Paddy

It does look like the body is sitting a wee bit high on the chassis.  It is an EP so it may just be an assembly issue at this stage.  Also, not providing DCC support seems a strange choice given how popular it is.  The idea of a removable section of weight that can be replaced with a decoder would seem a reasonable compromise.

The wee loco seems to be running well in their video though.

Kind regards

Paddy

On 19/02/2021 at 17:28, Tony Wright said:

A most enjoyable afternoon has been spent thoroughly testing my new Horny A2/2 on Little Bytham....................

 

At first, I thought I'd do a comparison with my near 25 year old DJH prototype A2/2.

 

 

 

The top lamp bracket on the Hornby one will be replaced with a metal one. 

 

One interesting (very interesting?) point is the potential price comparison. Were I to build 60501 from the DJH kit for a customer (the kit would need alterations to the cab and tender for 60501/2, it really suiting 60505/6) and get Ian Rathbone (who painted this one) or Geoff Haynes to paint it, for the final price one could get six Hornby A2/2s! The equivalent of the whole class............ Food for thought.

 

 

Though the Hornby one is not as powerful in terms of pulling power as my kit-built A2/2s, this 13-car rake (mainly modified Bachmann Mk.1s with four kit-builds) was handled with relative ease, with (prototypically?) a fair bit of slipping to get it going. I'd imagine it's more than enough for most buyers. 

 

It goes fast as well..................

 

 

 

Once quality control issues are sorted out (and the 'problems' are not universal), it's a real winner in my opinion. 

 

 

Hi @Tony Wright

Glad to see your A2 does not seem to have the assembly issues endured by others.  May be the poor ones are down to specific individuals within the factory?  If I was Hornby, I would do causal analysis to reduce the risk of this sort of thing happening again.

As you indicate, Hornby's A2 represents incredible value when compared to the cost of the equivalent locomotive built and painted from a kit.  However, this does not excuse Hornby from being accountable for poor assembly and dubious (to some people) livery choices.

Whilst cheaper than a kit, the ~£190 RRP is still a lot of money to many people and it is not wrong for them to expect their model to be very good.  If the reality is that Hornby need to increase prices to get to this standard consistently then that is another conversation.

I wish Hornby every success and I truly feel for them as I am sure they did not set out to deliver models which have left some of their valued customers feeling disappointed.

Kind regards

Paddy

On 18/02/2021 at 19:50, Golden Fleece 30 said:

I have the final CIWL version with better looking table lamps. I now need to sort out a colour to match the blue for the ends then I can fix the sides on properly. Managed to scale a headboard but difficult to cut out, you wont see it at 100 mph though.

 

Garry

Hi @Golden Fleece 30

Great work and the sides look really good.  I have been working on a similar Night Ferry train but in N Gauge and considered printed sides at one point.  To my knowledge, the CIWL cars used on the Night Ferry were all over blue and not blue/white (hope I am wrong though).

In later years, there was a French railways Fourgon at the front (1 or 2) and a MK1 Blue/Grey brake at the rear.

Hope this helps.

Kind regards

Paddy

Hi Folks,

Just had a wee look at Sam’s video which shows his replacement loco.  Firstly, all credit to Simon Kohler for reaching out to Sam and sending him a replacement.  However, even the replacement is not perfect - the mind boggles.  If that was me, I would have gone over the example I was going to send to Sam with a fine tooth Combe before releasing it.  An opportunity missed a wee bit on Hornby’s part to change the narrative.

Kind regards

Paddy

1 hour ago, Toftwood said:

The Head of Brand no less has promised a 100% correct model.

 

Pete

Hi Pete

Good news and I hope you get a good one.  This reminds me of the time the CEO of Audi UK promised me that if they could not repair my new A4 they would replace it - and they did.  I got the same promise from the CEO of VW UK and they replaced my wife’s Polo.  All this was done in a mutually respectful manner and with no hard feelings on either side.  Both cars had serious issues that the dealers could not put right after multiple attempts.

Kind regards 

Paddy

1 hour ago, ndg910 said:

Hi all. After some help please. Does anyone know the paint colour of the Night Ferry/Waggon Lits blue. I found a paint matching site for rail colours and it suggested Humbrol 52 but it looks a bit pale to me although admittedly it’s only the first coat. I’ve got myself a 3D printed SR Night Ferry luggage van (not a Fourgon) and the three vans were painted to match the coaches according to Gould’s OPC bible on Southern Passenger Vans,

 

Precision used to produce a suitable match but it’s out of stock and there is no demand for another run. All help gratefully received.

 

I fancied something unusual and different from Olive Green or malachite!

A good choice of colour is Humbrol Acrylic 15 Midnight Blue Gloss.  Lovely deep, rich blue that matches the CIWL livery.  Hope this helps.

Kind regards

Paddy

Hi Folks,

My heart goes out to all of you affected by these issues and also Hornby.  To go to all that effort of designing a model which even @Tony Wright believes is one of the most accurate RTR models for it to be poorly assembled is heartbreaking.  It also sounds like other Hornby models are suffering from manufacturing issues as well.

In my humble opinion, Hornby need to get ahead of this in a proactive manner and should acknowledge the issues and offer reassurance to its loyal customers.  They really do not want to get a reputation for poor workmanship as this could quickly undo all the hard work they have done as part of their recovery.

It would great if one of the model railway magazines raised these issues with Hornby and helped them to manage communication etc.

Kind regards

Paddy

4 hours ago, LNER4479 said:

Noted. I just have a belief that this is not a modern phenomenon as such, just the current way of doing it. Accepted that we might not exactly be talking about the same thing!

Hi @LNER4479

I believe you are right but the major difference these days is that almost anyone can reach an audience of thousands with very little effort, comeback or sense of responsibility.

Kind regards

Paddy

8 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

It wasn't, I've misled you. My apologies. 

 

It must have been the Dia. 107 boiler from PRINCE PALATINE, the other surviving A3 at the time.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

Blimey, even Mr Wright can be er... wrong on occasion! 

Kind regards

Paddy

9 minutes ago, Roger Sunderland said:

The point I was trying to make about Sam’s Trains is that , although he may be a lovely chap he has set himself up as one of these, so called, “influencers “ by just simply starting a You Tube channel. Little knowledge, poor research of the prototype, amongst others seem to be his credentials.  I just think this should be questioned more. It seems anybody can do this and people “ follow” like sheep. Not least they are making money from somewhere for doing it. Unbiased opinion? I think not.

it’s a dangerous precedent when anybody can spout nonsense because they’ve tagged themselves an “expert”. No doubt there are plenty of You Tube influencers trying to tell people why they shouldn’t have the Covid-19 vaccine as well.

Hi @Roger Sunderland

And there you have one of the major problems with social media.  The same issue now affects all facets of modern life and does not seem to show any signs of changing.  I did read the other day that Apple has concerns about this and is considering doubling down on how these platforms operate if they want to exist on the Apple ecosystem.

Kind regards

Paddy

9 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

Thanks John,

 

Activity Media as a company has ceased to exist since Chris and Wendy Walsh retired. Having spoken to them, they'll not pursue a course of action because they see no point.

 

I think my main concern with the whole process is that one can still see (or could before covid) Right Track DVDs for sale at shows. Another concern is that invariably the 'copies' on line are inferior in quality.

 

I'm delighted that they've proved popular and useful for modellers, but they were also made in order to earn a living. A percentage from the sales of those I was involved with paid part of my salary when I was full-time at BRM.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

Hi Tony,

These were/are (?) a great series of videos and I purchased most of them on DVD at the time.  I will never forget you trying to spray a loco (black if memory serves) as the can squirted paint all over you.  Every time I think of that bit I have a chuckle.

Kind regards

Paddy

23 minutes ago, Chamby said:

It’s not just Sam’s video’s, the ‘unboxing’ theme is used by several you-tubers and I usually find them very tedious.  When it takes up to 15 minutes of inane waffle before the product even emerges out of the box... it just detracts from any real value in the opinions of the reviewer when they finally get there.

 

I understand that the economic aspects of you-tubing encourage extending the content to a certain length, but it strikes me that there is a real opportunity for someone to undertake short and relevant reviews of model railway products that place the viewer’s needs for succinctness above the economic and marketing pressures inherent in the delivery format.

 

That said, there is clearly a good deal of support for what Sam does from a certain demographic.  It reminds me of the polarising views that some of Tony’s content has generated in the Modelling press, but perhaps from an opposite viewpoint?

Ah, great thing about YT is that you can just skip past the boring bits. 

Kind regards

Paddy

20 minutes ago, Northmoor said:

This is all very true but that shows the common problem of popularity being confused with credibility.  It is like when the same people are always wheeled out on TV and labelled as an "Expert"; there are likely to be people who know considerably more and are less opinionated but who are too busy working in their area of expertise to want to appear on television.

 

I would question the validity of any "review" of a model, where the reviewer doesn't have (a) any significant knowledge of the prototype and/or (b) a properly-built, permanent track to test performance on.

Very true @Northmoor.  Unfortunately, that is not the world we seem to inhabit anymore.  People like Sam have the ability to materially affect the market, companies for the good and not so good.  Think about it, as many people watch Sam’s videos as buy the most popular model railway magazines...

Kind regards

Paddy

Hi Folks,

I believe Sam gets too hard a time.  There is no doubting his enthusiasm and he seems to be reasonably capable when it comes to mechanics of model locomotives.  What does surprise me, is that given this he does not have a proper test layout.  Even if it was just a board with the most common track components on it, this would add credibility to his reviews.  Sam has obviously chosen to lay his track on the carpet for a reason - I do not think it is something done from ignorance.

Having watched some of Sam’s reviews, one cannot dismiss the poor assembly/finish issues his close up photos highlight.  There is definitely improvements to be made by various manufacturers.

Finally, I would say do not underestimate Sam’s influence.  With close to 100K followers and high viewing figures he has the ability to impact the wider market.

Kind regards 

Paddy

Bit of a funny shade of green too...  Shame Hornby cannot stamp out these wee construction issues.

Kind regards

Paddy

21 hours ago, D9020 Nimbus said:

I wonder if last year's catalogue sold many copies? I must admit I fail to see the point of a catalogue that contains no new items. As a member of the Collector's Club, I will get one "free", but if I didn't, I wouldn't buy it.

Today's catalogues have very high production values but the content lacks the "wow" factor and/or narrative.  It is simply page upon page of model photographs - why purchase something like this when you can get the same information from the web?  I totally understand that people collect catalogues and good luck to them but I would like to see a return to the early Tri-ang and other brand catalogues which seem to be full of wonder and excitement.

May be it is a case of less is more?  In the 1960s, the range of models was much less so manufacturers had to work harder to make their products desirable?  Alternatively, may be I am just being overly nostalgic...

Kind regards

Paddy

4 hours ago, SD85 said:

TBH it could have been the algorithms picking up that you'd looked at a thread on here discussing the Sam's Trains video and decided to suggest in in your Youtube feed. They work on a pretty wide basis; just because you read up on something on a forum elsewhere probably isn't a barrier to Youtube suggesting it.

My wife and I are convinced Google, Facebook etc. are listening to us.  We can be having a conversation about something boring like pillows and then she gets a link on her feed for pillow retailers!
 

Kind regards

Paddy

5 minutes ago, AY Mod said:

 

You've seen the merchandise range too?  

Come on Andy, use the right term "merch"! 

Kind regards

Paddy

From Sam's Train's to Donald Trump in two pages of posts.  It is like 3 degrees of separation! 

Kind regards

Paddy

11 minutes ago, John M Upton said:

I am all in favour of freedom of speech as long as it is used appropriately.  If it is causing harm (i.e. a certain elderly gentleman in Washington DC who loses his job on Wednesday) then that human right to freedom of speech must be properly policed for the greater good and withdrawn if necessary. 

Ouch, that is one hell of a can of worms there John...

Kind regards

Paddy

10 minutes ago, AY Mod said:

 

It's 'rap'

 

I'm not a qualified first aider.

Thanks Andy.  I am dyslexic and despite trying my best, I do select the wrong "spelling" on occasion.

Kind regards

Paddy

8 minutes ago, woodenhead said:

You're correct he can spout all he likes as long as it's within the law.

 

And all we're doing here is disagreeing with him and giving our opinion without insulting him which I think is fair.

 

Free speech is tolerated on all platforms, it is people who are censoring free speech not the social media giants.   OK there is one glaring incident of recent days where someone has been banned from all general social media sites and probably because he was sowing extremism that was resulting in people dying.  There is a real concern amongst many people that that was a step too far because the social media giants have applied a judgement on an individual whilst not applying the same rules to other authoritarian regimes, and actually acting as judge and jury when they have spent so long saying they don't control content and being above certain expectations and laws regarding published content.

You got me to respond again Woodenhead - you are good! 

And all we're doing here is disagreeing with him and giving our opinion without insulting him which I think is fair.

Come on, there have been some posts which a sailing VERY close to insulting Sam and his approach. 

Free speech is tolerated on all platforms, it is people who are censoring free speech not the social media giants...

Again, it comes down to an individuals definition of what constitutes "free speech".  Everyone should have the right to offend someone else.  I am not saying I always like it but progress in thought/ideas requires strong discussion and disagreement.

Edit: That is me done or Andy will wrap my knuckles again. 

Kind regards

Paddy

11 minutes ago, woodenhead said:

Paddy, I hate to break it to you - you're in Social Media - a web forum is just an older design of Social Media, whether you care to admit it or not, you are in it.

 

It's just here you are in the moderated end of the spectrum with people who have a vested interest in having truth being spoken or opinions shared which will not harm others.

 

Facebook is not evil, it's misguided and driven by the need to accumulate wealth through knowledge but it is not peddling extremist views, but there are such places and it's where people driven off Twitter, Facebook etc reside.

 

The good news is that places like Facebook and Youtube offer options similar to RMWeb - you can choose to ignore content, ask not to be shown stuff you don't want to see and you only need to share an email address with Facebook to then get access to the many forums on there that chat about model and real railways.  That said I've not seen anything on Facebook that has anything like the depth or detail of RMWeb so it's here I spend most time and only briefly scan Facebook sites to see what trains images people are sharing.

Hi Woodenhead,

Thank you for your reply.  I will try to address your detailed response...

Paddy, I hate to break it to you - you're in Social Media - a web forum is just an older design of Social Media, whether you care to admit it or not, you are in it.

It's just here you are in the moderated end of the spectrum with people who have a vested interest in having truth being spoken or opinions shared which will not harm others.

I know, I am just a wee bit more selective in my choices but point taken.

Facebook is not evil, it's misguided and driven by the need to accumulate wealth through knowledge but it is not peddling extremist views, but there are such places and it's where people driven off Twitter, Facebook etc reside.

Never said FB was "evil" - I chose the word "bad" carefully.  As for FB not peddling extremist views - that is very subjective.  They may not be extreme to you but I can assure you there is content that will cause offence and strong responses from others.  Anyway, enough of this as we are definitely venturing off suitable topics for a toy train forum.

The good news is that places like Facebook and Youtube offer options similar to RMWeb - you can choose to ignore content, ask not to be shown stuff you don't want to see and you only need to share an email address with Facebook to then get access to the many forums on there that chat about model and real railways.  That said I've not seen anything on Facebook that has anything like the depth or detail of RMWeb so it's here I spend most time and only briefly scan Facebook sites to see what trains images people are sharing.

We are in agreement here - many people seem to forget that there is always the off, change channel, close tab button!

Kind regards

Paddy

2 minutes ago, SteveyDee68 said:

 

Ah, now "live game streaming" I get - these are usually competitions and you don't hear the person playing giving a mindless self commentary as they play! 

 

I'm not totally disconnected from today's 'yoof', you know - I have a Playstation 2 and quite a few games for it not bought at the local hospice shop! (As an aside, if anyone knows how to progress further than level 4 of The Incredibles I would be really grateful for a few tips - email me at howoldareyou@getalife.com)

 

LOL

The recorded game play is primarily down to finding out "tips" on how to progress in games.  I bit like using cheat POKEs back on your ZX Spectrum in the 1980s. 

Kind regards

Paddy

2 minutes ago, SteveyDee68 said:

 

OT Why do kids watch long YouTube videos of somebody else playing a game instead of playing it themselves?

 

I asked my daughter this and she is equated live game streaming to watching any other sport...

Kind regards

Paddy