Manufacturing changes

[Anuraj -787704]

I read that Hornby has moved their manufacturing to China. This is causing a lot of concern over quality and leads to a lot of technical problems like lack of power going to the track and poor motors.

I want to know that why did Hornby move their production to China and not continue manufacturing in the UK.

[atom3624]

I believe they moved quite a long time ago.

Like many other product suppliers, cost does come into the equation.

There are several 'factories' / assembly plants within China - used for detailed toys and hobbies, such as Hornby - Bachmann as well.

The problem is quality control - all part of the build process.

If it's not thorough enough, some absolute dogs still get through!

Al.

[52train]

I worked at the FORD car plant in the seventies and eighties now closed , I got a part time job in a small factory and I told a manager there what I did the hours I worked and the fact we did 2 weeks on nights and 2 weeks on days, he looked at me in horror and said " I would never work in those conditions.

Some one I know now starts work at 7:30 am and finishes at 4:30 pm I wish we could make more in the UK I would buy more .All my track is PECO because its made in the UK .

 

 

[ColinB]

Hornby moved their production years ago. I remember at the time it was quoted as cheaper production costs and people with smaller hands to put the models together. That was when they were more like toys so quality was not so much of an issue. Now they are trying to make a high precision model, with increasing production and Shipping costs in China that accepts a reject rate of 10%. Managers also neglect how much effort is required in maintaining a remote production facility and usually in any "downturn" it is the travel budget that suffers. Final result is the Thompson A2 which has numerous production faults. It will be interesting to see if quality improves on the Gresley P2 which is a "new build".

[CORKY.]

I am very suspicious of these, one post members, this is the third one, to post on here about manufacture in China. Especially when they ignore the fact that Airfix (Hornby owned) have moved to Sussex. It would be a good plan, as a new member , to have the decency to read previous posts, before posting, to avoid boring repetition and rehashing of previous posts. Posters like ,"Manufacturing changes", have no place on a Hornby Forum. I seem to have shot myself in the foot here, but I think these posts should not be encouraged by adding to them, and be ignored by all.... except the mods.

[ellocoloco]

Hi Anuraj and welcome to the forum.

An interesting first post but it should be fairly obvious to anyone who has read a newspaper or watched the news in the last thirty years why production has moved to China. Manufacturing is cheaper in China because wages are lower than the uk.

Your statement that: 'This is causing a lot of concern over quality and leads to a lot of technical problems like lack of power going to the track and poor motors.' doesn't reflect my experience of the Hornby models that I have purchased - 12 China made locos and multiple units and around 70 items of rolling stock - over the last 15 years. The one fault that I have encountered on one of my models that should have been detected and rectified through quality control was not a technical problem but an error in finishing.

Do you actually have any Hornby models, either UK or China manufactured?

[ColinB]

I don't know you are right or not Corky, it certainly makes a change from the normal sort of post and last time I looked "free speech" was allowed. It also is useful to know why just lately Hornby has been having lots of issues, with supply and quality. If your production is in China and there is a flight ban, then there will be issues. As for the models not running properly, if you get one of the 90% that China make properly then as I have found with many Hornby models then there is no issue. Having a large disjoint between manufacturing and production does cause issues, in that errors don't get fed back that well. If you were around in the 70's that was half the issue with BSA/Triumph going bust (making a frame where the engine didn't fit). That probably also explains the issues with Quality control, again when a company tries to save money, that is another department that usually gets cut.

[atom3624]

Didn't I read somewhere that Hornby lost one of their favourite Chinese manufacturers, and had to find an alternative?

This could have something to do with some of the issues being observed.

There's no excuse for the colour issues, particularly with B.R. greens, that Hornby have been having in the last 5 years or so.

Al.

[Bulleidboy]

The move to Chinese production was made in 1995 - I'm ok with "free-speech", but wonder why raise something that happened twenty six years ago.

[The Doc]

@Corky,

Please bear in mind that we were all "one post members" when we started.

If I had received a response like yours after my first post I don't think I would have continued with this forum. We should be welcoming newcomers.

@BB

I'm guessing from the question that Anuraj has only recently returned to the hobby after a long absence, and has only just realised that things are no longer made in Margate.

[ColinB]

Lets just hope that none of Hornby's products are in a container on the boat that has been en-pounded on the Suez Canal (the one that blocked it for a couple of days). Looking at the size of that fine I suspect it will be a long time before the owners of the containers get their products.

[BJT91]

Didn't I read somewhere that Hornby lost one of their favourite Chinese manufacturers, and had to find an alternative?

This could have something to do with some of the issues being observed.

There's no excuse for the colour issues, particularly with B.R. greens, that Hornby have been having in the last 5 years or so.

Al.

 

 

Hornby did have to move from one of their supplying factories which was in the late 2000's or 2010's as one of the parent toy and model companies who owned one of Hornby's rivals in the model train world (the one beginning with B) and it did effect the build quality of some models. The quality of the models has approved slightly since the move to the new factory but there are still some quality issues, like you said the colours on some models aren't 100% and I always find the gold paint they use on name plates and number plates on the steam loco's always seems to be too glittery.

[ColinB]

Originally they moved their production to China because of cheapness of labour and the Chinese supposedly have smaller fingers to add all that added detail. I think the biggest issue Hornby now have is remoteness of operation and dependency on world wide events that effect shipping. As to the quality of their motors and pickups, in my experience the modern motors are far superior to the old ones, the only issue is when they fail it is a replace job rather than being able to fix it. The other issue is that the locos are now so detailed quite often bits fall off them when you run them on the layout, but then we asked for added detail. Of course the other bug bear of mine is lack of spare parts, but that is another story.