Guest maxthemapman Posted June 27, 2013 Share Posted June 27, 2013 (edited) Took delivery of a bargain 4VEP today, after everything that was written about it, I sort of expected it to explode when I took it out of the box. If there is one thing I will say, it plugs together much more nicely than the Bachmann ones, which can be quite a struggle sometimes, especially to separate. However, the tongue on the box was ripped, making me wonder if Hornby are selling off re-engineered returns cheaply. On my test track, I had the same sorts of problems that everyone else has reported. I will just add that the motor coach is heavier than I was expecting, all those dud wheelsets really take the guts out of it. I have had similar-to-reported derailments from one driving trailer, but I had really bought this unit for parts, and so this doesn't bother me. I did notice that the lights were the wrong way round. The leading car showed red and the rear car orange. I'm fairly sure that I plugged them together properly. Do manufacturers have shares in bright yellow LEDs or something? Warm white LEDs have been available from Maplins for years. I can't help thinking that there is something toy like about the appearance of this unit, which other EMUs do not suffer from, irrespective of its accuracy. This may be because the real things looked like toys. Perhaps the silver window frames are reminding me of Triang-Hornby Mk2 coaches. On the other hand the front corridor connection really does look wrong, and the roof vents are just round featureless domes, more like zits than vents. The fuse/arc chute on the driving trailer behind the front bogie is really nasty, looks nothing like the real thing. The "no one really notices these things" doesn't wash with me here. I've always had an interest in EMUs ever since my mother was using them to go from Banstead to Sutton for shopping when I was 4 years old, and I always remember the arc chutes for some reason. What were they for? Overall, I wonder whether Hornby subcontracted the development work on this unit to someone who didn't know or care much about creating scale models, there is certainly no evidence here of doing the sensible thing: buying a Bachmann 4CEP and stripping it down to get a feel for how to make one of these things up Edited June 27, 2013 by maxthemapman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium zarniwhoop Posted June 27, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 27, 2013 I did notice that the lights were the wrong way round. The leading car showed red and the rear car orange. I'm fairly sure that I plugged them together properly. Do manufacturers have shares in bright yellow LEDs or something? Warm white LEDs have been available from Maplins for years. My point '3' on page 11 post #272 shows I had the red-at-front problem - swap the DTCs around and everything should be ok . If you plan to take it apart again, might be worth fitting a sticky label or dots of coloured paint somewhere on the underside, to show how they should fit together - in that case, I hope you have better luck than me in keeping the couplings operational (I much prefer the Bachmann bars, but each to his own). For me, when the LED worked I didn't have a problem with its colour (arguably they are too bright, but I hope fitting a paper blind will cure that). ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattG Posted July 11, 2013 Share Posted July 11, 2013 74 quid for the blue one at Model Railways Direct, although having read some of the posts on here I'm still not interested. Best be quick though, they have 8 left but their sale finishes tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted July 11, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 11, 2013 Anyone wanting to make an 8-VAB, and looking for more motor coaches, might like this item on ebay. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hornby-DCC-READY-BR-SOUTHERN-VEP-MBSO-CLASS-423-POWER-CAR-from-TRAIN-PACK-R2946/380667838819?rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222002%26algo%3DSIC.FIT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D16351%26meid%3D8978498553086382252%26pid%3D100005%26prg%3D7784%26rk%3D2%26sd%3D261243416608%26 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frobisher Posted July 11, 2013 Share Posted July 11, 2013 Anyone wanting to make an 8-VAB, and looking for more motor coaches, might like this item on ebay. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hornby-DCC-READY-BR-SOUTHERN-VEP-MBSO-CLASS-423-POWER-CAR-from-TRAIN-PACK-R2946/380667838819?rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222002%26algo%3DSIC.FIT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D16351%26meid%3D8978498553086382252%26pid%3D100005%26prg%3D7784%26rk%3D2%26sd%3D261243416608%26 If you look at his other items, you can grab 7 other VEP carriages you need in a oner - the mind boggles as to why he's selling 3-4 4VEPs in this way though... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kintbury jon Posted July 11, 2013 Share Posted July 11, 2013 (edited) To make more money! He's selling the motor coach for £41.99, trailer for £32.99 and driving trailer for £29.99. This makes a total of £134.96 for a four car unit, with them being available for a lot less if bought in a few places. At these prices, it would cost £245.93 for the above items required for an 8VAB (4 DTCsoL and 3 MBSO). Three VEPS from Kernow comes in at £239.97 and that would give you 5 spare carriages! Edited July 11, 2013 by kintbury jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Removed a/c Posted July 11, 2013 Share Posted July 11, 2013 He tends to sell a lot of stuff that way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Storey Posted August 11, 2013 Share Posted August 11, 2013 I see the Blue Grey version has been put back to 2014 by Hornby. I hope the long wait will be worth it for the "promised" improvements. My layout will run devoid of 4VEPs until then, even at the current dramatic discounts on the flawed version. I am more than happy to pay top dollar for a model that is reasonably accurate and runs well, even if it needs a few tweaks that can't be achieved in mass production. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
47164 Posted August 14, 2013 Share Posted August 14, 2013 hi, having just obtained a power bogie, should I be able to test this with no wires from a pcb board, for example ie running it on the track alone as the service sheet does not indicate any trailing bogie power collection ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRman Posted August 15, 2013 Share Posted August 15, 2013 You may need to connect wires between the pickups and the brushes, as this would be done through the DCC socket in Hornby's normal installation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Colin Posted August 24, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 24, 2013 I picked up a "bargain" blue version recently, having previously noticed that below the solebars the VEP appears very close, if not identical, to a CIG (rummages in various boxes for MJT CIG sides & cab ends bought years ago). I'll need to do a bit more research, but it looks quite promising! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted August 24, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 24, 2013 I picked up a "bargain" blue version recently, having previously noticed that below the solebars the VEP appears very close, if not identical, to a CIG (rummages in various boxes for MJT CIG sides & cab ends bought years ago). I'll need to do a bit more research, but it looks quite promising! The Phase 2 CIGs were being built at the same time as the VEPs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southernman46 Posted August 24, 2013 Share Posted August 24, 2013 The Phase 2 CIGs were being built at the same time as the VEPs. The updated 4-CEP and the 4-SUB with a corridor.................. Good idea about re-using the u/frame though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted August 24, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 24, 2013 The updated 4-CEP and the 4-SUB with a corridor.................. Both CEPs and SUBs had better seats than the VEPs or the Phase 2 CIGs! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Colin Posted August 24, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 24, 2013 If and when I ever get started, perhaps I'll post something in the appropriate forum. Currently all modelling is on hold pending a house move so it may be some time! If it's not too difficult to remove the VEP bodies I was thinking of spraying the unwanted ones from the CIG conversion blue & grey and using them as alternatives for my other blue unit, which is due to be backdated to 1967 (blue/SYP) livery one day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phil gollin Posted October 6, 2013 Share Posted October 6, 2013 . What to do with a Hornby 4-VEP ? http://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/oct/06/british-film-the-last-passenger . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Moss Posted October 6, 2013 Share Posted October 6, 2013 Interesting how that chunk of bodyside attached to the cab has somehow "blown off" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ceptic Posted October 6, 2013 Share Posted October 6, 2013 . What to do with a Hornby 4-VEP ? http://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/oct/06/british-film-the-last-passenger . That's no 4-VEP. That's a CIG !, on the Lymington branch, by the look of things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Gwiwer Posted October 7, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 7, 2013 That's no 4-VEP. That's a CIG !, on the Lymington branch, by the look of things. Correct. The unit number 1497 is discernible. The headcode is right. But it illustrates what some of us might wish to do with a Hornby VEP judging by the comments in this topic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Griffin Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 Good afternoon all. I apologise for raising this thread from the dead as it were, however I purchased a NSE vep, 3588. In march for my birthday. Having only just got around to having a play with it. My thoughts are this. Upon opening the packaging after reading all 60 odd pages on this thread, with some trepidation, I noticed the bogies are all the correct way round. The unit assembled well and look good on the track. I made the boo boo on wrong end cars the wrong way round but that was an easy fix. Fitted a 36-553 decoder and after some minor cv adjustments with my dynamis, off she purred. Taking the 4th rad curves with ease. However she did derail on the 3rd rad curves. Removing the coupling mechanism at each end quickly solved this and have been replaced with simple wire loops for running with me cep/EPB. A quick dab of flieschman oil on the axels removed a lot of the drag and improved performance. And the traction tyres are now on opposite ends of the motor axels. I must say it now runs sweet as a nut. And handles peco and Hornby ponts in my yard with ease. I'm happy with it. And for under a ton (£) I'm really quite pleased. It looks like a vep and performs very well now so I'm happy. Just one major?? Error I can't see that anyone's picked up on. I can't find any reference that 3588 was ever actually painted in NSE. Can anyone shed light on that?? The cab front maybe wrong but it looks like a vep and therefore in my eyes it is a vep. And I'm happy. Cheers 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyman7 Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 I haven't checked any lists, but as (accident damage to individual vehicles notwithstanding) no VEPs were withdrawn until the early 2000s, and none remained in blue-grey by the time of privatisation, a process of elimination strongly indicates that 3588 received NSE livery. It's also a refurbished unit, and NSE livery was applied at refurbishment if the unit wasn't already carrying it. I should add that between 1990-2005 I was a Kent Coast commuter and worked for NSE South Central division, so saw an awful lot of the SR slam door fleet! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Griffin Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 3588 wasn't refurbished until the latter half of 1995 according to my platform 5 books. that was after the abolition of network southeast. also the review in Rail Express Modeller, September 2011, it states the unit carried NSE livery but not the branding or kent coast route stickers. apparently there is pictorial evidence. so I stand corrected. its a minor livery issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Storey Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 Has anyone seen a release/delivery date for the new, improved B/G version yet? I can find nothing in the usual sources - just "expected 2014". Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metadyneman Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 I'm wondering if it will ever appear at all given the present circumstances Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crompton 33 Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 3588 was 3185 before it was refurbished in the late 1985 as dan stayted . coach numbers where 76923/62467/71146/76924 at this time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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