Hornby castle arriving?

[Hilux5972]

Last 3

[The Stationmaster]

Neal.Just back from a holiday in the West Country and in the two model shops I visited both said it had been put back to October/November.No reason why as yet.It makes you laugh.

 

I think that if Simon Kohler appears at'Steam' at Swindon this year with the Hornby Road Show I shall do my level best to engage him in conversation and politely suggest that he should stop messing around with umpteen years old tools for that blue & white thingy and get his delivery schedule in order (oh, and again duly put in my word for a 54/64/74XX - it only took about 6 years of badgering and form filling to get a retooled 28XX so don't expect instant results as I have only been at this one for three years ).

[gwrrob]

I think that if Simon Kohler appears at'Steam' at Swindon this year with the Hornby Road Show I shall do my level best to engage him in conversation and politely suggest that he should stop messing around with umpteen years old tools for that blue & white thingy and get his delivery schedule in order (oh, and again duly put in my word for a 54/64/74XX - it only took about 6 years of badgering and form filling to get a retooled 28XX so don't expect instant results as I have only been at this one for three years ).

 

Its not just the delay Mike but being kept in the dark about why its delayed.I can see the 28xx coming out before Tintagel !

[coachmann]

Heres some pics of Beverston Castle

Thanks for the pics. Isn't she a beauty!

[The Stationmaster]

Its not just the delay Mike but being kept in the dark about why its delayed.I can see the 28xx coming out before Tintagel !

 

In some respects I don't mind that Robin as 'Tintagel' is out of period for me (but might be a suitable case for a bit of livery amendment perhaps - have to be more than a bit weathered to disguise my endeavours tho' ).

 

Overall it all seems a touch shambolic and I seriously wonder just who is deciding the order in which stuff is, or isn't, coming out of the factories. A consquence perhaps of long-distance outsourcing and trying on top of that to keep costs down - far simpler to produce various runs of 'Castles' with lots of similar bits and only small detail variations before moving on to the bigger changes such as a different inside cylinder casing?

[Neal Ball]

I think that if Simon Kohler appears at'Steam' at Swindon this year with the Hornby Road Show I shall do my level best to engage him in conversation and politely suggest that he should stop messing ............ and get his delivery schedule in order......... ).

 

Quite - it seems strange that new models are still being announced and shown as pre-production runs, when last years catalogue has still not been delivered!

 

I think if I was at Steam and bumped into Simon, I might have a few difficult questions for him, like Why did he put onto MRE that it was due 5th July into the UK. Had China not told him they had not made any yet, let alone not shipped them!! (Sadly we fly to Spain that day, so will miss Steam again.)

 

 

Its not just the delay Mike but being kept in the dark about why its delayed.I can see the 28xx coming out before Tintagel !

 

I don't think there is a gaurantee that any of the GW stock will arrive before Tintagel???? - I still think it very strange that this year of GW 175 and Hornby adverts have contained the 28xx and that toy 0-4-0 with no mention of Tintagel. Why did two BR verisions get released before anything pre-nationalisation?

 

Thanks for the pics. Isn't she a beauty!

 

Agreed, so I guess it will be worth the wait, but it is very frustrating to receive email after email from Hornby to say "delayed until xx" I am pretty sceptical that it will arrive October as advised in their latest emails. Particulaly as a model shop is already commenting oct / Nov.

 

..... Overall it all seems a touch shambolic and I seriously wonder just who is deciding the order in which stuff is, or isn't, coming out of the factories........

 

I could think of a few very apt answers to that one!

 

As well as the obvious frustration, I am very surprised that Hornby do not release official statements about such delays. If Simon can put a comment onto MRE a month ago, why could he not add an update? - Either on MRE or on here, something like.. "Sorry guys, delay due to ....."

 

I shall have to go out and buy more Cooper Craft / Slaters kits to keep me busy, or decorate the Conservatory, or Build the new Kitchen !!

[coachmann]

Only guesswork, but it might be that Hornby realized afterwards that Tintagel Castle would have new inside cylinder fittings, which would involve a change of asembly in China. And that it was better to get the later-built locos out of the way first before instructing changes on the assembly line.

 

After 'Tintagel' is out with the wide scalloped inside cylinder cover, the narrow scalloped inside cylinder cover will maybe follow in due course. Then who knows..... A 'Star'.......?

[Hilux5972]

This was an email to MREMag from Simon Kohler posted online today:

 

I can certainly understand Mr Tewson's frustration but, believe me, it palls into nothing compared to mine. Having looked on my schedule prior to having a weeks holiday, and seeing that Tintagel was scheduled for July, and then, on my return, being told that it had been 'moved' to November, a large mushroom cloud of annoyance billowed from my desk area!! And my language was not too pleasant either.

 

I have been told that the delay has been due to some tooling problems and that everything is being done to correct the situation and commence production. The November date is a 'cover all' date and it is hoped that it can be beaten.

 

Please extend my apologies to Mr Tewson and all those who are waiting for this particular loco. I am just as annoyed! I will keep you informed.

 

Kindest regards

 

Simon

[7013]

What an absolutley stunning model though, IM (not so)HO the best looking steam model there is, superb detail, beautiful reproduction of a beautiful prototype, excellent motor, well worth the wait. My 'Ince' is well on the way to being converted to 'Bristol' with the Metcalfe Davis lubricating reservoir etc.

[gwrrob]

This was an email to MREMag from Simon Kohler posted online today:

 

I can certainly understand Mr Tewson's frustration but, believe me, it palls into nothing compared to mine. Having looked on my schedule prior to having a weeks holiday, and seeing that Tintagel was scheduled for July, and then, on my return, being told that it had been 'moved' to November, a large mushroom cloud of annoyance billowed from my desk area!! And my language was not too pleasant either.

 

I have been told that the delay has been due to some tooling problems and that everything is being done to correct the situation and commence production. The November date is a 'cover all' date and it is hoped that it can be beaten.

 

Please extend my apologies to Mr Tewson and all those who are waiting for this particular loco. I am just as annoyed! I will keep you informed.

 

 

At least we've now been told what the delay is and it sounds like what Coachmann alluded to in his post about the new fittings that apply to Tintagel.

[craigwelsh]

What's amazing about these new Castles is how much discounting is going on so soon after initial release, being able to pick up a superb new release for £60 is amazing! Both tender types have been available in that price range now as well instead of just the Pete Waterman one with the Hawksworth tender I initially got.

 

Not sure if Tintagel will get the same level of discounting when it arrives though.

[gwrrob]

What's amazing about these new Castles is how much discounting is going on so soon after initial release, being able to pick up a superb new release for £60 is amazing! Both tender types have been available in that price range now as well instead of just the Pete Waterman one with the Hawksworth tender I initially got.

 

Not sure if Tintagel will get the same level of discounting when it arrives though.

 

Craig,where did you see the new release priced at £60 thats a third off rrp !

[45568]

What's amazing about these new Castles is how much discounting is going on so soon after initial release, being able to pick up a superb new release for £60 is amazing! Both tender types have been available in that price range now as well instead of just the Pete Waterman one with the Hawksworth tender I initially got.

 

Where are they down at 60 quid??!!! Curious of Perth WA Peter C.

[Chris Higgs]

 

Where are they down at 60 quid??!!! Curious of Perth WA Peter C.

 

I got mine at www.amazon.co.uk and www.themodeller.com But they are not there at that price any more.

[stuart galbraith]

Heres some pics of Beverston Castle

 

 

 

I think yours is a little better than mine. Mine had a slight mould seam around the top 1/3 of the boiler, which I notice is present on yours but less pronounced. I may remove that one day, but its not quite bad enough to do something about it myself. It runs well though, and is well liked by my father since he saw the real one at Kemble in the 50s.

 

I wonder what would be suitable to replicate the 8 wheel tender 5068 operated with for a while in early BR days?

[Ozexpatriate]

This was an email to MREMag from Simon Kohler posted online today:

 

I have been told that the delay has been due to some tooling problems and that everything is being done to correct the situation and commence production. The November date is a 'cover all' date and it is hoped that it can be beaten.

At least we've now been told what the delay is and it sounds like what Coachmann alluded to in his post about the new fittings that apply to Tintagel.

This makes a lot of sense. There are two new BR Castles (Kidwelly - with sound, and the limited edition Great Western) in Hornby's August releases..

 

The fact that Tintagel Castle represents an earlier manufactured Castle, with different detailing required is a plasible reason that there were tooling problems. Hopefully we will see it before the end of November.

[The Stationmaster]

'Phone call from Swindon this afternoon - the rest of the order is in and they are being readied for despatch in order of deposit paid, mine should be in the post from them tomorrow.

 

Around 600 so far sold and now they've got the stock they will be doing a bit of marketing to encourage orders - they've held back due to having nothing to actually sell. But I understand that the project is already at the stage where the museum will be achieving a financial benefit and the money will be put into the museum so a worthwhile purchase even if it's way above box shifter amd Amazonian special offers.

 

Consideration is already being given to 'doing something else' next year (but don't start getting ideas about it being a specially commissioned basic loco on the basis of what I talked about with them, i.e. if they do anything it will be a livery/individual loco detail' type of thing I suspect).

[Neal Ball]

All starting to sound very positive then.

[Hilux5972]

I think yours is a little better than mine. Mine had a slight mould seam around the top 1/3 of the boiler, which I notice is present on yours but less pronounced. I may remove that one day, but its not quite bad enough to do something about it myself. It runs well though, and is well liked by my father since he saw the real one at Kemble in the 50s.

 

I wonder what would be suitable to replicate the 8 wheel tender 5068 operated with for a while in early BR days?

 

Im sory to hear about the boiler seam on yours Stuart. Mine was noticeable when i was looking at her close up but at normal running distance its not noticeable. 2 busy watching the motion fly around. I have found it to be the best engine from Hornby since their Class 60 diesel.

[Guest 838rapid]

Im sory to hear about the boiler seam on yours Stuart. Mine was noticeable when i was looking at her close up but at normal running distance its not noticeable. 2 busy watching the motion fly around. I have found it to be the best engine from Hornby since their Class 60 diesel.

 

 

Have to agree.

 

The castle seems to be the best steam engine released so far by Hornby.

 

Have sound fitted "Swindon" with a Howes sound chip and that finishes it off a treat.

 

Well Done Hornby

[stuart galbraith]

Im sory to hear about the boiler seam on yours Stuart. Mine was noticeable when i was looking at her close up but at normal running distance its not noticeable. 2 busy watching the motion fly around. I have found it to be the best engine from Hornby since their Class 60 diesel.

 

Its not too bad and its not very noticeable from a distance. Its just that close up its more noticeable than that on Earl Cairns and Swindon. Ultimately its still a very good model, and from the limited running ive done Id have to agree, its a very good runner indeed.

[Chris Chewter]

My Swindon finally arrived and I was pleasantly surprised. Opened it up to expect the usual red box, but was surprised to find a green box! A limited edition box for a limited edition loco! Very nice. I think the booklet is a bit disappointing size wise, but at least it fits in the box so it won't get lost. The limited edition certificate makes a nice change and fits nicely in the box without being folded up like the Bachmann certs.

 

Now to test run the loco to ensure alls well.

[Hilux5972]

Make sure we see some pics Captain Albino

[Neal Ball]

.........Have sound fitted "Swindon" with a Howes sound chip and that finishes it off a treat.

 

.....

 

 

Wow - very jealous now!!! - sound as well, must be a real treat. Maybe someone will treat me to a sound decoder IF Tintagel arrives before Christmas (2010)!!

[Chris Chewter]

A few photos of the Swindon Ltd Edn that arrived. As you can see, a little bit different to the usual red box, complete with history booklet and slim line certificate.

 

 

To check out what the loco looks like, scroll up through the previous posts for an example.