'Railroad' Tornado

[GraemeWatson]

Champion.

Thanks for the tip. You're YouTube channel has set a new standard for loco reviews in my opinion :-)

[S.A.C Martin]

To say I am absolutely gutted this evening is an understatement.

 

Whilst filming the review, my dog jumped up at the layout - and guess what was running round, being filmed.

 

 

 

This fell about five foot from the layout to the carpet. The plastic just snapped clean through. Even if I had all the bits, the buffers are absolutely shot.

 

What do I do?

[DLPG]

To say I am absolutely gutted this evening is an understatement.

 

Whilst filming the review, my dog jumped up at the layout - and guess what was running round, being filmed.

 

 

 

This fell about five foot from the layout to the carpet. The plastic just snapped clean through. Even if I had all the bits, the buffers are absolutely shot.

 

What do I do?

 

I'm sure Hornby could sell you a replacement loco body. They are normally very good for spares or replacement parts. I got a replacement A4 body quite quickly for a friend and it was a new model.

[S.A.C Martin]

I'm sure Hornby could sell you a replacement loco body. They are normally very good for spares or replacement parts. I got a replacement A4 body quite quickly for a friend and it was a new model.

 

Good point, I'll email to inquire now. Thanks for the advice.

[Brinkly]

oh no good luck with finding a replacement.

 

Regards,

 

Nick

[Guest Max Stafford]

Ouch! Hope your replacement body is sorted quickly.

What kind of crazy dog caused that kind of mayhem? That sort of incident is what you expect from a boxer!

 

Dave.

[S.A.C Martin]

It's a cocker spaniel who is the perpetrator of this crime...! She's currently got her nose on my shoes, looking forlorn as spaniels do. Going to give her a biscuit, it wasn't her fault, she doesn't understand how trains work, after all...!

[Coombe Barton]

It's a cocker spaniel who is the perpetrator of this crime...! She's currently got her nose on my shoes, looking forlorn as spaniels do. Going to give her a biscuit, it wasn't her fault, she doesn't understand how trains work, after all...!

 

There speaks a real dog lover.

[micklner]

If you have the pieces you should be able to glue it back together again with a drop of filler . You probably know Bachmann or ebay will sell new buffers.

[Bon Accord]

Well, if you're handy with a paintbrush, some plasticard and a hammer, you could take the next step and reproduce this:

http://www.railbrit....e2.php?id=22687

http://farm4.static....47bc4b379_o.jpg

Would make an interesting diorama.........

 

All joking aside, I feel your pain, as I used to have a similar pet 'problem' on my layout, however that involved our pet cats thinking that chasing trains (literally) was a much cleaner, warmer and more enjoyable alternative to running around the undergrowth chasing after mice and the like.

After several instances of supremely colourful language, frantic gesticulation and missiles sourced from track underlay, they soon got the message that to continue in the same vein would result in their life becoming particularly unpleasant. Her indoors thought I was being a bit harsh on the little darlings of course.

[S.A.C Martin]

It's just one of those things.

 

Feeling a bit more cheerful this evening, thanks lads for your help. Fairly glad Tornado doesn't look like H.A. Ivatt entirely

 

I'm going to go and check everything is still running tomorrow morning when I can face the model.

[Horsetan]

To say I am absolutely gutted this evening is an understatement.

 

Whilst filming the review, my dog jumped up at the layout - and guess what was running round, being filmed.

 

This fell about five foot from the layout to the carpet. The plastic just snapped clean through. Even if I had all the bits, the buffers are absolutely shot.

 

What do I do?

 

This is why I don't have dogs. Or cats.

 

And horses are too big to get into my home.

[7013]

I am sure Hornby will be able to forward you a replacement, indeed after your reviews showing their A1 in such a positive light, Mr Kohler should not sell you one S.A.C. but give you one as a thank you. Hope your Tornado is back and running soon.

[coachmann]

That's really bad luck...

I'll bet your Cocker Spaniel thought Tornado was Cocker the North.....

[Dan Hill]

This is why I don't have dogs. Or cats.

 

And horses are too big to get into my home.

My cat has never been interested in my trainset or locomotives. My friend's cats on the other hand when he had his layout. Sadly my 5972 had a similar problem after it fell but as I've had it a few years I don't think I can get it replaced.

[S.A.C Martin]

Dear Mr Martin

 

Thank you for your email.

 

Unfortunately we do not have spare Bodies for this loco.

 

Please accept our apologises we are unable to assist you at this time.

 

Kind regards

 

To say I'm a bit gutted (again) is an understatement. Now what do I do? Attempt a repair and repaint?

 

EDIT: looking it over again, I think I can repair it myself. But it would need a complete repaint and lining out. I'll remove the unsprung buffers and replace with sprung ones.

 

I'll definitely be covering this in my review later on, however. It's not Hornby's fault of course that the model was broken, but I find it incredibly frustrating that you cannot get replacement parts for a current item in the catalogue.

 

In comparison, Bachmann have recently produced spare bodies, free of charge, for a model where they made a livery error. Makes you think.

 

EDIT 2:

 

First, the culprit of this misdeed (enjoying her favourite locale of the basket by my bed)

 

 

Her name is Jazz, she is eight years old, and butter wouldn't melt in her mouth!

 

And, here's where I am up to with the repairs:

 

 

If it weren't for the last four years on RMweb, I'd have been too timid to even consider it. I will drill the holes for the buffers tomorrow when it's all dried and solidified, and fit two of my sprung Bachmann buffers (I have about forty of the round and LNER pattern buffers in my spares box - most useful!)

[7013]

The repair looks to be coming on nicely S.A.C, what a shame (and black mark against them) that Hornby cannot supply a replacement body. Will you have to repaint and line the whole loco? Can you not get away with just the front end? Anyway good luck with the repair, Let us know in your review how you went about it and materials used, it may come in handy some time, but hopefully not.

[S.A.C Martin]

The repair looks to be coming on nicely S.A.C, what a shame (and black mark against them) that Hornby cannot supply a replacement body. Will you have to repaint and line the whole loco? Can you not get away with just the front end? Anyway good luck with the repair, Let us know in your review how you went about it and materials used, it may come in handy some time, but hopefully not.

 

Just the bufferbeam I think, the rest of the model came through without any damage it seems. It's just one of those things, though I am slightly concerned that you can't get spare parts for a current model. It seems somewhat incredible they don't do a "baker's dozen" in some form to cover these sort of things. I remember getting a spare front bogie for my 4472 back in the mid-nineties.

 

I'll be sending an email to Bachmann later on to pose a hypothetical question, see what the other side would do...

[brushman47544]

Just the bufferbeam I think, the rest of the model came through without any damage it seems. It's just one of those things, though I am slightly concerned that you can't get spare parts for a current model. It seems somewhat incredible they don't do a "baker's dozen" in some form to cover these sort of things. I remember getting a spare front bogie for my 4472 back in the mid-nineties.

I do sympathise, but I can understand if it applies to this model and not all Hornby locos. It is a "Special Edition" and has been produced in a limited number, so to preserve its limited status I'm sure Hornby doesn't want to have extra bodies out there that people can fit as replacements on the standard Railroad release and thereby misrepresenting what they have bought and compromising the "Special Edition" status of the legitimate models. So as long as Hornby has enough good bodies for the number being sold, I'm not surprised they don't have any more.

[coachmann]

Someone has said (not sure where I read it) that the Tornado has a cheapo motor that may not last. This is of some concern but is something we wont discover for a while unless someone runs one to death.....any offers?

[craigwelsh]

Someone has said (not sure where I read it) that the Tornado has a cheapo motor that may not last. This is of some concern but is something we wont discover for a while unless someone runs one to death.....any offers?

Not sure how cheap it is but its a 3-pole rather than the usual 5-pole Hornby have used but they fitted a fly wheel to compensate slightly.

[S.A.C Martin]

I do sympathise, but I can understand if it applies to this model and not all Hornby locos. It is a "Special Edition" and has been produced in a limited number, so to preserve its limited status I'm sure Hornby doesn't want to have extra bodies out there that people can fit as replacements on the standard Railroad release and thereby misrepresenting what they have bought and compromising the "Special Edition" status of the legitimate models. So as long as Hornby has enough good bodies for the number being sold, I'm not surprised they don't have any more.

 

Thing is, the 4472 model I mentioned was their limited edition two tender variant - if they can supply replacement parts then, why not now? Are we saying that people would get just the loco body to fit onto a Railroad model, when both the wheels and tender, along with frames and various other parts, would require lining out to an extremely high standard?

 

I see where you're coming from, but I don't think the analogy works in this case. The Railroad model would require a lot of extremely fine painting to bring it up to the standard of the Special Edition, even with a replacement body.

 

It's just one of those things - I seem to be repeating myself a lot this week

[frobisher]

Thing is, the 4472 model I mentioned was their limited edition two tender variant - if they can supply replacement parts then, why not now?

 

I'm presuming it's not the current USA Tour version? It's probably down to where assembly took place and what the parts were.

 

For Tornado, I'd suspect that batch was made for each, everything assembled and boxed out in China and at best only the common parts between the three (valve gear, chassis etc) had a supply of spares made and shipped to the UK which would be needed for this and future production support.

 

When Hornby were manufacturing and packing in Margate obtaining spares of almost anything would have been considerably easier.

 

[edit: Just checked back - it was a Margate one... The spare you'd have got back wouldn't have necessarily been specific to the limited edition, and I suspect that Hornby could have previously been able to supply you with the painted body shell back then as well because the LE body shell wouldn't have been any different from a production Scotsman in lining out etc.]

Edited July 14, 2011 by frobisher

[S.A.C Martin]

[edit: Just checked back - it was a Margate one... The spare you'd have got back wouldn't have necessarily been specific to the limited edition, and I suspect that Hornby could have previously been able to supply you with the painted body shell back then as well because the LE body shell wouldn't have been any different from a production Scotsman in lining out etc.]

 

Fair enough Frobisher. Here's Bachmann's extremely swift response:

 

Thank you for your inquiry. We have many parts for the model, although subject to availability from time to time.

 

Regards

 

 

Service Team

 

Bachmann Europe plc

 

Given I sent Hornby an email early Friday, and received the reply yesterday, for Bachmann to respond in just under three hours is nothing short of terrific, by comparison.

[micklner]

I have no luck getting ANY body parts from Hornby for any of my steam locos. I got a email response blanking the request. Simon Kohler was interviewed re this amongst other Hornby related questions. He replied "you can get parts". Another email to Hornby response " we will have a look" a year later still no reply .

I think it is very poor service from Hornby. I am not surpised with the response re Tornado and I have given up and make my own or adapt other parts/scratchbuild.

 

Luckily when it comes to the chassis the parts can be obtained so easily WHY THE DIFFERENCE ???