Hornby K1

[robmcg]

Just received my weathered K1 from Hornby.com and it has to be the very WORST weathering I have ever seen from Hornby! Brighter than the camera suggests, almost nothing above the running boards, bright pale fawn over wheels etc.

 

Disappointed. Photo below un-retouched or edited except black foreground.

 

Don't know whether to send it back from NZ (£18) or try to salvage something remotely like a reasonable replica of a weathered engine from this absolute mess. This would be my second return from 5 models, my weathered A3 had superb weathering (REF manufacture) but was assembled poorly and Hornby replaced it. It is rather putting me off Hornby! The weathered K1 is made by TEC.

 

 

Rob

Edited February 26, 2015 by robmcg

[DougN]

Gees Rob that has to be incredibly disappointing. Looks like they just blew out the airbrush at full open... No finesse. If I were you and had an air brush I would re paint every thing below the foot plate in matt black and have a go myself with the weathering over the top again. Good luck with all that or as you say send it back... Though the postage is getting steep to send from NZ or Australia any more!

[toboldlygo]

Just received my weathered K1 from Hornby.com and it has to be the very WORST weathering I have ever seen from Hornby! Brighter than the camera suggests, almost nothing above the running boards, bright pale fawn over wheels etc.

 

Disappointed. Photo below un-retouched or edited except black foreground.

 

Don't know whether to send it back from NZ (£18) or try to salvage something remotely like a reasonable replica of a weathered engine from this absolute mess. This would be my second return from 5 models, my weathered A3 had superb weathering (REF manufacture) but was assembled poorly and Hornby replaced it. It is rather putting me off Hornby! The weathered K1 is made by TEC.

 

Img_1144a_1200a.jpg

 

Rob

 

Nearly as bad as the factory weathered Bachy 9F I re-weathered (twice, second time included renumbering) - that originally looked like it had been dipped in dogs muck to put it mildly

[Les1952]

Photo has done a lot to confirm my prejudice against factory weathering.

 

I had decided already that despite the real 62059 being one of my early-teenage favourite locos (seeing it most days when trainspotting around Darlington) I wouldn't be getting this one under any circumstances.  The main reason is that changing a tender crest on a weathered loco is a harder job than renumbering a pristine one.  The pic looks to have justified the decision.

 

I'll stick with 62027, and am already planning the next layout around it.

 

The next question is whether to fit a sound chip- and that will depend on availability of a good sound file.  I'll have a chat with Paul C over the weekend at Lincoln show.

 

Les

[Ian Hargrave]

Just received my weathered K1 from Hornby.com and it has to be the very WORST weathering I have ever seen from Hornby! Brighter than the camera suggests, almost nothing above the running boards, bright pale fawn over wheels etc.Disappointed. Photo below un-retouched or edited except black foreground.Don't know whether to send it back from NZ (£18) or try to salvage something remotely like a reasonable replica of a weathered engine from this absolute mess. This would be my second return from 5 models, my weathered A3 had superb weathering (REF manufacture) but was assembled poorly and Hornby replaced it. It is rather putting me off Hornby! The weathered K1 is made by TEC.Img_1144a_1200a.jpgRob

t

 

What on earth is this offering? There are no words to describe this disaster.

[John Tomlinson]

In a timely way, the latest Hornby magazine has an article by Tim Shackleton about re-weathering a factory weathered loco. Looks like someone had a premonition!

 

When factory weathering started to appear I acquired a couple of locos in this state - once you've thought carefully about the process it doesn't take long to realise how false most of them are, and I now steer well clear.

 

John.

[micklner]

t

 

What on earth is this offering? There are no words to describe this disaster.

Another survivor of the Afrika Corps . Current Hornby magazine has an article on a poor B17 which looks even worse after "further" weathering mosy=t of which is yuk yellow as well. 

 

 

Bizarre.

[Dunsignalling]

Factory weathering provides, at best, a starting point for producing a weathered model. At worst (like the one pictured) it's pointless.

 

This illustrates the sort of results obtainable from an inexperienced airbrush user in a hurry but, fortunately, very little of it has got onto the bodywork.

 

It's not irretrievable if you have even modest skills, it needs a good going over with a fibreglass brush to take most of it off, followed by doing it properly.

 

I prefer to use brushes and cotton buds for weathering as it adds more thinking time to the process.

 

John   

Edited February 26, 2015 by Dunsignalling

[MikeParkin65]

Just received my weathered K1 from Hornby.com and it has to be the very WORST weathering I have ever seen from Hornby! Brighter than the camera suggests, almost nothing above the running boards, bright pale fawn over wheels etc.

 

Disappointed. Photo below un-retouched or edited except black foreground.

 

Don't know whether to send it back from NZ (£18) or try to salvage something remotely like a reasonable replica of a weathered engine from this absolute mess. This would be my second return from 5 models, my weathered A3 had superb weathering (REF manufacture) but was assembled poorly and Hornby replaced it. It is rather putting me off Hornby! The weathered K1 is made by TEC.

 

Img_1144a_1200a.jpg

 

Rob

Guess which version of the K1 will be in the 'bargain' lists in coming months!

[toboldlygo]

Guess which version of the K1 will be in the 'bargain' lists in coming months!

Just what I was thinking   

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

...WORST weathering I have ever seen from Hornby! Brighter than the camera suggests, almost nothing above the running boards, bright pale fawn over wheels ...

 

The single pass BLAT! approach to 'weathering' is always like this. It just shows up worse than most on this example, because today the paint pot charge was mixed by an operative with an undetected colour vision defect. Or some other of the many, many, problems that can afflict a heavily operator dependent production stage. Been there and got that unbelievably stained T-shirt.

 

Photo has done a lot to confirm my prejudice against factory weathering...

On the other hand, I love it. Been able to buy several such gross messes very cheap indeed over the years!

 

But since the evidence suggests that Hornby are trying to make product of interest to modellers, is there a reliable conduit to communicate 'better not apply weathering at all, if you cannot prevent this type of outcome' ?

[Black 5 Bear]

I would rather buy the pristine version and send it to Grimy times or the like. This is positively dreadful, I hope someone at Hornby is looking at their current weathered locomotives/rolling stock !!!

[Ian Hargrave]

We had been led to believe that Hornby had someone in place in China to keep an overall eye on production.Seems he should have gone to Specsavers or its Oriental equivalent. This is simply not fit for purpose.

[Ed-farms]

As soon as I saw the pic of 62059 when they came out I was not impressed with the weathering, you could clearly see they have just used a brown mix below the running plate. I even said this on Hornby's facebook page when they asked what people thought. I want to get one and show them how it should be done.

[RBAGE]

I would rather buy the pristine version and send it to Grimy times or the like. This is positively dreadful, I hope someone at Hornby is looking at their current weathered locomotives/rolling stock !!!

Do me a favour. Why should Hornby take any notice of this site when the bulk of people who use it are more than happy with poor quality.

 

Take a look at the running plate. They're still selling them as wonky as they were in December.

 

Now I'll get the response asking if I've ever made anything. Can you not correct it yourself?

 

Hornby have no thought for their customers so don't expect the situation to improve. They are up the creek at the moment so customer satisfaction will not be high on their agenda.

 

To the subject of factory weathering. Don't touch it with a barge pole.

 

Bob

[Les1952]

I remember being told by Brian Haresnape no less (while dining him before a talk to Durham University Railway Society in 1972 or 1973)  that the "Desert Sand" livery applied to a Western class loco, was supposed to be close to the colour of brake block dust and thus wouldn't show dirt so much.  It may or may not have been a joke- I was a gullible student at the time.

 

It looks as if whoever set the colour of this weathering also thinks brake block dust is close to desert sand....

 

Single-pass weathering never works on a steam loco.  The bottom tends towards track colour while the top goes black from deposited soot, streaky due to the effects of rain.  You need at least two colours (and preferably more), even in N.

 

All the very best

Les

[Bon Accord]

It does irritate me intensely when locomotives are offered in a weathered condition yet the same locomotive is not offered in normal/pristine condition, thereby losing sales for those who want the latter with the only option being renumbering (assuming loco details are compatible). Bachmann and Hornby are equally guilty of this and now it seems to be spreading to coaching stock - I'm after some new Bachy Mark 1s yet all the recent releases are weathered. I'd be very interested to see comparable sales figures for weathered/non-weathered releases.

[Porcy Mane]

It may or may not have been a joke- I was a gullible student at the time.

It wasn't. It was Mr Haresnape who in his BR "advisor capacity" suggested  the class 31 Golden Ochre livery for that, "it looks like weathering" reasoning.

 

P

Edited February 26, 2015 by Porcy Mane

[Black 5 Bear]

Do me a favour. Why should Hornby take any notice of this site when the bulk of people who use it are more than happy with poor quality.

 

Take a look at the running plate. They're still selling them as wonky as they were in December.

 

Now I'll get the response asking if I've ever made anything. Can you not correct it yourself?

 

Hornby have no thought for their customers so don't expect the situation to improve. They are up the creek at the moment so customer satisfaction will not be high on their agenda.

 

To the subject of factory weathering. Don't touch it with a barge pole.

 

Bob

Fine, if people are prepared to receive shoddy/defective goods then that is their lookout, it's not as though Hornby are giving them away at £130 a throw!

In the last three months alone, I have returned 2 K1s due to the running plate being misaligned and glue on the bodywork.

If people don't complain and return faulty products to the manufacturers they are never going to sit up and take notice. This will only happen when it starts affecting company profits !!! 

Edited February 26, 2015 by Black 5 Bear

[robmcg]

We had been led to believe that Hornby had someone in place in China to keep an overall eye on production.Seems he should have gone to Specsavers or its Oriental equivalent. This is simply not fit for purpose.

I have written to Hornby requesting a refund. I think a 10 yr old could have done better with a spray can. I certainly could. It's so odd when their recent REF A3 is very well done. They CAN do it right.

 

The other side of the model is even worse. This below is EXACTLY the photo from the camera, no messing around, just cropped and re-sized.

 

Hornby should be ashamed. They replied with an 'auto-answer' Email saying their customer support was overloaded but they hoped to be able to respond in 5 days.

 

 

I expect a full refund.

 

Rob

 

edit, what a shame to wreck a very nice model with a spray-over when it's finished! Hornby may well have a thousand of these, ruined for want of a QC person with a tiny bit of eyesight and experience. Where is the person who signed off on these?

Edited February 26, 2015 by robmcg

[coachmann]

Gaw'd knows I'm no expert, but the plain fact is driving wheels never went like this. It was impossible on a steam loco (apart from LNWR 'H' spoke wheels) when lub oil was sent flying down the spokes from the axle at every revolution. Locos mainframes didn't go desert sand color either, although they tended to go brown particularly close to the ashpan. As for lower bodywork spray, that is plain b*llocks except on diesels. Send Hornby a photo of your poorly weathered model together with a covering letter stating you expect full compensation for your outlay. It is not weathered....It looks more like an accident of manufacture.....It is not fit for purpose.

 

On a light-hearted note, they do say that Bulleid and LNER locos would slip in a desert......

Edited February 26, 2015 by coachmann

[robmcg]

Yes Larry I have sent a photo and a request for a refund. Last time (faulty A3 60103 assembly) they were very slow, didn't know how to credit a PayPal account, misled me over their ability to replace it, and eventually replaced it from stock, and refunded my air packet cost with a double-signed company cheque! I'm rather DISPLEASED WITH THEM...

 

 

They didn't know how to credit a PayPal account... sigh.

[toboldlygo]

I have written to Hornby requesting a refund. I think a 10 yr old could have done better with a spray can. I certainly could. It's so odd when their recent REF A3 is very well done. They CAN do it right.

 

The other side of the model is even worse. This below is EXACTLY the photo from the camera, no messing around, just cropped and re-sized.

 

Hornby should be ashamed. They replied with an 'auto-answer' Email saying their customer support was overloaded but they hoped to be able to respond in 5 days.

 

Img_1154a_r1200.jpg

 

I expect a full refund.

 

Rob

 

edit, what a shame to wreck a very nice model with a spray-over when it's finished! Hornby may well have a thousand of these, ruined for want of a QC person with a tiny bit of eyesight and experience. Where is the person who signed off on these?

 

I think they've been using those dodgy Humbrol Enamels that have been complained about on another thread, says one colour on the tin and the paint is something completely different.

 

The person who signed off on them is probably called Ica ntcee...

Edited February 27, 2015 by toboldlygo

[Ian Hargrave]

Don't know if you've seen video footage of ten year old Chinese prodigies playing Beethoven.If they can do that,just think of what they can do with a can of aerosol spray paint. Look out ,Banksie !

[Raised On Steam]

It's Stroudley Improved Engine Green.