Where are the Hornby models?

[Ron Ron Ron]

If I may ask, how much product (new or re-supplies) is coming through to the shops and box shifters at the moment?

 

Despite the annual report for the last FY only having been released a month or so ago, Hornby are already a third the way through their current FY and by Sept. will be half way through it.

 

 

.

[Mike at C&M]

It is still very much a trickle of items coming through from Hornby at present.

 

The one positive is that some of this trickle is locomotives, even if they are versions of locos that have been in the range before.

 

There is still a lot of nudging back of release dates going on for new items, the P2 being a prime example.

[Dunsignalling]

Indeed, as long as the build quality is good. Hopefully the streamlined version won't be far behind either.

According to Hatton's website, the air-smoothed 'Exeter' is (currently) expected in October whilst the next rebuilt, 'Okehampton' is down for December.

 

John

[Coldgunner]

[Miss Prism]

Does it play Z Z Top as well?

[bluebottle]

According to Hatton's website, the air-smoothed 'Exeter' is (currently) expected in October whilst the next rebuilt, 'Okehampton' is down for December.

 

John

 

I note the correct “air-smoothed” rather than “streamlined”.

The P2 2001 in original form is being referred to as “non-streamlined”, but it would seem that, with the through lines of its cladding hiding the taper boiler and “banjo dome” underneath, CotN could also have been referred to as “air-smoothed”. Apart from O.S. Nock's “Although not intended for continuous high speed running, the top of the boiler was arranged with a smoothed exterior...” *, however, the term does not seem to have been applied. A pity; “The Air-Smoothed Super-Locomotive” could be a nice piece of purple prose for “Prince of Wales” when it arrives.

 

* O.S. Nock: “British Locomotives of the 20^th Century, Volume 2 1930-1960”

[Ian Hargrave]

Oh dear god.......Bugs Bunny meets Donald Duck !

[Silver Sidelines]

Oh Dear Ian

Oh dear

It really isn't very good - a lot of us on RMweb could do a much better job.

 

Regards

 

Ray

[The Stationmaster]

Is that really the noise it makes?  I don't believe it!  Bargain basement sound is one thing but that   

[Ian Hargrave]

Aimed at a "populist" market,shall we say ? Unfortunately,this has echoes of the supposedly defunct " design clever " era....if you forgive the pun.

[andyman7]

Aimed at a "populist" market,shall we say ? Unfortunately,this has echoes of the supposedly defunct " design clever " era....if you forgive the pun.

But at least you can buy it without the sound feature!

[brushman47544]

Oh dear god.......Bugs Bunny meets Donald Duck !

The Thomas the Tank range lives on...

 

Perhaps Bachmann will reconsider dropping/deferring its economy sound range when they hear this.

[Ian Hargrave]

The Thomas the Tank range lives on...

Perhaps Bachmann will reconsider dropping/deferring its economy sound range when they hear this.

But the thing is that there have been a number of favourable posts about it on the P2 thread itself.

[Dunsignalling]

Just had an email from Hatton's stating that the BR Late crest 700 (originally listed for on/after September 5) is now not expected until on/after October 14 the date listed for the other two versions is (as yet) unchanged . 

 

John

['CHARD]

How it manages to stay on the track at 0.53 instead of shooting off at a trajectory into the scenery is beyond me...

[The Stationmaster]

But the thing is that there have been a number of favourable posts about it on the P2 thread itself.

And also some critical ones.  I'm not a fan of steam loco sound as thus far it has rarely been very good on British outline engines while some diesel sounds are very good.  In fact the only decent sound effects on British outline steam which I have heard are the Lionheart ones - they are good.

 

There will inevitably, as with this one, always be a problem with lack of synchronisation - not cheap to solve on an r-t-r model - plus what really amounts to an inability to link up the valvegear/valve travel and thus influence the beat or to allow for running in a coasting situation.  I think, judging by a German example and the aforesaid Lionheart job, a sensible result can be achieved but I don't think anyone is going to get it on British outline fora  couple of hundred quid; in my view no sound is better than bad sound.

[Ozexpatriate]

Is that really the noise it makes?  I don't believe it!  Bargain basement sound is one thing but that   

Honestly that "chuff chuff" noise reminds me of the sandpaper scraper in the Albert Hall tender from 40 years ago. It sounded exactly the same.

 

I do think that if we could take ourselves back to our ten-year old selves, wouldn't we want sound - particularly sounds like the steam whistle and the brake squeal?

[Brit70053]

Email received from Hattons advising that the Early Crest K1 originally expected 4th December 2014, has now been put back to 5th January 2015 at the earliest

 

Regards,

 

               John 

[Adams442T]

Honestly that "chuff chuff" noise reminds me of the sandpaper scraper in the Albert Hall tender from 40 years ago. It sounded exactly the same.

 

I do think that if we could take ourselves back to our ten-year old selves, wouldn't we want sound - particularly sounds like the steam whistle and the brake squeal?

 

I've just seen in the paper today that the sound effects man for the US version of Thomas the Tank Engine has been dismissed, perhaps he'd been 'moonlighting' for Hornby......

[The Stationmaster]

Honestly that "chuff chuff" noise reminds me of the sandpaper scraper in the Albert Hall tender from 40 years ago. It sounded exactly the same.

 

I do think that if we could take ourselves back to our ten-year old selves, wouldn't we want sound - particularly sounds like the steam whistle and the brake squeal?

It could well appeal to children although I'm not so sure about the brake squeal.   But will it appeal to parents?  The TTS version is £154.99 at Hornby while the Railroad version is £82.99 which is quite a difference and which could buy coaches, wagons or maybe even another loco.  Perhaps it's a sort of 'doting grandad' present for his grandson rather than a more usual 'toy train' buy from parents etc except perhaps at Christmas.

 

The odd thing is that my dad would almost certainly have eked out his pension to buy one for my lad around, say, 15 years ago but a big difference was that my dad knew and had seen the original engine.  He's been gone for nearly 10 years and I doubt there are all that many grandads around nowadays who can remember, and be inspired by the memory of, the original.  So it will be interesting to see how it sells but then with the main range version already well and truly sold out at Hornby the overall popularity of the model has surprised some in the retail trade - this one might do the same?

[Stevelewis]

The Thomas the Tank range lives on...

 

Perhaps Bachmann will reconsider dropping/deferring its economy sound range when they hear this.

Thing  is  though,  the  Bachmann  H0 range  has  some  economy  sound  equipped  locos,  which  dont  sound  too bad,  although must  admit  i have  only had experience of the  diesels,  I bought them  for  £89.00  think they  have increased a bit  since.   used the  chassis in 0n30 freelance  diesels  using  BVM  parts,  (BVM  Boulder  valley  Models) 

[robmcg]

I cannot speak for what appeals to children nowadays because when I was child I heard recorded sounds of steam trains and they were much better than anything which emanates from a model ... the recordings of the late 50s early 60s were reel-to-reel BBC quality and were characterised by a distance sound eventually rising to a crescendo then fading.

 

This simply doesn't work, a steady chuff chuff noise is almost meaningless, and real steam loco and passing train sounds have so many subtleties , for me the 00 scale noise simply does not work. 

 

I tried it with a few DCC models and ended up making videos with some editing including the real thing, but even that was poor. So not for me.

 

Each to their own, a general mix;

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0TZMmS9G2k&list=UUlysrDSa2FfenL9GoR-o1Bw

 

and a pair of Bachmann 7Fs  eventually...

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ON1gi7osZO4&index=7&list=UUlysrDSa2FfenL9GoR-o1Bw

[Ozexpatriate]

It could well appeal to children although I'm not so sure about the brake squeal.   But will it appeal to parents?

The brake squeal? If it has any aural correlation to the toy 707 with "jet engine noise" sent to me as a youngster in the post (an exciting parcel with foreign stamps) by my well travelled Aunt, then it has zero parental appeal. My mum confiscated that 707 and I found it years later in a cupboard with some other treasures I had 'lost'.

 

But no, I realize you are talking about the price appeal to parents.

 

The TTS version is £154.99 at Hornby while the Railroad version is £82.99 which is quite a difference and which could buy coaches, wagons or maybe even another loco.  Perhaps it's a sort of 'doting grandad' present for his grandson rather than a more usual 'toy train' buy from parents etc except perhaps at Christmas.

My comment was more about a child's mindset and play-value than the business model. At £154.99 we're probably talking about a doting grandparent with disposable income, but it's much less expensive than a new gaming console and games to play.

 

I see XBOX ONE consoles on amazon.co.uk for almost £400.00.

 

We'll have to see if it will sell out. I really don't know. It needs to show up in the shops first. That's Hornby's biggest challenge.

[Ian Hargrave]

And also some critical ones.  I'm not a fan of steam loco sound as thus far it has rarely been very good on British outline engines while some diesel sounds are very good.  In fact the only decent sound effects on British outline steam which I have heard are the Lionheart ones - they are good.

 

There will inevitably, as with this one, always be a problem with lack of synchronisation - not cheap to solve on an r-t-r model - plus what really amounts to an inability to link up the valvegear/valve travel and thus influence the beat or to allow for running in a coasting situation.  I think, judging by a German example and the aforesaid Lionheart job, a sensible result can be achieved but I don't think anyone is going to get it on British outline fora  couple of hundred quid; in my view no sound is better than bad sound.

 

And also some critical ones.  I'm not a fan of steam loco sound as thus far it has rarely been very good on British outline engines while some diesel sounds are very good.  In fact the only decent sound effects on British outline steam which I have heard are the Lionheart ones - they are good.

 

There will inevitably, as with this one, always be a problem with lack of synchronisation - not cheap to solve on an r-t-r model - plus what really amounts to an inability to link up the valvegear/valve travel and thus influence the beat or to allow for running in a coasting situation.  I think, judging by a German example and the aforesaid Lionheart job, a sensible result can be achieved but I don't think anyone is going to get it on British outline fora  couple of hundred quid; in my view no sound is better than bad sound.

The Hornby Bulleid Pacific (Loksound?) comes pretty close.....well,it convinces me...I can still hear them in my dreams. Oh,dear,another dotage moment...

[toboldlygo]

DCC Sound is a bit like Marmite you either love it or loathe it. 

I like Marmite and I am nearly a convert to DCC Sound as with my current DCC Controller (a quite elderly Hornby Select) they don't all work (Britannia did, WC didn't)!!