Stevelewis

As an old modeller!!!!!! Long before computers and probably any meaningful magazine reveiws, I can say in the old days, we were happy just to get a new loco manufactured usually just one a year if we were lucky! I remember the elation that was felt when Triang announced their 'Sothern Electric', back in around '58 (thats a guess), It didnt matter if it was anywhere near the correct length or not or if the gaps between cars was grossly overscale, we were just glad to have something that we didnt have before. I think a lot of the critisim these days comes from the fact that it is far too easy to check correctness ( internet, forums etc) and then become disappointed that all is not quite correct but often not far from being so. I applaud the manufaturers of today for continuing to produce items which would be unheard of even a few years ago ( P2, D.O.G., GWR Citities, Duke, and now The Met B0 B0 electric) Long may it continue

Trans Pennine 6 car DMU class 124 in Both N & 00 Though perhaps there are too many car variations within the set, i don't know I used to ride them quite often (usually in the Griddle Car)

LMS/BR BEYER GARRATT in N 71000 Duke of Gloucester in N B17/5 Streamlined East Anglian & City of London in 00

Emkail from HATTONS Beyer-Garratts due 'early in the new year' they will post more specific info when they can

A light rub over with Virgin Olive Oil!l works well

But surely if you take 'all arms' of Bachmann's Business in model railways into consideration, Hornby would be a long way behind, not trying to knock Hornby but surely they must get their act together quickly or the downward spiral wil continue I hope they do get it together I have been a customer for many years since the TRIANG - Hornby days!l

I dont think they are the brand leaders, one retailer said to me that the ratio of loco sales alone is about 3 to 4 other 'main' manufacturer to Hornby's one One of the big drawbacks being Hornby just dont deliver the stock!

Re the Price £185 is very acceptable no doubt there will be discounting, As mentioned above by PaulRhb, there are lots of NG locos out there, some around 3 times the proposed Heljan RRP, Theres a BEMO Saxon Meyer in a retailer in Lancashire ( saxon Meyer 0-4-4-0T articulated loco) its around £500.00 beuatiful model but the line has had to be drawn somewhere!!

Just keep your fingers crossed, after all faulty ones are a very small proportion I would hope

The only Dapol Western to arrive here didn't actually have much of a chance to derail!, It wobbled so violently on initial test run that it was on its way back to the retailer within the hour, ( it was also missing a windscreen wiper, and part of the window glazing from 1 cab), so we tend to stick with the Blue boxes these days!

I used to go to N WISSENDEN'S shop for 0 gauge, I am not sure if it is still trading, i believe it was sold some years back. I just googled and there is an entry showing with a website under construction and an address id Stalybridge.

Yes you are correct its R3177 which is now in stock (NRM?) I did not bother to read all 4 eMails Hattons sent me just now they are all the same referring just to R3177!! I

23/08/2013 Hattons have received stock of 2nd run 2 BILS

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

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

I import quite a bit of 0n30 from the states (from Micromark.com) There is no duty on Model railway items from the states but VAT is chargeable if the total value is over £18.00. so I have to remembr to ad 20% when doing my calculations ( and there is also an £8.00 flat rate service charge as well!!)

Worth remembering that Hattons main stock is in their despatch warehouse in Widnes, so although I presume that they keep spome of everything in the warehouse, if there is any specific item you are intending to be tempted with, it can be reserved online for collection. I live around 45mins ( theorectical )drive from there, but these days I get everything sent by nest day delivery, its actually cheaper than the fuel cost!

Can any one that has purchased a 205 with sound comment on the sound, I beleive there were some earlier negative comments, but now perhaps as there are more users of sound fitted units the overall picture may be different?

I suppose its lucky then that not many of us have the space to run 60 wagon trains

Just a little more info re the 01's haulage power: It is worth checking the tender pickups, I do favour as many pickups as possible on locos but sometimes non powered wheels with pickups can act as brakes! (Older N gauge users may remember some of the tender pickup fitted Graham Farish locos) Anyway we tested 2 01 locos yesterday the owner of one reckoned his lacked haulage power and it did only 15 wagons up the gradient mentioned in an earler post that my 01 hauled 25 wagons up.. We fitted my o1's tender to his loco and it immediately improved haulage capacity increasing by around 50%. We found the tender pickups on his loco to be exerting more presure on the wheel backs, than those on my loco , so after slightly reducing the 'bend' of the pickups and re attaching it to his loco the loco 's pulling power increased. in line with my loco Obviously tinkering with the tender pickups has to be done carefully to get a balance between them actually picking up power and not actng as brakes.

I am not so sure that the 01 lacks weight, I ran mine on a friends largish layout and we found it would easily haul 25 4 wheel wagons up a 1 in 48 incline on a 48" radius curve, as a comparison a Hornby 8f latest (weathered) release stalled with 17 on. My concern with removing the flywheel and adding extra weight is how much nett gain in weight is achieved when the weight of the flywheel is considered?

I am not sure if the flywheel in this instance makes a lot of difference, it does obviously have a minor effect, but I was always taught that for a flywheel to have the most effect its diameter needs to exceed that of the motor's armature, The 01's flywheel has quite a small diameter Many locos with flywheels to have large diameter flywheels and their effect can be quite notable by the, 'run on' of a loco when it is running at a reasonably high speed and the power is suddenly cut,

Yes I totally agree with you initial testing of this loco confirmed that it was an excellent performer, I would go so far as to say that in many years of buying RTR locos from the Tri-ang days it is amongst the best, it is such a pity that due to some disappointing Hornby locos their products have been 'avoided' by myself and a few freinds recently. Perhaps this performance experience bodes well for the forthcoming P2 and 71000, both of which 'may' be purchased although they would have absolutely no place on the current 00 layout in progress which is Southern EMU based, but then neither does the 01 have a place on it, but it looks great. Well Done Hornby!!

I think it may depend on which decoder is fitted, some factory fitted Hornby decoders do work well in my experience whilst some don't!

Recvd Hornby 01 from Arcadia today Must say i am very impressed (for once) I have not bought any Hornby locos for a while now due to disatisfaction with previous purchases, but this one is good. I have fitted a decoder (Lenz) and after adjusting some CVs the loco will crawl almost imperceptably ( 6' travelled in 3 minutes) The Max volts CV5 is now set to 95 which gives the loco an approx scale speed of just 45MPH. I am almost tempted to buy another!!