Hornby: A Model World

[Captain Kernow]

I just watched the HST, Mustang and upside down episode and I thought it was fab(ish).

 

[lapford34102]

2 hours ago, Phatbob said:

IIRC the modus operandi was to replace the big ED (74) with a Crompton (33) at Bournemouth in the early years after electrification.  In later years they just used a Crompton all the way from Waterloo!

The 74's weren't "woefully underpowered"on diesel, it was adequate for what they needed to do off the 3rd rail which included cross London transfers. They did get to Weymouth for a time but only on shortish parcels turns. A Crompton all the way from Waterloo to Weymouth was almost unknown, I can't recall the boat ever been diesel the whole way. After the 74's went they used 73's to Bomo.

To get back on topic perhaps Hornby will give us a 74....... :-)

Stu

[Captain Kernow]

1 hour ago, zr2498 said:

Thanks Jenny. I knew our world has been turned upside-down of late but I can't see the attraction (albeit magnetic).

I was going to agree but thinking about it, quite apart from the technical challenge (which is impressive whichever way you look at it), the layout could probably be quite a talking point at an exhibition and if that then encourages more people into the hobby, then that's all for the good.

 

I wonder if you could then get a magnetic loco climbing vertically?...

 

Edited November 23, 2021 by Captain Kernow

[DCCconcepts]

1 hour ago, zr2498 said:

Thanks Jenny. I knew our world has been turned upside-down of late but I can't see the attraction (albeit magnetic).

 

The product used was DCCconcepts Powerbase.

A more recent take on the Tri-ang magnadhesion.

 

A quick example: https://www.dccconcepts.com/manual/comparing-a-Hornby-pug-with-and-without-powerbase/

 

Regards.

The DCCconcepts Team

[zr2498]

1 hour ago, Captain Kernow said:

I was going to agree but thinking about it, quite apart from the technical challenge (which is impressive whichever way you look at it), the layout could probably be quite a talking point at an exhibition and if that then encourages more people into the hobby, then that's all for the good.

 

I wonder if you could then get a magnetic loco climbing vertically?...

 

Yes, I have to agree with your viewpoint. I stand corrected.

Dave

[Steamport Southport]

1 hour ago, Captain Kernow said:

 

I wonder if you could then get a magnetic loco climbing vertically?...

 

 

Spiderman train set?

 

I think that's already a thing, but doesn't go straight up. 

 

 

However, don't Hornby own the UK rights to some of these franchises?

 

 

Jason

[friscopete]

I have worked in several  electronics factories on production lines and those jobs were mindnumbing.Luckily I managed to get into machine setting then supervision  .The women who did these jobs just talked all day to each other or even themselves.The jobs were designed that way in a sense, so easy that you just did them automatically .We did have a new works manager once who banned talking  .The girls were out in a week and so was he .We had one girl who worked literally  twice as fast as all the others and  still talked  her head off .I had to tell her to slow down for the sake of peace  before time study found her .

[RJS1977]

6 hours ago, Robin Brasher said:

There was an interesting mix of themes for the Hornby programme last Monday.  Perhaps Jenny would like Hornby to reintroduce their transcontinental series with more powerful magnadhesion so we could have an Australian layout hanging from the ceiling. 

 

 

Or how about an upside-down Scalextric layout (without magnets) so we can find out whether F1 cars really can stick themselves to the ceiling?

[ruggedpeak]

Hornby 3.D.S went up the wall and upside down......

[Jenny Emily]

On 22/11/2021 at 21:04, Ian Hargrave said:

He has a curiously ambivalent relationship with manufacturers who seemingly court his attentions at the same time suffering some pretty rough handling in his media “reviews “. I assume that’s on the basis of there’s no such thing as bad publicity.

 

 

I’m not aware of him having any relationship with manufacturers. Certainly the ones I talk to don’t give him anything at all. 

[Jenny Emily]

11 hours ago, Captain Kernow said:

I was going to agree but thinking about it, quite apart from the technical challenge (which is impressive whichever way you look at it), the layout could probably be quite a talking point at an exhibition and if that then encourages more people into the hobby, then that's all for the good.

 

I wonder if you could then get a magnetic loco climbing vertically?...

 

The upside down layout does still exist, but minus the mechanism that rotates the carousel (it was made from lots of 30 year old Technic Lego) and the motor, which now rotates my turntable. 
 

Getting a train to climb vertically is actually easier than upside down. My unshown test rig to prove the concept worked demonstrated this. I got the idea after being shown the Powerbase products at DCCconcepts before lockdown. 

[Phil Parker]

9 hours ago, ruggedpeak said:

Hornby 3.D.S went up the wall and upside down......

 

I can't be alone in wanting to see a proper exhibition display of this stuff. I can? Oh well...

 

[PaulRhB]

6 minutes ago, Phil Parker said:

 

I can't be alone in wanting to see a proper exhibition display of this stuff. I can? Oh well...

 

It always struck me they just glued the probe off an X-wing on one side and the dish off the millennium falcon on top! 
 

I’m sure as it’s rare it will be welcomed at the company shows as a result Phil  

Phil and Andy’s retro toy box stand with the Playtrain integrated with it?

Edited November 24, 2021 by PaulRhB

[Legend]

I remember 3DS  , around 1980,81?  Was Hornbys attempt to cash in on the Star Wars / Spaceship phenomenon . Unfortuanately it was a complete failure . They dont seem to ever learn that their core competence is railways. 

 

If we are talking integrating ranges , I remember these great sets with Minic Motorways and Tri-Ang . These really excited me as a wee boy . There are still a few examples around . 

[ruggedpeak]

35 minutes ago, Phil Parker said:

 

I can't be alone in wanting to see a proper exhibition display of this stuff. I can? Oh well...

 

You are not alone. You can pick ity up on Ebay for less than £50. I have resisted so far as the Ideal boxes full of locos and rolling stock already take up too much room, along with the garden railway, not so micro layout and temporary loops on the lounge floor......this up the walls maybe a step too far!

 

I remember badgering my late grandfather to buy me it as a child many years ago and did enjoy playing with it. A happy memory.

[F-UnitMad]

57 minutes ago, Phil Parker said:

 

I can't be alone in wanting to see a proper exhibition display of this stuff. I can? Oh well...

 

Add it to your Tyco Turbo Train set, maybe?

Up the wall, a loop-the-loop and a 'daredevil' jump - I can't imagine why it never caught on

 

Knocks the old Triang Battle Space car for six!!  

[Ian Hargrave]

On 22/11/2021 at 21:31, AY Mod said:

 

I'm not sure any actually do Ian, some most certainly and vehemently don't.

Sorry .I have withdrawn my original post as factually incorrect 

[Ian Hargrave]

2 hours ago, Jenny Emily said:

I’m not aware of him having any relationship with manufacturers. Certainly the ones I talk to don’t give him anything at all. 

 Thank you Jenny for the correction. My OP has been withdrawn 

[railroadbill]

17 hours ago, Ben B said:

 

We've had to do it twice with the Quick Kits (a Veyron and a VW Camper) which were missing parts, in the case of the Veyron it had two identical body panels and was missing the one from the opposite side.  To be fair, they did send the replacement bits quickly.

Back in the 1960s  my  2/-  stuka kit was missing a cockpit canopy.  Airfix sent me an entire new kit after I sent the missing parts  form back.  I was very impressed by Airfix's customer service, (I must have been because I still remember it). The finished stuka was soon hanging from my bedroom ceiling.

Good old Airfix, I say.

[Fat Controller]

I'm still curious about the Class 24, and its train of Bolster Es, winding its way around the demonstration layout. It appeared again in the week before last's programme.

[Dunsignalling]

26 minutes ago, Fat Controller said:

I'm still curious about the Class 24, and its train of Bolster Es, winding its way around the demonstration layout. It appeared again in the week before last's programme.

Maybe just a case of assessing what the opposition is capable of. 

 

If Hornby are developing a 24, they'll be very late to an already-crowded party.

 

Unless, of course, it's a revamp of their old 25 for Railroad....

 

John

Edited November 24, 2021 by Dunsignalling

[Robin Brasher]

I am not sure if Hornby is looking at the 0 gauge coarse scale market as inspiration.  Either Ace or Darstaed were making 4 and 8 wheel pre-grouping coaches a long time before Hattons and Hornby produced theirs and Hornby is still not producing many bogie pre-grouping coaches. Similarly Ace was producing a Hornby Dublo look alike N2 goods train set in 0 gauge a long time before Hornby started making its Hornby Dublo locomotives.

[Phil Parker]

2 hours ago, Legend said:

I remember 3DS  , around 1980,81?  Was Hornbys attempt to cash in on the Star Wars / Spaceship phenomenon . Unfortuanately it was a complete failure . They dont seem to ever learn that their core competence is railways. 

 

If we are talking integrating ranges , I remember these great sets with Minic Motorways and Tri-Ang . These really excited me as a wee boy . There are still a few examples around . 

 

At the time, they were trying to compete with those new-fangled computer games which were destroying the campanies market.

 

I'd disagree they they should "learn that their core competence is railways" - as one of the standout features of Hornby is that they do something off-the-wall every so often. Besides, what about the 3 1/2 inch gauge Rocket, that's railways and not a massive seller.

 

Arguably, if you want Hornby to concentraite on the "core" they only need to make Flying Scotsman. I suspect this is the best selling model in the range ever.

[Phil Parker]

2 hours ago, F-UnitMad said:

Add it to your Tyco Turbo Train set, maybe?

Up the wall, a loop-the-loop and a 'daredevil' jump - I can't imagine why it never caught on

 

Knocks the old Triang Battle Space car for six!!  

 

No. It. Doesn't. The Battlespace Turo Car is the King of railway models. Any suggestion otherwise is fighting talk.

 

Although I've looked at those Tyco sets in the past and they look great fun...

[Ruston]

This seems to be the right place to ask this... I've watched this series and every now and again they show a large electric loco, painted green, running on a layout. It's not any prototype that I recognise and the model isn't anything that I've seen in the shops.

 

What is it?