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Hornby W1 Hush Hush


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12 hours ago, Nova Scotian said:

With the wheelbase relatively fixed and rigid (driving wheels), could the trailing two axles be more true to type? Trim down the first to allow significantly more sideplay (and you don't need a self-centering as the wheelbase stops the wobble/waddle) to act more like a cartizzi axle. The last one is more challenging and could be left flangeless? I don't see how to engineer a bissel that has enough range of motion in that tight space - so maybe an SEF type bogie hidden underneath is an option? 

 

For my money, many of it's issues source from the flangeless rear wheel set. The weight has been cast forward to try to stop the flangeless wheels causing problems with fouling/shorting. Which presents poor weight distribution, which loses adhesion on the driving set and pushes too much weight on the front wheel set for it's own good.

Articulated pony trucks / bogies are less prototypical, but so is absolutely everyone's layout - as regards radii. Articulated pony trucks were around for about 60 years, for a really excellent reason.

They work properly.

 

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1 hour ago, KT said:

 

For my money, many of it's issues source from the flangeless rear wheel set. The weight has been cast forward to try to stop the flangeless wheels causing problems with fouling/shorting. Which presents poor weight distribution, which loses adhesion on the driving set and pushes too much weight on the front wheel set for it's own good.

 

 

If the adhesion is so bad, why can it pull a decent load?

I tried 8 Hornby full range teaks on the level and it managed with ease, I would guess at least another two would be OK.

On a 1:60 it slipped to a stop with 8, managed with 7 with some slipping and 6 was fine.

The only other loco I have that is better (without additional ballast) was the P2, nothing else steam outline will. (I've got around 70 locos).

My best lugger is a Baccy class 47 that tows my track cleaner, loads of mass and 12 wheel drive.

 

 

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3 hours ago, Jonathan Severin said:

Not the best first post! My W1 didn't work, sent back to Hornby. Returned with broken smoke deflector!!!!!

It's going back again!

Jonathan.

20211217_114055.jpg

Mine, though the nameless one, was broken exactly like this and the retailer (Cheltenham) didn't have a replacement but could refund fully. I worked out that none was available anywhere else and that selling both my kidneys wouldn't finance an eBay version and that I wanted a W1 very much. So it being a clean break, I steadied my hand and stuck it back on. I've also doctored the plastic clam thingy so that when it gets put away the same thing won't happen again. Oddly enough (I'm no great modeller), it looks ok.

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On 14/12/2021 at 17:07, Widnes Model Centre said:

 

May I ask of those who have received damaged loco's; were they packed with foam inserts?

 

Ours arrived today and they had three pieces of foam preventing the loco from moving around in the clamshell.

 

No damage, all perfect. No need to put on Ebay and sell for a small fortune due to damage.

 

On 14/12/2021 at 17:34, polybear said:

 

Mine arrived undamaged - with no signs of foam.  Packed in a large outer box with some bubblewrap (just enough to stop it rattling around)

 

Ignore my duff gen above - mine does have three foam inserts stuck to the clamshell below where the loco and tender sit.

 

I've just been checking my loco again - the only issues I've noticed are the tender drawbar was the wrong way round (the two holes should be at the tender-end) and there was a small burr on that end of the drawbar, which was soon removed with a flat needle file.  The other I noticed was the 'n' shaped handrail on the footplate just behind the front bufferbeam leans backwards slightly - does anyone know if this would be plastic or wire?  If it's plastic then I'll probably leave it alone in case it snaps if I try to bend it straight.

 

I also noticed the fold-down fall plate at the rear of the cab floor, which I thought was quite smart (I've not seen this done before - but it's been a few years since I've purchased a new RTR release because the prices have gone thru' the roof - it has to be a "bit special" to get the wallet out).

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12 minutes ago, Edna Clouds said:

Mine, though the nameless one, was broken exactly like this and the retailer (Cheltenham) didn't have a replacement but could refund fully. I worked out that none was available anywhere else and that selling both my kidneys wouldn't finance an eBay version and that I wanted a W1 very much. So it being a clean break, I steadied my hand and stuck it back on. I've also doctored the plastic clam thingy so that when it gets put away the same thing won't happen again. Oddly enough (I'm no great modeller), it looks ok.

I was talking to Hornby Customer Technical guys today. It may be that spare loco bodies are available even if replacement locos are unavailable. I would go direct or via your retailer to see if you can get a replacement, assuming the loco runs well. Changing the body looks straight forward.

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8 hours ago, adb968008 said:

if this

 

8 hours ago, adb968008 said:

if this was glass.. the results would have been the same.

Quite possibly but doesn’t need to be. I work for a company developing LCD displays (glass) for the automotive industry. Our packaging engineers go to a lot of trouble in design to make sure goods arrive in one piece. Packaging is drop tested before being released for production.

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3 hours ago, cctransuk said:

 

No - sorry - I'm not following this.

Evidently not. 

3 hours ago, cctransuk said:

 

 

If you feel that a company treats you like dirt and clearly feels no sense of moral obligation to you, you are unlikely ever to want to trade with them in the first place - so no loss of trade to the company.

 

Er … but if you don’t attempt to trade with them in the first time place, whether as an individual or as a business, you don’t find out, do you?  The “loss of trade” is self-evidently the future business you’d gladly do with them again if you’d been treated well. D’OH!

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20 minutes ago, Willie Whizz said:

Evidently not. 

Er … but if you don’t attempt to trade with them in the first time place, whether as an individual or as a business, you don’t find out, do you?  The “loss of trade” is self-evidently the future business you’d gladly do with them again if you’d been treated well. D’OH!

 

No need to be rude!

 

What I don't follow is what this has to do with companies selling their stock at inflated prices on Ebay - or is this 'treating you like dirt and with no sense of moral obligation to you'?

 

They choose to follow this perfectly sensible business strategy; and thereby presumably lose any future trade that you MIGHT have put their way.

 

I am reminded of the saying that 'a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush'!

 

CJI.

 

 

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On 13/12/2021 at 22:15, Edge said:

It has just this minute updated to say ‘entered Hermes network’, and now the link is saying that it isn’t valid and they’ve got no record of it.

 

Marvellous. Hermes strikes again. How they stay in business is beyond me

Hi I’ve got exactly the same issue. Hornby took payment from my card on 1 Dec. Received an email to say that it entered Hermes system on 7 Dec. Tracking said on the 10th that it was on its way to the courier and as of today Hermes don’t recognise the tracking number. You couldn’t make it up. Tried phoning Hornby - line temporarily closed whatever that means. Tried emailing - might take a few days was the response. I think with this level of customer service and the increasing competition their days are numbered - please don’t shout at me it’s just my personal opinion.

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22 minutes ago, Haymarket47 said:

Hi I’ve got exactly the same issue. Hornby took payment from my card on 1 Dec. Received an email to say that it entered Hermes system on 7 Dec. Tracking said on the 10th that it was on its way to the courier and as of today Hermes don’t recognise the tracking number. You couldn’t make it up. Tried phoning Hornby - line temporarily closed whatever that means. Tried emailing - might take a few days was the response. I think with this level of customer service and the increasing competition their days are numbered - please don’t shout at me it’s just my personal opinion.

Ive had the same thing… sometimes the link works, sometimes not, and when t does work , the latest update is “at national hub”.  More than likely being thrown around… god only knows when it’ll turn up and if its in 1 piece.

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59 minutes ago, Haymarket47 said:

Hi I’ve got exactly the same issue. Hornby took payment from my card on 1 Dec. Received an email to say that it entered Hermes system on 7 Dec. Tracking said on the 10th that it was on its way to the courier and as of today Hermes don’t recognise the tracking number. You couldn’t make it up. Tried phoning Hornby - line temporarily closed whatever that means. Tried emailing - might take a few days was the response. I think with this level of customer service and the increasing competition their days are numbered - please don’t shout at me it’s just my personal opinion.

If it is any comfort, mine was delivered a couple of days back perfectly safe and sound. I think I ordered about the same time as you, so I’d expect you to get yours soon. Fingers crossed it’s okay

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I have followed this thread with interest, and bought one of the last I could find on-line just over 2 weeks ago, yet to arrive as live in NZ, tracked but not yet scanned in NZ.

 

Seeing the sad stories of rough handling and damage, and seeing another offer on line for new R3840 I bought that too.

 

I wonder how much of the poor service is down to Covid, absenteeism and under-staffing or poor uninterested people doing the handling?

 

Either way with two R3840s coming , my risks are halved, and I can sell the extra one and retire in luxury on the profits.  

Edited by robmcg
typo
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I wonder what Hornby are going to be doing with all these broken returns . 
Will they have enough body shells to fix the broken returned  models . Or will they have to commission a second run to replace the broken body shells. Or will they have enough in stock . 

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10 minutes ago, oleander said:

I wonder what Hornby are going to be doing with all these broken returns . 
Will they have enough body shells to fix the broken returned  models . Or will they have to commission a second run to replace the broken body shells. Or will they have enough in stock . 

I wouldn't be surprised if Hornby have already ordered a load more loco bodies. Not sure how the repaired locos would then be sold as in repaired state (not new). If the bodies were offered as spares some entrepeneur might have a business opportunity. We just don't know the numbers - what are the percentages of deflector cracks?

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24 minutes ago, scumcat said:

If these locos are all breaking in the same place then surely it is Hornby’s responsibility. It is obvious the packaging is inadequate a type of class action may be needed to shift them into action.

 

No class action required - the buyer is already protected by the distance selling regulations and the Hornby warranty in the event of mechanical failure during the warranty period.  Sadly that doesn't protect against disappointed customers who could end up with no loco though.

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1 hour ago, scumcat said:

If these locos are all breaking in the same place then surely it is Hornby’s responsibility. It is obvious the packaging is inadequate a type of class action may be needed to shift them into action.

Difficult to prove - some have arrived perfectly fine and from mine I can tell you that the packaging is pretty much identical to all of the other ‘ice cube’ packages in my collection and came through without a scratch on the model despite what was obviously a serious whack 

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I'm sorry Hornby, I really really wanted one of these and was even prepared to pay the new prices.

 

However having to send 3 models back, one twice in the last couple of years, and the condition many have arrived in I don't think I'll be purchasing a W1, rebuilt W1 or a P2. 

 

Even thought of selling my Hornby A2s second hand because every time I look at my collection I am immediately drawn to the poor construction quality of the first of the A2s which jars in comparison to other Hornby models like the exquisite J36 and B12 I have 

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11 hours ago, zr2498 said:

I wouldn't be surprised if Hornby have already ordered a load more loco bodies. Not sure how the repaired locos would then be sold as in repaired state (not new). If the bodies were offered as spares some entrepeneur might have a business opportunity. We just don't know the numbers - what are the percentages of deflector cracks?

I don't recall Hornby selling “seconds”, and rebodying a returned model and calling it new is a bit of a no-no.

Ive only seen them do replacement bodies where the body was mass produced wrong in China. (34050/NR HST //Bowfell)…

About 8/9 years ago they had quite an ebay shop selling “archives” and such and Ive seen plenty of damaged models in various states emerge from ACModels which look like damage/returned clear outs sold for spares over the years.

 

Dont forget there is the Green one, and single chimney versions still to come, and there is only so much demand for a 10000 (not many are going to own all of them), so it may just be easier to move on to the next version and in later 2022 we may see W1’s sticking on the shelves.

 

Whilst we are jumping up and down about the damage, this is Hornbys peak season and in the big picture W1 returns may well be inconsequential and be little more than a routine christmas blip in the customer care teams monthly ticket reports, and a lessons learned in a future management meeting.. corporate I know, but it is a corporate thing.


its the designer I feel for, 2+ years work just to see smashed up pictures online.

 

 

 

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