apollanaut

Whoops, sorry! Shouldn't have posted that when I was tired!

Here's a list of the production models that Hornby have released using the new tooling: R3119 LMS Princess Coronation Class 4-6-2 6234 "Duchess Of Abercorn" in LMS Maroon R3555 Class 8P Princess Coronation 4-6-2 46256 "Sir William Stanier F.R.S" in BR maroon R3509TTS Class 8P Princess Coronation 4-6-2 46235 "City of Birmingham" in BR green - TTS Sound fitted R3597 "Duchess of Hamilton" LMS Black Coronation Class 4-6-2 Locomotive No.46229 (Rails of Sheffield special edition, but now sold out)

I hope these look OK to other viewers. When I view them on my tablet device they are nowhere near as clear and sharp as the original iPhone images.

By way of comparison, I took some photos of Hornby's previous tooling of the Princess Coronation class:

Here are a few photos of City of Birmingham on my demo layout:

My lovely new City of Birmingham model had her first test run and passed with flying colours. Straight from the box she ran smoothly and almost silently (with the sound functions turned off), Handled nine coaches of mixed Bachmann and Hornby stock with ease, and I'm sure I could add at least another six or seven coaches to make up a scale length express. When I opened up the throttle she smoothly accelerated to an estimated 110 scale mph, just like the real thing. And once I'd programmed the TTS chip with realistic inertia, the picture was complete: she is a beautifully smooth, powerful and fast runner.

Your enhancements look fantastic and the photos show Hornby’s improved BR green at it’s best! I didn’t have time to test run my model last night but will have a go today before our guests arrive. My temporary layout uses Bachmann EZ-track which usually works well with modern fine scale locomotive wheels. Hopefully I’ll be able to take some more photos to show the City off in daylight. It’s a particularly glorious Autumn day here in NZ so great light for photography.

I’m almost certainly going to preorder 46256 now that Hornby have sensibly decided to produce a second batch. And at least one of the new streamliners in the original blue and silver livery. By then the separate TTS decoders and speakers should be available, so those too. And sooner or later they’re sure to do versions in experimental BR blue, or late LMS Black with straw lining....... (sigh) At least I’ll be doing my bit to help Hornby through their financial woes.

My first impressions of Hornby’s new tooling are entirely positive. The Princess Coronation class has long been my personal favourite, from the moment I first set eyes upon the original Hornby Duchess of Sutherland model back when it was first released in 1977. It was a surprise birthday present from my parents, but they can’t have known that I’d already seen the real thing when my Scout troop visited Bressingham Gardens during the long hot summer of 1976. By today’s standards, the model was crude and inaccurate, but luckily my young self was blissfully unaware of its shortcomings. She remained the pride of my fleet for years, until the sad day she finally succumbed to Mazak rot and fell apart in my hands. I laid her to rest in her original box and waited patiently for an updated model to be released. I eventually replaced her wihen Hornby released their irresistible “A Duchess at Carlisle” train pack, complete with a vastly improved model and three beautifully decorated Stanier coaches. Since then I’ve added her streamlined sister “Duchess of Hamilton” to my collection, along with “City of Coventry” in BR crimson with digital sound fitted. So I was a little surprised when Hornby announced the all new tooling for this iconic class, as I was still perfectly happy with my existing models. But I couldn’t resist acquiring the new City of Birmingham after seeing those tempting photos on Hornby’s website. Plus it was a chance to add a BR green liveried version to my growing collection, with the added bonus of TTS sound, for less money than I paid for City of Coventry on eBay. And all kudos to Hornby for taking a gamble with this upgraded version, as soon as I opened the box it was clear that this is much more than a cosmetic makeover. The new model is on a different level entirely, with a host of separately fitted fine details and a vastly improved shade of BR green. But most of all, it’s the overall character of the prototype that Hornby has captured with their new tooling. That awe-inspiring sense of grace and power, which takes your breath away the first time you see one of these regal beauties up close. My City model even seems to be somehow bigger and chunkier than the older tooling and has real presence. Can you tell that I’m impressed? If her performance matches her good looks, then Hornby have a winner on their hands l. I’m writing this in the passenger seat of our car, on the way to our rural property in the scenic Northland riegion of New Zealand, where we’ll be spending the Easter break. And tonight I’ll be able to give the City her first test run on my layout, which is currently set up on a convenient full size snooker table that was bequeathed to us by the previous owners of the property.

Here’s a few shots - taken in artificial light so doesn’t show the full richness of the livery:

Hi robmcg, my preordered City of Birmingham arrived safe and sound in New Zealand yesterday - a late birthday present from my partner: I took some photos on my dining room table last night so might post a few here once I figure out how!

Thanks for the tip! I wonder if they also sell replacement wire/plug assemblies for my ailing Bachmann Jubilee?

I take your point, though all I was doing is comparing the amount of maintenance my older models needed to maintain good running with the newer ones. By now, I would have had to lubricate the wheels, motion and motors, and clean or replace the brushes in the locos I've had running extensively. So far, all I've had to do is once lubricate a Hornby Black Five which has been running on and off for five or more years. This is the upside of modern technology, but not being able to change brushes or easily service the internal workings is the downside. What happens when the motor finally needs some attention or repairs? Do I pay someone else to do it, or is it more economical to simply buy a replacement model? Assuming it is still available, of course, which is a big if in these days of limited production runs. So it's not all good news. As for prices, they have more or less risen in line with inflation since the 1970s when I started collecting, but you do get more for your money now. Including lots and lots of teeny tiny bits of plastic detail, which have an annoying tendency to fall off on a regular basis even when I handle them with extreme care. After a running session, I often find a trail of unidentifiable plastic gubbins beside the track. I keep these in a small box in the hope that one day I will find out where they came from and reattach them (sigh!)

Hi Rob, I was thinking along similar lines earlier today with regard to Hornby. I still have some of my old Hornby models from the 1970's, and whilst I'm still fond of them for what they are, there is simply no comparison with the superb models Hornby have turned out (for the most part) in recent years. And not just in terms of improved detail and decoration, but performance as well. After acquiring a new property with plenty of room, I have finally been able to set up a demo layout of decent size in order to experiment with track formations and actually run some of my extensive collection of Hornby and Bachmann OO locos. I have been hugely impressed with the running qualities of most modern locomotives when compared to my older models, both in terms of power and reliability. But overall, I have to say that the Hornby locos are consistently outstanding in terms of performance, from the top-of-the range sound-fitted Britannias, Duchesses and Black Fives all the way down to the cheapest budget Railroad loco. The performance of my Bachmann locos is less consistent by far. The best are as good as Hornby, quiet, smooth and powerful, but I've been a little disappointed with some others in terms of haulage power, reliability and running qualities through complex track formations. And a handful are real clunkers. I eagerly acquired an updated, sound-fitted Bachmann Class 40 but did not get to test it until the warranty had expired. Imagine my disappointment at the jerky, intermittent stuttering caused by excessive amounts of non-conducting grease. This beautiful-looking (and expensive!) machine is now consigned to the Naughty Box until I summon up the courage to dismantle and clean out the insides. I live in New Zealand, so returning it to Bachmann for repairs isn't an option. My lovely Bachmann sound-fitted Jubilee had an unreliable drawbar coupling which meant the wires between the loco and tender were taking the weight of the whole train. I only noticed this problem when it stopped working because the teeny-tiny wires had all been pulled out of the socket under the strain. So she is also banished to the Naughty Box until I acquire the necessary tools to fix it and the magnifying glass needed to even see the wretched wires! My most recent purchases have all been TTS-fitted Hornby steam locos, all of which look and sound great and have worked flawlessly from the moment I placed them on the track. Six months later they are still going strong without any maintenance or attention needed from me.