Wright writes.....

[Woodcock29]

20 hours ago, Theakerr said:

How do you contact them?  e-mail?  Thks

Yes I would email them.

Andrew

[zr2498]

1 hour ago, Woodcock29 said:

Yes I would email them.

Andrew

I have already approached Hornby on this matter and I expect to get the wheels at some time in the near future. There will be a bit of a wait, but I have always had good service from the team.

Here is a copy of the reply:

Thank you for your email.

 

Unfortunately we currently have no stock available for the below requested item at this time.

 

I'm afraid we currently have no estimated date for delivery of these items but they are ordered and will be available at some point in the near future.

 

I apologies for any inconvenience this may have caused, If you require any further information please do not hesitate to respond to this email and I would be happy to assist where possible.

 

Kindest Regards,

Hornby Hobbies Quality Team.

[thegreenhowards]

3 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

I wonder what this new O Gauge heavyweight from Heljan might pull?

 

 

To be reviewed soon in BRM.

 

 

Given the weight of o gauge coaches, I doubt it would manage 30! 

[Tony Wright]

2 hours ago, thegreenhowards said:

Given the weight of o gauge coaches, I doubt it would manage 30! 

I have no idea, Andy,

 

Given that I have no access to an O Gauge layout capable of taking 30 carriages.

 

I did a bit more running with Hornby's latest OO pair, but gave up at 30 carriages; not that the locos (particularly the Princess Coronation) couldn't have taken more, but the whole behemoth train started to become unstable. It wasn't just the tenders which struggled to hold the road, but since the train was effectively going north and south at the same time around the 3' 6" 180 degree curves at both ends on LB, the front cars seemed to want to 'implode' inside and were at the limit of their stability (even though they are all-metal). Since each vehicle is around a foot long, the whole scenic section on LB was filled with a single train (impossible to get all in one picture). 

 

I chatted about this sort of thing with Tony Gee earlier this week, citing the same 'problem' on Retford some years ago when Tom Wright's twin O Gauge-motored DELTIC was shifting 40+ kit-built cars, and the leading ones wanted to fall over on the end curves. Its limit of haulage could not then be reached.

 

Perhaps someone with an understanding of physics might explain. Anyway, the answer will be academic, because how many would want to run 30+ carriages in a single train, even on a layout depicting wartime? 

 

Interesting, nonetheless.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

Edited September 16, 2021 by Tony Wright
typo error

[Tony Wright]

Livery issues apart, are these the two finest OO Gauge RTR locos ever produced? 

 

 

 

Certainly, in terms of haulage capacity (other than traction-tyred diesels?), they have no equal in my experience.

 

Full reviews of these latest Hornby (Hornby Dublo-branded) locos will be appearing soon in BRM, along with moving footage on the digital edition. 

[Northmoor]

3 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

Perhaps someone with an understanding of physics might explain. Anyway, the answer will be academic, because how many would want to run 30+ carriages in a single train, even on a layout depicting wartime? 

 

I won't try and explain it using A-level Physics (I've forgotten it anyway) but think of the train - when it's moving - as a rubber band between two fingers, the locomotive is pulling at one end and the drag of the train is holding it back in the opposite direction (actually the same direction if the train goes through through a 180° curve.  When the train is stationary, the only forces are vertical due to gravity and are static.

 

Now gently deflect the rubber band so it no longer takes the shortest possible route, the finger provides the resistance to it being in a straight line.  Let go and it reverts to straight.  With the moving train, the rails provide the resistance to the train taking the shortest possible path, until the forces from the loco and the drag of the coaches (these forces are applied at solebar level on your coaches) exceed the sideways resistance provided by the rails and the wheels jump the rails or the carriages tip over.

 

The reason why this doesn't happen on real railways is that the frictional forces (drag) and the available power/weight ratio of the train doesn't rise in proportion to the mass of the train (not even close), so the drag of the train isn't high enough to overcome the sideways resistance of the rails.  On a sharp curve and gradient, the locomotive would stall long before it could pull the train over.

[t-b-g]

9 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

Livery issues apart, are these the two finest OO Gauge RTR locos ever produced? 

 

 

 

Certainly, in terms of haulage capacity (other than traction-tyred diesels?), they have no equal in my experience.

 

Full reviews of these latest Hornby (Hornby Dublo-branded) locos will be appearing soon in BRM, along with moving footage on the digital edition. 

 

It may be a bit late to be reviewing an item for a magazine when as far as I can see, they are sold out already. I always thought reviews were mainly to let a potential purchaser know if it was a good thing to buy or not. Telling them how good a model is that they can't possibly obtain just seems like kicking somebody when they are down.

 

I suggested the Stanier Pacific for a friend who has a WCML layout. We had a look and the only ones available seem to be those that people with an eye for a quick profit have snapped up and are now reselling on a certain auction site for the best part of £500.

 

It is a shame as they do look very impressive but that sort of blatant profiteering sticks in my (and his) throat and he will do without!

[zr2498]

40 minutes ago, t-b-g said:

 

It may be a bit late to be reviewing an item for a magazine when as far as I can see, they are sold out already. I always thought reviews were mainly to let a potential purchaser know if it was a good thing to buy or not. Telling them how good a model is that they can't possibly obtain just seems like kicking somebody when they are down.

 

I suggested the Stanier Pacific for a friend who has a WCML layout. We had a look and the only ones available seem to be those that people with an eye for a quick profit have snapped up and are now reselling on a certain auction site for the best part of £500.

 

It is a shame as they do look very impressive but that sort of blatant profiteering sticks in my (and his) throat and he will do without!

Just found this:

[Headstock]

1 hour ago, Tony Wright said:

Livery issues apart, are these the two finest OO Gauge RTR locos ever produced? 

 

Good evening Tony,

 

are you being serious?

Edited September 16, 2021 by Headstock
clarify a quote.

[MikeParkin65]

1 hour ago, t-b-g said:

 

It may be a bit late to be reviewing an item for a magazine when as far as I can see, they are sold out already. I always thought reviews were mainly to let a potential purchaser know if it was a good thing to buy or not. Telling them how good a model is that they can't possibly obtain just seems like kicking somebody when they are down.

 

I suggested the Stanier Pacific for a friend who has a WCML layout. We had a look and the only ones available seem to be those that people with an eye for a quick profit have snapped up and are now reselling on a certain auction site for the best part of £500.

 

It is a shame as they do look very impressive but that sort of blatant profiteering sticks in my (and his) throat and he will do without!

They are undoubtedly very good models but intended I think more as collectors items - hence price and scarcity. 

 

The standard plastic  bodied models use the same chassis and in my experience are perfectly powerful enough to haul realistic  trains of rtr stock. My maximum train length for operating is 8 coaches but I’ve had them hauling 12 without issue. Plastic locos hauling plastic stock as the manufacturer designed them for. Of course the plastic versions are readily available, cost less and the detail is crisper (and for the Princess Coronation includes the cladding seam on top of the firebox that has been omitted on the HD version). 

[Barry Ten]

1 hour ago, Northmoor said:

 

 

The reason why this doesn't happen on real railways is that the frictional forces (drag) and the available power/weight ratio of the train doesn't rise in proportion to the mass of the train (not even close), so the drag of the train isn't high enough to overcome the sideways resistance of the rails.  On a sharp curve and gradient, the locomotive would stall long before it could pull the train over.

 

It does happen, though, if the train is long enough - it's what they call string-lining in the States:

 

https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,3867570

[Ian Rathbone]

On 15/09/2021 at 17:27, Tony Wright said:

When I built an O Gauge Black Five for John Emerson, according to the info we had (the locomotive depicted as running in 1967/'68) the leading pair of wheels on its tender were discs and the other four were spoked! Which is what I fitted.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

Here it is -

 

 Impressive model.

 

Ian R

[MikeParkin65]

On 15/09/2021 at 17:27, Tony Wright said:

When I built an O Gauge Black Five for John Emerson, according to the info we had (the locomotive depicted as running in 1967/'68) the leading pair of wheels on its tender were discs and the other four were spoked! Which is what I fitted.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

45428 preserved on the North York Moors Railway and bought direct from BR service has a mix of spoked and disk wheels on its tender

[t-b-g]

57 minutes ago, zr2498 said:

Just found this:

Well found!

 

By the time I ring my friend tomorrow, I wonder if any will be left?

[Dr Gerbil-Fritters]

2 hours ago, Northmoor said:

The reason why this doesn't happen on real railways 

 

Oh dear, I have just four words for you:  Norfolk Southern Horseshoe Curve

 

They managed it twice in three weeks.

 

 

[Ollie K]

47 minutes ago, MikeParkin65 said:

45428 preserved on the North York Moors Railway and bought direct from BR service has a mix of spoked and disk wheels on its tender

 
Coincidentally I photographed (4)5428 last week after riding behind to Whitby, a matter of days after seeing Bahamas at the Nene Valley Railway and spotting it too sports a mixture of tender wheels. 
 

[The modeller]

On 14/09/2021 at 21:56, Tony Wright said:

Good evening 'Modeller',

 

As prescribed in the majority of DJH's instructions (for tender locos), no pick-ups are needed, because the system suggested is the 'American' style, where the loco and tender are 'live' to opposite sides, conjoined by an insulated drawbar. There are even instructions on how to short-out the insulated tender wheels by drilling a hole through the plastic insulation between the wheels' bosses and the axles and force-fitting a short length of brass/nickel silver rod. 

 

I dislike the system (though others have used it with success - it obviates the need for wipers and the like) and use PCB pick-up pads fixed to the frames' spacers, with nickel silver wipers to collect the current. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony.  

Thanks for reply 

 

The modeller (aka Alex)

[Tony Wright]

10 hours ago, Headstock said:

 

Good evening Tony,

 

are you being serious?

It was a question, Andrew,

 

Obviously, might I surmise, in your case, the answer is 'no'?

 

Which would you put as the 'best'/'finest' OO Gauge RTR loco ever? 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Dunsignalling]

9 hours ago, MikeParkin65 said:

They are undoubtedly very good models but intended I think more as collectors items - hence price and scarcity. 

 

The standard plastic  bodied models use the same chassis and in my experience are perfectly powerful enough to haul realistic  trains of rtr stock. My maximum train length for operating is 8 coaches but I’ve had them hauling 12 without issue. Plastic locos hauling plastic stock as the manufacturer designed them for. Of course the plastic versions are readily available, cost less and the detail is crisper (and for the Princess Coronation includes the cladding seam on top of the firebox that has been omitted on the HD version). 

None of the plastic-bodied Hornby Bulleid Pacifics used on Bournemouth Central have any difficulty with the normal 10/11 coach express formations when formed entirely of plastic coaches.

 

However, one set includes a metal kit-built Tavern Car set, and that's best left to a Rebuilt WC, an air-smoothed WC with a bit of added weight (must get the rest done...) or one of the DJH kitbuilts.

 

Of the Hornby locos, the rebuilt WCs are (as standard) significantly "stronger" than the rest, the only exception being my air-smoothed Ellerman Lines. That, however, is strictly out-of-period as the layout date is April 1960.

 

John

[Tony Wright]

11 hours ago, t-b-g said:

 

It may be a bit late to be reviewing an item for a magazine when as far as I can see, they are sold out already. I always thought reviews were mainly to let a potential purchaser know if it was a good thing to buy or not. Telling them how good a model is that they can't possibly obtain just seems like kicking somebody when they are down.

 

I suggested the Stanier Pacific for a friend who has a WCML layout. We had a look and the only ones available seem to be those that people with an eye for a quick profit have snapped up and are now reselling on a certain auction site for the best part of £500.

 

It is a shame as they do look very impressive but that sort of blatant profiteering sticks in my (and his) throat and he will do without!

Good morning Tony,

 

What am I supposed to do in these circumstances? Having never kicked somebody when they're down (well, not in the literal sense), I'm rather stumped.

 

Both models arrived for review at the beginning of this week. BRM goes 'to press' after this weekend, so there was no chance of their making the very next issue. They'll be in the one after that.

 

I agree, if all have been sold (to collectors?), then anything I write will be superfluous (though the moving footage of both these locos hauling enormous trains might prove to be entertaining, if nothing else).

 

I, too, dislike blatant profiteering. The best part of £500.00? These two will probably go as prizes or donations to charity.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Tony Wright]

10 hours ago, Ian Rathbone said:

Here it is -

 

 Impressive model.

 

Ian R

With impressive painting!

[Chamby]

11 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

I have no idea, Andy,

 

Given that I have no access to an O Gauge layout capable of taking 30 carriages.

 

I did a bit more running with Hornby's latest OO pair, but gave up at 30 carriages; not that the locos (particularly the Princess Coronation) couldn't have taken more, but the whole behemoth train started to become unstable. It wasn't just the tenders which struggled to hold the road, but since the train was effectively going north and south at the same time around the 3' 6" 180 degree curves at both ends on LB, the front cars seemed to want to 'implode' inside and were at the limit of their stability (even though they are all-metal). Since each vehicle is around a foot long, the whole scenic section on LB was filled with a single train (impossible to get all in one picture). 

 

I chatted about this sort of thing with Tony Gee earlier this week, citing the same 'problem' on Retford some years ago when Tom Wright's twin O Gauge-motored DELTIC was shifting 40+ kit-built cars, and the leading ones wanted to fall over on the end curves. Its limit of haulage could not then be reached.

 

Perhaps someone with an understanding of physics might explain. Anyway, the answer will be academic, because how many would want to run 30+ carriages in a single train, even on a layout depicting wartime? 

 

Interesting, nonetheless.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

I have seen 53 RTR coaches being hauled by a single locomotive around a small club layout, during one of those ‘I wonder if...’ moments.  It could have pulled more, but the rear coach was only a few inches ahead of the front buffers and we couldn’t fit any more in!   The train showed no tendency to derail on the curves, despite ascribing a full circuit, the trick was to use modern RTR coaches with low rolling resistance.

 

The locomotive concerned was an unmodified 1980’s Hornby Flying Scotsman  with a ringfield tender drive and traction tyres.  

 

I accept that this is a rather different proposition to hauling kit-built coaches, but we’re discussing the physics here and it illustrates a point.

[PMP]

24 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

It was a question, Andrew,

 

Obviously, might I surmise, in your case, the answer is 'no'?

 

Which would you put as the 'best'/'finest' OO Gauge RTR loco ever? 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

I think you’d need to define best/finest criteria neither of the two (good though they are) immediately strike me as the best out of the box., and without starting an extensive list, a few that spring to mind are Hornby’s Pecketts, 08, and Bachmann’s 94xx. Then there’s the prototype deltic, LMS twins, the J15, etc etc, there’s plenty of excellent models to include steam and D&E. All the above have been released with at least one example on the mark as far as detail/livery. The Coronation coloring looks the wrong shade which would immediately exclude it. The Merchant looks far better captured.

[Denbridge]

16 minutes ago, Chamby said:

 

I have seen 53 RTR coaches being hauled by a single locomotive around a small club layout, during one of those ‘I wonder if...’ moments.  It could have pulled more, but the rear coach was only a few inches ahead of the front buffers and we couldn’t fit any more in!   The train showed no tendency to derail on the curves, despite ascribing a full circuit, the trick was to use modern RTR coaches with low rolling resistance.

 

The locomotive concerned was an unmodified 1980’s Hornby Flying Scotsman  with a ringfield tender drive and traction tyres.  

 

I accept that this is a rather different proposition to hauling kit-built coaches, but we’re discussing the physics here and it illustrates a point.

When Airfix launched its class 31 at the London toy fair, many years ago, they demonstrated it hauling around 100 of their Mk2 coaches. Though it was on a long straight track laid on the floor.

[Northmoor]

2 minutes ago, Denbridge said:

When Airfix launched its class 31 at the London toy fair, many years ago, they demonstrated it hauling around 100 of their Mk2 coaches. Though it was on a long straight track laid on the floor.

My local toy/model shop did the same with the Airfix 31 but on a circuit; I think it managed about 50 coaches.  The Airfix Royal Scot also managed some prodigious haulage feats on club layouts which were recorded in the RM/MRC at the time.