Jump to content
 

Hornby restaurant coaches?


darren01
 Share

Recommended Posts

This is an excellent point. Why supply gangway covers on vehicles that spent their time in the middle of a train.

In these days of rising costs, Hornby could save themselves ( and us ) a few pence by supplying one for each brake vehicle only.

They are very nice to have, but I now have about 40 gangway covers in a box of bits !.

 

I suspect it is cheaper to have everything on one sprue of parts rather than to tool up separate sprues for each different coach. 

Link to post
Share on other sites

This is an excellent point. Why supply gangway covers on vehicles that spent their time in the middle of a train.

In these days of rising costs, Hornby could save themselves ( and us ) a few pence by supplying one for each brake vehicle only.

They are very nice to have, but I now have about 40 gangway covers in a box of bits !.

 

I think the answer is to prevent dust getting inside the model if it is left out of its box between operating sessions. Of course, if YOU left your models on the 'layout' between sessions, some critter might take up residence in your dining car!

:senile: 

Cheers,

Martin

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

I suspect it is cheaper to have everything on one sprue of parts rather than to tool up separate sprues for each different coach. 

 

With Bachmann MK1s you only get a corridor cover with the brake-end coaches, and that has a red tail lamp fitted too. 

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

I think the answer is to prevent dust getting inside the model if it is left out of its box between operating sessions. Of course, if YOU left your models on the 'layout' between sessions, some critter might take up residence in your dining car!

:senile:

Cheers,

Martin

 

Not so. Removing the gangway cover does not give access to anything except the solid moulded end door. No holes, apertures or other entry points for wee beasties. And since they are not glued, obviously, there is a finite task time for the assembler that could be saved. Is it just that providing them on each end of every vehicle is effectively de-skilling the task? The assembler places the cover there irrespective of brake end or not. 

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

In real life how often were these external end doors actually used? Maybe perhaps on some fixed formations for named trains, for example.  But many services on the SR, especially those to the Western Section, were multi-portioned and therefore would not have end doors fitted and unfitted when they were joined or split. It's difficult to find photographic evidence as pictures and videos from that time rarely focus on the back ends of trains but the few I have seen do not have the doors fitted. 

 

If you close-couple the Hornby Maunsells, and in my case that means using the native Roco coupling rather than the longer Hornby-supplied version, then corridor connectors are touching on straight track so the internal end doors are not visible. They also won't couple with the external end doors fitted. 

 

Incidentally, the Hornby Pullmans also come with doors fitted, but there's no internal door so you get a proper walk-through that can be a bit disconcerting if the vehicles are not close-coupled! Does this mean the Pullmans had to have an external door fitted if it was at front or end of a train?

Edited by RFS
Link to post
Share on other sites

I've just received mine from Derails this morning. What a superb model from Hornby, which proves they can excel when they put their mind to it.

Even the metal buffer heads appear to be sprung. I've no idea whether this is the case on other Maunsell stock, this is a lovely model in every respect.

Thanks "Little Dan" for another excellent shopping experience !

Edited by Black 5 Bear
  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Not so. Removing the gangway cover does not give access to anything except the solid moulded end door. No holes, apertures or other entry points for wee beasties. And since they are not glued, obviously, there is a finite task time for the assembler that could be saved. Is it just that providing them on each end of every vehicle is effectively de-skilling the task? The assembler places the cover there irrespective of brake end or not. 

 

We are both wrong!

 

It is such a long time since I have removed a cover from a Maunsell that I had forgotten that they were not the same as Pullmans, so no centipedes in the pantry!

 

I can assure you that the end covers on my Maunsell diners are definitely glued; in fact more securely than the corridor connection is to the coach end! I have had to throw one cover as it split during removal and could only be separated from the gangway faceplate with the corridor connection off the vehicle.

 

Regards,

Martin

Link to post
Share on other sites

Excellent and insightful review as always.
Question regarding the lead weights - presumably these were to counterbalance the weight of the kitchen equipment on the opposite side of the coach.
What about the lighter end of the coach (the passenger saloon) - how did the engineers deal with the unequal distribution of weight across the two bogies?

Link to post
Share on other sites

Received one from Hattons last week only too find I'd mistakenly ordered the BR version doh.

Visited the Bure Valley Railway yesterday and found the SR version for £35 so snapped that up.

Now what to do with the BR one?

 

Nik

Under postal purchasing rules you can return it for a refund...

Link to post
Share on other sites

Excellent and insightful review as always.

Question regarding the lead weights - presumably these were to counterbalance the weight of the kitchen equipment on the opposite side of the coach.

What about the lighter end of the coach (the passenger saloon) - how did the engineers deal with the unequal distribution of weight across the two bogies?

Probably different tempering of the springs - or maybe slightly different gauge of steel used ............ fast forward a few decades and you'd see different coloured coil springs either end of MkIII Kitchen/Buffet cars ( umpteen varieties ) denoting exactly this.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Excellent and insightful review as always.

Question regarding the lead weights - presumably these were to counterbalance the weight of the kitchen equipment on the opposite side of the coach.

What about the lighter end of the coach (the passenger saloon) - how did the engineers deal with the unequal distribution of weight across the two bogies?

 

IIRC, the saloon end bogie had standard 6-plate springs while the kitchen end bogie had 7-plate.

Regards,

Martin

Link to post
Share on other sites

IIRC, the saloon end bogie had standard 6-plate springs while the kitchen end bogie had 7-plate.

Regards,

Martin

Presumably not captured by Hornby's model (I'm still amazed that they tooled two different version of Gresley bogies for the teaks)

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

It should be easy to bring up your originall order on Rails website to check on that.I know Rails increased their asking price on these this week in line I think with Hornby increasing theirs.However,I ordered at Rails about two weeks ago at their original £36.50 level.My order sent yesterday is at that price.That being the case there is no reason for them not to honour yours.

 

One small point.....did you order quoting your c.c.?.Sounds as if you didn't.Phone to check on this ASAP.

Checked out my order status on line today and it has changed to say that my card has been charged at the original price of £36.50, so hopefully it will be here in a couple of days.

  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

My picture shows my Hornby Maunsell Southern restaurant car at Swanage Station. It is not an accurate setting because the station was rebuilt in 1938 and the dining first in unlined Maunsell green with a grey roof is in 1940s condition. I don't think that restaurant cars visited Swanage before the war but they may have done during the war for the benefit of dignitaries visiting Studland for military activities. 

 

As mentioned by Graham Muz there is an illustration of this coach in plate 100 on page 93 of 'An Illustrated History of Southern Coaches' by Mike King. On the following pages there are some diagrams of the coaches. Plate 102 on page 96 shows a Maunsell restaurant car in Southern Region green refurbished for the 'Bournemouth Limited'.

post-17621-0-10207900-1533574872_thumb.jpg

  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

I picked up my Olive green version today and is now safely marshalled in with my other Maunsells. Didn't realise just how much different it is paint wise compared to the others. Not that it bothers me. Just wanted a catering car to go with them. 

Link to post
Share on other sites

Now I don't want to sound like one of those people over in the Locomotion Single thread which has been really quite something to follow -popcorn recommended -  but I am getting mildly annoyed that payment was taken by Rails on the 3rd, including the fee for 48 hour delivery, but 4 days later it doesn't appear to have even been dispatched yet.

 

Now I like to think of myself as someone who thinks rationally, and I understand Rails got quite a hefty delivery from Hornby, as well as their Dyn(I still can't spell it) cars arriving, so they probably have a bit of a back log.

 

Just not the usual speedy service from Rails is all. To me it seems odd to take payment if you're not ready to ship an item shortly after, but heck I don't work in dispatch so it must be a system that works for them. It secures the order at least.

 

Not that I'm in a rush to get it, working pretty solidly this week, little time to play trains! ;)

Link to post
Share on other sites

Now I don't want to sound like one of those people over in the Locomotion Single thread which has been really quite something to follow -popcorn recommended - but I am getting mildly annoyed that payment was taken by Rails on the 3rd, including the fee for 48 hour delivery, but 4 days later it doesn't appear to have even been dispatched yet.

 

Now I like to think of myself as someone who thinks rationally, and I understand Rails got quite a hefty delivery from Hornby, as well as their Dyn(I still can't spell it) cars arriving, so they probably have a bit of a back log.

 

Just not the usual speedy service from Rails is all. To me it seems odd to take payment if you're not ready to ship an item shortly after, but heck I don't work in dispatch so it must be a system that works for them. It secures the order at least.

 

Not that I'm in a rush to get it, working pretty solidly this week, little time to play trains! ;)

I've also had my card debited last Friday and I had another Hornby item in this latest retail delivery also debited, Peckett Lilleshall. Yesterday I had dispatch advice from Rails on the Peckett, but not the Maunsell restaurant. I phoned Rails to check if the restaurant was included, but it was not. They apologised for not merging and said they were very busy with stock. I was told the Maunsell should be dispatched in a couple of days, have just had a dispatch advice mid morning today.

Link to post
Share on other sites

"Just got mine"....."My cards been debited"..... "Where's my box?" ..... "Mines been dispatched"..... "Mine has arrived" ...... Is RMweb affiliated to the Guild of Master Box Openers (GOMBO's)  ?   :whistle:

Edited by coachmann
  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

Now I don't want to sound like one of those people over in the Locomotion Single thread which has been really quite something to follow -popcorn recommended -  but I am getting mildly annoyed that payment was taken by Rails on the 3rd, including the fee for 48 hour delivery, but 4 days later it doesn't appear to have even been dispatched yet.

 

Now I like to think of myself as someone who thinks rationally, and I understand Rails got quite a hefty delivery from Hornby, as well as their Dyn(I still can't spell it) cars arriving, so they probably have a bit of a back log.

 

Just not the usual speedy service from Rails is all. To me it seems odd to take payment if you're not ready to ship an item shortly after, but heck I don't work in dispatch so it must be a system that works for them. It secures the order at least.

 

Not that I'm in a rush to get it, working pretty solidly this week, little time to play trains! ;)

You're not the only one, I don't understand why this has been in stock since last week (including Rails at the end of the week) and still no notification of dispatch.

 

It's not the end of the world no, but the everyone else managed to get their stock and distribute it and Rails seem to not be doing so.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

It's been mentioned in the Peckett W4 topic that Rails has a backlog of sending things out due to lots of new products in stock including their own dynamometer car.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

It's been mentioned in the Peckett W4 topic that Rails has a backlog of sending things out due to lots of new products in stock including their own dynamometer car.

 

And, hey - it's August! Perhaps they do not have their full complement of experienced staff?

 

What do people expect of shops these days?

Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...