I have yet to read Chris Leigh's editorial, so I can't yet comment directly on that. I have noted in recent reviews that he was having increasing issues with Hornby's packaging.
Just at the moment, on my workbench, I am in the process of re-assembling several new Hornby locos. My Britannia 'William Wordsworth' came with several pieces detached in the box, including the wind deflectors from the windows. My M7 has loose pipework (at least by the time I had removed it from the box), my M&S Flying Scotsman loco has a rear step detached from the tender, and a front step detached from the loco.
Basically, these are all superb models, but I am getting fed up of receiving them in kit form. If I wanted to build a kit, I would buy one. I echo DBCLASS50's comments above about the clear plastic 'thingy' that Marklin etc use. Though this is not infallable, as I have received one Marklin loco damaged by it's packaging.
Basically, I think the problem is that Hornby's products are now world leading in terms of the amount of fine detail parts that are fitted, and I say this with good experience of European manufacturers products too. I don't think they need to aim at luxury packaging, just packaging that does it's job, i.e. gets the loco to it's owner in one piece.
Hornby could learn from other manufacturers regarding the way some parts are fitted. For example, the wind deflectors on Marklin steam locomotives are usually fitted from the inside of the cab as part of the glazing unit, rather than being glued to the outside with 2 or three drops of CA.
To sum up, I think Hornby have reached the point where they need to hire a packaging specialist to overhaul the way in which their super-detail models are packaged. If the A3 requires a complex 2 part EPS tray and locking pieces when packaged as an individual loco, then why assume that it can then be placed in a hormal tray in a train set and still survive? I've tried to be constructive in what I've said, but I do think there is a problem with the packaging of many of the new models that needs to be urgently addressd.
Just at the moment, on my workbench, I am in the process of re-assembling several new Hornby locos. My Britannia 'William Wordsworth' came with several pieces detached in the box, including the wind deflectors from the windows. My M7 has loose pipework (at least by the time I had removed it from the box), my M&S Flying Scotsman loco has a rear step detached from the tender, and a front step detached from the loco.
Basically, these are all superb models, but I am getting fed up of receiving them in kit form. If I wanted to build a kit, I would buy one. I echo DBCLASS50's comments above about the clear plastic 'thingy' that Marklin etc use. Though this is not infallable, as I have received one Marklin loco damaged by it's packaging.
Basically, I think the problem is that Hornby's products are now world leading in terms of the amount of fine detail parts that are fitted, and I say this with good experience of European manufacturers products too. I don't think they need to aim at luxury packaging, just packaging that does it's job, i.e. gets the loco to it's owner in one piece.
Hornby could learn from other manufacturers regarding the way some parts are fitted. For example, the wind deflectors on Marklin steam locomotives are usually fitted from the inside of the cab as part of the glazing unit, rather than being glued to the outside with 2 or three drops of CA.
To sum up, I think Hornby have reached the point where they need to hire a packaging specialist to overhaul the way in which their super-detail models are packaged. If the A3 requires a complex 2 part EPS tray and locking pieces when packaged as an individual loco, then why assume that it can then be placed in a hormal tray in a train set and still survive? I've tried to be constructive in what I've said, but I do think there is a problem with the packaging of many of the new models that needs to be urgently addressd.
