Hornby 2 BIL

[Gwiwer]

Must be the rush - it was working perfectly for me an hour ago.  I was curious to see what else had been heavily discounted and found all of the SR emu stock among a pretty wide selection.   Despite the temptation I'll hold off from ordering another all-green Bil and see it a blue one comes along later.  Or even a green FYE though the shade of green might need to better match the original.

[Xerces Fobe2]

Hmmmm! Their website appears to be having problems right now. I'll have to try again later.

 

I found that the website was unstable and did not always available - this raised alarm bells with me. If something appears to be to good to be true........................!

 

XF

[Xerces Fobe2]

Just tried again -  This looks like very dodgy

 

Server Error in '/' Application. Runtime Error

Description: An application error occurred on the server. The current custom error settings for this application prevent the details of the application error from being viewed remotely (for security reasons). It could, however, be viewed by browsers running on the local server machine.

Details: To enable the details of this specific error message to be viewable on remote machines, please create a <customErrors> tag within a "web.config" configuration file located in the root directory of the current web application. This <customErrors> tag should then have its "mode" attribute set to "Off".
 

<!-- Web.Config Configuration File --><configuration>    <system.web>        <customErrors mode="Off"/>    </system.web></configuration>

Notes: The current error page you are seeing can be replaced by a custom error page by modifying the "defaultRedirect" attribute of the application's <customErrors> configuration tag to point to a custom error page URL.

<!-- Web.Config Configuration File --><configuration>    <system.web>        <customErrors mode="RemoteOnly" defaultRedirect="mycustompage.htm"/>    </system.web></configuration>

[SRman]

I have bought stuff off them before so I think it's just the website itself that's dodgy, not the trader!!  

[amdaley]

I've no problem with the site now.

Seems to be just a glitch.

[SRman]

Yes, I managed to place an order later on: I ordered a 2 BIL, which may possibly end up in blue with yellow ends, and a Hornby 08 with sound for 113 pounds - not bad considering the decoder alone is worth that.

[Gwiwer]

Just in time Jeff - all the cheap unchipped 2Bil units have gone now.

[Oldddudders]

Not come across these people before - and they have the Maunsell SO, so ordered that! Also note they have the M7 and pull-push set at a good price.

[Fenman]

There is a sale at themodeller.com , 2-bills at £64-£85 quid!

Mark

 

Ordered yesterday, delivered today. Great service and an extraordinary price (no connection, etc...).

 

Thanks very much for the tip. I have now managed to get hold of what I had originally pre-ordered.

 

Paul

[New Haven Neil]

This thread just cost me a Bargain Brighton Belle.....I have a 2-BIL aready and missed the cheapies anyway!

[SRman]

Hey, I'm always happy to help someone else spend their money!!!  

[andyman7]

All their BILs now look (unsurprisingly) sold out at those prices!

[bazza.]

Nor I. As for those who find the Hornby model's shortcomings unacceptable, they can either vote with their feet by not buying it, or demonstrate modelling skills greater than mine by modifying it to meet their requirements. This thread will be the ideal place to demonstrate how Hornby should have done it.

Hi Oldddudders,

 

What a good idea.

 

I have just started to convert my Hornby 2BIL from 00 to P4/S4, using some of Alan Gibson excellent P4 coach wheels.

 

First I removed both bogies from the body of the driving trailer comp. body, and removed the Hornby wheels from each bogie, Next I filled about .25mm from the inside of each bogie sideframe, you can not file much more than this as the side frame are very thin to start with. Then with an Exacto razor saw I made a saw cut on each end of each bogie (the Hornby trailing SR bogie is already open at one end)

 

By cutting two slots on at the end of each bogie, the bolster that connects the side frames together, turns into a sort of torsion bar, allowing the bogie side frames to flex a little, and giving the side frames a slight amount of movement for compensation to the P4 wheels. I then refited the bogies with the Alan Gibson P4 wheels and reconnected the bogies to car S12167S.  

 

To test this simple conversion worked, I towed and propelled car S12167S to and from my model of Barnham Station to my stageing yard a few times without a derailment. The time taken to convert this coach to P4 was about an hour.

 

Photo of  S12167S being towed and propelled.

 

My next task is to start the slightly more difficult job of converting the driving motor brake S10700S to P4.

 

Has any one out there already converted the Hornby 2BIL to run on P4/S4 track, or has any one modified the model to correct the so called shortcomings ?

 

Regards

 

Bazzer

Edited June 20, 2013 by bazza.

[bazza.]

Hi,

 

After a delay of about two weeks, I finally got round to modifying the power car number S10700S of the Hornby 2BIL set to P4. It took me about two hours one night and was no harder to modify than the driving trailer comp.

 

To start with, Hornby had made the 8' SR unpowered bogie of the driving motor brake about .75 mm wider than the same 8' SR bogie in the driving trailer comp, which made the re-fitting of the Alan Gibson P4 wheels into the bogie a lot easier. It was just a matter of re-fitting the P4 wheels, cutting the ends of the bogie with a fine razor saw, and re-bending the Pb pick-ups.

 

For the power bogie, I first removed the Hornby wheels, gears and axle from the bogie, and then with the help of a gear puller, I removed the wheels and  gears from each 2mm Hornby axle.

 

The next job was to put the Alan Gibson 26mm long pin point axes into a laith and shorten the axles to 22 mm. I then I re-fitted the Hornby gears and Alan Gibson P4 wheels back on to the now 22 mm long Alan Gibson axles and refitted the whole assembly back into the Hornby power boge.

 

Finally I filled about .25mm from the inside face of the power bogie side frames and refitted the side frames to the power bogie.

 

I am really quite surprised and imprested that the Hornby 2BIL model is capable of pulling or propelling it's self plus two extra Bachmann Bulleid coaches, at scale speeds of up to 70mph on P4 wheels with flanges of only .4 mm in place of the original Hornby wheels with a flange of 2mm.                                                        Boy, this close-up shot distorts the photo of the power bogie           All the wheels are parallel, honest! .                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      One axle omitted to show Pb pick-ups extended                             Hornby 2BIL on P4 track                                              (Note to me: Must improve my photography)                                                                                                                                                     but it does look good sitting on P4 track!       Opps! forgot to remove that silly coupling pocket on the front of bogie.

Edited July 2, 2013 by bazza.

[Stevelewis]

Just  got  a notification  from  HATTONS  R3161  2BIL  SR Livery  production Cancelled

[QuoitsPlayer]

Just  got  a notification  from  HATTONS  R3161  2BIL  SR Livery  production Cancelled

 

Just had the same email, hopefully this just means Hornby can't get anymore production slots for this model in 2013 and we'll get another chance of a Southern liveried 2BIL early in 2014. 

[BassettLoko]

Sitting on fully chaired, P4 bullhead track, your model really does look every inch a 2-BIL, and no mistake.  Very nice photos, too, Bazza, and it certainly proves how very close Hornby came to manufacturing the perfect replica. 

 

Nit-picking, I do suspect the Hornby roof ventilator spacing may be slightly wrong - either that, or I've positioned them incorrectly on my kit-built sets! (Ian Kirk)  From memory, the vents were roughly equally spaced along the roof, with those above the first class compartments being slightly wider apart.  On the model, the 1st class ventilators do appear to be correct, but the 3rd class vents are grouped in pairs above the corresponding compartments.  This I believe to be wrong.  Only the 2-NOL's had that arrangement, again from memory.

 

I wonder how many 'Southern' modellers today, actually realise that quite apart from being different externally, the first 10 'prototype' 2-BIL's were also very different inside as well?   Firstly, all the internal woodwork was stained in  'Dark Jacobean Oak', which was almost black.  Along the length of the corridor partition, the dark wood was relieved with cream painted panels, both above and below the partition compartment windows, as well as in between the individual compartments.  A single cream panel sufficed between 3rd class compartments, with twin cream panels between each 1st class compartment.  The third class upholstery was alternately striped with thin bands of scarlet and black.  I confess I cannot now remember what was in first class.

 

Btw, what make are the 4-COR sets seen in one of your earlier photos?  Or are they scratch built?  I know this forum is for 2 BIL's, but a photo of one of your 4-COR models would be very pleasing to see.

[BassettLoko]

Thanks Steve and QP, that's a major disappointment, as I had more on order, too.

[Stevelewis]

Just had the same email, hopefully this just means Hornby can't get anymore production slots for this model in 2013 and we'll get another chance of a Southern liveried 2BIL early in 2014. 

Dont  know  what the  cause  is, I havnt  really  been following  this  thread  recently  has  the SR version  sold  out  now?  Or  was  it  the  slowest of  the  three to  move  through the  system, perhaps  Hornby don't  perceive  that  it  would be  worth  producing another  run

[Xerces Fobe2]

Will the old Ian Kirk kit will now be dusted off for my BR Blue 2BIIL

 

XF

[Oldddudders]

I think the Hattons email is hogwash. R3161 we were told was sold out ages ago - all those people who couldn't get one, remember? Hattons are still showing R3161A and AX to come. All may not be lost.

[BassettLoko]

Re -Hattons,  For what it's worth, I keep checking my 'Inbox',  and as yet, I still haven't received an email from them giving notice of any order cancellation.  However, my pre-order is for the R3161A units, so with any luck, Oldddudders might be correct.  Unless of course, someone out there knows different .........(!)

[Oldddudders]

Incidentally there is an R3161 on sale, new, on ebay at this moment from a reputable seller that I have used. Price looks like RRP.

[Multiple identity account 2]

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=561181610590057&set=a.312706475437573.66640.207521425956079&type=1&theater

Does this help or add to the confusion?

[The Stationmaster]

I think the Hattons email is hogwash. R3161 we were told was sold out ages ago - all those people who couldn't get one, remember? Hattons are still showing R3161A and AX to come. All may not be lost.

It's typical Hattons and I do wonder if they do it on purpose to mislead people and stop them looking elsewhere?  It's not the first time they have done this when they have sold out of something and I seriously wonder if it will be the last; basically the answer would seem to be that if Hattons say something is out of production or discontinued or whatever then you should start looking elsewhere. And 'yes' I know Kernow have got them because I saw them there on those shelves quite recently.