Dublo A4 PCB Needed

[kelsh003]

Hi all,

 

I've got one of the new great gathering A4s from the Dublo range, but I've suffered a PCB failure.

 

It's a 21 pin but from the new style loco to tender connection models such as we see on the new P2.

 

I can't find a parts number anywhere and struggling get hold of Hornby, so does anyone know how I may acquire a new PCB?

 

I am very disappointed given how expensive the Dublo models are, and I assume a regular 21 pin PCB won't work due to the new location of the loco to tender plug on the PCB itself.

[Black 5 Bear]

5 hours ago, kelsh003 said:

Hi all,

 

I've got one of the new great gathering A4s from the Dublo range, but I've suffered a PCB failure.

 

It's a 21 pin but from the new style loco to tender connection models such as we see on the new P2.

 

I can't find a parts number anywhere and struggling get hold of Hornby, so does anyone know how I may acquire a new PCB?

 

I am very disappointed given how expensive the Dublo models are, and I assume a regular 21 pin PCB won't work due to the new location of the loco to tender plug on the PCB itself.

Personally, I'd return the model to Hornby as they may have spare PCB's in stock.

Failing that, try Lendons or Peter's Spares.

I'm on my second Union of South Africa, one has already been returned for defects/poor QC and the second will going back on Monday.

Disappointing as you say for such an expensive model!

 

Edited January 13 by Black 5 Bear

[GraemeWatson]

I contacted Hornby after Christmas, because of a failed tender connection (out of the box). I explained the situation with a photo.

 

They replied early in January (presumably as staff had time off).

 

They very kindly agreed to supply a replacement part once it was available, and confirmed my address. I was pretty happy with that outcome.

[kelsh003]

Thanks to you both for the help. I have again reached out to Hornby regarding this. Its not the first PCB failure I've had on a Hornby, and on one so expensive too. I can't understand why sourcing their bits yourself is so tricky, given Bachmann's spare site is full of parts. I've recovered old split chassis models thanks to just using their own site.

 

I will ring them as well on Monday and express how frustrating it is, politely of course. I don't want to return it to the retailer as they are out of stock, although if Hornby can replace it, its Dominion of Canada, that would be fine too.

[ColinB]

Hornby have always been bad of late for spare parts. If they do appear it is usually 6 months after they are released. As everyone else has said it is a contact Hornby job, I usually do the same as you try and fix it myself but on a £300 loco even I send it back to Hornby. My City of Lichfield had issues, people naively think the Dublo models are better produced, I just think that they are the same terrible Quality Assurance but with die cast bodies. Worse still, I am sure they think that most won't be run, so they don't have to try so hard. 

[Black 5 Bear]

1 hour ago, ColinB said:

Hornby have always been bad of late for spare parts. If they do appear it is usually 6 months after they are released. As everyone else has said it is a contact Hornby job, I usually do the same as you try and fix it myself but on a £300 loco even I send it back to Hornby. My City of Lichfield had issues, people naively think the Dublo models are better produced, I just think that they are the same terrible Quality Assurance but with die cast bodies. Worse still, I am sure they think that most won't be run, so they don't have to try so hard. 

Unfortunately for Hornby, they now have smaller competitors, who produce affordable/high quality models.

More importantly and in complete contrast to Hornby, these new boys on the block produce a catalogue of spares to support  their products should anything go wrong.

 

Edited January 14 by Black 5 Bear

[kelsh003]

So Hornby agreed to send me a PCB within 7-10 days. Frustratingly, they have to "source the spares" which isn't really good enough for any loco, let alone one that is £300 or so. Said it before, but Bachmann have parts like this readily available for purchase, although the flipside is Hornby don't charge for this.

 

I still find it an unusual way to go about things. A £300 Dublo could have been rendered useless, unless I somehow found the part hiding on the internet somewhere.

[ColinB]

On 19/01/2024 at 20:15, kelsh003 said:

So Hornby agreed to send me a PCB within 7-10 days. Frustratingly, they have to "source the spares" which isn't really good enough for any loco, let alone one that is £300 or so. Said it before, but Bachmann have parts like this readily available for purchase, although the flipside is Hornby don't charge for this.

 

I still find it an unusual way to go about things. A £300 Dublo could have been rendered useless, unless I somehow found the part hiding on the internet somewhere.

I share your concern about the lack of spare parts but your loco has got to be less than 3 months old. By law Hornby have to either repair it, supply you with a replacement or give you your money back so you are letting them off lightly. We all do it but it is because of that they get away with it. Even on a £200 loco, if there is something wrong it should go back. Going by my experience with the Hornby Dublo City of Lichfield, it seems to be an issue Hornby seem to have difficulty getting their heads around.

[Monkey28]

Keep on to Hornby kelsh003 it took me a while to get them to send me the part. 
 

I had the same issue.I've done a little video/slideshow of the repair https://youtu.be/WAXUOaYvApk?feature=shared

 

See the posts on the Dublo thread  

[kelsh003]

20 hours ago, ColinB said:

I share your concern about the lack of spare parts but your loco has got to be less than 3 months old. By law Hornby have to either repair it, supply you with a replacement or give you your money back so you are letting them off lightly. We all do it but it is because of that they get away with it. Even on a £200 loco, if there is something wrong it should go back. Going by my experience with the Hornby Dublo City of Lichfield, it seems to be an issue Hornby seem to have difficulty getting their heads around.

 

Very much so. In fact, I only bought it from The Model Centre back in December so its barely 1 month old!

 

I might get in touch re a replacement, while they still have some in stock. It is a crying shame they do get away with it, because in my view one of the biggest model manufacturers in the country and pretty much the one everyone knows should have a half-decent spares department at least. Being told to wait "7-10 days" when other manufacturers would likely have a bit to you in 2-3 is a bit of a joke.

 

I had four locos firebox glows all fail on me, including two of the new P2s. Its taken over a month for Hornby to finally dispatch the bits I needed. Over a month. That just seems incredible.

[kelsh003]

19 hours ago, Monkey28 said:

Keep on to Hornby kelsh003 it took me a while to get them to send me the part. 
 

I had the same issue.I've done a little video/slideshow of the repair https://youtu.be/WAXUOaYvApk?feature=shared

 

See the posts on the Dublo thread  

 

I shall certainly keep on at them, and thanks for the video! I will watch that when...and if...the part appears

[Trevor Hammond]

1 hour ago, kelsh003 said:

 

Very much so. In fact, I only bought it from The Model Centre back in December so its barely 1 month old!

 

I might get in touch re a replacement, while they still have some in stock. It is a crying shame they do get away with it, because in my view one of the biggest model manufacturers in the country and pretty much the one everyone knows should have a half-decent spares department at least. Being told to wait "7-10 days" when other manufacturers would likely have a bit to you in 2-3 is a bit of a joke.

 

I had four locos firebox glows all fail on me, including two of the new P2s. Its taken over a month for Hornby to finally dispatch the bits I needed. Over a month. That just seems incredible.

I've had the same experience with the " flickering firebox " effect  including 2HD models.

[ColinB]

59 minutes ago, Trevor Hammond said:

I've had the same experience with the " flickering firebox " effect  including 2HD models.

I am amazed a flickering firebox can fail. I have been designing instruments with leds in for years, the only time they ever failed was when I passed too much current through them. A flickering firebox is a rectifier (two or four diodes) and a flicking LED and a resistor. There isn't a lot to go wrong. I think the thing that really gets me is their lack of ability to provide spare screws. The m2s and m3s are easy to source from China but it is the stepped ones which are the issue and people regularly lose them. Then there is the con rod screws, again they occasionally unscrew, but can you get spares, no.

[kelsh003]

1 hour ago, Trevor Hammond said:

I've had the same experience with the " flickering firebox " effect  including 2HD models.

 

That is disappointing. The firebox glow on my two P2s failed on their first day of use, but luckily stuff like that doesn't bother me too much and at least I can fix now. Poor for it to happen on a Dublo model as well, and in fact whats annoying is out of all the new models I had through 2023, it was only Hornby stuff that gave me grief/had problems. The products can be fantastic, but my god I have been so depressed at their customer service.

I bought a Dublo Merchant Navy from Chester during Making Tracks, and rang Hornby as the motor was well making some unpleasant sounds. I was told "thats because its diecast" and that I could send it in for repair but they might not have the part. Thankfully Lendons of Cardiff had the motor in stock.

[AY Mod]

4 hours ago, kelsh003 said:

I only bought it from The Model Centre back in December so its barely 1 month old!

 

Your first port of call should be the retailer if it is within the warranty period.

 

How many times do we have to say this?

[kelsh003]

3 minutes ago, AY Mod said:

 

Your first port of call should be the retailer if it is within the warranty period.

 

How many times do we have to say this?

 

It is. But they have none in stock anymore, so unless they can get it repaired themselves then, as frustrating as it is, I am willing to wait for the part to turn up from Hornby and fix at home.

[kelsh003]

Well good news! My faith in humanity and Hornby has been restored. I have had in the post today not just the PCB, but Hornby instead sent an entire Dublo A4 tender chassis with everything included, PCB, blanking chip etc. All I needed do was put the tender body on and it works again!

 

As @Monkey28revealed I now think it was the tender electrical connector rather than the PCB, so I have managed to order a new P2 style drawbar/connector and I now have a spare blanking chip and PCB potentially from the old tender.

 

Frustrating that we can't just buy these bits from Hornby easily, but fair play to them for sending over the entire assembly.