[cbrooks122000]

That is amazing £252.99 it was nowhere near that price when I preordered it last year. Me thinks it may be time to cancel. £40 more and I can get a decent sound fitted loco from Bachmann or Dapol especially as Bachmann seem to be getting decent chassis with brass bearings. I recently bought the class 812 off Rails with sound and nothing fell off it like the Hush Hush I bought from Hornby.

 

[cbrooks122000]

Specific to the Bachmann 9F, my four specimens have been galloping around the layout for 15 years now, pulling trains of up to 2.5kg, and keep in mind I operate daily if possible. Still run equally smoothly compared to the brass bearing models I use. I reckon that the light plastic compatible greases now available do the job of wear reduction much better than the oil of the past, when significant wear was observable in mazak chassis block axle holes.

Until we can persuade more manufacturers to take up the 0.6mm flange depth that Heljan have been using, we are stuck with the need for compromise when wheels are closely spaced, to enable the flanges of adjacent wheelsets to clear. Bachmann opted for equidistant axle spacing on their 9F, the compromise an extra 0.5mm, so a 2mm overlength coupled wheelbase. I have yet to read a single complaint about this, let alone a review that picked this up; but what is evident is equidistant axle spacing as on the prototype, a better compromise in my opinion.

Thanks for the information on the Bachmann 9F, I will see about regreasing mine. It definitely looks a lot better than the Hornby one

 

[cbrooks122000]

This is happening with every new release from Hornby, I was going to buy the farewell tour HST set until you realise it’s £363 for effectively a Loco and a coach!

I wonder if Simon Kohler has had the television series gone to his head?

I did that same comparison a year ago when I bought the City of Edinburgh.and that was at £264. Even if you took the latest class 90 from Bachmann and complimented it with the dummy trailer from Hornby I don't think I would get near the new price. You might if you added the new sound option with pantograph control. Only time will tell, I may be wrong but I don't think there is that much money out there. The cost of living is getting high which means there is less money for hobbies. I wonder if Bachmann will increase their prices, they are beginning to look pretty cheap against the new Hornby ones.

 

[cbrooks122000]

I got my Bachmann one out this afternoon and immediately realised why I don't use it much. It doesn't have tender pickups now I know that they are not an absolute requirement but they do give better running.