[DS239]

QUOTE (spongebob @ 3 Feb 2006, 14:15)I wonder if they'll bother with the lima n gauge range all 30 odd items of it

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The best thing they could do with that is melt all the tooling down for scrap...

 

[spongebob]

I think the best thing for n gauge at the moment is if dapol and farish stop playing silly buggers and competing for the same buyers with duplicate items like the class 66. There is more than enough in the british outline to go for without pointless duplication however good the products may both be. There will be a winner and loser and sadly i can see which will be which. I've never quite figured dapol out as a manufacturer, they could've sewn up the pendolino market long before the new hornby model was announced but didn't bother as they seem happy to release very limited editions at very infrequent periods. Then they go completely off track and seemingly dive headlong into another scale altogether admittedly there is less competition in n scale but its a risky venture in my opinion as there are also fewer modellers(he says not wishing to offend any n scalers who may read this).

As i say the best thing is to sort it out before hornby decide to take the plunge and possibly outstrip the both of them.

 

[neil_s_wood]

In terms of what Hornby should be producing the prototypes they are producing are mainly ok.. I would like to see an A4 in BR blue though. The problem is the quality.
I would like to see them produce models in metal which were robust enough to last. Additionally, they are so far behind in the DCC market, which lets face it is the only way to go now, I had expected them to make a quantum leap to catch up which they failed to do. I had hoped they would provide models with lights and sound and all they have come up with is three starter sets with decoder installed locos which these days is standard.
For those of you out there who have locos made by Marklin or Roco, when you compare their product with Hornbys offering it seems incredible that Hornby get away with offering such poor product. The last Hornby loco I bought was their GNER Hst which was too weak to pull six coaches, had painted on lights and the only sound it made was the motor grinding as it struggled to move. Compare this with the Trix ICE3 which has several sound features, all coach lighting, changing headlights with direction and powerful enough to have six or seven coaches without sounding like it's going to die. This is the benchmark Hornby needs to reach before it can really be a quality manufacturer.

 

[neil_s_wood]

In terms of what Hornby should be producing the prototypes they are producing are mainly ok.. I would like to see an A4 in BR blue though. The problem is the quality.
I would like to see them produce models in metal which were robust enough to last. Additionally, they are so far behind in the DCC market, which lets face it is the only way to go now, I had expected them to make a quantum leap to catch up which they failed to do. I had hoped they would provide models with lights and sound and all they have come up with is three starter sets with decoder installed locos which these days is standard.
For those of you out there who have locos made by Marklin or Roco, when you compare their product with Hornbys offering it seems incredible that Hornby get away with offering such poor product. The last Hornby loco I bought was their GNER Hst which was too weak to pull six coaches, had painted on lights and the only sound it made was the motor grinding as it struggled to move. Compare this with the Trix ICE3 which has several sound features, all coach lighting, changing headlights with direction and powerful enough to have six or seven coaches without sounding like it's going to die. This is the benchmark Hornby needs to reach before it can really be a quality manufacturer.

 

[Chrisgus]

OK Great aim but from what we've seen on this forum will anyone be prepared to pay for it?

 

[spongebob]

QUOTE (Chrisgus @ 10 Feb 2006, 09:47)OK Great aim but from what we've seen on this forum will anyone be prepared to pay for it?
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Err no!
I'm loath to pay £160 for a pendolino set which hornby admit is going to be bog standard by comparison to their previous releases.Especially as they haven't given any thought to a realistic and affordable overhead catenary system or are we all going to model the line to Holyhead?

 

[Gary]

Some of the fully featured digital diecast continental loco offerings are £300 or more. How would the UK market react if Hornby suddenly produced a £400 fully featured digital loco with diecast body?

Shock?

Thats the perspective we need to be looking and and if the Pendolino digital set does not sell in large numbers at the price it is being offered at then clearly there is not the general interest in DCC in the UK that everybody presumes!

Happy modelling
Gary

 

[spongebob]

I wouldn't take the failure or otherwise of the pendolino as a gauge of the level of interest in DCC over here more a possible reflection of the choice of prototype used. A set used on one line in the UK as opposed to maybe a good crack at the HST which lets face it is the one modern passenger set which has a. been crying out for a facelift for years and b. would be more at home on more layouts than a pendolino. Instead you have a glorified EMU with one colour scheme so far, no effective method of propulsion available and no frills. I'd sooner have a pair of voyagers.
Incidentally has anyone noticed that bachmann have dropped the voyager and super voyager apart for the 3car train set or was it absent from last years range too?

How do the detail levels compare on the continental diecast locos to a uk plastic model? I always tend to think of diecast as heavy, basic items but indestructable. like the old hornby dublo stuff( he says awaiting the avalanche of screams from dublo fans)

 

[dwb]

>old hornby dublo stuff( he says awaiting the avalanche of screams from dublo fans)
My first thought when I unpacked my nice shiny new flush windowed Hornby Pullman "Minerva" was "it looks just like tin plate..." That's what years of deep window recesses do to your expectations

David

 

[37197]

Come on Hornby a decent grid and bone!!!

 

[Lancashire Fusilier]

Hi all, just new here but would love an off the shelf LMS period 2-6-0+0-6-2 Beyer Garratt, DCC ready with two motors in consist mode ready to haul a record number of coalers (say 50 or so?)

Is that too much to ask

 

[The Phat Controller]

Class 17 Clayton for me would be nice!

also Class 13 double shunter

and early (and I mean EARLY) class 08 (built 1930's prototype)

maybe a Leader class loco 0-6-6-0 - hideously beautiful

and maybe JUST maybe this:

not much to ask!

 

[silver760]

I too agree that hornby ,etc,have gone stupid with the small plastic detailing,everytime I get a derailment (often)there is always a trail of annoying small plastic parts that have broken off,given gluing them back on now,with new models that I have bought recently.

Hornby has gone away from providing model trains for kids and are soley basing their market on the (rich) adult modeller.

You cannot beat the older loco's for reliability,rebuildabilty and sheer strength.

I shall be enjoying everyone else's cast offs for years,most of my loco's are 30 years or more old and with a bit of love and care,soon return to their original selves.

Wear is usally minimal and most just need a set of brushes,some a recon motor,to make them as good as new.

Dont think I will be bothering with DCC and smoke,lights,sound.

Too much trouble!!

Stew.

 

[neil_s_wood]

QUOTE Hornby has gone away from providing model trains for kids and are soley basing their market on the (rich) adult modeller

Not entirely. There is an extensive Thomas the Tank engine range which would be specifically for kids.

QUOTE I too agree that hornby ,etc,have gone stupid with the small plastic detailing,everytime I get a derailment (often)there is always a trail of annoying small plastic parts that have broken off,given gluing them back on now,with new models that I have bought recently.

I agree with this completely. The detail parts really need to be factory fitted and securely. Some of the current hornby steam locos are as fragile as Airfix plastic models and cannot withstand derailment or impacts. It's fine having super detail but at the end of the day these models are supposed to be working models. I didn't spend my money to have them sitting on a shelf.

 

[37197]

What i'm finding most annoying at the moment is the sandpipes on the 31 and 60 catching whilst negotiating the point work sometimes causing de-railments

why are they so long

.

 

[5696Arethusa]

Couldn't agree more with the comments about sand pipes, I've lost one on my 31 but it's not only the new diesels, I've lost two from my Black 5. Whilst I like them being there the proof that you can have too much detail is the fact that I don't know how long the sandpipes have been missing, I only noticed when I took them of my line to run on the club layout. When the locos are on shed it's hard to see the below footplate detail between the other locos and when they're running who's looking at the detail and not the overall effect of the train as a whole.

 

[neil_s_wood]

QUOTE the proof that you can have too much detail is the fact that I don't know how long the sandpipes have been missing

I recently lifted my track and relaid it to give my locos a smoother run and I found loads of small "add on detail parts". I am coming round to thinking that if they are not going to stay on then just leave them in the box.

After I wrote yesterdays not I ran my Hornby White knight an noticed the speedometer thing had become unattached from the loco body and had to re-attach that. At the end of the day I want to spend my time modeling and running trains not repairing them. While I don't mind doing this when neccessary I could do without it when they haven't ben built well enough.

 

[37197]

QUOTE (5696Arethusa @ 23 Apr 2006, 17:31) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Couldn't agree more with the comments about sand pipes, I've lost one on my 31 but it's not only the new diesels, I've lost two from my Black 5. Whilst I like them being there the proof that you can have too much detail is the fact that I don't know how long the sandpipes have been missing, I only noticed when I took them of my line to run on the club layout. When the locos are on shed it's hard to see the below footplate detail between the other locos and when they're running who's looking at the detail and not the overall effect of the train as a whole.

Last Thursday I emailed Hornby asking them if I could purchase a set of spare sand pipes for my Class 31 as I had accidentally broken one. Within a very short space of time (literally minutes) I received an email back saying that they were sorry but sand pipes were not available as a spare, but that they would supply me with a set. Much to my astonishment they arrived the following Friday morning free of charge

. Service or what!!!

- wake up Bachmann

.

 

[neil_s_wood]

Thats incredible. I'm well impressed.

By contrast I emailed Marklin about some thing last year and it took them two months to get back to me.

 

[37197]

Definitely one Hornby should be applauded for

.