The Majestic E-link sets are out now...

[Multiple identity account 2]

Hornby's Majestic e-link sets are out now. It is available from most of the major retailers, I am not sure if Hattons has it as I can't view their website. At GBP 340.99 approx. is it worth it?

I've also noticed that the Class 47 (ex-Lima) is now fitted with NEM couplers and it seems to be from the older ex-Lima Class 67. It looks a little odd. Although IMO if left as it is it may not be noticed in a hurry. If it is weathered and no modification made then maybe it would stand out. It may even be removable.

I love the RES livery... just wish they introduce a single loco or a WCRC train pack in 2014 with a Class 47, Class 37 and Mk1 coaches.

Cheers!
J

[John M Upton]

Err... That 47 has the bogie front guards from the 67 on it, definitely should not be there!!!

 

Also three hundred and fifty notes is I think way over the top for the collection of older than the ark wagons and coaches (never mind the aforementioned 47) that are in this set, some of the moulds for those wagons, especially that inaccurate body shorter than the underframe van which was a staple part of train sets thirty years ago are so old their instructions are probably in Latin.

 

A hundred quid tops for this set based on the quite frankly p*** poor contents.

 

Very poor value for money indeed, still at least the cheap unboxed ex set wagon and loco buckets at exhibitions will be refilled for another year.

[Ron Ron Ron]

Appalling rubbish.

Poor value for money even for the less discerning customer. 

[Multiple identity account 2]

Err... That 47 has the bogie front guards from the 67 on it, definitely should not be there!!!

 

 

I wish I could take a closer look at that.... if it's something that can just unclip then I am ok with it. Chopping it off wouldn't be a pain but I shouldn't have to do that.

 

It would have been nice if Hornby had a proper set.

 

A simple oval with 3rd radius curves, about 4-6 double straight tracks, DCC controller, e-link, WCRC Class 47 or Class 37 (ex-Lima) and 3 Mk1 coaches to go along.

 

I wouldn't say it's worth a GBP100 remember it has everything you need as a starter to DCC with elink. GBP280-300 seems just about right

[John M Upton]

Buying the e-link controller separately is about £70!!  Say thirty for the track, four pounds per wagon, seven pounds per coach, fifty for the A1 and thirty five for the 47 and you are still over a hundred and fifty quid way over the top.

 

These will be broken up and sold off as separate items knocked down to those sort of prices soon enough.

[Multiple identity account 2]

Buying the e-link controller separately is about £70!!  Say thirty for the track, four pounds per wagon, seven pounds per coach, fifty for the A1 and thirty five for the 47 and you are still over a hundred and fifty quid way over the top.

 

These will be broken up and sold off as separate items knocked down to those sort of prices soon enough.

I'm not sure if you are aware of what is in the set or if it's just a personal hatred towards Hornby,

 

But there is more in the set than you think.

 

A1 Steam loco - 70

3 coaches - 30

Class 47 - 50

Assorted wagons - 20

elink - 85

Track - 50

_________

305

_________

 

[G-BOAF]

Why would anyone acquire this 47 when Bachmann do a far superior version in exactly the same livery (as do Vi Trains). OK I admit Bachmann's build quality may not be great a times (in terms of bogies) but providing you can find a good one, or a retailer who will inspect, any serious modeller would be crazy to be on the look out for this Lima model. Agreed its considerably better than the previous Hornby version.

And just before someone jumps down my neck, I'm not bashing Hornby, just saying that they can be discounted from the 47 stakes. If you want a 67, 50, 31, 56, 60, go with Hornby, if you want a decent 47, don't give them a second look.

[Ron Ron Ron]

But there is more in the set than you think.

 

A1 Steam loco - 50

3 coaches - 30

Class 47 - 45

Assorted wagons - 20

elink - 85

DCC Elite - 215

Track - 50

_________

495

_________

 

 

You have it completely wrong.

 

There is no Elite included in this set.

It has the e-link DCC system.

It costs £67.50 including the RailMaster software package (from Rails of Sheffield - no connection)

 

You wouldn't have 2 DCC systems together.

 

 

.

[valeofyork]

Is the steam loco actually just the Tornado model? (which as I understand it would make it incorrect for the rest of the class as Tornado was built with a number of design modification).

[The Stationmaster]

I think we need to look at this as what it actually is - a trainset aimed at the trainset market with almost none of the contents intended for the model railway market.  However I do agree that if we look at the overall standard and price it is definitely rather lacking with a goodly does of truly old design items which paid off their tooling costs years ago and which might discourage the putative owners if they are really interested in railways.  The RRP quite bluntly is ludicrous - I wonder how many will sell (although I am prepared to be surprised)?

[John M Upton]

The E-Link thingy is available separately at a fair price of £68:

http://www.ehattons.com/60183/Hornby_R8312_e_LINK_Module_Railmaster_Software_1_Amp_Transformer_PC_Laptop_Required_/StockDetail.aspx

 

Strangely the other E-Link set is actually not so badly priced, still a bit OTT based on the ancient contents mind but it does work out that the track, ye olde Pannier Tank and three very so-so wagons are £67.

http://www.ehattons.com/60276/Hornby_R1173_e_Link_DCC_Western_Master_train_set_with_GWR_Class_2721_steam_locomotive_3_wago/StockDetail.aspx

 

The other larger set is way way out of proportion retail price wise and needs to be at least half that to shift units in any quantity.

[Multiple identity account 2]

You have it completely wrong.

 

There is no Elite included in this set.

It has the e-link DCC system.

It costs £67.50 including the RailMaster software package (from Rails of Sheffield - no connection)

 

You wouldn't have 2 DCC systems together.

 

 

.

Having one thing wrong isn't completely wrong, though it does make a difference in the price. Apologies for the error.

[John M Upton]

Looking on Ebay at this set I notice one lister is advertising as saying the locos in this set will ONLY work with a computer running the e-link set up.  Is this correct?  I would have thought these should still run on DC layouts as normal and a simple case of reprogramming their chips for DCC.

 

One thing it does have in its favour is that Christmas Morning big box present look about it!!

[darren01]

Sorry over price pile of C***  this  is scraping the bottom of the barrel. 

[Ron Ron Ron]

£150 for the box?

[Ron Ron Ron]

Having one thing wrong isn't completely wrong, though it does make a difference in the price. Apologies for the error.

 

You did almost double the price with that one error.

[petethemole]

I wonder if this has been deliberately over-priced (as some of us see it). I think Hornby are pitching for a share of the 'techie' toy/hobby market, which is mainly games consoles and radio control and aiming mainly at parents who might want a child to do something a bit more than " sit and play games all day". It's computer controlled so it's half way to a game. The pricing may be intended to give it a perceived value  on a par with a games console. They will earn a good profit for Hornby on each one sold. Unsold stock from Hornby's own stock and returns from concessions can eventually be sold off more cheaply without taking a loss as basic cost to Hornby of the components is low. I pity any retailer stuck with unsold sets though.

 

I also think it will end up as a Dads' toy; the average games playing child will see it a boring after a while. Perhaps a computer controlled battlespace set might appeal.

 

Pete

[frobisher]

You have it completely wrong.

 

There is no Elite included in this set.

It has the e-link DCC system.

It costs £67.50 including the RailMaster software package (from Rails of Sheffield - no connection)

 

You wouldn't have 2 DCC systems together.

To be fair, you should be talking in terms of the RRP of equivalent items to the RRP of the set rather than discounted levels

 

The Railroad A1 is £82.99, the 47 is £59.99, eLink £84.99 etc. On that basis the content bundle will form better value than the box RRP of £399.99. Whether they are actually value for money is an entirely different matter. I'm not sure the target audience for this set exists to be honest as it's neither fish nor fowl from a content point of view. The Tornado model is passing as a production A1 which is reasonable enough, but then it's bundled with a RES liveried 47 on a mixed goods rake? Thinking about it, it's the 47 that's the main issue (for me). It throws it all out of whack.

[Legend]

Our reaction as Railway Modellers is entirely predictable and right in my view , ie its a pile of overpriced Cr*p.  However we are not the target market........its wee Johnny again looking for a big choo choo trainset, thats who will buy this. And its a real shame as its a total rip off- someone in a model shop could probably put a better package together for wee Johnny, always assuming they have any Hornby to sell , of course!

[Multiple identity account 2]

To be fair, you should be talking in terms of the RRP of equivalent items to the RRP of the set rather than discounted levels

 

The Railroad A1 is £82.99, the 47 is £59.99, eLink £84.99 etc. On that basis the content bundle will form better value than the box RRP of £399.99. Whether they are actually value for money is an entirely different matter. I'm not sure the target audience for this set exists to be honest as it's neither fish nor fowl from a content point of view. The Tornado model is passing as a production A1 which is reasonable enough, but then it's bundled with a RES liveried 47 on a mixed goods rake? Thinking about it, it's the 47 that's the main issue (for me). It throws it all out of whack.

Using the MRP of everything the cost came to roughly 355 quid. That will be less as I didn't take into account the .59s and .99s for some items. You can say it comes upto 365 quid in total

[miles73128]

I'm sure as a young boy I would have been over the moon to get this for Xmas. As some posts have said, it's not for RMweb readers, it for parents looking for a big box present for Christmas. As that, it's fits the bill well.

Price is not always connected to emotional value!

[andyman7]

Our reaction as Railway Modellers is entirely predictable and right in my view , ie its a pile of overpriced Cr*p.  However we are not the target market........its wee Johnny again looking for a big choo choo trainset, thats who will buy this. And its a real shame as its a total rip off- someone in a model shop could probably put a better package together for wee Johnny, always assuming they have any Hornby to sell , of course!

i don't think it is particularly good value, but I think calling the contents cr*p and a rip-off are over the top. They are perfectly adequate for the target market, it's just the that for the price, you, I and anyone that knows their way round the model railway market could source higher spec goods.

 

A relative (very generously) gave my son a Flying Scotsman set recently, which gave me access to the new Railroad Flying Scotsman, which is effectively the same spec as the Railroad A1. I have to say that it is well built, reliable and does the job asked of it, being both robust and pretty well detailed, certainly for my boy! .

[Paul Cram]

Our reaction as Railway Modellers is entirely predictable and right in my view , ie its a pile of overpriced Cr*p.  However we are not the target market........its wee Johnny again looking for a big choo choo trainset, thats who will buy this. And its a real shame as its a total rip off- someone in a model shop could probably put a better package together for wee Johnny, always assuming they have any Hornby to sell , of course!

My local model shop has loads of Hornby to sell.

[7013]

Some less discerning modellers and people just looking for a train set present would possibly buy this set. I don't believe it is aimed at the modeller market anyway. Yes the 47 looks a bit old hat and I guess much of the stock is older stuff. Let's face it if you like it you will buy it, also the A1 is not that bad a locomotive and buy itself would have an RRP of around £ 140

[Pete 75C]

Why is a negative reaction against a Hornby product assumed by some to be some kind of irrational hatred? If this set was turned out by Heljan, Bachmann or Dapol, the reaction would surely be the same? I certainly don't have a little Voodoo doll of Simon Kohler on the mantelpiece that I can stick pins into at will...

The real reasons for the negative reactions are simple. By the very fact that we're signed into RMWeb, we're all railway modellers. That means we're knowledgeable and we know what we like. That also means we know how much things are worth in the real world. Most of us probably have an ebay account and have also shopped online to make a decent saving on a product. Basically, unless you're rich or stupid, you don't spend more than you need to. As has been said, those that do buy this set probably just don't know any better. That's hardly a crime though?