocket Train Pack from Derails. As you know from our last email, we were expecting these packs to arrive with us over the next couple of weeks.

We have been in conversation with Hornby over the past three days when we learnt that the that the despatch of R3810 packs would likely be split in a 50/50 batch, with some due soon and some due in May, due to the factory splitting the shipment in China.

Hornby have today confirmed that to mitigate any potential supply problems or avoid cases of some retailers receiving their stock now and others later, that they will be delaying the release of R3810 until the entire batch of models has arrived, currently estimated for May. 

This may come as a blow to some, however from a retailer point of view this is quite convenient as it alleviates the bad feeling and inconvenience that arises when we have to send out to some customers months before others. It is also handy as it tends to cut down on the amount that end up on eBay at £300 a set!

We will keep you updated as to an exact expected arrival date as soon as possible, and we thank-you for your understanding and co-operation.

Kind Regards,

Little Dan

 

[mckinneyc]

Hornby have emailed me regarding returning my Rocket for a repair.

 

Quite pleased about that as the thought of tackling it myself with my poor soldering experience was a bit daunting!

[Butler Henderson]

Settled on Tamiya XF-23 Light Blue for the body livery of the 2nd class coach but does anyone have a shot of the interior of the replica as all that I can tell looking at photos is that the seats look mahogany, but what are the insides of the body panels and the doors? Presume the floor is varnished wood,

[PaulRhB]

I used the same Tamiya blue and did the whole inside in a mid brown based on photos showing the seat backs as I can’t find anything showing the inside of the doors. 

[Georgeconna]

7 hours ago, Pre Grouping fan said:

There's someone on Facebook Alan Thompson/Valle View Model Railway has managed to do it. Think they managed to fit it all in the barrel which is quite impressive. Also think they added firebox flicker as well. They were going to fit a different speaker in the barrel with a 3d printed enclosure to make it sound better. 

 

Not sure if this link will work:

 

 

Theres half a farm in that too it seems!!, Very impressive.

[jcredfer]

1 hour ago, Georgeconna said:

 

Theres half a farm in that too it seems!!, Very impressive.

 

Of course there was half a farm in the barrel...  you didn't really consider that a whole farm would fit in there, did you?  

 

Julian

[boxbrownie]

The links not working for me, does it show the way and how the decoder and speaker is fitted?

[Butler Henderson]

Had another look through YouTube and came across a video of the replica loco and 2nd class coach being delivered to Shildon. This still seems to show the internal sides and door the same colour as the seats

 

Edited March 6, 2020 by Butler Henderson

[Pre Grouping fan]

42 minutes ago, boxbrownie said:

The links not working for me, does it show the way and how the decoder and speaker is fitted?

Sadly it didn't, just the loco running back and forth on track

[Hroth]

6 hours ago, Mel_H said:

We have been in conversation with Hornby over the past three days when we learnt that the that the despatch of R3810 packs would likely be split in a 50/50 batch, with some due soon and some due in May, due to the factory splitting the shipment in China.

 

Interesting information, these Chinese factories are a law unto themselves! I'm now wondering if the "second half" thats still in China will get out of the country in time for a May delivery!  Sounds wonderfully optimistic given the current health situation.

 

Oh well......

 

[robmcg]

4 minutes ago, Hroth said:

 

Interesting information, these Chinese factories are a law unto themselves! I'm now wondering if the "second half" thats still in China will get out of the country in time for a May delivery!  Sounds wonderfully optimistic given the current health situation.

 

Oh well......

 

 

China are now over the worst of new cases (source; public radio NZ) and are attempting to manufacture and trade normally, but as can be expected the logistics are a mess in for 'normal trade' and we are having problems getting our peak horticultural produce anywhere near timely delivery, at great cost to everyone.

[Robin Brasher]

New Zealand looked great on television with its clear streams, unusual wildlife and lush vegetation. 

 

I gave my 'Rocket' another run at Winterborne Kingston and it was easier to plug in the figures and the rope couplings. I think that the fit is not so tight now. 

 

Lots of rumours about the supply.  They said that each retailer has only been allocated two of the limited run 'Rocket' sets. This would make sense as the Swanage Station shop staff said that only one other person ordered a 'Rocket' and we both got one. They also said that both batches of the production version had sold out and the two standard production sets will each have different names on the coaches.

[Pre Grouping fan]

25 minutes ago, Robin Brasher said:

 

Lots of rumours about the supply.  They said that each retailer has only been allocated two of the limited run 'Rocket' sets. This would make sense as the Swanage Station shop staff said that only one other person ordered a 'Rocket' and we both got one. They also said that both batches of the production version had sold out and the two standard production sets will each have different names on the coaches.

I read the supply was determined on the sales figures/orders previously for each individual shop and was determined by the sales reps.

Makes more sense than just supplying 2 to each retailer as for a fact the larger retailers chad more than 2. But where some maybe didn't take their full allocation there was some additional available to everyone again quickly snapped up.

[Edwardian]

Second time lucky ....

 

Thanks to Rails of Sheffield, my replacement Rocket set arrived this morning. Most carefully, not to say gingerly, I pushed from behind until the loco was in the position shown below, then I pulled it free using the clear film, held at each end.  All wires present and correct this time. 

 

 

And she ran, smoothly and well, first time on the test track (albeit with coughing and noises off provided by my daughter who has been off school with sore throat etc).

 

I am now a Much Happier Bunny.

 

 

 

 

[Butler Henderson]

18 minutes ago, Edwardian said:

And she ran, smoothly and well, first time on the test track

The trailing wheels look like they are sticking.

[Edwardian]

4 minutes ago, Butler Henderson said:

The trailing wheels look like they are sticking.

 

Hmm, yes, you're right.

[Compound2632]

13 minutes ago, Butler Henderson said:

The trailing wheels look like they are sticking.

 

Looks like frame rate aliasing to me - they appear to go backwards too!

[Hroth]

Looks good, lots of C. Hamilton Ellis style motion blur on the wheels!

 

As Compound says, the apparent "sticking" looks like a video artefact.  Watch it with your own eyes before getting worried!  Even given that, if it were MY loco, I wouldn't be bothered.  It works, that's the main thing....