Hornby 2021 - HST & Mk3 range

[adb968008]

unfortunately curiosity kills the cat and I dont like to be beaten by things like warranties.

 

So I couldnt resist a look inside to see whats going on with the motor.

when first tried it crawled along at 0.3amp sluggish moving.

 

So I decided to take a look (somewhat against common advice on warranty of a £340 set!)

 

Above is my GWR one R3685…

Below is the Midland Pullman one.

 

Motor,  board, shafts and therefore assume gears are the same.

 

The circuit board now has 21pin DCC socket and a few updates.

 

interestingly red / black motor wires are soldered in reverse, Red goes to M+ on the Midland Pullman, but M- on the R 3685 but its polarity still runs correctly.. they both go the same way!

 

There are 4 screws holding the keeper plate for the motor, ive untightened them by a half twist, and the motor has jumped into life..

 

 

screws circled above.
 

i cant definitively say that was the issue, or if it just needed a nudge in its seating, but either way… its resolved and my power consumption is a much less strained 0.22 amps.

 

Here is the fan motor set up.. am a happy bunny now, i’ll leave it running.

 

 

 

Edited December 13, 2022 by adb968008

[TomScrut]

5 hours ago, adb968008 said:

its the same old HST with internal motor fans, some mods to the baggage and drivers doors, and a cam coupling that should have been there a decade ago.

 

I think they have tweaked the shape at the top of the windscreen, doesn't look to droop in the middle like the old one. The front pic of yours next to the LNER one shows this well I think.

 

5 hours ago, adb968008 said:

An oval shaped headlight is fitted into the roof.

On the real thing it looks head on to be a circle

 

Portal looks elliptical to me on here:

 

Logically I'd expect it to be ellipse too, it is probably a circular lamp pointing forwards which means it's projection onto the sloping front of the loco would be elliptical.

 

3 hours ago, adb968008 said:

interestingly red / black motor wires are soldered in reverse, Red goes to M+ on the Midland Pullman, but M- on the R 3685 but its polarity still runs correctly.. they both go the same way!

 

I bet it's an easy way for them to make things work more conventionally perhaps? Hornby had the annoying habit of making their lighting functions common negative/neutral, most manufacturers (both locos and decoders) work off common positive.

[newbryford]

4 hours ago, adb968008 said:

 

 

interestingly red / black motor wires are soldered in reverse, Red goes to M+ on the Midland Pullman, but M- on the R 3685 but its polarity still runs correctly.. they both go the same way!

 

 

 

 

 

54 minutes ago, TomScrut said:

 

I bet it's an easy way for them to make things work more conventionally perhaps? Hornby had the annoying habit of making their lighting functions common negative/neutral, most manufacturers (both locos and decoders) work off common positive.

 

Maybe the motor is installed the opposite way up between the two batches?

[Hilux5972]

6 hours ago, TomScrut said:

 

I think they have tweaked the shape at the top of the windscreen, doesn't look to droop in the middle like the old one. The front pic of yours next to the LNER one shows this well I think.

I think that’s an optical illusion. The cantrail strip seems to curve downwards along the windscreen on the LNER one. The Pullman one it curves up along the windscreen. 

[adb968008]

I just updated my post looking at the above, the Horn grills are wrong.

[TomScrut]

27 minutes ago, Hilux5972 said:

I think that’s an optical illusion. The cantrail strip seems to curve downwards along the windscreen on the LNER one. The Pullman one it curves up along the windscreen. 

 

I zoomed in on the photo and sorts used the phone screen as a straight edge and I definitely think it looks straighter, the edge not the line.

[Phil Mc]

The issue of slackening off the motor cradle to give better running isn't just on the 'new' power cars.

I've done the same to GWR Purple, GWR Green, and VTEC ones in the past.

 

Cheers,

Phil.

[adb968008]

6 hours ago, Phil Mc said:

The issue of slackening off the motor cradle to give better running isn't just on the 'new' power cars.

I've done the same to GWR Purple, GWR Green, and VTEC ones in the past.

 

Cheers,

Phil.

Its not unique to the HST either.

A normally adequate motor, straining, is usually due to a gearing issue, or being tied down too hard. But Initially I was thinking it was dead and wasnt prepared to fix the motor myself on a warranty issue.

 

Heres the video… it improved a little after 20 mins, which was my cue to go in and have a look, believing there was a living beast in there afterall.

 

After untightening it, I got the speed, and the draw down to just above 0.22amp. Its still a fraction slower than the other, but at full pelt it is running two motors, and obviously on layout it will be powering three as the dummy has motorized fans too … those fans are wizzing around at full pelt.

 

I just did the exact same thing in a dancing / singing santa hat last night and replaced all its gears after one stripped… its now re-annoying me again this year, every few minutes with my little one pressing its button every two minutes, apprpriately singing “merry christmas.. you make me want to shout….”

Its the same set up as a model train, motor, leds, speaker, pcb, gear tower to a lever flipping left / right in a beat… with a red fluffy hat on top.

 

saved me spending £20 on a new one..

https://www.amazon.co.uk/GIMOCOOL-Christmas-Decoration-Adjustable-Innovative/dp/B09J81PK3G/ref=sr_1_8?crid=38LTQTG6EEUYE&keywords=Santa+hat+dancing&qid=1671007925&sprefix=santa+hat+dancing%2Caps%2C182&sr=8-8

our tech is not unique, and model railway knowledge very portable. Ive a leaking tap and a suitcase latch to replace this morning.. and a bubble machine needing anew motor..everything breaks in 3’s have you noticed.

 

Back on subject, Dapol 73’s benefit from untightening a little too.

 

A post christmas job is to make horn grill covers for this HST and colour match the paint.

sorry for the ramble response, first cup of tea hasnt sunk yet.

Edited December 14, 2022 by adb968008

[Northmoor MPD]

My EMT Mk3s arrived yesterday after being somewhere in the post system for the last 10 days, they look really nice, a decent upgrade on the ex lima Mk3s…

Just need the power cars now! Come on Hornby 😬

Has anyone purchased a rake of the Rail Charter services coaches yet? I’ve picked up the rake from Chester model centre, just awaiting their arrival. 

[adb968008]

10 hours ago, Northmoor MPD said:

My EMT Mk3s arrived yesterday after being somewhere in the post system for the last 10 days, they look really nice, a decent upgrade on the ex lima Mk3s…

Just need the power cars now! Come on Hornby 😬

Has anyone purchased a rake of the Rail Charter services coaches yet? I’ve picked up the rake from Chester model centre, just awaiting their arrival. 

Love it.

 

i’d been trying to build up an EMT rake for 2 years but the coaches were scarce and heavily over priced, some over £100 !

[Northmoor MPD]

8 hours ago, adb968008 said:

Love it.

 

i’d been trying to build up an EMT rake for 2 years but the coaches were scarce and heavily over priced, some over £100 !

Id seen some of the first class Mk3s selling for over £120! They’ve soon dropped in price now though! 
The power cars still go for around £300 though, despite having the incorrect lights!

[mpb56125]

On 09/12/2022 at 16:38, adb968008 said:

Its not as if no one pointed it out.

 

it was mentioned several times on here on the day of release.

 

There is not really any excuse, the pictures show the power cars post 10th September 2022…. Hanson+Hall logos are not present… the livery was updated… so these models were made very recently.

 

maybe there is a coupling in the box ?

No coupling in box.

 

Mark

[scouse889]

1 hour ago, mpb56125 said:

No coupling in box.

 

Mark

No real surprise there then!

[James90012]

Are the FGW Green MK3s really printed as dodgily as the images on Hattons suggest? Or is this a one off? I was in the market for both a GNER MK4 set and FGW MK3 set but Hornby have fluffed both (the 91 and FGW printing).

 

I don't have any model shops nearby to review before purchasing and can't be done with the hassle of returning to online stores.

 

Hornby R40232 Mk3 TF trailer first in First Great Western green and gold (hattons.co.uk)

Edited December 21, 2022 by James90012

[DLIBOD17]

On 19/12/2022 at 15:25, scouse889 said:

No real surprise there then!

I messaged Hornby spares requesting a pair of their black plastic drawhooks at least & was told that those items weren’t part of the original moulding & therefore couldn’t be supplied as spares.

Good job I had some Accurascale screw links handy.

Luckily my models are for static display only.

Edited December 21, 2022 by DLIBOD17

[Rhydgaled]

On 10/12/2022 at 11:57, ianmacc said:

Just picked up the railroad intercity executive power and dummy car pack as with retailer discount it was a pocket friendly (by 2022 standards) £123. The power car white lights work but obviously not the  dummy car red.  Strangely though the power car white lights still illuminate in reverse direction! Is this a design fault or just my set? 
 

I just run the detailed buffered DVT at the rear so this isn’t an issue to me. 

 

On 10/12/2022 at 13:04, scouse889 said:

As I recall the original release of these toolings R2707 43100/43101 in VT had the headlights illuminating regardless of direction of travel, so I guess this has not been changed in any of the subsequent releases (original blue/grey InterCity 125, GWR green in a train set, and now these IC Swallow PCs).

 

The same is true of the Lima model the Hornby Railroad one originated from - certainly my Lima GWT train pack example just has white lights on the motorised power car (with significant light bleed through the body too, an issue I think Hornby fixed for the Railroad model). I guess Lima thought of it as a model for a 'roundy-roundy' layout and assumed it would only ever be run with the motorised power car leading.

 

On 27/11/2022 at 16:25, RyanN91 said:

I am just surpised that one of their older tollings for the BR MK3 carriages hasn't been reintroduced separately and made it into the RailRoad range separate alongside in the same appropriate livery as the power cars train packs. standard open, first, buffet,  and TGS other than the standard open MK3 coach which is included in the R1230M HST Train set . Has this been mentioned before? 

Up until now they haven't had a 'super detail' version of the mark 3 - only the Lima tooling and their own (which is a similar spec to the Lima one but with central door locking lights and no TGS) so they've just been shipping those at main-range prices to go with the 'super detail' power cars. Now that they have retooled the slam-door mark 3s however, hopefully they will reintroduce the Lima ones (and/or their earlier scale-length tooling) in the Railroad range at sensible prices.

 

On 27/11/2022 at 19:05, Hilux5972 said:

The new coaches are cheap enough so why bother with railroad versions?

At £40.50 from Hattons or nearly £45 direct from Hornby? No thanks. Unless there is a really complex livery (such as the original DRS class 68 livery or the photograph on the side of Wales & West class 153s), I don't like to pay more than £1 per metre of (nominal length) the real thing for a non-motorised model with no electrics (such as headlights). A mark 3 is nominally a 23m vehicle so a Railroad model priced at £23 would suit me. I'm not interested in paying more for seperately fitted handrails etc. that I'm likely to break when handling the model and that, once broken, will look worse than the molded detail on the Lima mark 3s.

[Rhydgaled]

For those such as @ianmacc and (possibly) @Pedro32 who have the latest Railroad (INTERCITY livery) power car pack (R30177) have you tried running them with Lima coaches? If so, could you let met know whether Hornby's livery application matches that on the Lima coaches or are the shades of grey different, depth of each colour wrong etc.? I'd really like to obtain a pack but if the livery doesn't match the coaches I would run with it (Lima ones, I already have a TGS and a TS) anyway then I might as well spend a few quid more on the GWR train set version and get an oval of track and a Hornby mark 3 TS thrown in.

The Railroad pack seems to be starting to sell out so a quick response would be much appreciated.

Edited December 21, 2022 by Rhydgaled

[Northmoor MPD]

I’ve received my Rail Charter Services Mk3s today, same as the FGW ones they are a transfer not printed.

4 out of the 5 coaches are actually pretty straight and acceptable but the Buffet car has a nice sag on one side unfortunately.

Does anyone else have them to see if they are all the same or if I have a bad one? 
 

Cheers, 

Adam

[Hilux5972]

Why are they a transfer? It’s a silver block. Hardly a difficult thing to apply via tampo printing. Slippery slope Hornby is on it seems. 

[James Makin]

13 hours ago, James90012 said:

Are the FGW Green MK3s really printed as dodgily as the images on Hattons suggest? Or is this a one off? I was in the market for both a GNER MK4 set and FGW MK3 set but Hornby have fluffed both (the 91 and FGW printing).

 

I don't have any model shops nearby to review before purchasing and can't be done with the hassle of returning to online stores.

 

Hornby R40232 Mk3 TF trailer first in First Great Western green and gold (hattons.co.uk)

Yes, unfortunately! 
 

I had to return 5 of my Mk3s to Hornby for replacements, the stripes are all on a special sticky decal which is applied somewhat haphazardly at the factory. I’d recommend ideally buying coaches by eye at a show if possible, or from a retailer where you know they’d be happy to exchange if they’re not right! Perhaps try phoning up a retailer in advance to explain so that they know, as an idea.

 

My error rate was approx 12.5%, and I wouldn’t say I was fussy but just looking for a straight stripe! The FGW buffet cars appear the worst affected from what I’ve seen, I imagine it’s harder for the factory workers to line up the decal as the small kitchen windows don’t give a straight edge to use as a guide, unlike on the standard coaches where the window line sits just above the decal. The TGS is also problematic from what I’ve seen, but so much is pot luck!

 

Having had my coaches a while, I had an educated snout around Warley last month and all of the major box shifters had examples of both good FGW coaches and some real howlers on their stand, I wouldn’t like to be the person getting home and realising you’ve bought a dodgy one!
I added a few more coaches to the collection at the show, I was that mad guy asking to open up the boxes on the stand 🤣

 

I suspect in the years to come, finding a good one on eBay that’s not wonky will be a challenge, so snaffle up the good ones while they are still to be readily had!
 

Cheers,

James

[WCML100]

If anyone wants rid of their 'wonky' FGW Fag packet buffet car for a discounted price I will gladly take it off your hands 😃

[adb968008]

I wonder if Hornby will apply transfers to a steam loco.

That will be an exciting day on the forum.

[adb968008]

20 hours ago, DLIBOD17 said:

I messaged Hornby spares requesting a pair of their black plastic drawhooks at least & was told that those items weren’t part of the original moulding & therefore couldn’t be supplied as spares.

Good job I had some Accurascale screw links handy.

Luckily my models are for static display only.

Has the bufferbeam set got a solid metal chassis underneath like the regular ones ?

That’d be a joy to drill / fit NEMs to.

I guess its back to the 1970’s and a wire between the buffers to make a coupling ?

Edited December 22, 2022 by adb968008

[adb968008]

22 hours ago, Northmoor MPD said:

I’ve received my Rail Charter Services Mk3s today, same as the FGW ones they are a transfer not printed.

4 out of the 5 coaches are actually pretty straight and acceptable but the Buffet car has a nice sag on one side unfortunately.

Does anyone else have them to see if they are all the same or if I have a bad one? 
 

Cheers, 

Adam

The TGS looks a little wonky too.

 

I would have thought spraying a silver block wasnt that hard, or is the logo in the middle part of the transfer ?

[martin_l_jones]

Anyone sound fitted the new power cars ?

 

Is there a 21pin sound decoder for Valenta engines