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Hornby: A Model World


Phil Parker
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3 hours ago, Legend said:

I certainly prefer it to the Great Model Railway Challenge which had all that false jeapardy , dinosaurs and sci fi , that I'm sorry but I just dont see on the majority of model railway layouts and was just not typical.  Glad to see Sams trains  because he is part of the hobby with 100k subscribers . I do wish he wouldnt do things like sticking 30v to a loco , but was it any worse than Pete Waterman attacking a wooden layout with a blow torch ?

 

Agree 100% with all of this.  I had a run in with Mods for daring to criticise some of the weirder things appearing on the Great Model Railway Challenge, and it's good to know I was not alone with such views. 

 

Agree that this current Hornby series is portraying a more realistic picture of our wonderful hobby, ( Sam's Trains and  Waterman blowtorch included).

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12 minutes ago, melmerby said:

 

To get 30v DC, you would need to connect the 240v AC mains to the110v, which the transformer is not designed for and connect the now 400 plus volts output to the Gaugemaster controller.

Whatever he was doing was stupid, dangerous, a possible fire hazard and irresponsible and IMHO should not have been included in the programme.

 

 

Wonder if Gaugemaster will repair that controller under warranty ? 

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16 hours ago, Wheatley said:

Well they were doing so well, and then "Sam's Trains" appeared. Noooooo !

To be fair though it’s given the series the ‘Alan Partridge’ moment, that so far has been lacking.

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31 minutes ago, durham light infantry said:

 

I would be more concerned with the structural integrity of his roof. His "loft conversion" looks like unmodified trusses with boards laid on the bottom chord. Altering the imposed load of trusses is an accident waiting to happen. 

 

Has he got boards now? Last time I looked, quite a while ago, the tracks were laid on the carpet.

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2 hours ago, melmerby said:

Seems to be par for the social media course......

The whole "Influencer" thing just seems to be full of nobodies passing on their dubious ideas as facts or recommendations for the gullible to follow.

And from that they get a blossoming career. What a strange world we live in.:scratchhead:

Social media influencers are definitely going on Ark ship B. 

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26 minutes ago, Tim V said:

Was that young modeller really 17? And he’s known that older ‘mentor’ for three years? That would make him 14 when he ‘met’ the mentor.

 

I felt a bit concerned, there is a ‘safeguarding’ issue here. I wonder on what forum/platform he met this person.

 

For example, isn’t there a minimum age on Rmweb of 13? I am not suggesting that Rmweb was involved, but I hope that grooming is something the Mods are aware of.

I’m pretty certain they mentioned they’re members of the same club. If that’s the case and relevant procedures for clubs/minors have been followed, there’s probably not an issue. 

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4 hours ago, Jol Wilkinson said:

Using a blowtorch on teddy bear fur is an established, if not well known, technique in the hands of experienced modellers. Connecting an unsuitable, potentially high voltage,  power supply onto bare rails isn't a good practise for anyone. That Sam is an" influencer" with 100k subscribers surely demands that he should act responsibly.

 

 

Like all the people who airbrush on Youtube without adequate fume and particle protection....

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To give the definitive answer to how Riley met John:

image.png.757c301168eafc6245960c06a8397c73.png

 

I would also like to add that I'm very glad the programme seems committed to showing the full diversity of the hobby, and yesterday's episode really demonstrated that. I also like that they've mixed this into programmes which, on the Hornby side, are focussing on the other brands. I probably wouldn't watch an episode if I knew it was all going to be about Airfix or Corgi, but because I've been watching primarily for the railway bits in between I've also seen the other segments, which have often been interesting in their own right.

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17 hours ago, Jol Wilkinson said:

 

I thought the new Airfix Spitfire design process and the Gauge O collection in the barn were good, but some of the other pieces, especially Sam's Trains, were disappointing..

yeah loved the clockwork Stuff. Nice to just be able to go back to that without the bells and whistles of the new gear!!

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8 hours ago, lapford34102 said:

Re tbhe Spit Vc Airfix have also brought out a new 72nd Vc in their mainstream range which does have both types of wingtips in the kit. The starter kit seen had no cockpit to speak of, the 72nd one does. He took a lot of cockpit shots.

Overall episode a bit.....!

Stu

I would of expected given the amount of Spits they have produced over the years a Trip anywhere would not be been needed.

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3 hours ago, 298 said:

 

Everyone in the world knows the fastest loco in the world is an original Smokey Joe. Everyone.... (except for 100,001 people).

 

Nope, sorry, the Hornby 25550 with the later can motor was the original "speedy" on my layout LOL

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Having watched Riley in the latest episode, i have to feel he was being sent up and his good nature being taking advantage of.  He seems a genuinely nice young man, but the producers show him glueing his fingers to the model and 'crashing' his model into the scenery, making a mess of the plaster scenery, the sign falling onto his head.   

 

I couldn't see a reason why they did this other to portray him as clumsy geeky nerd, the type with glasses held together by tape, someone the butt of everyone's jokes.

 

I thought it pretty distasteful.

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10 hours ago, sjp23480 said:

Just curious but during one of the links between features there was a glimpse of a B-B-B or Bo-Bo-Bo loco, in green and looking a little like the English Electric Type 3 and Type 4 designs.

 

Does anyone know what that was?

 

Thanks Steve

 

One of these maybe?

 

https://uk.electrotren.com/products/electrotren-h0-187-electric-locomotive-renfe-278007-e3030

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20 minutes ago, Ouroborus said:

Having watched Riley in the latest episode, i have to feel he was being sent up and his good nature being taking advantage of.  He seems a genuinely nice young man, but the producers show him glueing his fingers to the model and 'crashing' his model into the scenery, making a mess of the plaster scenery, the sign falling onto his head.   

 

I couldn't see a reason why they did this other to portray him as clumsy geeky nerd, the type with glasses held together by tape, someone the butt of everyone's jokes.

 

I thought it pretty distasteful.

Is it? The sign falling down was a humourous moment, especially given the context of the discussion. The producers seem keen to leave in people messing up - hence Sam's lights going out (yes, it's his fault for playing with silly power supplies, but you get the point), the man from Hornby breaking the model he was supposed to be fixing, Waterman's layout not fitting together properly, issues with the water on Heaton Lodge Junction, etc. I think its important to include all of this to show that we all make mistakes, and it's part of the programme's effort to show off as much of the hobby as possible - something which has been widely praised on here. As somebody who's doing trying things for the first time he's bound to have some failures. Leaving them in the programme is important for other new modellers, especially younger ones. Being young he's somebody that they might connect with a little more easily than yet another old man with grey (if any) hair, and he's building very good layouts. But just like them, he's still learning and things don't always go to plan - at which point he doesn't give up but tries something else instead. And ultimately, it all comes together to produce a brilliant result.

I'm less than a year older than him, and pretty much every part of that segment I empathised with. Plus, I would be thrilled if I had half the confidence he must do to have put himself out there like this, or could produce a layout half (or even a quarter) as good as his.

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7 hours ago, melmerby said:

The device looks like  a Variac i.e. variable voltage auto transformer. (I.e. non isolating)

The output normally varies between 0-270v AC, they can also have fixed taps e.g. 110/120v, 200v 240v etc.

 

I assume Sam was connecting it to the Gaugemaster controller so as to increase the DC output. (the transformer alone could not be connected to the rails as it's AC only)

 

To get 30v DC, you would need to connect the 240v AC mains to the110v, which the transformer is not designed for and connect the now 400 plus volts output to the Gaugemaster controller.

Whatever he was doing was stupid, dangerous, a possible fire hazard and irresponsible and IMHO should not have been included in the programme.

 

If he wants more DC volts he should buy a small variable bench DC supply, which would be perfectly safe.

 

 

It looks to me like he's connected the output of the variac to the track via a rectifier ,or whatever is in that round thing next to it. Closest match I can find is this https://www.aldetronics.co.uk/product/m10-522-10-variac/

I agree he should have spent his money on a proper bench power supply rather than create this abomination.

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2 hours ago, Nile said:

 

It looks to me like he's connected the output of the variac to the track via a rectifier ,or whatever is in that round thing next to it. Closest match I can find is this https://www.aldetronics.co.uk/product/m10-522-10-variac/

I agree he should have spent his money on a proper bench power supply rather than create this abomination.

Looking at the still picture posted earlier, it does look like there is something in that round pot between the Variac and the track.

It's still dangerous because the output from the variable transformer is not isolated from the mains and the rectifier (if it is!) certainly wont do it.

 

Edit

He's an influencer with around 100k followers and should not be doing things that others might try to emulate, with possible disasterous consequences.

As I said before, IMHO it should not have been included in the programme.

Edited by melmerby
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9 hours ago, melmerby said:

The device looks like  a Variac i.e. variable voltage auto transformer. (I.e. non isolating)

The output normally varies between 0-270v AC, they can also have fixed taps e.g. 110/120v, 200v 240v etc.

 

...

 

If he wants more DC volts he should buy a small variable bench DC supply, which would be perfectly safe.

 

I agree about the bench supply - at least their outputs are isolated.

 

When I was an electrical engineering student, Variacs terrified me - because they've only got one winding. As a result, even you turn the outputs right down, they're still live. Also, if this winding gets damaged, you effectively get the full mains voltage across the load.

 

For some reason, if I had no choice but to use a Variac in a lab experiment, I'd always look to include an isolating transformer in the setup.

 

 

2 hours ago, Nile said:

It looks to me like he's connected the output of the variac to the track via a rectifier ,or whatever is in that round thing next to it. Closest match I can find is this https://www.aldetronics.co.uk/product/m10-522-10-variac/

I agree he should have spent his money on a proper bench power supply rather than create this abomination.

 

Absolutely.

 

 

1 hour ago, Butler Henderson said:

Perchance he might get the output wrong....

 

Yes. He might connect something to the live output.

 

 

9 hours ago, Colin_McLeod said:

Agree 100% with all of this.  I had a run in with Mods for daring to criticise some of the weirder things appearing on the Great Model Railway Challenge, and it's good to know I was not alone with such views. 

 

Agree that this current Hornby series is portraying a more realistic picture of our wonderful hobby, (Sam's Trains and  Waterman blowtorch included).

 

Over the years, a number of us have "exchanged pleasantries" with moderators, over various issues (most of which have been able to be resolved amicably).

 

As for GMRC, I agree that it was flawed - however, I'd still like to see it brought back when the Corona menace is finally kicked into touch. GMRC could definitely be improved - but I'd still much prefer it to some of the garbage certain TV networks seem intent on ramming down our throats.

 

 

Huw.

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Just now, melmerby said:

Looking at the still picture posted earlier, it does look like there is something in that round pot between the Variac and the track.

It's still dangerous because the output from the variable transformer is not isolated from the mains and the rectifier (if it is!) certainly wont do it.

 

Lucky he doesn't do anything else dubious with electrics. Oh wait......

 

 

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"Lucky he doesn't do anything else dubious with electrics. Oh wait ......"

 

Hmmm:

  • A RailRoad loco run on a carpet and hooked up to a Variac.
  • Hornby and H&M branded controllers tested in "pyro - mode".
  • We mustn't forget a long line of "Smokey Joe" locos, used for "torture testing" the controllers. I can only hope he wasn't trying to get the "magic smoke".

 

I wonder exactly how many "wagging fingers" his Variac routine would get.

 

I could imagine Simon dreading what further "delights" this guy might have in store for products of brands he's been connected with.

 

 

"None of these controllers is going to burn down your house." Probably not - but certain experiments might.

 

I wonder about this guy's long term career plans - testing for manufacturers, perhaps - or, more likely, just a new series on Quest: "Don't Try This at Home, Kids!"

 

The mind boggles ... .

 

 

Huw.

 

 

 

Edited by Huw Griffiths
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