New release Class 60 issues

[ronnie_ashton]

I recently bought R3884 DB Cargo class 60100. on getting it home it did not look good as I could see the air horns lying in the bottom of the box. On removal of the loco from the box I found a crack in the bodyshell running from the bufferbeam to under the cab window. My local stockist sent it back and the replacement arrived under warranty and supposedly tested by Hornby and to my horror the horns are ok but this one too has a crack in the cab from buffer to cab window (different crack line btw so not the same loco sent back!!). Anyone else had similar issues or have I just been extremely unlucky?

[Chrissaf]

There has been at least one other post in recent weeks relating to a brand new loco body with a crack in it. Not necessarily the same Hornby model though.

 

TIP: As a newbie poster on the forum, just be aware that the 'Blue Button with the White Arrow' is not a 'Reply to this post' button. If you want to reply to any of the posts, scroll down and write your reply in the reply text box at the bottom of the page and click the Green 'Reply' button.

.

See also – further TIPs on how to get the best user experience from this forum.

https://www.hornby.com/uk-en/forum/tips-on-using-the-forum/

.

[ColinB]

I must admit on the few occasions I have bought a loco from a model shop, they normally inspect it for me. When on holiday I buy railway stuff at Monks Bar at York. When I buy a loco from them, they go over them with a fine toothcomb, run it up and down the track, but they are an exceptional model shop. It seems weird that two were cracked, it is not that it is a cheap loco. It is very worrying, perhaps with Covid they are not doing the necessary QA inspections. It puts you off buying them from Hornby. On all the locos I have bought in the last year, generally the bodyshells have been ok, one though I had to refix the motor, on two others replace the DCC socket as they were faulty (I even got a replacement socket, when I complained). I only buy Hornby steam locos, so perhaps that is why I have had no issues.

[ronnie_ashton]

Interestingly they have both had cracked plastic boxes aswell. Very disappointing when you are paying £160 for a loco thats broken. I was thinking of getting the COLAS version but I am put off that they may have the same issues. 

[ColinB]

It has got to be the way they are transported. I recently bought two second hand Bachmann class 47's from Hong Kong, they were advertised on the UK EBay website. When I ordered the first one I was a bit worried what I would get especially being Shipped all that way. It turned out to be perfect as was the second one I ordered after the first one arrived. So they can send them properly.

[David12]

I also have recently purchased 60100 and, to be perfectly honest, it is quite the worst build quality I have ever experienced from Hornby. Both loco ends horns were laying in the packaging which itself was damaged (interior clear plastic only, so definitely NOT the courier's fault). Faulty instruction sheet showing how to fit accessories to a Class 31 and not a '60. (Yes, I know this has been reported elsewhere) Incomplete accessories pack with no full snowplough, but two snowploughs with holes for NEM couplings (again reported elsewhere), meaning that I have had to order a Class 60 accessories pack from Hornby at an extra £8.00 including delivery. Finally, I have had to replace the NEM coupling with Kadee, which means fitting Kadees to anything it pulls around. (Once more, widely reported since 2010!) So, will I buy Hornby again? Unfortunately, we are not left with much choice where modern image is concerned. On the rare occasion that an alternative is available, I always choose the latter (Class 92, for example).

[ColinB]

You should have told Hornby that they owed you an accessory pack for free rather than pay the £8=00. I had a blue King loco, that worked ok on DC but would not work on DCC. Eventually I tracked it to the DCC socket, the DC blanking plug had fatter pins, which I assume had damaged the socket. Anyway I replaced the socket with one I was saving for one of my other conversions. So I emailed Hornby and said seeing as I had saved them an awful lot of return postage costs and labour, that they owed me a brand new socket. I got one, two weeks later.

I read an article ages ago, that Hornby was having issues finding Suppliers to build their locos, so perhaps that is the issue. Over the last few years production costs in China have been increasing a lot I gather Bachmann uses the same one it has used for years.

[Modelnut19]

I am sorry to hear of your woes.

I have several Class 60s from the first run over a decade ago. They do have fragile parts on them but have otherwise been good. 

Is your one heavy like my ones? I wonder if the weight works against it in clumsy transit. Having said that, if you pay £160 or even £70 for a new loco it needs to run and be intact!

[ColinB]

Looking at my Railroad class 59 which did cost £70, there is nothing to fall off. Needless to say I was very dissapointed with it. I didn't realise it was the Railroad version when I ordered it. My Evening Star class 66, isn't much better.

[96RAF]

Colin

Your persistent Hornby manufacturer bashing on various posts has been noted and reported to Hornby for consideration of forum rule breaking.

[Going Spare]

Colin - I would have thought the price of the 59 & 66 against the 31, 56, 60 etc. would have indicated a Railroad range model.  

[Stubaggieboy]

After over 50 years of supporting Hornby or Triang Hornby or Triang I lost patience with the poor quality or faulty items That Hornby are turning out!! Amount of Hornby locos purchased this year none other manufacturers over thirty! Sorry Hornby you have lost my custom till you sort your quality control and spares situation. As for Hornby bashing well the posts I have read warrant it!!!!

[ColinB]

@Going Spare I know, I did say about the class 59. The class 66, wasn't advertised as Railroad, I don't think it still is. I only bought it, after watching the James May program, it portrayed it as so good. The thing that most annoyed me was that it didn't have lights. I bought a class 90 for about the same price and that did. Anyway, I must admit I now only buy Bachmann and Dapol diesel locos and Hattons class 66. Even the second hand ones I have bought have been really good. 

As a side note it appears they are about to throw me off this site for being too aggressive to certain people ( who said "snowflakes" had to be young),even though they seem to be very aggressive to me. So just to let you know Going Spare I really valued your posts, they have been incredibly helpful. You and Sarahagain really know your stuff. That is probably the only thing I will miss. Thanks. 

[ColinB]

@StuBaggyBoy I think that Hornby may well be going the same way as the original Airfix did. They seem to be putting a lot of effort into that new Gresley loco, not realising that it is quantity of sales that matter and there has to be an adequate backup of spares for a nearly £200 loco. They are doing the usual trick of limiting numbers, but all that does it make someone on EBay a lot of money. I must admit since they stopped dealing with Rails, I don't seem to order any Hornby locos. Rails used to send mails to entice you to buy the next release, so I used to just put my name down. When Rails stopped dealing with Hornby I think I had about 10 locos on that list. There was only one I transfered to a new supplier, but I have been waiting for that for two years so I don't expect to see that soon. Good new is though, all Hornby have to do with next years catalogue, is change the date on this years.

[Going Spare]

Rob - for what it is worth, I do not think Colin should be unduly criticised for stating his views (perhaps with a little more intensity than some of us!) because Hornby are certainly not faultless (which I am sure they would acknowledge, although they are not alone) and I am sure many of us have been frustrated by events over the years in our dealings with them - no-one is perfect.

[ColinB]

@Going Spare Thank you.

[RB51]

Please restrict posts to the subject matter of the thread and not personalities. R-

[Going Spare]

Will do, but I considered Rob's post introduced into this thread required a response.

[ColinB]

Ok then, back on subject are there any reported issues with the new HST, the expensive one. I have an old Ringfield based one, to which I added a 5 pole motor, DCC and lights. Not only does there seem to be issue with the motor current being marginal for the TTS decoder (it has already killed one TTS decoder), but it seems to rely on the traction tyres too much. So I thought I would replace it with the new one which I gather has all wheel drive. Again it is an awful lot of money, probably more than a Bachmann DMU, so obviously a serious investment. Alternatively, I stick with the old one put up with the traction tyres and put the money into buying a decent sound decoder, that will handle the current. 

[atom3624]

I don't wear glasses - probably should do! - and if I did, they certainly wouldn't be rose tinted, but the Virgin Trains SD 8WD version I have is 100% superb and has been 100% reliable - full lighting operational, doors actually fit properly too.

 

Going from my experience, it's better than sliced bread.

 

Al.

[ColinB]

Great thanks atom3624.

[96RAF]

Rob - for what it is worth, I do not think Colin should be unduly criticised for stating his views (perhaps with a little more intensity than some of us!) because Hornby are certainly not faultless (which I am sure they would acknowledge, although they are not alone) and I am sure many of us have been frustrated by events over the years in our dealings with them - no-one is perfect.

 

Whilst Hornby (and other makes) are definitely not faultless, there is little point in banging on about on the forum as Hornby are not active on here. The best course of action if someone has a complaint is to take it direct to Hornby - write to Simon Kohler if needs be. In such a case you need to quote chapter and verse about a problem you have personaly, along with details of what actions you have taken to remedy the problem, e.g. dialogue with a retailer, etc. It is no good hitting them with a general - your stuff is rubbish - as that will not get you anywhere nor the real problem fixed.

By ‘you’ I mean ‘anyone’. 

Back to the topic....