7013

Itcertainly generated a bit of discussion to keep everyone on their toes whilst in enforced isolation.

Well, got round to unpacking mine again and popping it on to my track for a test. No bits in the box...result Run my loco over my very dirty tracks and points which it negotiated with consumate ease. minor wobble disappeared after a couple of runs up and down the track..result Lights all working, Fired up the engine, beautiful sound....result Check all the functions, all working beautifully....result Switch off pick loco up, admire in close up....whoops six AB covers missing...quick check of the box again, long check of my layout...No ABs. Conclusion? they were never on the loco in the first place. I will ask Hattons for replacements which I will put on as per instructions. To be honest the rotating ABs were a good idea but they are IMO not worth the bother. I will replace mine and see how they go, if they are going to fall off frequently I will simply cut the attaching bit off and glue the cover in place.and live with a non rotating AB.. It is a wonderful machine that clearly elevates the model to a new level in terms of sound, lights and detail, what a shame it is marred by silly poor QA

Whilst I have no wish to prolong this thread about Marcus' video. The option is, you can return it and either hope a replacement is issue free, or get your money back. Or as Marcus did carry out the repairs himself. What is not clear is how much repair one can do without negating your warranty. I have just a few minutes ago received my loco (Freightliner RLS). Unfortunately I have just started a major expansion of my layout so will only be able to look at it on my small test track. However stage one complete, i.e. removed it from the box and all bits are intact, nothing appears loose at present and all the axle boxes are in place. Absolutely stunning looking model. When I have time I will fire it up and give it the once over.

Whilst I agree it was incredibly bad luck to get two locos with major faults, there is evidence that people have had multiple purchases which are fine. The review that Marcus did was excellent but you cannot extrapolate that the majority of 66s are faulty on that review alone. Also, those with problems are more likely to post on this site to share and seek resolutions to their problems, so that skews the sample. As I said the review is fine but it can only be taken as indicative of the model if you know what percentage it represents of the total sales. To say the model is fault free would be wrong, but Marcus can only condemn those two models not the whole production unless we have the full picture.

Well my 66 must be in revenue earning service. It has gone from Hattons up north to Swindon, then to Bicester, now back to Swindon! At some stage it may reach Banbury!

I take your point Rob D2, And yes you can only review what you have, but to make it properly unbiased there must be an acknowledgement that there are a lot of 66s sold that have no problems at all. My point about bias is that Marcus had already had problems with his EWS 66 so it is only natural he should approach the GBRf loco with a certain degree of negativity. It was unfortunate for him that he got another loco that was poor which reinforced his opinion of the 66. The video was excellent and Marcus certainly showed his skills in sorting out the problems; it is to be hoped that the extensive problems he had are few and far between.

Hi Marcus No criticism intended and it was really unfortunate that you got a couple of bad models. My point about bias was because you had problems with your EWS 66 perhaps your review (lets call t that then) was based on a previously bad experience . Your video and commentary, and description of the faults you found and how you fixed them was excellent and I applaud you for that, and did acknowledge it at the beginning. My concern is that not all 66s distributed have what appear to be major faults like yours. I have just received notification from Royal Mail that my Freightliner 66 is being delivered today. I am hoping I do not have any faults at all, but if I do I will either fix minor faults or send it back if it has major faults. Of course I could send it to you for repair because I coud/would not take on the repairs you did.Stay safe

Have just read this review in its entirety, It is good for what it is, however poor Marcus does seem to have been sent a couple of duff models, especially when you think about the hundreds that have been sent out and have had no issues at all, and yes there are some that have minor issues ,however, they do not necessitate stripping a brand new loco down and essentially carrying out major adjustments/repairs to get it working, and unfortunately that is where this review fails. It is biased in that Marcus has undertaken this 'review' with the premise that he is going to find numerous faults, therefore it is more of a fault finding exercise than a review, his whole dialogue is negatively slanted. In fact it is Marcus' opinion based on his unfortunate experience but cannot be extrapolated to conclude these are common findings across the board. Yes the Axle Box covers are a common finding, but I certainly have not heard of remedial work of these proportions. I rarely if ever look at You Tube but I have not seen on RMweb lots of references to major work such as that undertaken by Marcus. Marcus is clearly happy to take a brand new model apart and re jig it to get it working, and although I class myself as a competent modeller I have to ask why would anyone undertake such work on a new model? It is what it is, a brutally honest opinion based on his experience, it is not however (IMO) an unbiased review.

Nothing wrong with Didcot 3rd Rail Exile......I grew up there and spent many a happy hour sneaking into the shed (that’s the link to the 66) when it was working.

Reading through the recent pages many of the running problems seem to be caused by the revolving axle box covers which are either tight because of glue, or assembled poorly which prevents them turning properly. This in turn has led to wobbly running or some of the AB covers coming off. What is heartening is that when fixed the running quality of these locos appears to be superb. I have just received notification that my 66 is on its way. I certainly hope that mine will be free of any glitches. However, seeing the fixes I feel pretty confident that if there are problem I could handle the fixes. That said it takes a brave man to unclip the bogie sides and drill out the holes. Also I believe a fairly simple aid to keep the ABs revolving freely would to be smear a tiny bit of grease on them, or a little Vaseline would probably suffice. I have ordered a sound fitted model so I hope that I do not have to remove the body. I am waiting with equal measures of trepidation and excitement.

Whenever I have had locos on rolling roads I notice that there is a slight wobble if the wheels are not seated precisely. I would be intersting to see if the wobble is as pronounced under normal running conditions. Quick question: To those who have received locos from the latest batch. Did Hattons inform you by email that the loco had been posted?

This is indeed good news, lets hope that the issues have been resolved and their delivery is not impeded by the fast evolving COVID-19 problem

To sum up from Daves last posting given that there were 'misunderstandings' between Hattons and the Manufacturers I would say the following apply 1. You can return your model for an exchange. 2. You can fix it yourself/or get someone with the requisite skills to do it for you. 3. Live with it 4. Not live with it and cancel your order These problems were unfortunate and mistakes happen, I am sure Hattons have learned a salutary lesson with this 66 but one hopes that it will not put them off commissioning other ground breaking models. We must bear in mind that the lighting options on this 66 reach far beyond any other models, and it is only one type of lighting that is affected. I am sure if there are further runs of 66s in future Hattons will rectify the problem lights (and paintwork). When all is said and done Hattons 66 imperfections pale into insignificance compared with Bachmanns total b***s up of the Modified Hall.

I think you would have to be very savvy if the modification is as tricky as it sounds. I wouldn’t touch it with the proverbial 10’ barge pole. Mind you, that would probably wreck the model altogether!

It does seem rather odd to say that there is not going to be a fix. However that does not mean it cannot be fixed. One would hope that if/when a fix is carried out perhaps that could be shared with owners of the affected models who could then decide if they wanted the fix.

It is good that Dave has been very forthright regarding the lights on certain models. I am sure some electronic genius will sort out a fix in due course. It is obvious there are so many variations on these locos especially those that have changed operators. Some of these changes are temporary others more permanent, there are even changes during its time with one operator. When someone finds a white window surround or the wrong colour below the buffer line it is noteworthy but not terribly important as it can be remedied fairly easily. Bigger mistakes are more difficult to tolerate for some. Hattons have been very bold with this 66 and are attempting to produce the definitive model which to a greater extent they have. With such a bold undertaking the scope for error is enlarged. I have the ‘Stephensons Society’ Freightliner version on order and am blissfully ignorant of the light clusters. As long as the model looks and sounds like a 66 I will be happy, any niggles with paintwork I can sort, any lighting issues I will live with. I just hope it is delivered before my wife gets back from NZ at the end of March!

If I am reading this right, and I am no expert on DCC. The 66/6 version of the loco have all these singing and dancing light combinations but you can only access the full range if you have a sound chip (the one one supplied with the sound fitted models), and so far no non sound chip will access all those functions?

I know they are not a direct comparison but I guess Dapol are looking at the Hatton 66 niggles and making sure that they do not appear on their 59. It would make sense to do so especially if the detail on this loco is up there with the Hattons 66.

The media may do that but the WHO definitely do not. Corona virus is a dangerous and in many cases deadly disease, and that cannot be overstated. I would rather my 66 was held up for an age if it meant people were safe from this disease.

I suspect we will be waiting until around March for our sound locos with all that is happening in China to delay them.

It does seem rather silly producing the 91 with no new Mk4 stock or a DVT. Bit like producing a steam loco without a tender. Hornby excel in some areas such as detail, running qualities etc. However when it comes to things like DCC they can be rather basic/simplistic and certainly not pushing the boundaries. Cavalex have been very magnanimous in their comments, one can’t help feeing that now the opposition have conceded there is no pressure on Hornby to produce the best 91 they could, just an acceptable one.

Shame they are only making 500 which have already been pre ordered. Inevitably some will go to collectors, others will go to speculators and end up commanding hugely inflated prices on eBay etc.Ces’t la vie

What do I know? well one thing I sure as hell don't know and that is what 'metrics' are.

I am resigned to 'I will get mine when it comes to the door'. I am glad Hattons are being proactive in showing how to refit the axle box covers, however given that it is a moving part that can come off, and inevitably some will get lost I wonder if Dave could reassure us that there will be spares available?

Of course there is always some disappointment with what is announced, unfortunately Hornby (or any other manufacturer for that matter) cannot produce everything we may wish for. Hornby have made plenty of GWR/BR locos over the past few years. There is a good spread of modern/old locos whether you want or need them is entirely a personal choice. I believe there are some exiting developments coming especially with the new app. control system which must have huge potential. I like the fact that there is a new APT-E coming out, it will be good to see a really detailed model, and at a sensible price (compared to the Bachman Blue Pullman). Inevitably Hornby will announce further variations of some of the new products. I like the fact there are intermodal wagons with loads at good prices too. Well done Hornby for continuing to give us some lovely locos and stock and a few innovations.