Hornby R3782 SECR terrier missing a buffer

[mikesndbs]

Gutted!

Was running my terrier and suddenly noticed she's lost a buffer off the front, how I did not notice it before I don't know but looking back over some video she'd lost it then.

 

Not listed as a spare part so what are my options?

 

Thanks and seasons greetings.

 

 

[Going Spare]

Apologies up front if the sizing is not right but in the absence of any other suggestions so far, Hornby's X8100 buffer pack may be the answer.  Shortening the stem will obviously be necessary as probably will be turning down the bufferhead as the replacements are intended for the Castle & County, but from images the overall styling looks to be pretty much the same.  New Modellers Shop has stock.

[Steamport Southport]

Hornby used to do them for the previous version. I got some a few years ago from Peters Spares.

 

I'm pretty sure someone does decent brass bodied sprung ones. Try Branchlines and Gibson.

 

Are either of these the correct type?

 

https://www.wizardmodels.ltd/shop/locomotive/4904/

 

https://www.wizardmodels.ltd/shop/locomotive/4910/

 

 

Jason

[mikesndbs]

Well, after one more look around I found the missing buffer on the carpet under the radiator in my office!

Must have been there two months or more and avoided a number of vacuums lol.

Was a to get back on as well.

Big lesson, there are just no spares which seem odd.

 

 

[The Johnster]

A limited number of/no spares is pretty much what I'd expect from current RTR manufacturers.  The Chinese production model depends on 'just in time' ordering and delivery of parts, so if H commision a run of, say, 3,000 of the top of my head Terriers, that will result in 12,000, no more no less, being ordered from the buffer supplier for assembly on to the locos at the time that they are at the assembly stage of production.  Hornby, like all RTR suppliers, like to keep costs down and as a matter of policy do not want to maintain the facilities or staff to run a spares department, and would ideally like to dispense with spares altogether; they tend to sit on shelves in warehouses for long unprofitable periods and are a general nuiscance.  We could have full spares facilities if we were prepared to pay for them, about 30% on top of RRPs at a guess, and we're not!

 

I would look at the retrofit detailing market, Wizard, Roxey, and the like, if you lose any more buffers.  They tend to go walkabout, more on some models than others but my Hornby 42xx seemed to object to having them and kept dropping them everywhere until I sourced a set of whitemetal cast replacement GW Collett buffers in their housings from, IIRC, Comet, and superglued them on.  You pull the old buffer housing out with plier like a dentist, which leaves a hole about 2mm dia. in the buffer beam.  Tryfit the replacement, mine fitted perfectly but you may need to remove flash from the casting and/or ream the hole out a little.  Bit of red and black paint and Robert is your immediate ancestor's sibling!  Turned buffers look superb but are a separate part, so are liable to to making breaks for the border or sacrificing themselves to the carpet monster.  The Terrier is an oddity with those buffer housings standing proud of the top of the buffer beam.