Hornby: A Model World

[Ian Hargrave]

1 hour ago, SteveyDee68 said:

I’m slowly catching up on the series, so am probably well behind but …

 

A few questions, if I may?

 

A) “Sam’s Trains” - does he actually buy the stuff, or is he sent it for free? I would not be spending £100 perhaps £200+ on a model locomotive then (a) running it on carpet and/or (b) submitting it to voltages it was never designed for! What exactly was the point of discovering whether a particularly famous steam engine model could, in scale terms, be made to run faster than a Japanese Bullet Train?

B) My mum, bless her, ‘put up’ with my late father’s hobby from the day she met him. It never really interested her, she didn’t quite get what it was about, but she supported him because it was something he enjoyed. She watched Sam trip the electrics in his house, and consequent “experimenting” and asked me - from a total non-modeller’s point of view - “What is that idiot trying to do?” A few minutes later, she asked the question which I wish the TV programme had asked Sam - “Why?!”

C) The programme showed a retailer - ROCKET RAILWAYS - receiving a tilting APT model, and quite a bit of airtime was devoted to them. Is that the same ROCKET RAILWAYS that regularly features in our very own eBay Madness thread for overpricing tatty pieces of junk or, most recently, advertising “weathering” services?

 

I quite enjoy the programme, but every time I see the “Carpet Kid” (as he was previously dubbed) I feel the urge to change channels (which is ironic given that I am watching a recording!)

 

Steve S

Maybe his YouTube earnings pay for his purchases. He gives support to the retailer he purchased from by quoting them. He frequently quotes that he knows little about trains (witness his latest string of howlers on the Dapol Prairie )yet contradicts himself by scoring them for what he considers the relevant strengths/failures. He does demonstrate knowledge and skill in finding and sometimes repairing faults though. His “tests” are problematic. The passenger stock is mainly vintage Hornby and not the heaviest. Seems he uses few Bachmann Mk1 which are a usually a challenging haulage test. He is also obsessed with slow speed characteristics which although important aren’t the only aspect of a model’s performance. The best that can be said is that he brings the stuff into the glare of public scrutiny. His commentary I find tiresome and occasionally OTT,the latest being an example. Bad judgment in spades.

 

[woodenhead]

1 hour ago, Legend said:

 I dont know how much money he makes from YouTube but that might cover it . He does have over 100k Subscribers .  You also find people sponsor his channel and give donations during live streams .   He did used to do model repairs  , as he has succesfully repaired some of mine at reasonable cost . I was very impressed , especially restoring a dearly loved Class 81/ AL1 I had as a present in 1966. It runs good as new .  I think he may have given that up now , though as YouTube takes over .

Interesting that he previously doing repairs before he found YouTube, throw in the 3d locomotive print which he also designed the chassis for and you have a clever chap.

 

Perhaps we all under estimate Sam, he knows exactly what he is doing and by playing dumb to the camera endears him to way more people than might otherwise watch his channel if he went down a BRM/Hornby Mag/Model Rail/Modeller route.

 

We've seen the terrible unboxing videos by other people on YouTube and their seering criticisms of models, bet they only have a fraction of Sam's subscription base and views.

[spamcan61]

20 minutes ago, Ian Hargrave said:

Maybe his YouTube earnings pay for his purchases. He gives support to the retailer he purchased from by quoting them. He frequently quotes that he knows little about trains (witness his latest string of howlers on the Dapol Prairie )yet contradicts himself by scoring them for what he considers the relevant strengths/failures. 

 

I assume what he means is that he doesn't know that much about the prototypes, which is fine by me as there is lots of information available here and elsewhere, it's the performance and construction of the models I'm interested in for a Sam's Trains perspective..

[MartynJPearson]

I do find some of the criticism of Sam to be sour grapes. We need younger people into the hobby, he has an engaging manner and although his antics are off the wall sometimes, they generate interest. I hate to think what the response would have been if it had been him making a train run upside down, Andy would have been begging everyone to just moan about the advertising in order to take the heat off the RMWeb servers.

[Steamport Southport]

1 hour ago, Legend said:

 I dont know how much money he makes from YouTube but that might cover it . He does have over 100k Subscribers .  You also find people sponsor his channel and give donations during live streams .   He did used to do model repairs  , as he has succesfully repaired some of mine at reasonable cost . I was very impressed , especially restoring a dearly loved Class 81/ AL1 I had as a present in 1966. It runs good as new .  I think he may have given that up now , though as YouTube takes over .

 

Does the YouTube channel also pay for a house with that size of room. With his accent I don't think he lives in a hovel in Speke somehow.

 

In other words he's living in a house with quite a few 0s in the value. 

 

However "views and subscribers". People do realise you can buy views and subscribers? Not all may be real....

 

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=can+you+buy+youtube+subscribers&source=hp&ei=oiKqYezxNf6Fur4P-vOAmAg&iflsig=ALs-wAMAAAAAYaowsnkyxPnmQACcDp35mXigNvMo_TLz&oq=can+you+buy+yout&gs_lcp=Cgdnd3Mtd2l6EAEYADIFCAAQgAQyBQgAEIAEMgUIABCABDIFCAAQgAQyBQgAEIAEMgUIABCABDIFCAAQgAQyBQgAEIAEMgUIABCABDIFCAAQgAQ6DgguEIAEELEDEMcBENEDOgUILhCABDoLCC4QgAQQxwEQ0QM6CAguEIAEELEDOggIABCABBCxAzoICAAQgAQQyQM6BwgAEIAEEApQAFjgJGChOmgAcAB4AIAB-gKIAcINkgEIMTAuMi4wLjKYAQCgAQE&sclient=gws-wiz

 

Do you want 100,000 subscribers for your channel? Just pay a few quid.

 

 

Jason

[Legend]

3 minutes ago, Steamport Southport said:

 

Does the YouTube channel also pay for a house with that size of room. With his accent I don't think he lives in a hovel in Speke somehow.

 

In other words he's living in a house with quite a few 0s in the value. 

 

However "views and subscribers". People do realise you can buy views and subscribers? Not all may be real....

 

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=can+you+buy+youtube+subscribers&source=hp&ei=oiKqYezxNf6Fur4P-vOAmAg&iflsig=ALs-wAMAAAAAYaowsnkyxPnmQACcDp35mXigNvMo_TLz&oq=can+you+buy+yout&gs_lcp=Cgdnd3Mtd2l6EAEYADIFCAAQgAQyBQgAEIAEMgUIABCABDIFCAAQgAQyBQgAEIAEMgUIABCABDIFCAAQgAQyBQgAEIAEMgUIABCABDIFCAAQgAQ6DgguEIAEELEDEMcBENEDOgUILhCABDoLCC4QgAQQxwEQ0QM6CAguEIAEELEDOggIABCABBCxAzoICAAQgAQQyQM6BwgAEIAEEApQAFjgJGChOmgAcAB4AIAB-gKIAcINkgEIMTAuMi4wLjKYAQCgAQE&sclient=gws-wiz

 

Do you want 100,000 subscribers for your channel? Just pay a few quid.

 

 

Jason

 

 Not quite sure what you getting at there . I believe its the attic of his parents house  located somewhere in the environs of Nottingham (according to the TV prog)

 

But we are straying from the TV Prog , even though I believe Sam is in the next one . 

[Jol Wilkinson]

37 minutes ago, MartynJPearson said:

I do find some of the criticism of Sam to be sour grapes. We need younger people into the hobby, he has an engaging manner and although his antics are off the wall sometimes, they generate interest. I hate to think what the response would have been if it had been him making a train run upside down, Andy would have been begging everyone to just moan about the advertising in order to take the heat off the RMWeb servers.

 

What kind of interest does he generate? I believe he does carpet based reviews which may help some people choose what to buy. Does he do any modelling with how to guides on building a layout or w.h.y?

 

 The "modelling" aspect of the tv show seems partly aimed at gimmicks but so far I have seen little that might inspire a new modeller to do new  things or an interested person to take up the hobby. As a modeller of excessively mature years, I have found myself most inspired by the Airfix content as it is about kits than we can make up.

[stovepipe]

47 minutes ago, MartynJPearson said:

I do find some of the criticism of Sam to be sour grapes. We need younger people into the hobby, he has an engaging manner and although his antics are off the wall sometimes, they generate interest. I hate to think what the response would have been if it had been him making a train run upside down, Andy would have been begging everyone to just moan about the advertising in order to take the heat off the RMWeb servers.

 

Yes inded, I quite like the Sam's Trains channel, and clearly he is going for a younger audience and tapping into their enthusiasm to try things out, presumably exactly as some of the sour pusses on RMWeb did, if they can remember that far back to their childhood. I know I tried all sorts of things out back then.

 

He often states that he buys all his models, and has never, as far as I've seen, received a review example. This seems to be the modus operandi of some other YT channels - with usually a glowing review as a result. Pointless. Those are the channels to be avoided in my book, and it's no surprise to me, they have a handful of the views and subscriptions of the carpet kid.

[Ian Hargrave]

Do we really believe that younger people can afford the prices now charged for the average model tested by Sam.? Or are they dependent on the Bank Of Mum and Dad ?  Yes we need new blood but his YouTube channel isn’t the vehicle for them . Youthful and engaging Sam may be but really the target viewer is surely still the above quoted growers of sour grapes. @Jol Wilkinsonhits the nail squarely on the head when he posts above about building a layout. Refer back earlier in the series to Calum’s contribution on his Bath S&DJR small diorama and layout to something much more effective and relevant. Sam’s real value is demonstrating out of the box merchandise in circumstances some find questionable. Pass the grapes

 

[stovepipe]

Remember when you were little, devouring the Triang/Hornby catalgoue, putting optimistic marks next to all the things you wanted?  In reality, only a tiny fraction of it was ever received. Watch the comments on a live stream, and it's clear many participating are pretty young, and his channel, I suggests, serves a similar purpose as the Hornby catalogue - wish fulfullment. Shall I get this or that, the pleasure of weighing up what to spend your money on. Some adults are the same when getting a new car - and for some the choosing is the best part of all.

Edited December 3, 2021 by stovepipe

[Phil Parker]

Like it or not, Sams Trains has a following, including some ferfent fans on here. Every time he is mentioned, the thread descends into discussing his channel instead of the topic in the title.

 

And if you think this is a gentle nudge back towards the TV programme topic, then, yes it is.

[GWR8700]

Watching this programme I just find it surprising that Hornby don't introduce plastic wagon kits for the railway range.

They have the skills to do it in their Airfix department, why not add it to the Hornby range?

Edited December 4, 2021 by GWR8700
Spelling

[Miss Prism]

message deleted

Edited December 3, 2021 by Miss Prism

[AY Mod]

14 minutes ago, GWR8700 said:

Watchint this programme I just find it surprising that Hornby don't introduce plastic wagon kits for the railway range.

They have the skills to do it in their Airfix department, why not add it to the Hornby range?

 

It's something we have asked before at press days and we were looked at as if we were bonkers. Maybe so when we suggested a 1/43rd scale Deltic with interior details. 

[Miss Prism]

The Cooper-Craft range is ready to squirt...

 

(I'll get me coat)

[GWR8700]

8 minutes ago, Miss Prism said:

The Cooper-Craft range is ready to squirt...

 

(I'll get me coat)

 

That's another thing I've thought about too.  Why duplicate wagons that are already available in the parkside range when you could make wagons from popular but defunct ranges like Cooper Craft?

[Ian Hargrave]

Having first raised the matter of the dreadful HST couplings with SK 10 years ago,it’s good to see that he’s finally taken the point and a redesign is finally on the starting blocks. I’m still none the wiser of how it will work in use and would feel happier with more close up footage of the new system and it’s effectiveness in a close coupled rake.I sincerely hope it’s sufficiently robust in use. Thoroughly enjoyed the programme which is easy watching and good humoured.Jenny Kirk’s inverted railway was both instructive and entertaining too. The series has been a PR success and a boost for the corporate image . All staff on screen have responded well to exposure in front of the cameras and SK is a natural.  I like .

[DK123GWR]

44 minutes ago, GWR8700 said:

Watchint this programme I just find it surprising that Hornby don't introduce plastic wagon kits for the railway range.

They have the skills to do it in their Airfix department, why not add it to the Hornby range?

The funny thing is, given that they appeared to quietly announce improvements to the HST, I thought that was exactly what they were building up to when Simon Kohler was telling us that the railway customers were just like the Airfix ones, but just as I was wondering whether we should get excited he said that we all wanted ever-finer detail (he wasn't talking about me).

[Butler Henderson]

There are various Skaledale items that would work well in plastic; the, rare as gold dust priced on ebay, retaining walls for example. There does seem to be a lack of cross brand thinking.

[RJS1977]

On 02/12/2021 at 13:18, pete_mcfarlane said:

 

 

They were very good. So good that I built their Wellington twice. 

 

 

A pair of Wellingtons!

[RJS1977]

On 02/12/2021 at 17:54, Re6/6 said:

 

Only the Germans would do such a thing! Blo*dy marvellous! 

 

 

I don't know, it's the sort of thing I could imagine James May having a go at.

[RJS1977]

3 hours ago, Butler Henderson said:

There are various Skaledale items that would work well in plastic; the, rare as gold dust priced on ebay, retaining walls for example. There does seem to be a lack of cross brand thinking.

 

Yes, it seems all four ranges are being run almost entirely separately which is a shame as there are so many ways they could work together.

 

How about a collector's pack of the BBMF Class 91 with an Airfix Spitfire?

[The Stationmaster]

15 hours ago, GWR8700 said:

Watching this programme I just find it surprising that Hornby don't introduce plastic wagon kits for the railway range.

They have the skills to do it in their Airfix department, why not add it to the Hornby range?

Probably a bit too obvious until you consider the way Hornby approaches its various markets.  Kits don't come with the  'added value' of assembled and decorated models (i.e they don't offer as much profit) and people used to buying Hornby trains would look for something similar when buying a kit.  And the only way you could possibly approach that is by reinventing the old CKD idea (which no longer makes much sense because basically it avoided Purchase Tax).

 

The obvious alternative would be to possibly introduce railway kits to the Airfix range but here we don't know whatever codicils or restrictions might have been involved when Hornby sold off the original Airfix railway kits to Dapol.  Let's face it would you buy some old tooling when the folk who sold it to you can go away and introduce brand new tooling to sell a competing range?  On the other hand it could quite simply be - as is not unusually the case - that the right somebody in Hornby hasn't thought of doing it or the simple fact that railway orientated kits just have offered the right level of profitability.

[Miss Prism]

If Airfix kits weren't profitable, I doubt whether Hornby would be investing in new kits as much as they do. And if aircraft kits are profitable, then railway kits could be profitable. It's just a matter of mindset, isn't it?

 

[Dunsignalling]

8 minutes ago, Miss Prism said:

If Airfix kits weren't profitable, I doubt whether Hornby would be investing in new kits as much as they do. And if aircraft kits are profitable, then railway kits could be profitable. It's just a matter of mindset, isn't it?

 

It's surely a case of taking a judgment as to whether railway kits would be potentially more or less profitable that RTR and RTP, and how they might impact sales of those, though?

 

Maybe that judgment has already been arrived at....

 

John