Bachmann or Hornby or Dapol?

[ThomasTheModeller]

A as new modeller I have 3 engines. The Hornby Railroad GWR Dean Single, the Bachmann GWR City of Truro and the Bachmann LMS Crab. I also have a lot of Hornby and Dapol GWR and SR coaches . I also have a Dapol GWR Mogul on pre order. 

Is there anyone that can help me choose a make or should I use a bit of all of them?

 

[Yelrow]

Hi, tis your hobby, run them as you please. I envy you such a small choice, makes it esasier. I have over 120 locos, and 90 coaches. Imagine the problems i have.  I just pick a  loco, then add the nearest 6 coaches that couple,, and so on. Worrks for me.

[81F]

/media/tinymce_upload/5aab2e2e65215e2ce417b65756516ed9.JPG Hello Hi Thomas.

 

Generally I have very little loyalty to any particular manufacturer so I am usually guided by the model I want and not who makes it and if the type is made by more than one manufacturer I am guided by price/accuracy.

As a result I will match the loco up to the most appropriate liveried vehicle ie the same company as the loco and in a livery that was around at the same time as the condition that the loco is in. So I would put the Dean Single and City of Truro with the long Hornby Clerestories (in the fully lined livery), or since the City was first preserved in 1957 it could be paied up with British railways coaches of that period. The LMS crab should therefore go with LMS coaches.

 

As for freight trains, just make sure the brake vans match the loco for livery and period. As there was an agreement that allowed wagons from different companies to travel all over the network in this country, the other wagons in the train can be a mixture of different companies as long as they are from around the same period.

 

So in essance I am really saying I think I am saying it is more important to match what real loco against what it might pull in real life when it was in that particular livery regardless of who makes the model. For example the trai above is my "Cambrian Coast mixed goods of the 1950s" which comprises a Bachmann Dukedog followed by wagons made by: Bachmann (first 3), Dapol, Bachmann again, Airfix GMR, Bachmann (next 2 and a Hornby Brake.

 

The Britannia in the siding is a Hornby John of Gaunt.

[Yelrow]

81F, good gracious, how very scientific, and efficient; Without turning them upside down, i would not know  one wagon maker from another. Just take 10, from a shelf, and put them behind, whats due a run.  Same with coaches.. I do put a brakevan on the end, or the american version, when running ho. I have obviously got to0 many of both. Trouble is, who would want them.

[RDS]

@ThomasTM

This is a Hornby website, so you may find if you start asking for judgement of other makes against Hornby, that your posts could disappear.

[Yelrow]

Rds, hi, sorry , dont read this posr that way. Suruely its asking whether hornby coach can run with dapoll coach , and vice verse. There is no imlied criticism,. Purely train formation. I really cant see anyone taking offence.

[Modelnut19]

I even run late 1960s / early 1970s Trix coaches with my Hornby and other locos. Their 3.8mm scale is not that noticeable providing I do not mix the coaches with other makes on the same train. Just runs what you think looks right / suits you. Of course, some couplings get on better with those of other makes than some others do!

[Friendly Fryer]

I agree about the loyaly e.g the Bachmann Tornado beats the Hornby one as Hornby is only the railroad edition, However I put a Hornby tts Tornado decoder in it! However most of the rest of the time it's Hornby first s frankly their models are the business e.g. the Adams Radial, their new A1X terrier. However they don't and can't do everything so I have that lovely Bachmann crane and the H classes I have had bachmann birdcage stock behind them  because I have seen historical pics of that (in Hornby's colector magazine). Finally Hattons locos and their 6 wheel coaches expand what we can run, so it's not like having darth vader on the bridge of the enterprise.  There is of course the fun of coupling locos to stock as NEM pocket hegth even form the same manfucturer is variable but if it was easy we wouldn't have a hobby 

[RDS]

Hi John,

That's OK as long as it stays that way.  The title though, does lend itself to the raising of posts which we could find unacceptable.  It's alright so far!

[atom3624]

You could wish for a particular locomotive only made by one manufacturer, non-Hornby.

You could find a locomotive made by several.

 

It's availability, personal choice, funds availability, and basically 'what floats your boat'.

 

I've been running some really nice Bachmann Class 37's today, then decided to pull out the Hornby 56 and 60 ... to me in yet another league - they're fantastic.

 

Then I look at my TPE Dapol Class 68 ... 

 

There is more than just the detailing, it's the running gear as well.

Hornby's steam locomotives are generally all with driven axles running through brass bushes, whereas Bachmann's don't.

Is this a problem?

TBH, unless you're running them for hours on end, which some do, the answer's probably no.

If you happen to pull one out after several years' storage, clean and lube, then run again, the quality drivetrain will make a slight difference ...

 

Some are simply made to a very high standard, some to a budget deliberately, but also the goalposts keep moving every couple of years, which keeps this hobby being so interesting.

 

Al.

[malB]

One thing I'm thankfull for is that pretty well all the major RTR makers have standardised on the same/similar style couplings. Making it so much easier to "mix & match" as previous poster have suggested at. With carriages/wagons etc from one maker and locomotives from another. Granted the "Big" two IMO Hornby & Bachmann have pretty well divided the market between them. With both to a degree specialising which Loco's, carraiges or wagons they produced. Though both have duplicated some locos i.e. Tornado [A1] or Mallard [A4], with the likes of Dapol and Oxford Rail filling the specialist niche areas.