jonnyuk

i know this is a silly question but does anyone know where i can get new pickups for the driving car? my train was running erratically, stopping and starting. The wheels needed a clean so i took the bogies apart to clean the wheels and pickups. Upon putting it back together i've busted one of the pickups, i've snapped the wheel contacts from the bit that fastens to the bogie. thanks

Harsh, its not a bad model

seems to be the general feeling amongst members, i think it's a little closer to the target, in the red

Fair point on the melting, for those that have suffered it’s a crying shame, How many forum members have had this problem ?

today i put the full train together and sent it round my layout. i'm over the moon with it, It's better than expected (after reading all the negativity on this thread), i can't stop smiling and that's what model trains is all about. It runs perfectly, looks so smart, the lighting is great. If i'm been picky i'd say for the money the cab should be detailed and lit but apart from that it's brilliant, i don't see the issue with gap between the coaches, round my 2nd and 3rd rad curves i think the gap is required. it has made me question people's expectations with our model trains, if i'd believed half the negative stuff written in this thread and not even bothered to go and look at the train in the flesh i would of missed out. And given I've been waiting along time for it that would of been a crying shame. Is it worth the money i spent on it, 100% yes, made me smile watching it go round and round, more so than any other of my trains.

well i a few pages back i said i would not be purchasing an apt. Today i went to my local shop in Rugby and he had 1 5 car set left. Once i looked at one in the flesh i could not resist and brought it home with me. First impressions, actually very good. the detail is good, the colour is good, the shape is good, no capacitor in sight (maybe thats because its the 5 car set), really looked the part. I sent the ndm round his test track and ran without issues. Now the fun begins, got it home, put a chip in and set the ndm round my layout, mixture of 3rd, 2nd and 3rd flexi track. Starting derailing all over the place, i could see the front wheel sets lifting off the track. so i took it apart and could not see any issues, i then looked at the chip and thought is it stopping the chassis blocking moving and causing a lack of movement in the bogies. I noted some pages ago someone fed the chip through the body and mounted the decoder on top of the chassis block, i did the same and strike me down, fixed all my derailing issues, so my guess at chassis block movement was correct, whoever made the suggestion thank you! Not ran the full train yet, thats tomorrow hopefully someone else finds this useful

sorry but been new is no excuse. That should give any shop a blank canvas to lay the shop out correctly and most importantly neatly and presentable, get your new products on display front and centre, not on the top shelf in boxes and amongst all the second hand stuff, start off how you mean to go on. The signal box, not too far away sells both new and old stock, second had stuff is a right gold mine but its all nicely on display, great value, all labelled up in a sorted manor, they are night and day. I know which shop i'd rather visit. Anyway this is detracting from what this thread is about, the APT, not individual shops. To bring this back on track, i've debated in my mind for weeks about should i, should i not get one of these. Having seen the old and new models side by side it does make the new one look good, trouble is you read all the bad stuff (faults people are having) about the model and think its not worth it, but actually you have to bring it back to, do i like the model? Take it at face value can i justify the price? For me the answer is still a no, there is stuff on order this year, class 91 set, Blue pullman hst set, deltic, P2 2007 and a couple of wagon sets and £430 goes along way to paying for it.

I'll give my 2 cents worth on the youtube clip. They are a tier 3 shop and for good reason, there shop is a mess (and that's polite), its really hard to find, i had to ask someone walking around how i get to it. They sell mostly second hand stuff (but its not cheap), their new products are far and few between. Captain Tom 66 for £240, yes going rate these days but don't claim to be supporting lower prices when you are clearly out to make a big margin on that item. Every video they post is a dig at Hornby, well if you despise them so much stop been a retailer, simple. Focus on other manufactories. To me smacks of bitterness, i won't be going back that's for sure.

For those coughing up their coffee over the keyboard as they rant about the price increases, go onto YouTube and search for Simon head of brand for scalextric talking to a former employee and we’ll respected member of the slot car hobby. They talk about costs near the start and it’s very interesting. Prices have not gone up for the fun of it.Channel is called slot car news. I have cancelled numerous items I had pre ordered last year, I’m also selling various items to fund last years items price increase and the couple of items I’ve ordered this year. Times are changing and it’s about priorities, life has and always will be about priorities. for me trains is not one of them, I’m drifting back to slot cars, my son has got into them and I’m finding the interaction for more enjoyable than trains right now, they are also cheaper.

its the old lima tooling i believe, no lights, still a nice model though for under £100, abit of weathering and detail added

i think its a good range of product, some nice new flashy stuff, old staples making a return, a new HST addressing previous complaints, a modern EMU/DMU, stuff for the collectors that will bring in good revenue. Something gone below the radar is the RailRoad range, lots of nice stuff in there, 37's, 67's,66's,31's, all for under £100. Playtrains, brilliant product, yes they may noticed what someone else over English Channel is doing and thought, great lets do a similar thing and theme it. Nothing wrong with this, i really hope it sells well and brings in youngsters to the hobby, any other UK manufacturer doing this? (Bachmann with Thomas it not the same thing). Did not think so. if i had the deposable income i could see my self buying allot but as it stands, Drax wagons and shifting my pre-order of 2007 to the steam and sound version, also the 67 in colas and a couple of the 66's. Sign of the times i'm afraid (i'm getting back into slot cars which is looking a cheaper hobby right now, although cars have got to the £50 mark) I think Hornby have to be given credit on a few fronts, introducing steam/lights/sound to a RTR steam loco. Some have said this is a gimmick, well on that count so are raising pantographs, spinning fans and tinted front windows, gimmicks seem to be ok there. Moving to 21 pin, heard complaints about this as well, 21 pin does the job and is fine for other manufacturers, so why not Hornby, allows for day/night/cab lights, do you need anything else? As i've said previous the trains on film range if done right could be a winner long term, i'm not glossing over titgate as thats another subject, as long as the law has not been broken. That's a capitalist economy for you. They are trying to address the order allocation, yes shops are restricted, i've spoken to a few and both give the same story. At least they all know where they stand which is an improvement on the last few years. if Hornby can't improve the QC then it does not matter what they do, its a slippery slope which they will go down head first, they have to sort this out and only time will tell. I'd like to say i'm surprised by the sheer froth, negativity and abuse towards Hornby, but i'm not.

I have the biomass wagons in my wish list at kernow, can no longer get to the item, no one else seems to have them either, should I’d ordered when I had the chance

i should of phrased it better, pioneering

Hornby started all this main stream pre grouping froth with Rocket, why are they not allowed to try and capitalise on it with other ranges, if another company is doing the same then so be it (as long as the law has not been broken), like or not we are in a capitalist world here in the west. Car companies all make the same looking cars, same size engines, same number of doors, they copy each other all the time, so does nearly every other industry, why are trains any different? Hornby can see the competition creeping in from all directions across their entire train range of products, are they to simply say fair enough, you go and have that product, you over there, have that one, you over that have that one as well? Hornby can't protect all their area's of interest so have to be strategic on what to defend/go up against. if this means the smaller competition then so be it. I for one like the concept of this range and look forward to where it may go, as someone has already said, James Bond (Hornby already do Scalextrix Bond themes), i would be up for that 100%.

100%, i've said it before, all these new comers make great models but they cherry pick, they don't produce anything for the trains to run on, nor anything to control the trains, nor the scenery to make a layout etc etc. they rely Hornby/Peco/Bachmann to do the boring stuff but essential stuff

take off the lets hate on Hornby hat for a minute. They have actually created a new line of products here, this can be expanded to include allot of things in the future. I actually things it's a very good idea. love the packaging. If you look at the railway children loco that has the studio canal logo so i assume its officially licenced, surely SC know about this already. If you want official merch then you know where to go and get it.

just wanted to say i've been in contact with Mike and its all sorted, great customer support via this forum

that's a bit harsh on Sam, Phil and Holly are so far up their own ar......... To bring it back on topic, the price of the power cars is eye watering.....i have a pullman set on order and i'm seriously considering cancelling it, i just can't afford that, along with price raises on the 91 and APT, something has to give.

Thanks Mike, I will pm you my order details when I can get to my pc, for info send a few emails via the email function on your site, worth checking that’s working as expected.

hi all, does anyone have a number for them, I have sent a couple of emails via the site but had no response. I'd like to cancel a pre-order and get the exclusive from Rainbow railways. thanks

Hornby are far from alone in delayed releases so don't single them out. go look in the AS section, all their loco releases have been delayed, some by some time but not a single moan, give them all break.

surely that won't last long, the people who want one, will have one soon enough (paying stupid prices to get it).

i would of thought so, Fran thanks for the pointer, missed the first image as scrolled down to the shirt button looks fine from that distance, i was fearing a ton of wires and big socket visible. I do think a screw to hold the draw bar between tender and loco would be better

can we see a close up side on shot of the tender and loco joined together (and the plug connected) please. That's a big old white plug to have, the tender to loco connection does not look like its screwed?

99% of the issues seem to be 10000, not British Enterprise. my local shop had all of his 10000 arrive busted but his British Enterprise are ok, seems to be theme on here as well. I wonder if 10000 was put down the production line first, issues found in QC and then corrected for British Enterprise?