Legend

14 hours ago, Peter Kazmierczak said:

 

Why would they just dismiss RMweb? Surely it's in their long-term interest to get to the bottom of any concerns.

 Ostrich syndrome . There’s nothing wrong with our models . They don’t usually like admitting there are issues . 

On 02/05/2024 at 06:49, darrel said:

Dear Rapido. When you were 3D scanning the Jones goods, you may have seen all the other nice steam locos next to it in the riverside museum. Fingers crossed you scanned them as well. If not please go back with the scanner. 

In particular Glen Douglas would be very nice to have. 

Oh and there are a lot of nice Glasgow trams there if you could aim the scanner in their direction that would also be very welcome. 

Oh Yes !  Lovely Glen Douglas .And why do made up blue locos when you could have a lovely Blue Caley Dunalastair . And we know Jason likes buses . A nice Scottish Bus Group, Alexander D bodywork Daimler Fleetline 

7 hours ago, Covkid said:

 

After a couple of holidays on the island and visits to Havenstreet, I have several times hovered over the "buy"button for an O2. They are such beautiful locos in comparison to the ugly Caley 0-4-4ts, but I keep coming back to the original designer and the scores of complaints about the models, then move my finger away !!!  If a new "deJonesed" mechanism were introduced by EFE I would very likely purchase one in BR black.    

Ugly Caley 0-4-4Ts . How dare you sir !  Pistols at dawn ! 

9 hours ago, jjb1970 said:

 

It's not just model railways. There are always claims that manufacture of X will stay in country A because they're the only ones with the capability and skills to do it. What that really means is the economic and operational arguments to make the necessary investment to build skills and capability somewhere else don't (yet) stack up. If the calculation changes then the capabilities can be developed elsewhere surprisingly quickly.

There  are also political factors . I believe Apple is moving production of some of its products from China . This is causing Foxconn its leading subcontractor to lay off employees.  I think the West is finally waking up to the fact that all its manufacturing eggs are in a Chinese basket . 

2 hours ago, franciswilliamwebb said:

 

I know!  I don't know whether to buy them or not! 😇

I need the guide on how to unbox them . Im lost 

1 hour ago, The Stationmaster said:

 

 

Back to Hornby ... where Railroad remains something of an enigma which needs to be either dumped (wrong move I think) or be given a consistent brand and price point identity.  Hopefully the new marketing people will get round to sorting that one as properly marketed it could be just what the company needs for part of its model railway business in the current economic climate.

Probably too simplistic. But I think they need to have a range of basic/existing models including track and train sets in the Railroad range area , but maybe not called that , maybe in fact that’s the main range .Then a separate offering that models locos in depth , like Accurascale, Bachmann, Heljan . Full fat models at enthusiast prices and offered in several different versions simultaneously.  They could call it Silver Seal ! 

1 hour ago, The Stationmaster said:

 

 

The market had changed, the deep discount situation has gone (in my view something which is good for the hobby - as I've long said) .  So the old, high turnover, highly profitable, Hattons business model is no longer valid.  And, for whatever reasons, diversification doesn't seem to have worked as well for Hattons as it has for, say, Kernow

I think Mike because they fell out with the manufacturer . They couldn’t stock Bachmann and at the same time Hornby had a shortage of capacity resulting in the ridiculous tier system . A company that needs to sell as much as possible , restricting sales ……duh !  So that clearly had an effect on the high volume low margin model of Hattons and while latterly it looked like they could take preorders again , I think the damage had been done . 
 

Going back to Hornby , I’ve just watched Richard Proudmans presentation of Bachmanns new 25 . I think I’m counting 11 versions (and three styles in each of these ) and you realise just how far Hornby are behind .  I think really Hornby lost it when they failed to upgrade their BR diesels in 2000s . Allowed Bachmann , Heljan to run away with it . They certainly seemed to have a blind spot on BR blue 

Just watched the video . Excellent presentation . Thanks to Richard I think for the clearest explanation of 25/0 25/1 25/2 and 25/3 . Has always been a puzzler to me with different body styles in 25/2 . It’s also apparent that there’s much more than 6 releases . I think I counted 11 and confirmation 25057 will be available weathered and unweathered . 
 

I’m almost certainly going to get one . I run analogue and again Richard makes a big point of being able to run sound fitted locos on analogue . I’d really love to see an example of this . TMC did it with the Heljan 47 , it would be great to see how a sound fitted 25 performs on analogue . What is the effect on speed . If it’s still reasonable I’d really be tempted . One of my abiding memories is of a 25 sitting at the buffer stops platform 3 at Queen St . Behind her was a train to Dundee which as was common then , she was going to bank out and up Cowlairs incline . The roar as she throttled up was superb and I’d love to recapture this with a 25 . Yes I know I need DCC to get the whole effect, but that’s not going to happen with the many old locos I run . So I’d really be interested on what a sound loco runs on analogue .

But overall great job Bachmann . Lots of choice there . 

Might be tempted by this . I still run my old Hornby 25. But this looks interesting . I think SLW would be the one to get , but I’m fed up looking at that thread about people who have been waiting years . Seems like it’s a cottage industry compared to a mainstream release 

Strange that there’s only one banger blue 25/1 from what I can see and that’s weathered . 

34 minutes ago, adb968008 said:

Just an observation…

 

its been 13 days, 16 pages since last time we saw a picture from a purchaser of this model (not a youtube review). Even then its only 2 confirmed sightings, and both are on page 28. The thread has had 98k views.

 

Compare to the 2MT which turned up on page 25 of its thread, and had 20 different purchasers images over the next 16 pages, which has had over 125k views.

 

This feels a little underwhelming for a brand new tooled model of a very popular prototype…  

 

Is anyone excited by a new Black 5 ?

 

That might be because it's only the LMS model released and people , I suspect the majority, have ordered the BR and Caprotti Versions .  There are a couple of really positive reviews on YouTube but they all comment on the distance between loco and tender .  2 Reviews have had an issue with getting it to run at all . 

With the 2MT I Don't recall any negative reviews except its in the older style of packaging and is relatively pricey  given that it doesn't have firebox glow or ironically working lights! 

They could have come from different factories of course , so the quality of one is not necessarily replicated with the other

The 66 market is probably now saturated at the Hornby level - I wouldn't be at all surprised if they are in slow moving stock .  Anything in "made up" liveries like the W1 also not a surprise  and I'll bet you Turbomotives will be appearing shortly . 

Wow Dapol certainly seem to be the GWRs friend ! Great announcement . Looks like a great specification and a decent price for what you get b. Although primarily a Scottish modeller I am tempted as I have a good few GWR models now . Makes sense with their auto coach too .

I really hope they are rewarded for introducing these and that no one reintroduces the DJ version .

2 hours ago, adb968008 said:

i blame it on the mugs…

 

Far too many

it’s a wonder the handle hasn’t fallen off 

1 hour ago, Sjcm said:

Yep, the problem is no-one knows exactly what the problem is. Is it a mechanical problem where the tender connectors on this batch are not making proper contact when they click in. Is is an electrical problem somewhere in the loco or tender (faulty/corroded contacts). On the one hand Sam's trains got his working with contact cleaner which hints at electrical problems. On the other hand that didn't work with first one. Maybe it's a combination of both and the main difference between the P2 and the black 5 is QC or cost cutting.

could it be manufacturing tolerances eg on loco the connector sitting very fractionally lower than it should or vice versa .  We don’t know , of course , but that’s a few defects we’ve seen now . Hope those that have a BR one on order benefit from the experience being picked up on the initial LMS one . Maybe there will be more testing or will Hornby send them out regardless for customers and retailers to do their QC . I know which one I think will happen 

On 26/04/2024 at 17:56, LNER4479 said:

Fine in the MkIIs today; not sure what it would be like in height of summer with no air-con running ...

I was just referring to the fact that the doors themselves were locked out of use; otherwise free to walk through them (and in fact had to at both Glenfinnan and Mallaig, as the MkII at the rear was off the platform.

I mean common sense wise that just can’t be right ! The mk2d with CDL is off the platform so you have to walk through the mk1 so that you presumably alight from the next mk2 . So an opening door next to a platform could be two coaches away at the extreme and one coach away at best . Can this be legal?  Also even though the mk1s are not for passenger use surely folks going to the toilet must be considered “ passenger use “ . What is the ORR doing . I just get the feeling WCRC are sticking the two fingers of scorn up . Surely operators that have complied must be furious at these antics 

16 hours ago, Peter Kazmierczak said:

Sam's done another review of the Black Five, with a replacement. Check it out:   (2) Let's Try Again | Hornby's New Black 5 Take 2 | Unboxing & Re-Review - YouTube

I thought another pretty decent review even if the subject didn’t come out well .

So again, slightly warped running plate 

Crank pin falling out 

Similar issue on tender-loco pick up but this time resolved using contact cleaner ( is that a permanent fix?) 

You step back and then consider this is a £204 model . Really! 

12 hours ago, Barry O said:

Cvr(t) a Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance  (tracked) wirh a FV 430 armoured personnel carrier.

 

You can use both on public roads..

 

Baz

 Probably ideal with some of the pot holes we have round here 

A good reminder of Eric Treacy . I’d bet he’d be thrilled there will be locos on his name whizzing round model railways - especially Lime St 

53 minutes ago, Fireline said:

 

Oh, Sam. Mr "I give anything from Hornby an absolute kicking, coincidentally from around the time they stopped just giving me stuff to review...."

He never got stuff to review from manufacturer. He buys the models himself which is why it’s an independent review .  And frankly he’s equal handed when it comes to any manufacturer . 
 

So he had a model that had faulty tender connection and we now know he is not alone from another YouTuber above

He had glue marks on a £200+ model that were clearly illustrated

He stated the lights were glued in , which others have confirmed they are . I suppose it depends how much glue is used as to how removable they are 

So a verifiable review . Not exactly an unfounded “absolute kicking “ 

2 minutes ago, AndrueC said:

Yes. Did the government ever do that?

 

Well okay there is an example of government investing money into the railways. HS2. That's working out...not so well.

Not saying they’ve done it in past, although the much maligned BR did give us a pretty good Inter-City Railway . At one stage I think we had more 125mph trains than anywhere else . But I’m thinking not for profit co that plough any gains back into the business 

4 hours ago, bmb5dnp1 said:

Hello,

    I've never understand why people have problems with shareholders (which may include your pension scheme) making money as without them there'd be no investment or jobs anyway. Looking at the plan (and assuming I understand it) the plans are almost exactly the same as the present government is working towards. I believe that the ROSCOs and freight companies will remain in private hands ? I thought that the ROSCOs were the main thing that needed reform due to leasing costs etc. It does appear that we haven't learnt the lessons of the past that when the railways are dependent on government spending they will inevitably go to the end of the queue. For instance I don't believe the developments carried out by Chiltern (with private money), eg the Oxford link, redoubling of Bicester-Anyho, introduction of extra rolling stock would have occurred in public hands. I suppose I'm a bit cynical but the plan looks to me to be virtually identical to the present trajectory but it will allow the left wing media to have "Railways Renationalised" headlines which will appeal to Labour's potential voters.

 

                             Dave 

Becsuse it extracts money from the railways . Yes as a pensioner with investments I take your pension scheme points. But surely for the benefit of railways and the travelling public as a whole it’s better to plough profits back into the railways . Benefits for the many not just those privileged enough to be shareholders , whether that’s direct or through pension funds . I’d also say Water , Gas and Electricity  but that’s probably trampling into politics 

Someone has tooled a 313 . It must turn up soon surely ! 

17 hours ago, The Stationmaster said:

One thing which has changed over the years is the time of payment.  in many cases in the apast payment was not made ion Chinese produced model railway items until they had been received at the UK shipping agent's port premises.  But. certain behaviours by various -but particularly one person - in the UK market has meant that final payment is now often raised at factory gate.  Thus although the goods are not taken into stock at that point money is being paid out.  

 

However Hornby's mountain of unsold stuff has, I'm sure, very little to do with that change of payment arrangement and is largely, if not entirely, down to past mismanagement and very poor to non-existent marketing decisions.  For years a retailer friend f mine was loud in his complaint that if Hornby repeted a model in many cases they couldn't even be bothered to offer a different running number.  If you don't make what folk will buy then you aren't going to sell it.

 

Factory payment arrangements also vary with some folk repotedly still being able to get end-loaded payment where various stages of work aren't paid for until tooling starts or - I have heard in one case, -until end production starts.  The time of paying out during development thus varies although hopefully it will all be ciming out of a development budgeting process which takes account of the way payments are invoiced by the factory.

 

But whatever happens, and presumably exacerbated by the Red Sea shipping route debacle, money is now usually having to be paid out a much longer time before it can begin to be recovered as sales revenue.  But budgeting and cash flow management should, I hope, recognise that problem

Just a bit of accounting here Mike . Goods can’t disappear between paying out money for it and receipt in stock . As soon as you pay for it it’s out of cash in your balance sheet , so the asset needs to be accounted for as “goods in transit” which will form part of their stock figure . 
 

It would be interesting to find out exactly what this slow moving inventory is , remembering it could be Corgi/Airfix/Scalextric  as well as Hornby . 
 

Standard accounting practice is that it should be valued at the lower of cost or Net Realisable Value (ie what you can get for it) - surely we must be on verge of some large write offs ? 
 

Agree with maximisation of tooling and getting as many liveries out as possible . The lack of blue/grey Mk1s this year  and more liveries on the 50 (eg Banger blue) is an example . Also by having blue/grey mk1s they could have stopped valuable tooling costs of mk2e/fs as there would be something for blue diesels to run with .Introduce mk2s later when scale has settled in . Also , while it is early days , according to their 2024 TT120 catalogue they only intend launching Class 37s initially as era 6 (green?) and era 9 (EWS) . Surely if you want to maximise cash flow you would also go for standard and large logo blue ones . TT120 needs critical mass .They seemed to have figured this into their tooling yet won’t get the benefit of it till later . This is a company that needs cash ! 
 

it looks like they’ve decided to make too much of the wrong stuff in the past . But I still think a significant issue is lack of manufacturing capacity which is stopping the maximisation of their tools . They just can’t get the manufacturing slots .