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Hornby AA15 Toad Brake Van


Tom F
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  • RMweb Gold

Derails of Coleford have excellent prices and offer 1st class customer service.

 

I've gone with Derails for my pre-order of these and the SR cattle wagons. Prices are as good or better than the bigger retailers and no shocks here with the postage.

Edited by 57xx
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  • RMweb Gold

I'm fairly happy to wait until it's in the shops and see one before I buy it, as I like to support my local shop, which is a very good one, and am willing to live with my older vans for now, but does anyone have any ballpark of when these might put in an actual physical appearance?  The last thing H need at this point in proceedings is a Bachmann type reputation for delayed models, and it is worrying that their website shows the pre-production unliveried photograph and notes that the 'pre-order allocation is sold out'.  I could do with a third or even fourth Toad if future plans for a further fiddle yard road and a train of coal empties come to fruition, and, while I will put up with the old vans, I'm not buying any more of them after the Baccy I bought back in December proved to the identical to the Mainline one I bought back in 1983, which is it's current partner in crime.  Moulded handrails, of course, but it is surprising how acceptable these are on this model (they won't be when one with proper handrails shows up and my plan is to retire them both and have a modern fleet of Toads detailed to modern standards), moulded sand lever, badly shaped sandboxes that look blobby and a bit like 4-pint plsatic milk cartons, no glazing except what I've put in, and the general lack of crispness of detail that one is used to from models of this era; comparison between the 1983 van and the 2016 one show that they are identical and that the moulding has held up excellently, but isn't as good as the best modern ones; things have improved, I suspect largely as a result of CAD.

 

I may spring for an Oxford short wheelbase one, a model of whose status regarding the seperacity of it's handrails I am uncertain, on the pretext that Cwmdimbath's unmodelled and imaginary s1 in 34 gradients justify a 6-wheeler, but I won't be buying any more of the current Hornby or Bachmann ones.  The GWR toad must be one of the worst wagons in Baccy's catalogue, and the Hornby one should be relegated to Railroad.

 

I am instituting an upgrade programme of wagons that are not to modern standards, which constitutes about a third of the fleet; half a dozen opens and vans and both Toads; my mineral rake is up to scratch.  The minimum standard must be a reasonable amount of underframe detail, brake blocks in line with wheels, and separate handbrake levers (Ox ones that you can pin down are a bonus).  Reading that back makes me sound like a terrible rivet counting entitled modern modeller of the worst sort, so in a spirit of fairness I will point out that 21st century rtr wagons are of a very high standard in general, before having my usual moan about the 10' wheelbase of Hornby's  and Dapol's minerals.  I don't want to sound unappreciative of the excellent work all the rtr players have put in since the 80s, not always in the best of economic climates.

Edited by The Johnster
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I'm fairly happy to wait until it's in the shops and see one before I buy it, as I like to support my local shop, which is a very good one, and am willing to live with my older vans for now, but does anyone have any ballpark of when these might put in an actual physical appearance?  The last thing H need at this point in proceedings is a Bachmann type reputation for delayed models, and it is worrying that their website shows the pre-production unliveried photograph and notes that the 'pre-order allocation is sold out'.  I could do with a third or even fourth Toad if future plans for a further fiddle yard road and a train of coal empties come to fruition, and, while I will put up with the old vans, I'm not buying any more of them after the Baccy I bought back in December proved to the identical to the Mainline one I bought back in 1983, which is it's current partner in crime.  Moulded handrails, of course, but it is surprising how acceptable these are on this model (they won't be when one with proper handrails shows up and my plan is to retire them both and have a modern fleet of Toads detailed to modern standards), moulded sand lever, badly shaped sandboxes that look blobby and a bit like 4-pint plsatic milk cartons, no glazing except what I've put in, and the general lack of crispness of detail that one is used to from models of this era; comparison between the 1983 van and the 2016 one show that they are identical and that the moulding has held up excellently, but isn't as good as the best modern ones; things have improved, I suspect largely as a result of CAD.

 

I may spring for an Oxford short wheelbase one, a model of whose status regarding the seperacity of it's handrails I am uncertain, on the pretext that Cwmdimbath's unmodelled and imaginary s1 in 34 gradients justify a 6-wheeler, but I won't be buying any more of the current Hornby or Bachmann ones.  The GWR toad must be one of the worst wagons in Baccy's catalogue, and the Hornby one should be relegated to Railroad.

 

I am instituting an upgrade programme of wagons that are not to modern standards, which constitutes about a third of the fleet; half a dozen opens and vans and both Toads; my mineral rake is up to scratch.  The minimum standard must be a reasonable amount of underframe detail, brake blocks in line with wheels, and separate handbrake levers (Ox ones that you can pin down are a bonus).  Reading that back makes me sound like a terrible rivet counting entitled modern modeller of the worst sort, so in a spirit of fairness I will point out that 21st century rtr wagons are of a very high standard in general, before having my usual moan about the 10' wheelbase of Hornby's  and Dapol's minerals.  I don't want to sound unappreciative of the excellent work all the rtr players have put in since the 80s, not always in the best of economic climates.

£19 to pre order a new, high detailed one from Hattons?

 

Or £18.99 (or something like that) to buy one of the older 'Railroad' one direct from the Hornby website?

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  • RMweb Gold

£19 to pre order a new, high detailed one from Hattons?

 

Or £18.99 (or something like that) to buy one of the older 'Railroad' one direct from the Hornby website?

 

The difference is that my local shop has the older ones in stock, but Hatton's do not have the new ones in stock and don't know any better than me when they will.  I'm not comfortable committing to buying an item that might or might not turn up somewhere or other sooner or later somehow or other at some time or other.

 

I'll wait.  I find that less stressful.

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  • RMweb Gold

I'm liable to plump for a couple of AA15 toads. It does depend on how things work out. I must agree that, going on current pre-delivered samples, it's looking good.  Perhaps Oxford will try to go head- to- head with Hornby, especially regarding quality & fidelity. I'd guess it's looking good in us Western modellers just now.

 

I didn't mention an 26xx Aberdare, did I? Tut Tut!

 

Ian

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  • RMweb Gold

The difference is that my local shop has the older ones in stock, but Hatton's do not have the new ones in stock and don't know any better than me when they will. I'm not comfortable committing to buying an item that might or might not turn up somewhere or other sooner or later somehow or other at some time or other.

 

I'll wait. I find that less stressful.

Have you any particular reason to doubt the quoted delivery of Q4 this year? I thought recent Hornby releases have been pretty punctual, if not early.

 

Roy

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  • RMweb Gold

I was unaware H were quoting Q4 2017; the information is not on their website, or at least I can't see it.  If this is so, then it's definitely worth waiting for, but, as there is no finished, liveried, sample in the photographs and in fact the same photograph of an unpainted pre-production sample that has been knocking around for around 6 months serves for both the BR and GWR liveried models, I am a little nervous.

 

But H usually perform a lot better than Bachmann when it comes to release date reliability, and your post has reassured me a little.

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  • RMweb Gold

I'm liable to plump for a couple of AA15 toads. It does depend on how things work out. I must agree that, going on current pre-delivered samples, it's looking good.  Perhaps Oxford will try to go head- to- head with Hornby, especially regarding quality & fidelity. I'd guess it's looking good in us Western modellers just now.

 

I didn't mention an 26xx Aberdare, did I? Tut Tut!

 

Ian

It's always looking good for Western modellers, we model the Western.  It doesn't get any better than that!

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  • RMweb Gold

Perhaps Oxford will try to go head- to- head with Hornby, especially regarding quality & fidelity.

Look! What's that over there...?

 

post-7355-0-77357300-1499105973_thumb.jpg

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  • RMweb Gold

Look! What's that over there...?

 

attachicon.gifflying pig.jpg

Aah, that's the Great Western version! As you know, the tail goes the opposite way, and the snout should be about half the size. The wings should be along the body, and not above it.It's flying east, not west.

 

Don't get me started on livery...

 

Ian

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Think I'll leave that one, I'm not feeling up to Par...

 

Coat?

Where's that groan button?

 

Seriously, I think I'll ask Cambridge Custom Transfers to provide me with an allocation sign that says 'Kidderminster' or maybe 'Tyseley'.

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  • RMweb Gold

Painted samples now up on the Hornby website. GWR here and BR here

 

They are looking good, however, am I right in saying that the 'GW 68571' lettering and numbering on the solebar of the BR version is an error? 

 

Arrival must be imminent as they're expected July 2017!

 

Cheers, 

 

CoY

 

post-126-0-57021500-1499261508_thumb.jpg

 

post-126-0-01632900-1499261522_thumb.jpg

 

post-126-0-29015000-1499261534_thumb.jpg

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Look! What's that over there...?

 

attachicon.gifflying pig.jpg

Hmmmm, in pristine condition too.

 

I'd like to see the weathered version........

 

As for delivery times, Hornby have it as "Coming soon - July 2017", but out of stock for pre-orders.  Perhaps the Q4 dates quoted by Hattons, etc are for a second production tranche?

 

It will be interesting to see what sort of fist Oxford will make of the Toad, in both 4 and 6 legged varieties!

Edited by Hroth
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  • RMweb Gold

Painted samples now up on the Hornby website. GWR here and BR here

 

They are looking good, however, am I right in saying that the 'GW 68571' lettering and numbering on the solebar of the BR version is an error? 

 

Arrival must be imminent as they're expected July 2017!

 

Cheers, 

 

CoY

It seems Hornby have the wagon plates just about right. The earlier version would normally have the rectangular wagon plate. The later plate, such as an AA21 or AA23 version, have the more usual 'D' plate. The current BR period model is quite correctly showing an earlier rectangular plate, as the AA15 van as built to an earlier period.

 

Ian.

 

PS. I'll have 5 or 6 of those. Might see if I can reproduce a 'Coke Ovens'van, or 'Llantrisant'. Still, one can dream...

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