metadyneman

I've always thought the desiros sound a bit like something out of a laser beam out of the 1960s Lost in Space TV series when they move off... a most odd noise really. I prefer the noise of an electrostar out of the two. Pity the government didn't with the Thameslink order!!!

They were indeed, I had an original Evening star when first introduced. Then Hornby developed their own "cheap & nasty" version of the ringfield motor with that awful arragement of cast mazak motor/gear and wheel housing assembly with plastic faceplate and "bend down" carbon brush spring retainers which became the stndard throughout the range. Yuk!

Ugh... silver seal harks back to awful memories of those dreadful shiny metal tyred wheels with square axles which were miles out of gauge.

Not wishing to be facetious but Hornby have already got and own a factory space. It's in MARGATE!! With growing wage demands, workforce problems and increases in the cost of metal in China isn't it about time we brought our model ralways back home where they belong? I'm sure there are a few British workers who would love a job in a British factory making things for Britain for a British company!!

OK... good work.... Can we now minimise that and see just how badly Hornby have got it wrong..? and perhaps invite them to say why they got it so badly wrong?

The one thing that turns me off about traction tyres is they don't pick up current or DCC signals from the rails, so Why do Hornby insist on putting pickups on rubber tyred and therfore effectively, insulated wheels?... Hornby please ditch the rubber and put decent mechanisms in your trains!

This is my point exactly, OK yes i admit the T9 and probably the Schools class may need a bit of rubber to get them to pull a scale length train, but lets be honest here, how many of us have layouts that will accommodate a scale length train? Bachmann have got the majority of their models spot on when it comes to traction and I will return to my original point which is, if Bachmann can produce a southern EMU without traction tyres, with every wheel on the train picking up current, and with a decent motor which can pull all four of the carriages without TRACTION TYRES! then why have we been foisted with what is basically a second rate piece of rubbish at a more expensive price from Hornby?

To be really honest, I don't think we should be accepting any model from any manufacturer that insists on using traction tyres on their models. Has anyone seen a UK outline loco from Bachmann which uses them?... No! Are there any Bachmann models which could remotely need them? No! Is Bachmann inherantly cheaper than Hornby for the same level of detail.. yes! so without being too picky here... what is going wrong between the design floor and the production management at Hornby which is still fobbing us off with flaming traction tyres????? Traction tyres are a fundamental flaw in any decent ready to run model and the sooner Hornby change the way they manufacture their models to exclude traction tyres, the better!

I'm not saying a word but the one I have got which I'm not supposed to open until Christmas day is crisply painted no fuzzy lines and looks very good. It's now back in it's box and out of sight until Christmas day! (not that it was out of it's box was it?)

I have to say I won't be buying another one.. a total disappointment and let down. I'm considering de motoring mine and having it as a dummy unit for haulage by either a 33/1 or a Bachmann EPB. Total waste of my money as far as I'm concerned. I'm even considering cancelling my order for a 5 car Brighton Belle in favour of what is looking to be a vastly superior Blue Pullman from Bachmann, unless there is some announcement from Hornby that it won't be manufactured in the same way as the VEP!

Having been a contributor to this thread for a while and having seen some of the comments I'm really surprised the VEP got as high as 74%! However it does go to show that Hornby have a long way to go if they think they can enter the EMU market at such a low level and get a way with it. Well done to Bachmann... you never know, we may now see more EMUs from them which can only be a good thing because it means we won't see any more shoddy ones from Hornby! Incidentally I traced the lighting fault to a knackered resistor, not a capacitor!

I agree with you Steve however the capacitors I was referring to are the ones in the lighting circuit which are not connected to the motor.

I think it is also a case of I was fed up last night with the thing breaking down yet again, necessitating a trip to my workbench to investigate the problem. I have a feeling that this time something has gone wrong with the lighting capacitors. The lights are on permanently but very dim irrespective of whether I press F1 or not, and when I take the unit off the track it takes a full 30 seconds for the lights to extinguish fully!

It's all very well and easy suggesting this and if I had only been using the unit for a week or so I would probably have done just as you suggest, however a) I have weathered my model and B) being a very experienced modeller of some 40 odd years have made my own repairs to it so sending it back is simply not an otion. The faults that have occurred on my model have happened over a period of time and it is simply not practical to return it every time a wire comes adrift and ask for a replacement. As I have stated before in this thread, the Hornby VEP is simply not fit for purpose.

Well My VEP has finally been consigned to the shelf today.. after a string of faults ever since I bought the damn thing I am fed up with having my running sessions interrupted by niggly stupid faults which are a clear sign of bad assembly. I have had no less than 7 wires come adrift on the unit varying from wires to the power bogie to lighting wires on the overly cumbersome couplings. I've had it with this "pig in a poke" thing and if Hornby withdraw it from their range I can only see it as an improvememt!

When you say switching the lighting, do you mean cab lights on/off or front lights to day/night mode?

I think it can also boil down to very much what you are used to really. I havent experienced any trouble at all with the Bachmann ones and I prefer to stick to them as a kind of "standard" (gawd I sound like British Rail now!). All but two of my locos are fitted with either the 553 8-pin or 554 21-pin decoders. I have sourced one at Kernow models so that'll do for my desiro when it's allowed out of the box on Christmas day! Thanks for the info on the others though

I use the Bachmann Dynamis control system which is also an ESU/Bachmann product development

Cheers for that Steve. I have had nothing but trouble with Hornby decoders the Sapphire is no better and it's just plain awful in my Class 73 comared with a Bachmann one so I steer clear of Hornby decoders except the basic one which I use as lighting and function only decoders in Bachmann 158s and 170s

It would be handy if there were any 36-554 21 pin decoders available, no one seems to have any in stock.. they are like hens teeth to find again right at the wrong time!

That would be a shame but to be honest if Hornby had thought about it properly and provided us with a model that was at least comparable with the Bachmann 4-CEP then we would be looking at a huge support for EMUs both AC and DC from them. As it is Bachmann have clearly got the lead and their class 350 Desiro which has just hit the shops , quality wise kicks Hornby's effort at EMUs into touch! I see a 450 coming next from them and maybe a refurbed 4-CEP. Bring it on!

I'm glad you said that... roll on Christmas day (for me!)

Mine's on its way but banned from being opened until 25th December!!!

I'm just wondering if a similar drawing could be done using the dimensions of the Hornby model and then superimposed on top of the drawing you have done to see just exactly where Hornby have got it wrong.. we then may have an argument to put to Mr Kohler and ask why Hornby didn't get the model right?

Yes... the Hamster has been given it's marching orders today... a little lubrication on the wheel backs has sorted that out!