Hornby W1 Hush Hush

[melmerby]

2 hours ago, maico said:

 

 

The W1 with 4 rear flangeless wheels moving sideways and vertically on and off the track might be taking things too far and triggering shorts?

 

Except they have been removed.

[melmerby]

Disaster

One of the screws dropped out the motion whilst on the layout and I can't find it.**

It's in Doncaster works now for remedial action.

 

Any suggestions about a screw?

It seems a shame to send a good 'un back for a missing screw.

I was doing some load testing and "tweaking" the front bogie to see what that did - nothing actually, take it off completely and it doesn't affect the haulage!

 

BTW the "shorting" problem is something to do with action of the PSX 1. It must be too sensitive (even set to 3.8A) as without it in circuit I cannot get the Z21 to trip with the loco travelling over that troublesome point. I need to change the settings. In fact the inrush current when the layout first switches on trips it most time.

 

** Panic over, found it. It's now safely in a box with the spring from the front truck (works fine without it) and the screws for the body and rear truck.

I found a spare UJ inside the body! (goes between the flywheel & worm)

 

I will replace the screw tomorrow.

Edited December 19, 2021 by melmerby

[polybear]

7 minutes ago, melmerby said:

Disaster

One of the screws dropped out the motion whilst on the layout and I can't find it.

It's in Doncaster works now for remedial action.

 

Any suggestions about a screw?

It seems a shame to send a good 'un back for a missing screw.

 

 

Get onto Hornby and tell them what screw is needed - I reckon they'll be all too pleased to send one out to you so you don't return it on warranty.  If they don't offer then tell them you'll return it for them to fix....that should focus their attention.

[melmerby]

14 minutes ago, polybear said:

 

Get onto Hornby and tell them what screw is needed - I reckon they'll be all too pleased to send one out to you so you don't return it on warranty.  If they don't offer then tell them you'll return it for them to fix....that should focus their attention.

Luckily I found it and have now edited the post.

It wouldn't be for them to remedy as it wasn't a direct sale. It's up to the retailer. (who may choose to lumber Hornby with it or fix it themselves)

 

[Sir Topham Hatt]

Not posted here for around 10years or so but having received my pre-ordered W1 from Hornby via Hermes l too heard rattles from within the packaging. 

 

It turned out to to be both left and right side front steps, not a glue failure but snapped mounting tabs, and the tender draw bar screw and a the front of the tender chassis where it had fractured around the draw bar screw.

 

This all sounds familiar!  It is the British Enterprise version.  Given Hornby tell us the name plate, though produced, was never actually fitted, what did the print the name plate on the loco AND provide separate plates, removing your choice!

 

l called Hornby tech support who agreed they have problems with the W1, gave me a case number and return address.  They then advised that they had a special team dealing with the problem but couldn't it me through to them.  They have no spare locos or spares so repairs could take some time - bang goes Xmas presents then!

 

I figured that l could probably repair the broken parts as well as Hornby and somewhat quicker so did just that.  Crazy! 

My design engineer background tells me that the use of a self tapping screw into a fine molding that will be stressed by pulling a rake load and by twisting on handling just doesn't work.  For those with 'gooduns' you might consider bonding a thin brass plate around the hole in the frame.  As for the steps, a thin right angle bracket cut from lexan bonded behind the steps would help.

 

[melmerby]

7 minutes ago, Sir Topham Hatt said:

My design engineer background tells me that the use of a self tapping screw into a fine molding that will be stressed by pulling a rake load and by twisting on handling just doesn't work.  For those with 'gooduns' you might consider bonding a thin brass plate around the hole in the frame.  As for the steps, a thin right angle bracket cut from lexan bonded behind the steps would help.

 

Interestingly the body fixing, which has no stress, is inset tapped brass ferrules with proper metric screws.

 

My usual fix for broken self tapped posts which are quite common in modern electrical tat, is a piece of thinwall brass tubing force fit over the post (where there is room) holding it all together (and a little glue to be included)

[maico]

On 16/12/2021 at 23:41, Michael Hodgson said:

You don't rate him then?

 

I think Mr. H does. Generally, Hornby gets positive reviews without the constant bomb damage some others get...

[No Decorum]

12 hours ago, melmerby said:

Interestingly the body fixing, which has no stress, is inset tapped brass ferrules with proper metric screws.

 

I noticed and appreciated the brass ferrules. The body is very easily taken off and replaced. What’s metric? Is that the stuff which caused a NASA spacecraft to miss Mars? (Favourite quote at the time, “It’s not rocket science but it should have been.”)

[Zero Gravitas]

58 minutes ago, No Decorum said:

I noticed and appreciated the brass ferrules. The body is very easily taken off and replaced. What’s metric? Is that the stuff which caused a NASA spacecraft to miss Mars? (Favourite quote at the time, “It’s not rocket science but it should have been.”)

 

It was actually the imperial system that caused that particular problem in 1999.  Lockheed Martin failed to convert data from imperial to metric when they provided it to NASA.  If they’d been working in metric, the problem would never have happened.

[No Decorum]

27 minutes ago, Zero Gravitas said:

 

It was actually the imperial system that caused that particular problem in 1999.  Lockheed Martin failed to convert data from imperial to metric when they provided it to NASA.  If they’d been working in metric, the problem would never have happened.

On the other hand, If NASA had been working in Imperial …

[Railsnail]

14 hours ago, melmerby said:

My usual fix for broken self tapped posts which are quite common in modern electrical tat, is a piece of thinwall brass tubing force fit over the post (where there is room) holding it all together (and a little glue to be included)

Nice tip... thanks 

[melmerby]

18 minutes ago, No Decorum said:

On the other hand, If NASA had been working in Imperial …

They would have been out of step with most of the rest of the world........

[SamThomas]

37 minutes ago, melmerby said:

They would have been out of step with most of the rest of the world........

But most North American measurements are - even their non-metric are different (such as gallons).

[No Decorum]

50 minutes ago, SamThomas said:

But most North American measurements are - even their non-metric are different (such as gallons).

There is that. I love the British way: use whichever system works better or even both. 4mm/ft. On the other hand, it didn’t seem to work well for customers of North British diesels.

[melmerby]

2 hours ago, SamThomas said:

But most North American measurements are - even their non-metric are different (such as gallons).

They also rarely use tons etc., weights are just in pounds.

Quoting something as weighing such as 288784 lbs is IMHO just stupid.

e.g. 4014 (Big Boy) weighed 1189500lbs new, which is a much more readable 539.5t/531T

[Colin_McLeod]

What about 1.19 mega pounds lol ? 

[Steamport Southport]

1 hour ago, No Decorum said:

There is that. I love the British way: use whichever system works better or even both. 4mm/ft. On the other hand, it didn’t seem to work well for customers of North British diesels.

 

However 4mm to the foot wasn't the original criteria for 00 gauge.

 

It was 5/32" to the foot.

 

 

Jason

[SamThomas]

39 minutes ago, melmerby said:

They also rarely use tons etc., weights are just in pounds.

 

Because it "seems" bigger/heavier ?

[robmcg]

Well the going rate for a R3840 W1 Hush Hush on Ebay appears to be somewhere around UKP290-300.

 

There was one from a well-known good retailer at UKP249 free postage just an hour ago but when I refreshed the page it had gone.

 

You've got to be quick!

Edited December 20, 2021 by robmcg
typo

[Colin_McLeod]

8 hours ago, Steamport Southport said:

 

However 4mm to the foot wasn't the original criteria for 00 gauge.

 

It was 5/32" to the foot.

 

 

Jason

So that makes 18.83mm P4 track too wide by 0.1438mm lol

[melmerby]

10 minutes ago, Colin_McLeod said:

So that makes 18.83mm P4 track too wide by 0.1438mm lol

But there is also 19mm 00, so P4 is really a narrow gauge 00

[jonnyuk]

12 hours ago, robmcg said:

Well the going rate for a R3840 W1 Hush Hush on Ebay appears to be somewhere around UKP290-300.

 

There was one from a well-known good retailer at UKP249 free postage just an hour ago but when I refreshed the page it had gone.

 

You've got to be quick!

surely that won't last long, the people who want one, will have one soon enough (paying stupid prices to get it).

[ikcdab]

18 hours ago, Steamport Southport said:

 

However 4mm to the foot wasn't the original criteria for 00 gauge.

 

It was 5/32" to the foot.

 

 

Jason

We are going off topic, but I don't believe thats right. 7mm/3.5mm then upped to 4mm for UK models.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OO_gauge?wprov=sfla1

 

[Bernard Lamb]

27 minutes ago, jonnyuk said:

surely that won't last long, the people who want one, will have one soon enough (paying stupid prices to get it).

I dunno about that.

The first batch of Clans commanded crazy prices for a good few years.

Bernard 

[micklner]

There are at least three on ebay £270 ish no bids so far on any.