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80class (Robert Best) has produced an interesting and honest review of the Hornby BR Duchess Class 'City of Sheffield' with DCC Sound.
Click here for the review.
Hornby BR Duchess Class ‘City of Sheffield’ with DCC Sound
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80class (Robert Best) has produced an interesting and honest review of the Hornby BR Duchess Class 'City of Sheffield' with DCC Sound.
Click here for the review.
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100 Posts
A comprehensive review Doug, thanks very much indeed.
Charley
Charley
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531 Posts
Useful report indeed. I wish the RM magazines could regularly do as well!
Clearly Hornby has a long way to go with sound and I suspect we will start to have Version1, Version2, Version2.1 etc. The simple failure to have a speaker enclosure and volume setting less than 100 per cent shows that a little more expertise needs to be brought (or should it be bought) in.
As from the box I doubt whether the product will wow many people into starting in DCC sound. But as a starting point it is not too bad and I look forward to the time when Bulleid pacifics (a nice easy one!), Black 5 s and 9Fs (work already done) are all available off the shelf with acceptable sound. In the present economic climate Hornby needs to get it right first time and not have to rely on the forbearance that many of us feel for the iconic brand.
Clearly Hornby has a long way to go with sound and I suspect we will start to have Version1, Version2, Version2.1 etc. The simple failure to have a speaker enclosure and volume setting less than 100 per cent shows that a little more expertise needs to be brought (or should it be bought) in.
As from the box I doubt whether the product will wow many people into starting in DCC sound. But as a starting point it is not too bad and I look forward to the time when Bulleid pacifics (a nice easy one!), Black 5 s and 9Fs (work already done) are all available off the shelf with acceptable sound. In the present economic climate Hornby needs to get it right first time and not have to rely on the forbearance that many of us feel for the iconic brand.
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743 Posts
Thanks Barry,
QUOTE (barrymx5 @ 13 Jan 2009, 16:47) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>In the present economic climate Hornby needs to get it right first time and not have to rely on the forbearance that many of us feel for the iconic brand.
I agree with you on this however, from my point of view Hornby have done a better job than I had hoped for. There two errors beng the lack of an enclosure and setting the volume too high can be easily fixed. At least the sound files are good enough! It s a shame that H hadn't invested a little more thought into this and corrected the errors before market, but at least we can fix them ourselves if we want to.
Tob
QUOTE (barrymx5 @ 13 Jan 2009, 16:47) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>In the present economic climate Hornby needs to get it right first time and not have to rely on the forbearance that many of us feel for the iconic brand.
I agree with you on this however, from my point of view Hornby have done a better job than I had hoped for. There two errors beng the lack of an enclosure and setting the volume too high can be easily fixed. At least the sound files are good enough! It s a shame that H hadn't invested a little more thought into this and corrected the errors before market, but at least we can fix them ourselves if we want to.
Tob
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7,397 Posts
Thanks for doing the review Rob very good.
Those were my conclusions too although I didn't have to reduce the volume. It was fine on mine.
Those were my conclusions too although I didn't have to reduce the volume. It was fine on mine.
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4,794 Posts
Imagine buying a Hi-Fi and having it set at full volume by the factory. Only by reading the manual and twiddling with the settings can you bring it down to a comfortable level - nuts.
I get the impression that many of these models are well designed and generally well made, but fall short on final configuration or when checked by quality control.
I get the impression that many of these models are well designed and generally well made, but fall short on final configuration or when checked by quality control.
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7,397 Posts
Quality control does seem to be an area where Hornby fall down. I have had a couple of models that certainly haven't been checked.
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100 Posts
QUOTE (neil_s_wood @ 13 Jan 2009, 21:20) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Quality control does seem to be an area where Hornby fall down. I have had a couple of models that certainly haven't been checked.
Agree on that Neil, but then again I had a Western Ranger from Heljan without any sign windows, I looked everywhere so made some rather than wait.Best Hornby mistake thus far was an A4 with no tender included
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Fouling wheels is a fairly regular problemfrom new.
CFT
Agree on that Neil, but then again I had a Western Ranger from Heljan without any sign windows, I looked everywhere so made some rather than wait.Best Hornby mistake thus far was an A4 with no tender included
CFT
Thanks for an excellent review.
You mention that if you don't want the air pump, don't use F4, but it also appears to be a "random" sound, so can you advise what CV to adjust and to what setting to stop it coming on automatically?
Paul.
Our Club:
http://www.runnymedemodelrailwayclub.com/
You mention that if you don't want the air pump, don't use F4, but it also appears to be a "random" sound, so can you advise what CV to adjust and to what setting to stop it coming on automatically?
Paul.
Our Club:
http://www.runnymedemodelrailwayclub.com/
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743 Posts
Thanks Paul,
Now that you mention it, the only way I can think of turning off the air pump as a random sound is to turn off all random sounds. This can be done by I THINK setting CV 61 and 62 to 0. I'm not at home right now so I can't check to be sure. If no one else comments I'll confirm it tomorrow!
Rob
Now that you mention it, the only way I can think of turning off the air pump as a random sound is to turn off all random sounds. This can be done by I THINK setting CV 61 and 62 to 0. I'm not at home right now so I can't check to be sure. If no one else comments I'll confirm it tomorrow!
Rob
Hi Rob,
Thanks for the advice - I'll give it a go!
Paul.
Our Club: http://www.runnymedemodelrailwayclub.com/
Thanks for the advice - I'll give it a go!
Paul.
Our Club: http://www.runnymedemodelrailwayclub.com/
Just got my "City of Sheffield" with DCC Sound and am quite deighted as its my first train in 50 years!
However it comes out of the box with no couplings to attach carriages! It does have a small plastic bag with what looks like a small coupling with a hole and screw but i cant see where it should go. I know Im probaly being dense but I dont want to start doing anything that breaks what is after all a very expensive toy!!
Can anyone help?
However it comes out of the box with no couplings to attach carriages! It does have a small plastic bag with what looks like a small coupling with a hole and screw but i cant see where it should go. I know Im probaly being dense but I dont want to start doing anything that breaks what is after all a very expensive toy!!
Can anyone help?
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743 Posts
Hi carnut,
The couplings are contained in the plastic bag. There is a NEM socket on the back of the tender, about halg an inch in from the back. It looks a bit like this: <_> Simply push the coupling from the bag into it. If that isn't clear enough, I'll photo myself doing it and add it to the thread later.
Rob
The couplings are contained in the plastic bag. There is a NEM socket on the back of the tender, about halg an inch in from the back. It looks a bit like this: <_> Simply push the coupling from the bag into it. If that isn't clear enough, I'll photo myself doing it and add it to the thread later.
Rob
QUOTE (80class @ 20 Jan 2009, 17:54) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Hi carnut,
The couplings are contained in the plastic bag. There is a NEM socket on the back of the tender, about halg an inch in from the back. It looks a bit like this: <_> Simply push the coupling from the bag into it. If that isn't clear enough, I'll photo myself doing it and add it to the thread later.
Rob,
Are you sure about that? Every recent Stanier tender from Hornby that I have seen still has the old push fit design of coupler; there's a rectangular slot just under the rear buffer beam, and the supplied coupler locks in with a push. To be sure I would be very pleased if an NEM pocket has made an appearance on this tender, as it is something of a PITA for fitting a Kadee, where an NEM pocket would make it very simple.
The couplings are contained in the plastic bag. There is a NEM socket on the back of the tender, about halg an inch in from the back. It looks a bit like this: <_> Simply push the coupling from the bag into it. If that isn't clear enough, I'll photo myself doing it and add it to the thread later.
Rob,
Are you sure about that? Every recent Stanier tender from Hornby that I have seen still has the old push fit design of coupler; there's a rectangular slot just under the rear buffer beam, and the supplied coupler locks in with a push. To be sure I would be very pleased if an NEM pocket has made an appearance on this tender, as it is something of a PITA for fitting a Kadee, where an NEM pocket would make it very simple.
QUOTE (34C @ 20 Jan 2009, 23:46) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Rob,
Are you sure about that? Every recent Stanier tender from Hornby that I have seen still has the old push fit design of coupler; there's a rectangular slot just under the rear buffer beam, and the supplied coupler locks in with a push. To be sure I would be very pleased if an NEM pocket has made an appearance on this tender, as it is something of a PITA for fitting a Kadee, where an NEM pocket would make it very simple.
I have spoken to Hornby Customer Service this morning who were very helpful; they said that the NEM coupling should have been attached to the tender as standard and that they will send me a new one ( with "pocket" for tender)
The coupling in the bag is for the front if you want to have one there.
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Are you sure about that? Every recent Stanier tender from Hornby that I have seen still has the old push fit design of coupler; there's a rectangular slot just under the rear buffer beam, and the supplied coupler locks in with a push. To be sure I would be very pleased if an NEM pocket has made an appearance on this tender, as it is something of a PITA for fitting a Kadee, where an NEM pocket would make it very simple.
I have spoken to Hornby Customer Service this morning who were very helpful; they said that the NEM coupling should have been attached to the tender as standard and that they will send me a new one ( with "pocket" for tender)
The coupling in the bag is for the front if you want to have one there.
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