Matabiau

I should point out mine was a rhetorical question and as such perhaps not quite appropriate, sorry for the confusion.

What does that mean for those of us with the current model, should we expect replacement wheelsets for example?

If it is any help I have found the cause of my 4VEP's derailment problem. The motor bogie swivels on a clip on the top if the motor housing. This clips into a plastic mounting which also supports the additional weights used to improve traction. The mounting has two plastic studs on its underside designed to keep the motor housing and hence the motor bogie level. On my model the mounting was slightly warped so one stud was 1mm lower than the other. As a result the motor housing and the bogie were skew and the trailing axle sat 2mm higher than the leading one causing it to leave the rails on curves. A little pressure on the mounting has resolved this problem for the time being. This doesn't resolve the poor running of the trailer coaches though!

I contacted Hattons this morning regarding the derailing habit of my Hornby 4VEP when running in reverse. They claim not to be aware of any problems with this model, not exactly the sentiment I am getting reading the 31 pages of posts here!

I have recently taken delivery of the NSE DCC fitted version of the Hornby 4VEP. Having read all of your concerns, both aesthetic and mechanic, I opened the box with some anxiety. The train went together very well, the coaches were packed in the box in the correct orientation so that it worked first time. Having read various comments about the tractive performance of the train I was not too surprised that the coaches do not roll freely on the track in the absence of the motor car. Although not surprised I am still disappointed I should add, especially considering that these coaches have no electrical pick-ups on the wheels, normally the source of such friction. I suspect it is this lack of free-wheeling that is the primary reason for the poor mechanical performance of the train driving the requirement for traction tyres. The train moved forward (motor coach towards the front of the train) at low speed with no problem until the first curve. At low speed the train slows on the curves, even stalling at very low speed. There was no such problem at medium speed or faster. I tried the train in reverse (with the motor coach towards the rear of the train) only to find it derailed on the curves and the points. Under closer inspection it seems that the torque on the driving axles causes the leading end of the motor bogie to lift doing a sort of wheeley! As the train enters a curve the bogie fails to follow the bend and the leading wheels leave the track causing the derailment. I can therefore only agree with my fellow members of the forum that there is a design issue with the VEP's undercarriage, both motor bogies and trailing bogies that render the train unfit for purpose.

I have just taken delivery of a full third R4501, the first of an eventual rake as the others become available. The GWR livery is splendid on this model (perhaps I am biased coming from Bristol!). Unfortunately it is going straight back in the box and off to the shop as one of the bogies is warped causing it to derail on the curves. This is a problem I am seeing more and more with Hornby models, I have had to send several back to the shop or get hold of spare parts to perform repairs myself. I only hope the subsequent coaches are in a better state.