New Hornby Rocket

[Edwardian]

40 minutes ago, Ian Hargrave said:

Hornby QC strikes again.Flagship Centenary model etc....Wonder just how many returns to date.To think that feelings of having to be bereft of one have led to near meltdown on this forum..

 

    Far too minutely fiddly for my eyes and fingers alas which is why I’m passing on this one anyway. I fear I made the correct judgement. Sorry for your disappointment gents both young and grown up.

 

 

 

I regard myself as having limited skills, but I have at least learnt to wire up a loco and the soldering iron at least does not hold the fear for me that it once did.

 

How those collector/modellers who are even less proficient than I am are going to cope with this model, the Lord alone knows.

 

Extracting this from the box is perilous.  The best way to do it is to poke it out through holes in the back of the foam, applying equal pressure to the loco and tender. However, who looks for holes in the back of such packaging?  I only knew to do this because the person with me knew the trick and pointed it out.  Anyone taking the thing out in the usual front first way will be lucky to extract it intact. 

 

And where does it warn you of the need to push the loco out through small holes in the back of the foam that you probably won't even notice?  Nowhere that I have found, so far.  

 

Moving on.

 

I think the model is now correctly wired and the pick-ups in place.  Clearly there is juice coming via the wheels and life in the motor. 

 

There is a distressed whirring noise.  The driving axle, while apparently correctly seated and secure, turns freely.  It seems, then, that the gears are not meshing.  

 

If I could get inside the boiler, I could probably push the worm into contact.  The bottom segment of the boiler has a join line, but I am not quite sure how to get inside.  Care will have to be taken when disengaging the driving wheels not to damage the motion.

 

Has anyone tried to get to the motor yet?

 

I'm in two minds whether to try; the instructions do not provide for disassembly and the the leaflet states "IMPORTANT ... Hornby strongly recommend that in the event of failure that may involve access to the internal mechanism that the model is returned to the Hornby Service department for repair"

 

Having corrected the wiring and the pick-ups, I'm loathe to admit defeat. Any thoughts? 

[Hroth]

5 minutes ago, Edwardian said:

I'm in two minds whether to try; the instructions do not provide for disassembly and the the leaflet states "IMPORTANT ... Hornby strongly recommend that in the event of failure that may involve access to the internal mechanism that the model is returned to the Hornby Service department for repair"

 

I think your best bet is to get in touch with the Service Department as soon as you can.  It wouldn't surprise me if they didn't have a small number of spare sets to cover the eventuality of dodgy assembly at the factory, and if there are a number of "Friday Afternoon" jobs floating about, then the sooner you get in the queue for replacement the better!

[melmerby]

Well having carried out repairs yourself, (which may be obvious to Hornby and the retailer) you could have invalidated the warranty.

Most manufacturers put a clause about unauthorised repairs in their warranty terms & conditions.

Edited February 29, 2020 by melmerby

[Ian Hargrave]

4 minutes ago, Edwardian said:

 

I regard myself as having limited skills, but I have at least learnt to wire up a loco and the soldering iron at least does not hold the fear for me that it once did.

 

How those collector/modellers who are even less proficient than I am are going to cope with this model, the Lord alone knows.

 

Extracting this from the box is perilous.  The best way to do it is to poke it out through holes in the back of the foam, applying equal pressure to the loco and tender. However, who looks for holes in the back of such packaging?  I only knew to do this because the person with me knew the trick and pointed it out.  Anyone taking the thing out in the usual front first way will be lucky to extract it intact. 

 

And where does it warn you of the need to push the loco out through small holes in the back of the foam that you probably won't even notice?  Nowhere that I have found, so far.  

 

Moving on.

 

I think the model is now correctly wired and the pick-ups in place.  Clearly there is juice coming via the wheels and life in the motor. 

 

There is a distressed whirring noise.  The driving axle, while apparently correctly seated and secure, turns freely.  It seems, then, that the gears are not meshing.  

 

If I could get inside the boiler, I could probably push the worm into contact.  The bottom segment of the boiler has a join line, but I am not quite sure how to get inside.  Care will have to be taken when disengaging the driving wheels not to damage the motion.

 

Has anyone tried to get to the motor yet?

 

I'm in two minds whether to try; the instructions do not provide for disassembly and the the leaflet states "IMPORTANT ... Hornby strongly recommend that in the event of failure that may involve access to the internal mechanism that the model is returned to the Hornby Service department for repair"

 

Having corrected the wiring and the pick-ups, I'm loathe to admit defeat. Any thoughts? 

 
Just one.Send it back.Packaging design needs some form of caution from Hornby ASAP.Who designed all of this,China or UK ? Looking at the images posted here,the design makes for easy mishap on the slightest mishandling .Gear problem does occur with Hornby drive train from time to time. But here ?

[Edwardian]

1 minute ago, Hroth said:

 

I think your best bet is to get in touch with the Service Department as soon as you can.  It wouldn't surprise me if they didn't have a small number of spare sets to cover the eventuality of dodgy assembly at the factory, and if there are a number of "Friday Afternoon" jobs floating about, then the sooner you get in the queue for replacement the better!

 

Thanks, I suppose I'd better do so. One might be forgiven for suspecting that a very great proportion of this and other recent Hornby output was scheduled for Friday afternoons!

 

Still, the coaches are nice. To reflect my extensive, but thus far unsuccessful, attempts to get the Rocket model to work, and in honour of Simon Kohler who more than anyone has defined the Hornby experience for me, I am minded to rename one of the coaches "Tedious"

[Ian Hargrave]

2 minutes ago, melmerby said:

Well having carried out repairs yourself, (which may be obvious to Hornby and the retailer) you could have invalidated the warranty.

Most manufacturers put a clause about unauthorised repairs in their terms

I think if enough concern was raised in the appropriate manner,Hornby will respond 

[melmerby]

Surely if the motor is in the loco & the pickups are on the loco, DC users don't need any wires at all, as long as you can get inside and connect the motor directly.

Me? I'd be tempted to put pickups on the tender as well.

[Edwardian]

1 minute ago, Ian Hargrave said:

I think if enough concern was raised in the appropriate manner,Hornby will respond 

 

Not sure what it could be if not a failure of the gears to engage.  The motor clearly wants to do something but the wheels don't turn. 

 

I only know this because I had got to the stage of connecting unconnected wires and adjusting the pick-ups, so I would hope the Big H won't play silly-b*ggers over warranty terms, but I have clearly not caused it to fail to work and it was not fit for purpose. 

[Robin Brasher]

Having survived two runs on club layouts my 'Rocket' is going to stay in my display cabinet for a while. 

 

Hornby has not supplied a guarantee but I assume that it should work for a year so I have kept the receipt and if it breaks down before February 2021 I will take it back to the shop for a refund or replacement.  I am glad I bought it from a shop because I don't think it would have stood up to being delivered by mail order.

 

Over the last 70 years I have owned trains from Hornby 0 gauge clockwork to 00 gauge and N gauge and I have never owned anything as delicate as the Hornby 'Rocket,. It has just taken me five minutes to plug the driver, 'Joseph Locke' in and almost as long to plug in the fireman and rope couplings. Hornby says it is not suitable for children under 14 years of age: perhaps it is not suitable for adults over 65 with less than perfect eyesight and manual dexterity.

Edited February 29, 2020 by Robin Brasher
amended 2020 to 2021

[Edwardian]

1 minute ago, melmerby said:

Surely if the motor is in the loco & the pickups are on the loco, DC users don't need any wires at all, as long as you can get inside and connect the motor directly.

Me? I'd be tempted to put pickups on the tender as well.

 

There are pick ups on the tender.  I'm pretty confident that the wiring and the pick ups are now OK. The motor turns but the wheels don't!

[wasabi]

Something I can't recall being mentioned  is that in relation to supply and demand, the manufacturers may have been concerned about Hornby's credit rating and thus cut down on what they were prepared to supply.  Hornby announced a few days ago that they were raising some GBP 15 million from the majority shareholders, which should ease their situation.  Perhaps orders for the Rocket helped in obtaining this funding?

 

Chinese firms that lost out over DJM might be looking more carefully at the credit that they are prepared to give others.

 

[I know that the key reason for raising money is given on RNS as to 'reinvigorate' their 'key brands' but, having (now retired) a career in investment I think you need sometimes to read between the lines, as it were].

 

[CF MRC]

I’d love to have a look inside & probably will do when I get mine.  
 

Tim

[Hroth]

3 minutes ago, Robin Brasher said:

... I have never owned anything as delicate as the Hornby 'Rocket,. It has just taken me five minutes to plug the driver, 'Joseph Locke' in and almost as long to plug in the fireman and rope couplings. Hornby says it is not suitable for children under 14 years of age: perhaps it is not suitable for adults over 65 with less than perfect eyesight and manual dexterity.

 

Perhaps the box should have one of those eye charts on the back and the warning, in a large type, that if you cannot read the bottom line, then your eyesight is not sufficient to operate the model....

 

2 minutes ago, CF MRC said:

I’d love to have a look inside & probably will do when I get mine.  

 

Its probably assembled on a jig, and without that, there's no hope of holding all the parts in the right place for reassembly....

 

Especially if your eyesight/manual dexterity isn't up to the job!

 

[CF MRC]

1 minute ago, Hroth said:

 

Its probably assembled on a jig, and without that, there's no hope of holding all the parts in the right place for reassembly....

 

Especially if your eyesight/manual dexterity isn't up to the job!

 

I think I’ll manage...

 

Tim

[Ian Hargrave]

4 minutes ago, wasabi said:

Something I can't recall being mentioned  is that in relation to supply and demand, the manufacturers may have been concerned about Hornby's credit rating and thus cut down on what they were prepared to supply.  Hornby announced a few days ago that they were raising some GBP 15 million from the majority shareholders, which should ease their situation.  Perhaps orders for the Rocket helped in obtaining this funding?

 

Chinese firms that lost out over DJM might be looking more carefully at the credit that they are prepared to give others.

 

[I know that the key reason for raising money is given on RNS as to 'reinvigorate' their 'key brands' but, having (now retired) a career in investment I think you need sometimes to read between the lines, as it were].

 

We have no evidence that this is the case,so this is speculation..What we do know is that Hornby’s attention to QC is not what it might be and that from time to time,mishaps such as this occur.

[gc4946]

I hope those who ordered the R3810 version, including me, will have none of the wiring and gear meshing faults when taken out of the box. 

Sorry to hear of the problems cropping up with the "Triang" limited edition.

[melmerby]

26 minutes ago, Edwardian said:

 

There are pick ups on the tender.  I'm pretty confident that the wiring and the pick ups are now OK. The motor turns but the wheels don't!

Hadn't appreciated that.

[Robin Brasher]

40 minutes ago, melmerby said:

Well having carried out repairs yourself, (which may be obvious to Hornby and the retailer) you could have invalidated the warranty.

Most manufacturers put a clause about unauthorised repairs in their warranty terms & conditions.

Hornby's 'Rocket' does not come with a warranty.

[cctransuk]

51 minutes ago, Edwardian said:

 

I regard myself as having limited skills, but I have at least learnt to wire up a loco and the soldering iron at least does not hold the fear for me that it once did.

 

How those collector/modellers who are even less proficient than I am are going to cope with this model, the Lord alone knows.

 

Extracting this from the box is perilous.  The best way to do it is to poke it out through holes in the back of the foam, applying equal pressure to the loco and tender. However, who looks for holes in the back of such packaging?  I only knew to do this because the person with me knew the trick and pointed it out.  Anyone taking the thing out in the usual front first way will be lucky to extract it intact. 

 

And where does it warn you of the need to push the loco out through small holes in the back of the foam that you probably won't even notice?  Nowhere that I have found, so far.  

 

Moving on.

 

I think the model is now correctly wired and the pick-ups in place.  Clearly there is juice coming via the wheels and life in the motor. 

 

There is a distressed whirring noise.  The driving axle, while apparently correctly seated and secure, turns freely.  It seems, then, that the gears are not meshing.  

 

If I could get inside the boiler, I could probably push the worm into contact.  The bottom segment of the boiler has a join line, but I am not quite sure how to get inside.  Care will have to be taken when disengaging the driving wheels not to damage the motion.

 

Has anyone tried to get to the motor yet?

 

I'm in two minds whether to try; the instructions do not provide for disassembly and the the leaflet states "IMPORTANT ... Hornby strongly recommend that in the event of failure that may involve access to the internal mechanism that the model is returned to the Hornby Service department for repair"

 

Having corrected the wiring and the pick-ups, I'm loathe to admit defeat. Any thoughts? 

 

I cannot, for the life of me, understand why anyone who had read "IMPORTANT ... Hornby strongly recommend that in the event of failure that may involve access to the internal mechanism that the model is returned to the Hornby Service department for repair" would go anywhere near such a tiny model with a soldering iron.

 

If a brand new model doesn't work when taken out of the box - send it back.

 

I could quite understand if Hornby were to say "Warranty invalidated".

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

[PaulRhB]

If they warn against opening it up, and your not confident in doing it yourself, I’d suggest contacting Hornby for service. You can always send it back in the foam packing only and keep hold of the outer and coaches. 

[PaulRhB]

2 minutes ago, Robin Brasher said:

Hornby's 'Rocket' does not come with a warranty.

It might not have a paper slip but it does come with a warranty, that’s true of all products. 

[Coppercap]

21 minutes ago, gc4946 said:

I hope those who ordered the R3810 version, including me, will have none of the wiring and gear meshing faults when taken out of the box. 

Sorry to hear of the problems cropping up with the "Triang" limited edition.

 

Why is it likely to be any different? The Rocket is identical, the coaches are the same apart from having different names, and both sets are likely to have been assembled by the same team. The packaging will be the same except one's in a red box and one's on a yellow box.

[Edwardian]

Just now, melmerby said:

Hadn't appreciated that.

 

Understood.  There are pick up strip to the tender axles (so the centre of the axles must be insulated). 

 

1 minute ago, cctransuk said:

 

I cannot, for the life of me, understand why anyone who had read "IMPORTANT ... Hornby strongly recommend that in the event of failure that may involve access to the internal mechanism that the model is returned to the Hornby Service department for repair" would go anywhere near such a tiny model with a soldering iron.

 

If a brand new model doesn't work when taken out of the box - send it back.

 

I could quite understand if Hornby were to say "Warranty invalidated".

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

 

Thanks for your support. Fortunately, in this instance, you life does not depend upon the extent of your understanding

 

 

 

 

[Robin Brasher]

2 minutes ago, PaulRhB said:

It might not have a paper slip but it does come with a warranty, that’s true of all products. 

 

If you buy anything you have some legal protection but a warranty can give you additional rights.  I think it is academic because I have always found that Bachmann and Hornby are very good at repairing or replacing faulty items free of charge if you return them within a reasonable period. For instance there was a manufacturing fault on a Bachmann N class. I returned it about two years after i bought it and they repaired it free of charge.

[WisTramwayMan]

I'll be totally honest; reading some of the stories above regarding the fragility and potential issues with this model I'm beginning to wonder whether I want one at all, and if Hattonsgate didn't do me a favour. My thanks though to members who have done their to assist me in locating an available model; it's much appreciated. For now, I have located and ordered a R3810, hopefully this time will not be disappointed and avoid some of the issues that it would appear many purchasers are experiencing.