RileyFlyer Posted October 26, 2019 Share Posted October 26, 2019 Hi Guy's need some help. I bought a 350202 Merchant Class the other year on e-bay for my son. Only recentky got arround to looking at it and found missing valve gear on one side! Searching all over for replacement but cant find any - all out of stock and appear to have beenn like that for some time. I think the part No is X8848? Any ideas where I might get a replacement set? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VESPA Posted October 26, 2019 Share Posted October 26, 2019 Try Peter's spares https://www.petersspares.com/hornby-hornby-oo-spares-hornby-x8-coded-spares.irc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mico11 Posted October 26, 2019 Share Posted October 26, 2019 Hello, looking at your blog and relative newness to OO gauge, you might like to consider that this valve gear item is no longer being produced, as with some other Hornby valve gears that I can't get, more's the pity.Don't know for sure but it might end your frustration if others on this forum with the same X8848 problem could confirm my thoughts.Let's hope I am wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stubaggieboy Posted October 26, 2019 Share Posted October 26, 2019 Another expensive loco that is probably scrap because Hornby can't supply spares utterly disgraceful Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walkingthedog Posted October 26, 2019 Share Posted October 26, 2019 One of the problems of buying second hand I'm afraid. I often wonder why locos lose their valve gear etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atom3624 Posted October 27, 2019 Share Posted October 27, 2019 I suppose it highlights how relatively fragile they are, and perhaps how some people 'handle' their locomotives incorrectly, gripping them via the wheels / linkages, risking deforming them. This may have happened, the linkage jammed, bent, not straightened .... minus one side's valvegear linkages. Al. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
96RAF Posted October 27, 2019 Share Posted October 27, 2019 Mine fell to bits due to pin joint wear. I have kept the replacement well lubricated since. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinB Posted October 27, 2019 Share Posted October 27, 2019 I know the feeling, I tried everywhere to replace mine. In the end I had to buy a second hand set + wheels off EBay. Hornby are a discrace, I recently had to get some spare parts for a 30 year old Bachmann loco which Bachmann supplied without issue. So why is it Hornby cannot supply spare parts, mind you I have not checked to see if Bachmann do spare parts for their current models. I even tried to repair mine with parts from some other scrap valve gear, but it didn't work. On mine it was the piston slider that broke, while trying to fit a DCC chip, it appears they were originally made of marzan (not sure of spelling) which is really brittle. Joke of it is they still produce this model, so why no spares? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
96RAF Posted October 27, 2019 Share Posted October 27, 2019 Mazak or Marzipan - not much difference in reality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walkingthedog Posted October 27, 2019 Share Posted October 27, 2019 Not sure Mazak would work as piston sliders, too fine. They are usually made of plastic. The old metal ones were best. A bit hefty but very strong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinB Posted October 27, 2019 Share Posted October 27, 2019 According to a post I read yes they did use mazak as did Amal on carburetors for motorcycles. The post I read said that it was prone to cracking. On the Rebuilt Merchant Navy Class the sliders are metal, and on the early ones mazak, I don't know what they use now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walkingthedog Posted October 27, 2019 Share Posted October 27, 2019 Well there you go, learn something every day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
96RAF Posted October 27, 2019 Share Posted October 27, 2019 Most chrome bits on 1950-60’s cars were plated onto mazak and within a few years they all pimpled up with corrosion. Now we know it was mazak rot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinB Posted October 28, 2019 Share Posted October 28, 2019 Is this a rebuilt Merchant Navy, I did a Google but couldn't find it? If it is, on my broken valve gear the right hand side is OK, but the actual value gear comes as both left and right rivetted to a plate, if you are any good at rivetting you can have it for free. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atom3624 Posted October 29, 2019 Share Posted October 29, 2019 There are small pins / rivets available from Ebay sellers.Doubtless, good modelling shops will have them as well. Al. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RileyFlyer Posted January 10, 2020 Author Share Posted January 10, 2020 Is this a rebuilt Merchant Navy, I did a Google but couldn't find it? If it is, on my broken valve gear the right hand side is OK, but the actual value gear comes as both left and right rivetted to a plate, if you are any good at rivetting you can have it for free.Not sure what you mean Colin, but the loco looks legitimate in its packaging etc, just lacking the valve gear. If your still willing to send your valve gear I am up for the challenge of riveting etc. It might work?How do we do this without breaking formun rules on personal information?Hornby are not getting a good name - it seams. I wonder hwo the CEO is? He / She should follow comments on the formun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atom3624 Posted January 10, 2020 Share Posted January 10, 2020 Here's a Hornby Bibby Line 35020 rebuilt MN for reference: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hornby-R2204-PO11-Rebuilt-Merchant-Navy-Class-4-6-2-35020-Bibby-Line-in-BR-Gre-/233454209426?_trksid=p2385738.m4383.l4275.c10 Al. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinB Posted January 11, 2020 Share Posted January 11, 2020 @RileyFlyer There are two types of Merchant Navy class, the original and what they call the rebuilt ones. I think it was in the early 60's that they took the original, removed the streamlining and rebuilt the boiler. The rebuilt one has more complicated valve gear. I better have another look and see if I still have it. Have you tried contacting Hornby to see if they intend selling them again. When mine broke I contacted them and they said ask in a months time, that was about 9 months ago, but you never know. I get the impression that Hornby are trying to improve their act, but it is taking a long time. To give them a bit of sympathy, it is a bit difficult rebuilding a business when the previous owners did their best to trash it ( destroying tooling etc). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
96RAF Posted January 11, 2020 Share Posted January 11, 2020 X8848 is for the rebuilt version and has been like hens teeth for a few years now. I have a fallen to bits set somewhere having been lucky enough to get a new set long ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Modelnut19 Posted January 11, 2020 Share Posted January 11, 2020 Unfortunately, the quality of the valve gear seemed to go through a bad patch in the early 2000s. We sold a vast collection of model railway items on behalf of a widow in 2015, raising about £7000 for the Bluebell. Amongst it all was a Hornby R2267 Brocklebank Line, which I bought. This moved a few inches before trying to wreck the valve gear on one side. A fruitless search ensued trying to track down the elusive X8848. My assumption is that the spare part was sold out long ago owing to the valve gear on the otherwise great model sometimes being poorly made.On a postive note, the model is currently available as R3617 so, you never know, X8848 may yet reappear.Fortunately for me, by removing the connecting rod betwen the driving wheels and the front valve gear, my model ran fine and, unless it is crawling along, you forget about the missing parts.In your case, you sound as though a lot more is missing. All I can do is sympathise. Don't give up though. It is surprising what turns up unexpectedly. However, people on Ebay and the like know that the parts you want are very rare so you may be better putting the model to one side for the moment and getting something else. The other (drastic) option is to consider splitting the model into parts such as the tender, the body and the chassis and trying to sell them on Ebay. It is surprising how much individual parts can go for but I prefer to keep models as who;e as I can and preferably working.On a more general note, I have found Hornby to be very fair when the fault is obviously theirs rather than that of a secondhand seller. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now