Hornby Class 423 4-VEP

[steve1023]

One Blue/Grey 4VEP running well & smoothly around my little roundy-roundy. Phew......

[Mike Storey]

The first of mine arrived on 24th and I was not allowed to open the box until Christmas Day - they look so much better in B/G, much more like a VEP than in all blue or Connex - trick of the eye perhaps? Really beautiful model, despite the minor issues. Runs perfectly. To be fair, the motor block just isn't noticeable once it is on the track. I will add a few curtains when I add passengers - it was very, very rare to see a full set of curtains in the 80's. The yobs saw to that.

 

One word of warning - I put the set back in its box prior to taking them to the test track. I then found I had put one of the motor coaches in the wrong way round, on its polystyrene setting. This meant that the collector shoe gear was now too tight and I nearly broke it trying to get it out again - the polystyrene bulges under the bogie at on end but not at the other. Make sure you check the right way to put them back in the packaging!!

[Multiple identity account]

So what were the improvements made then? Anything to make note of?

[gc4946]

I'm still waiting for mine from Rails - they still show as a pre-order item on their site, and no payment taken yet.  Same happened with the Heljan 33's, and I ended up cancelling and ordering elsewhere to avoid risking them selling out.

 

Mal

This morning I rang Rails to check if they were in stock before travelling, as I want to examine and test run one before purchase.

However they haven't received their allocation yet and I'll have to wait next week or the New Year.

Edited December 27, 2014 by gc4946

[BR(S)]

So what were the improvements made then? Anything to make note of?

 

Windows put in compartment walls;

Bogies put on the correct way round (but leading bogies have lost their object deflectors);

Few reports on here so far suggest motor runs better and Hornby have reported changing the gearing to improve slow running performance (traction tyres are still fitted though).

 

From Mike Storey's post #1555 above:

 

Dear Mr Storey,

1.The windows have been created between the corridor and compartment in the interior moulding.

2. We have re tooled the side glazing units to create an easier assembly, and better Finished product.

3. We have changed the gearing configuration to improve low end performance.

4. We have not and never intended to change the motor position. This was never reported as a major issue.

There were a number of minor issues reported during the first release, all of which have been addressed.

There was one subjective comment about the size of the cab front windows. On balance we decided that they were OK and did not make any changes in this regard.

Yours Sincerely

Simon Watkins

Customer Care

Edited December 27, 2014 by BR(S)

[Rich Papper]

Good news on the corridor windows. For those of us with the first release - does anyone know of a spare part / something similar one could use to replicate this without cutting a whole lot of holes?

[SRman]

I converted one driving coach only using the first class compartments from an old Triang-Hornby composite coach interior (I only had one such seat unit spare, which is why I haven't done the second driving coach of that unit). It was a bit of work and I would much prefer to be able to get replacement interiors of the correct type from Hornby. At one time, Simon Kohler said we would be able to get them but that may not be the case now with the changes in his and Hornby's circumstances.

[Mike Storey]

The new ones certainly run more smoothly than the originals and seem to have more "oomph" on DC. I haven't chipped mine yet, but would expect them to run even better once done.

[jjb1970]

I'm of an age where I clearly remember when all locomotives were rail blue and all coaches were blue/grey with a vanishingly small number of exceptions. At the time I remember wishing there was more variety yet for the last 25 years I've looked back and thought that the blue/grey era was a better corporate image than most that have followed, notwithstanding that I do like quite a lot of the liveries that followed. The Hornby model of the 4VEP is a keeper for me, I'd have bought it regardless but it is good that there have been some improvements. For me one of the great developments in modelling over the last few years has been manufacturers producing good multiple unit trains. For  many years despite trains like the 4VEP and others such as the 4CEP, 108, 105, 101 all done wonderfully by Bachmann being workhorses of British passenger operations they were terribly overlooked in model  form. I hope we see more contemporary releases too to go with Bachmann's excellent 350 and Hornby's very good 395. I wonder who will be first with the IEP?

[Mike Storey]

I know their actual arrival date probably missed the copy deadlines for most MR mags, but I am still concerned by the almost complete lack of acknowledgement across the trade that these exist and have arrived, or were imminent. They even seem to have taken Hornby by surprise. I hope this does not affect their sales over time, as they deserve better sales due to the improvements made, and give the manf's further reason not to produce 4 car EMU's.

[Maltazer]

I hope this does not affect their sales over time, as they deserve better sales due to the improvements made, and give the manf's further reason not to produce 4 car EMU's.

 

Hattons appear to have sold out already, and Rails have only just started shipping theirs.  Everyone else seems to be selling at full price.  IMO having to find £200 will be the biggest factor if they don't sell.

 

Mal

[Mike Storey]

  IMO having to find £200 will be the biggest factor if they don't sell.

 

Mal

 

Maybe, but that is the new reality across all brands now. At £50 per coach, plus this is powered, it compares favourably with the price of the new Pullman cars (although not as pretty clearly). Let's see. Fortunately, all mine were at the pre-order price.

[JSpencer]

Hattons appear to have sold out already, and Rails have only just started shipping theirs.  Everyone else seems to be selling at full price.  IMO having to find £200 will be the biggest factor if they don't sell.

 

Mal

Kernow have got a batch of the older all blue ones right now for half the price!

[brushman47544]

They even seem to have taken Hornby by surprise.

 

As, it seems, have other models that have been manufactured by Sanda Kan.

 

I suspect it is related to the contractual arrangements for the transfer of tooling from SK to Hornby's new factories. The affected models were probably manufactured some time ago but only released to Hornby when contractual requirements (including payment) were met. Whilst all this has been going on, Hornby may not have been told what models and/or in what quantities had already been produced.

[Mike Storey]

As, it seems, have other models that have been manufactured by Sanda Kan.

 

I suspect it is related to the contractual arrangements for the transfer of tooling from SK to Hornby's new factories. The affected models were probably manufactured some time ago but only released to Hornby when contractual requirements (including payment) were met. Whilst all this has been going on, Hornby may not have been told what models and/or in what quantities had already been produced.

 

Maybe so, for stock in hand in China. But they would have received a copy of the shipping note once the items were released to them and sent, giving them at least 3/4 weeks notice. In this case, Hornby posted an ETA of 9 December at around the end of November, which didn't then change to 22nd (available) until about a week before. Whilst your reasoning above is entirely plausible, it doesn't explain the administration subsequently. Unless someone like Chris Leigh or Andy Y can state otherwise, they do not appear to have bothered alerting the mags or websites to this release either, let alone providing a review model, unlike others. They really can be their own worst enemy sometimes.

[Oldddudders]

Mike Storey, on 13 Jan 2015 - 13:15, said:

Maybe so, for stock in hand in China. But they would have received a copy of the shipping note once the items were released to them and sent, giving them at least 3/4 weeks notice. In this case, Hornby posted an ETA of 9 December at around the end of November, which didn't then change to 22nd (available) until about a week before. Whilst your reasoning above is entirely plausible, it doesn't explain the administration subsequently. Unless someone like Chris Leigh or Andy Y can state otherwise, they do not appear to have bothered alerting the mags or websites to this release either, let alone providing a review model, unlike others. They really can be their own worst enemy sometimes.

With the previous batches having been received with mixed reviews and a lot of opprobrium, it may well be that this batch wasn't much fancied by Hornby, so the fanfare was deliberately skipped. As ever, it is always nice to read that a product is better than feared, as these apparently are.

[Multiple identity account]

So what were the improvements made then? Anything to make note of?

I am very curious to know why Colin Parks has disagreed with my post quoted above? Is asking questions on a model train forum not right anymore or has he misread my post?

 

Cannot think of anything that would have someone rate a question as a disagree.

Edited January 16, 2015 by AJA Models

[Oldddudders]

AJA Models, on 16 Jan 2015 - 10:47, said:

I am very curious to know why Colin Parks has disagreed with my post quoted above? Is asking questions on a model train forum not right anymore or has he misread my post?

 

Cannot think of anything that would have someone rate a question as a disagree.

Colin Parks scratchbuilds very, very fine 4mm EMUs indeed. He may have been implying that nothing would help the Hornby VEP to become an acceptable model. Or it could have been a miscue on the PC, which is by no means rare.

[90rob]

Cannot think of anything that would have someone rate a question as a disagree.

 

I don't know if it applies in this case, but I accidentally 'disagreed' with a post by DJM a while back and I could not understand how I had done it. It turned out that I had just started using one of those 'Tegra Note' tablets and had been using the stylus to scroll up and down - because the 'disagree' tab is at the end of the line it is all too easy to catch it whilst scrolling. I of course removed it as soon as I found what had happened.

[Multiple identity account]

Well I'd like to hear from Colin so incase it isn't "technology" having a go at us, I can and surely will clarify what I meant...

[Rob F]

I am very curious to know why Colin Parks has disagreed with my post quoted above? Is asking questions on a model train forum not right anymore or has he misread my post?

 

Cannot think of anything that would have someone rate a question as a disagree.

Why do you care?

 

ROB

[Multiple identity account]

Why do you care?

 

ROB

Obviously "ROB" because if me asking a question is wrong then I'd like to know or if I can explain something misuderstood I should know of it or as others have stated it might just be a mistake. Please don't assume that the "disagree" has harmed me emotionally and all that rubbish (I've seen enough of that here).

 

I'd genuinely like to know if my question was interpreted differently to which I owe an explanation and I shall gladly give

 

JEFF

[Guest]

The last I heard, Colin was in hospital so is no doubt accessing RMWeb from a tablet, which, as has been mentioned, can result in "accidental" ratings. I think you're being a bit over-sensitive about this whole ratings thing anyway. Wait until you have as many "neutrals" as some of us and you become surprisingly thick-skinned to them!

[Multiple identity account]

 I think you're being a bit over-sensitive about this whole ratings thing anyway. Wait until you have as many "neutrals" as some of us and you become surprisingly thick-skinned to them!

Over-sensitive how? I've not forced Colin at all to give me a reason. I know about his condition. I was told it could have been an accidental rating and I appreciate it.

 

I've never forced him to give me a reason, I'd just said that incase he did then I am always free to clarify. If you read it in a tone other than normal I am afraid that I cannot help you out.

 

Please get it out of your head that I am so emotionally affected by this rating. I simply said if it isn't an accidental one I am always free to explain it to Colin.

 

Post from Rob and You are actually the posts that blow things out of proportion and make it seem so severe.

[Ian Hargrave]

To get back on thread.Kernow's weekly newsletter advises  R 2946 at "bargain " £99.99 released to them from Hornby....should any of you be interested.