Hornby 2021 - HST & Mk3 range

[hellotojasonisaacs]

Oh that is poor. The blue isn’t even straight across the nose and the running number for 43006 is wrong too. I’ve always been a great supporter of Hornby it’s becoming increasingly difficult to want to spend any money on their products. If the class 91 and mk4s are like this, then it’s game over as far as I’m concerned. 

[surfsup]

I think that tooling must be becoming worn out - I'm sure those moulding lines are becoming more prominent upon each release too. And to print the wrong number on the PC shows more poor QC at Hornby. If this is the promised "Rolls Royce" of HSTs, then it's more of a Rover 75 than Rolls Royce! 

[scouse889]

1 hour ago, hellotojasonisaacs said:

Oh that is poor. The blue isn’t even straight across the nose and the running number for 43006 is wrong too. I’ve always been a great supporter of Hornby it’s becoming increasingly difficult to want to spend any money on their products. If the class 91 and mk4s are like this, then it’s game over as far as I’m concerned. 

 

That is a woefully poor livery application - the 40th Anniversary set was much better applied than that so it can't be argued that it is anything to do with the difficulties in applying the blue/grey livery to the model. Putting the wrong number on is a shocking error which plumbs new depths. Makes you wonder who oversees the production of these things and signs off the artwork - such errors suggest it is someone who knows absolutely nothing about the prototype they are modelling.

[hellotojasonisaacs]

31 minutes ago, scouse889 said:

- such errors suggest it is someone who knows absolutely nothing about the prototype they are modelling.

It’s not as if photos of the real thing are hard to come by either.

[Katie87006]

2 hours ago, Class 158 productions said:

Just seen some photos on Instagram on off the LNER Farewell power-cars. Extremely disappointing. Wonky printing, fuzzy borders, lining not fully attached. The silver around the lights looks very poor, hopefully just a one off.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CYd0lZhogxD/?utm_medium=copy_link

This after 2 price rises and some delays, really worrying if Hornby want to do more BR Blue examples. 

 

That's my order cancelled .It has been a disappointing year, both Hornby and Dapol have made a right old mess of their respective hst sets over the last year. I just want a nice hst set. 

[Phil Mc]

That's the last time I'm pre-ordering anything by Hornby.......

If the paint application is as bad as those pics look, that's shocking.

There's simply no excuse for the wrong set number on one power car !!

 

Cheers,

Phil.

[boxbrownie]

But at least the livery on the box artwork looks good 

[newbryford]

17 minutes ago, boxbrownie said:

But at least the livery on the box artwork looks good 

 

Not for the first time.....

[newbryford]

27 minutes ago, Phil Mc said:

That's the last time I'm pre-ordering anything by Hornby.......

If the paint application is as bad as those pics look, that's shocking.

There's simply no excuse for the wrong set number on one power car !!

 

Cheers,

Phil.

 

Details, details, details.............................

[scouse889]

17 minutes ago, boxbrownie said:

But at least the livery on the box artwork looks good 

 

And lest we forget of course that now the power cars and coaches match each other to perfection - it is clear that the same amount of care and attention seen in making a complete hash-up of the coaches has also been lavished on making a complete dogs breakfast of the power cars...

[Katie87006]

1 hour ago, boxbrownie said:

But at least the livery on the box artwork looks good 

the boxes are for keeps?

[stonojnr]

55 minutes ago, newbryford said:

 

Details, details, details.............................

 

increasingly beginning to think that only applies to the stuff Mr K is actually interested in.

 

I was by no means a good kit builder or model painter, but even Id be disappointed if Id ended up with a model Id made & painted left with a finish like that.

 

and as for the numbering, literally I goto flickr and search LNER farewell tour and there are loads of pictures, its only just a click away to confirm, how does that stuff get through ? 

 

and those photos highlight more issues with the silver surround on the light clusters, it should completely surround the lights, leaving the horn grate as a distinct structure, which also had 8 prominent silver bolts, 4 above, 4 below it.

[scouse889]

29 minutes ago, stonojnr said:

 

increasingly beginning to think that only applies to the stuff Mr K is actually interested in.

 

I was by no means a good kit builder or model painter, but even Id be disappointed if Id ended up with a model Id made & painted left with a finish like that.

 

and as for the numbering, literally I goto flickr and search LNER farewell tour and there are loads of pictures, its only just a click away to confirm, how does that stuff get through ? 

 

and those photos highlight more issues with the silver surround on the light clusters, it should completely surround the lights, leaving the horn grate as a distinct structure, which also had 8 prominent silver bolts, 4 above, 4 below it.

 

The Hornby website proudly states that: "the company justifiably retains the position it has held for more than 50 years as Britain’s leading model railway manufacturer". I would very much like someone from Hornby to justify this statement by reference to the LNER HST.

 

I can't quite see from the pictures on Instagram (and I can't currently find any other pictures online of the actual models themselves) but the roofs of the power cars looks entirely black to me (or at least very dark grey) whereas the roofs of the coaches look a much lighter grey. The roofs of the prototype don't show such an abrupt change in shade between power cars and coaches, so I anticipate this is going to turn out to be another shortcoming of the model of the train as a whole. I don't like being so negative and I hope I am wrong, but what I know so far doesn't exactly fill me with confidence...

[scouse889]

The LNER farewell set is now showing as out of stock with Hornby, but not yet arrived in stock with anyone else it seems. Wonder if there is any chance they will reissue replacement bodyshells with at least the number on 43006 corrected? I have emailed Hornby and await the response...

 

With the 2022 range announced this morning and Hornby confirming the upgrades for the HST, which all sound great, and there being a new model of the Mark 3 coach to go with the upgraded power cars, which is again really great, and there being matching rakes to go with all the newly-announced HST train packs (plus an LNER rake which I guess could be for anyone wishing to upgrade), which is again all good, and the fact that I love a good HST or two, why is it that I find myself unable to get very excited.... am I alone in being left with a sinking feeling over the LNER farewell set which just makes me worry that the new HSTs will arrive with some clanger of a livery error on them, or some badly applied aspect of the livery, or something else that I'd never think of as a potential error in a million years (like putting the wrong number on something) but which happens anyway....???

 

Edited January 11, 2022 by scouse889

[Phil Mc]

3 hours ago, scouse889 said:

The LNER farewell set is now showing as out of stock with Hornby, but not yet arrived in stock with anyone else it seems.

 

 

The power cars have arrived at Kernow today, and the Azuma is due in tomorrow (....or was it the other way around ?? )

Either way, both items should be in a box and on their way to me tomorrow. 

 

Cheers,

Phil.

[scouse889]

19 minutes ago, Phil Mc said:

 

The power cars have arrived at Kernow today, and the Azuma is due in tomorrow (....or was it the other way around ?? )

Either way, both items should be in a box and on their way to me tomorrow. 

 

Cheers,

Phil.

I would be very interested to see some pictures of your LNER HST and to hear your thoughts about it.

[Phil Mc]

7 minutes ago, scouse889 said:

I would be very interested to see some pictures of your LNER HST and to hear your thoughts about it.

 

No problem.

I'll post my thoughts....

 

Cheers,

Phil.

[Hal Nail]

4 hours ago, scouse889 said:

On a related note, I see in the 2022 range announced this morning that the HST is having an upgrade, which all sounds great, and there is a new model of the Mark 3 coach to go with the upgraded power cars,

There is a 10 page thread discussing this following a TV program that showed it being developed (back on Hornby page 3 at the moment).

The problem with people constantly starting new threads for everything is the risk a load of people never see it.

 

[scouse889]

12 hours ago, Hal Nail said:

There is a 10 page thread discussing this following a TV program that showed it being developed (back on Hornby page 3 at the moment).

The problem with people constantly starting new threads for everything is the risk a load of people never see it.

 

 

Yes, I did see all that and wasn’t intending to start a discussion of it again here. I’ve now edited my original post which hopefully makes my point clearer: I should be looking forward to all the new models, especially given all the improvements, but Hornby’s lack of QC evidenced by the LNER farewell has put a dampener on it for me, which is a great shame.

[miles73128]

Reviewing the 2022 Hornby catalogue, shows the Midland Pullman HST and MK3s to be the new tooling! 

[wairoa]

On 05/01/2022 at 13:52, adb968008 said:

So now we have a choice of Phil /Holly or Sams Trains….for well researched, quality reviews.

 

 

Not gonna lie, I like Sam's trains. He is one of the few reviewers that appear to be having fun with the hobby.

[wairoa]

On 05/01/2022 at 13:52, adb968008 said:

So now we have a choice of Phil /Holly or Sams Trains….for well researched, quality reviews.

 

 

Not gonna lie, I like Sam's trains. He is one of the few reviewers that appear to be having fun with the hobby.

[fiftyfour fiftyfour]

The numbers are wrong on the front of 43006- it should be 253003 not 254029. What a pity nobody photographed the real thing during the four days it was out allowing Hornby to check that....

 

[AndrewB7585]

My Farewell Tour HST arrived today. I’ve unboxed it, fitted DCC and given it a test run. It runs well and from normal viewing distances looks good. Close up there is noticeable paint bleed. The power cars also have black roofs in contrast to the grey on the trailer cars. Not sure how accurate that is. 

Edited January 13, 2022 by AndrewB7585
Add more photos

[scouse889]

18 minutes ago, AndrewB7585 said:

My Farewell Tour HST arrived today. I’ve unboxed it, fitted DCC and given it a test run. It runs well and from normal viewing distances looks good. Close up there is noticeable paint bleed. The power cars also have black roofs in contrast to the grey on the trailer cars. Not sure how accurate that is.

 

I can't work out what is going on with the paint on the roofs of the real thing - there certainly isn't an abrupt change in shade between power cars and coaches, but the coach roofs look a bit lighter to me compared to the front of the power cars, which do look black. Probably just due to the varying amount of dirt up there! Do you have a photo of the power cars with the coaches? I can imagine the difference looks a bit jarring on the model train when assembled, which puts me off...