No Decorum

Model Rail direct.

Perhaps manufacturers have been put off because a proposed model failed to gain enough interest. The real 74s were not a success but then 10800 was worse and there was only one of it.

Yes and yes! EFE/Kernow might hesitate to tool up for 20003 (fewer livery options) but I hope it’s being given some thought in the light of how well the first two Boosters have been selling. As for the 74, DJ has made me want one. It was cancelled due to insufficient orders but then, didn’t it require payment up front? Many more models of types more obscure than the 74s have been produced.

Blast! I’ve spent too long reading the catalogue. 🤣

Hornby catalogues have been notorious for their gaffes. The blurb on page 44, for example, caught my eye. “Between 1927 and 1930, 29 steam locomotives of the GWR Class 6000, also known as the King Class, were constructed.” 6000 to 6029 is 30 locomotives. Even that is misleading because another was constructed later to make 31 in total. “These engines were named after notable English kings …”, No, they were named after every English and British king working backwards from the then reigning king. “… it was reflected in their sleek, angular lines …” Can something sleek be angular? “ … and rivets that shimmered in the light.” What? “Much of the class were in service on the West of England main line from Paddington to Wolverhampton.” Now I know why the GWR was nicknamed “The Great Way Round.” 🤣 Moving down to the Princess Coronation Class. “No. 46243 ‘City of Lancaster’ was originally numbered 6243 under LMS.” Not so; 6243 was on the cabside and LMS on the tender. “The locomotive was named ‘City of Lancaster’ in April 1940 and was constructed as streamlined at Crewe Works on 29 May in the same year.” It was named before it was built? I wonder where they put the nameplate. Crewe was very efficient but never succeeded in building a Princess Cornonation in a single day. “The nameplates were chromium plated but over time, the chrome wore away, so it was not renewed.” The decision not to renew the plating was not a consequence of the plating wearing away; “and” rather than “so” is required here. “May 1949 saw the locomotive being de-streamlined and it became the only locomotive to carry its BR number while streamlined.” It became streamlined after it was de-streamlined? There is an interesting piece about Locomotion No. 1 but the last paragraph on page 39 is repeated as the first paragraph on page 40. The first version of Earl Marischal is available but a picture of Cock o’ the North named and numbered as 2002 Earl Marischal is splashed across pages 130 and 131. Someone once said, “Detail, detail, detail.”

I ordered a Class 11 by phone this morning (18th.) and was told that they were in Denmark.

He makes his points well. For me, the outstanding Accurascale launch was the Manor. We found out what the model was going to be when a real Manor emerged from the morning mist. Railroad? American term, inappropriate for Bristish models. The range is not for me but I think it’s a clever way to sell models from old tooling. I got one for my grandson – it was just the job.

I’d agree that the price of a loco plus coaches is a reasonable price. There are extras in an MU which don’t happen with coaches. That will be either through wiring and connectors or multiple DCC sockets. The latter are probably no longer viable because the cost of non-sound decoders have risen considerably. In addition, there can be additional speakers as well, so perhaps the MU will end up costing a bit more than an equivalent loco-hauled train. Price is always a consideration but quality is (in my view) more important. Once models are out in the wild and shortcomings are revealed, I tend to avoid them. Shortcomings in liveries, difficulties in fitting speakers and decoders, gross inaccuracies and poor running are all turn offs. I should emphasise that I’m talking about all manufacturers, though some are very much worse than others. On the other hand, some models charm me from the outset. I have some models I would love to see happen but it’s remarkable just how often something is announced which turns out to be just what I wanted but hadn’t realised it.

I’d be spoilt for choice. There are far too many duds amongst the delights which remind me of why I love railway models.

Absolutely! IMHO it peaked with Series 3 and 4. The narration of Series 1 and 2 was horribly dreary and from 5 onwards, the use of models ceased. Part of the fun of the whole thing was knowing that they were real models.

Interesting. I shall look forward to the catalogue more than I thought I would. Nevertheless, I can’t help feeling that Hornby is too preoccupied with its past and not enough with QC.

The usual practice is to do an identical re-run but with a different running number; these are identified with a letter suffix to the product code. In this particular case, there was criticism that the roof ribs were too prominent, so later versions were modified.

The era system is a bit of a blunt instrument. Era 3, for example, ignores major livery changes which took place in 1936. Dates are much more useful. I like to date a model from when the first livery was applied to when the livery style was changed, followed by a + to indicate that the older livery persisted for some years. For all that, I think the era system used to be handy for people new to the hobby. Now there are two era systems in use, it has lost such usefulness as it had. It’s akin to offering a figure without specifying the units (such as feet or metres) which the figure represents.

It does look superb. I hope the red electrical fittings on the roof are painted – unpainted red plastic tends to look translucent.

I would apply a tiny drop of light oil to every moving part you can see, including the axle bearings. Then I’d take the body off and apply a tiny drop of light oil to the motor bearings. Finally, apply gear oil to the gears. Where gears are not in direct contact, such as reduction gears, apply another drop. Run the model gently for a few turns so that the gear oil runs over all the gears.

Yes but what I should have made clear was that the object of my affections was the latest non-streamlined tooling with a GS tender in LNER livery. Sorry for being vague,

I waded through the Signal Box video and I think I heard Carl mention a B17. He was probably referring to the streamlined version but the latest tooling of a B17 with a group standard tender would be welcome. I don’t know why it wasn’t done when the retool was first launched. Locomotion – I’ll go for that. I’m not in the market for another King but I’ll be interested to see how the finish turns out.

I hadn’t heard that one before but wasn’t HQ at Marylebone? Another retooling for the B1? Both Hornby and Bachmann have produced retools for it. Given a choice, I tend to incline to Bachmann. Better finishes and more reliable, even if not quite as quiet and smooth.

Hornby must think that they wouldn’t sell because they didn’t last long in that livery. For my part, I think it strange that one or other of the two hasn’t been produced especially as it would only be a re-livery. There’s a growing interest in pre-grouping too.

One of my Jubilees was spontaneously uncoupling from its tender and towing the tender along by the wires only, in spite of my layout having no inclines. Fortunately, the wires came to no harm and I solved the problem by bending the drawbar slightly upwards. Another problem which can arise is the nut which holds the screw of the adjustable drawbar in place. This can come out of its seating. Provided it is still rattling around inside the tender, it can be glued back into place, taking care not to glue up the thread.

I find the mechanisms of Hornby steamers hard to beat, provided I haven’t a rogue. They are smooth, quiet and powerful. If Hornby can produce a GWR green to the standard of, for example, the Turbomotive in LMS red, then indeed why not Hornby? Preferably without lights. If we must have lights, then none on the tender rear and and appropriate code on the front but only bright enough to see faintly but, preferably, no lights. Into the bargain, there are no rear carrying wheels on a Saint or County to make a mess of.

Hm. Well, if you have oiled the motor bearings and oiled where you could elsewhere, perhaps it is a job for Hornby. Please let us know how you get on.

Without taking my 67 apart (it’s not the latest example, so might not be a good guide) I can’t say. However, with the body off, I’d guess that an oiler with a long application needle, such as offered by Woodland Scenics, should be able to reach a gear somewhere. Sorry not to be more helpful.

We might think so. I have a Flying Scotsman but, even though it isn’t to modern standards, I don’t intend to buy another. However, Hornby wouldn’t churn them out if there wasn’t a demand for them.

The K1 was only green in preservation, so in my book, not properly authentic. All the same, it would look so good (provided Hornby didn’t mess up the shade of green) that I would buy one like a shot. Colour sells. It always has, even to someone like me who thinks that not enough black locos are offered.