Hornby Class 423 4-VEP

[Venator]

No posts in 8 months in a subject that was a really hot topic once upon a time.

 

Is everyone now happy with the later 4VEPs/Given up on 4VEPs?

 

Aside from the solid wall in the compartment, I've been happy with VEP. It looks the part (my eyes don't work in 0.1mm like some people seem to) and runs well on my layout. 

[leopardml2341]

As the saying goes, all of the people some of the time and some all etc.

 

If it looks right to ones own eye, it is when to some it may not be.

[SRman]

I may be repeating myself here (apologies if I am - this topic is too long to trawl through to see what I said before!), but, agreeing with the posts before this one, I am not entirely happy with the looks of the front end, nor am I happy with the lack of corridor windows on the earlier issues. I did modify one DTC corridor side (a fair bit of work) but was hoping Hornby would come to the party and send out the promised replacement interiors. I have bought a few more old Triang-Hornby composite coaches just to get the first class parts of their interiors to do more conversions to my remaining VEP DTCs.

Having said that, I now own five of them, two blue, two NSE and one blue/grey. I may not have bought any of them if they had been at full retail price, but mine have all been reduced price purchases (one second-hand), which makes them rather more acceptable for the compromises involved.

In motion on the layout, running singly or in multiple, they still look quite good.

The Bachmann CEP units still offer better value for money and better running qualities, and more accurate models.

[andyman7]

I did end up modifying the corridors on one of the early ones and it was actually easier than I expected. It does make all the difference!

[Hilux5972]

So looking back through this thread, it seems a lot of people are finding that there is a ride height difference within the emu. My accompanying pic shows this is very prototypical within sets.

[Mike Storey]

So looking back through this thread, it seems a lot of people are finding that there is a ride height difference within the emu. My accompanying pic shows this is very prototypical within sets.

 

Maybe but that's not a 4VEP, or even an EMU. It is a DEMU.

[Hilux5972]

I know that, I was simply showing that in multiple units differing heights between coaches is prototypical.

[Budgie]

I'm not so sure you can say that about an EMU like the 4VEP, where all the coaches were constructed at the same time. Wasn't the middle coach in that DEMU inserted at a later date?

[Hilux5972]

It's the front coach that is a different height. The back 2 are even height.

[TRAILRAGE]

I have 1 of each of the Blue, Blue/Grey & NSE versions which I'll get around to detailing someday. Personally I like them they all run fine with no issues and seen as I enjoy a bit of real modelling they will do for me. Its just a shame Hornby chose not to supply the DTS corridor partitions as a free upgrade like it was mentioned. Oh well better look for some cheap BSK'S for spares then. Happy modelling all.

 

Cheers Trailrage

[RFS]

I have 1 of each of the Blue, Blue/Grey & NSE versions which I'll get around to detailing someday. Personally I like them they all run fine with no issues and seen as I enjoy a bit of real modelling they will do for me. Its just a shame Hornby chose not to supply the DTS corridor partitions as a free upgrade like it was mentioned. Oh well better look for some cheap BSK'S for spares then. Happy modelling all.

 

Cheers Trailrage

You can get just the interiors from Replica railways - http://www.replicarailways.co.uk/spares-and-accessories/spares

[47606odin]

I'm not so sure you can say that about an EMU like the 4VEP, where all the coaches were constructed at the same time. Wasn't the middle coach in that DEMU inserted at a later date?

vehicle heights were different. springs settle at different rates, wheels wear at different rates. what you had was a tolerance between wheel sizes on the same vehicle and between vehicles. if out of tolerance packing would be instead under the springs on veps, as that was the only way to adjust vehicle heights. bogies were set up before being rolled under units in workshops based on the size of the wheel. packing was not set to within 2mm or something stupid like that as they were from memory plywood discs cut out of sheets of marine ply.

 

older leaf sing bogies could be adjusted closer, but it wasn't that crucial. the bodies needed to be within the loading gauge and more importantly buckeyes needed to be within a set height range so that one with the vehicle height on the lower end of height wouldn't pop out from one on the highest.

 

so the photo of the DEMU is normal, as well as track unevenness which can exaggerate the difference visually until the unit moves.

 

oh, BTW, i used to work at Chart Leacon in the late 80's early 90's working on units being C4 overhauled, so dealt with it personally

[Mr395008]

Recently ordered a NSE one off eBay, perfect condition apart from the head and tail lights don't seem to work. Is there some special way of getting them working?

[JSpencer]

Recently ordered a NSE one off eBay, perfect condition apart from the head and tail lights don't seem to work. Is there some special way of getting them working?

Have you got everything connected the right way round? Switching the end coaches can make a pigs ear of the electrics.

[Jenny Emily]

Beales in Bolton is closing down. As a Hornby concession, the toy shop has quite a few class 423s in BR blue marked down to £120.

[JSpencer]

Beales in Bolton is closing down. As a Hornby concession, the toy shop has quite a few class 423s in BR blue marked down to £120.

Blue or Blue grey version?

[Jenny Emily]

Plain blue from what I remember. There could have been both, as I didn't check all the boxes; they had around seven.

[JSpencer]

Wow. They sat on those long enough. Most high discounters were selling them for around the £120 mark when they came out around 5 years ago. Some ended up selling off loads for £80 in the end.

 

The blue grey one which got quite delayed, were £200 when they finally appeared and were £100 at Kernow's 3 months later.

[trevor7598]

The Hornby 4 VEP was a horrible ill thought out model. After this we had ' Design Clever '.

But I have to say, since those dark days, Hornby have got back on track, and the quality of recent models

surpasses anything they produced previously.

Their new factories seem to be top notch.

[royaloak]

The Hornby 4 VEP was a horrible ill thought out model. After this we had ' Design Clever '.

But I have to say, since those dark days, Hornby have got back on track, and the quality of recent models

surpasses anything they produced previously.

Their new factories seem to be top notch.

What about the new Mark 3 buffet coaches with no vents on the roof?

Even the model it was based on had the vents on the roof but Hornby decided they dint want them/couldnt be bothered/didnt care because it wasnt a steamer.

While some things have improved, others are still rubbish!

 

I promise not to mention the vents again for at least a week.

Edited August 6, 2016 by royaloak

[jjb1970]

I think horrible is going too far. I think most recognise that the 4VEP could and should have been better. I also think that many (me included) think it is a decent model despite its faults when running on a layout.

[Budgie]

The Hornby 4 VEP was a horrible ill thought out model. After this we had ' Design Clever '.

But I have to say, since those dark days, Hornby have got back on track, and the quality of recent models

surpasses anything they produced previously.

Their new factories seem to be top notch.

Maybe Hornby should show us that they are now top notch by bringing out a completely a new model. I suggest an Electrostar, from the family of which classes 375, 376, 379 and 387 are all similar and have appeared (and will appear) in lost of different liveries, so there is plenty of opportunity for sales.

[guspaul]

I bet Bachmann will do that one first as they seem to be working their way through the south eastern division Emus.

Edited August 7, 2016 by guspaul

[rembrow]

Maybe Hornby should show us that they are now top notch by bringing out a completely a new model. I suggest an Electrostar, from the family of which classes 375, 376, 379 and 387 are all similar and have appeared (and will appear) in lost of different liveries, so there is plenty of opportunity for sales.

 

I'm not in the know, but would put money on Hornby's next electric mu being the InterCity Express Programme, Hitachi Class 800/801, as they have a history of developing models of new Inter City types to come on the market at the time the prototype enters service. This is the HST and Class 91 replacement on Inter City services, so carries a lot of prestige and kudos.

Edited August 7, 2016 by rembrow

[Titan]

I'm not in the know, but would put money on Hornby's next electric mu being the InterCity Express Programme, Hitachi Class 800/801, as they have a history of developing models of new Inter City types to come on the market at the time the prototype enters service. This is the HST and Class 91 replacement on Inter City services, so carries a lot of prestige and kudos.

 

It also has the added advantage that you can run it prototypicaly with the pan down on an unwired layout...