Tornado/Mallard unlabelled parts.

[ColinB]

I recently acquired a Tornado chassis, there were a couple of parts missing from it. The weight that doubles up as the DCC pcb holder and the motor base that also doubles up as the gearbox top. Go to the service sheet and surprisingly these parts are not labelled. So anyway I mail a couple of parts suppliers to ask if they ever get these bits second hand, obviously without a part number they are not going to get them new. The first one gives me me a rude reply saying that without a part number can do even though I mentioned that they didn't have a part number on the service sheet. That Supplier also has a lot of Railroad parts from broken models, so they must know the parts. The second one says virtually the same although a bit more politely. Now I am new to the latest range of Hornby locos, being more familiar with building classic Triumph motorcycles, but I can recognise the major parts without a part number. I have even noticed which parts can be interchanged between models.

Now I don't sell Hornby parts and I also don't advertise that I am expert at them (as one of them does) so how come they know so little. I will add on the previous two occasions when I have asked a technical question to one of them they didn't know either. Funny in the Classic Bike world, if you sell parts you generally know a lot about them.

In the end I bought a chassis off EBay that has the parts, a bit more expensive but I can probably sell on the parts left over.

[96RAF]

In a case like that Colin I drag out the service sheet for a similar loco of the class, as often the earlier service sheets do ID the parts or include them as NHA (next higher assy). Quite often you can trace parts back to the original locos produced and for which you can get parts that might fit or can be modified to fit.

[ColinB]

Sadly I tried that, I even tried to see if they were in any other Service Sheet but sadly not. Hornby seem to do this with a lot of the weights that screw into the loco. Unfortunately when you buy one second hand they are occasionally missing, sometimes people take them out to get more room for sound. I don't really blame Hornby although it defeats me why they don't give it a number when they do give more obscure parts a number, no the thing that annoys me is the fact of how unhelpful a certain supplier is. The thing I find more galling is that on the suppliers site they have parts from broken parts of the same loco, so they must know what the parts are. Unfortunately, when you question them they stop sending Email replies. I have bought another chassis with the parts on, but I don't like doing this as I usually unable to stop myself building yet another loco with the bits left over. I need to go to a model railway exhibition to find someone that strips locos. Given that there are many about that are scrapped for lack of spare parts, there must be people that sell them as spares.

[ColinB]

I forgot to mention I did think an M7 motor holder might work, the shape looks about the same as the Tornedo motor bottom holder. I did think said supplier might be able to help with dimensions to see if it could fit, but again they failed.

[96RAF]

Something I once did was send a marked up copy of the SS to the spares guys and they pulled the part from a dead loco.

[ColinB]

That is what I was hoping they would do for me, but they didn't. Yes I did send an electronic marked up copy.

[ColinB]

Sorry Edit doesn't work again. I imagine it is like most queries if the person that answers it is in a good mood or knows more than the rest then they will go the extra mile. I lost a wheel centre on my old Focus, after 3 trips to the main dealer giving me the wrong part after ordering it (Ford Employee so I cannot get discount on emergency orders). On the final visit, different store man, got one immediately, appeared it was the one they always kept in stock.

[VESPA]

The whole spares system is a complete shambles. When the two spares dealers, Modelspres Burnley and the one from down south, (forgotten the name), a quick call would get the correct part. I wanted a few sets of metal wheels for 3 Triang Trestrols, Modelspares sorted that there and then inc new axles. I too gave up with one new parts dealer a while back as there was never a positive answer. Regarding cars, I was rebuilding a Wolseley gearbox and needed several parts. My chap at the BMC dealer had all I wanted within the hour, from stock. Funnily enough I still have a baulk ring from that job as new which he gave me just in case I needed it. In contrast as I always when to the same place it was taken over by another company and all new faces. I wanted a service set for my MG Maestro inc some electrical bits. They insisted on the chassis and engine number and then told me it was wrong as it was a police version. Highly likely as it was fitted with different injectors. My wife worked in a major white goods maker and updated all parts numbers as they changed (1000s) She could cross reference anything within seconds and supply from stock for items sometimes 20+ years old. Perhaps it's time for someone who knows what they are doing to set up business and take returns to Hornby for dismantling (probably already happens)

[96RAF]

Agreed Mr L.

Yet on last nights program SK was telling us these are not toys they are exact models to keep forever.

[bill7437]

Parts have been a problem since outsourcing of manufacture to China by the prominent makers. Frankly they don't want to supply parts, they want you to junk the model and buy new. At least Hornby do produce the exploded diagrams so you have some small chance of supply!!!! Model shops in

my experience have not been that helpful in the supply of parts. Badgering the importer/manufacturer does sometimes work.

[The son of Triangman]

The toy fairs have boxes with models that need parts, they are sold as spares donors. Sadly the lack of spares is a big problem in the Hobby.

Hornby spares have been a problem since the 1997 - 1999 move to Chinese production.

Spare loco bodies just aren't available usually unless they are slight seconds or someone is stripping a model for parts to sell on ebay.

[The son of Triangman]

Funny someone should comment on making a database. I am building a cross referenced database on all known UK made parts. Sadly this won't include China made parts. There are thousands of parts so it takes time to build it up.

[ColinB]

Thanks for all the information, sounds like I am not the only one that has issues. Megan at AC Models phoned me a couple of months ago to tell me that there was an issue with a part I ordered, anyway I was saying to here about different part number labelling for the same part. Duchess, Princess and Royal Scot tenders being a prime example. If you order a tender bottom for one of them it comes without pickups for another it includes then but basically they are the same part. Seeing as LMS used the same tender on a lot of locos that would make sense anyway. Giving them different part numbers just confuses the uneducated parts supplier. I suppose from my point of view it is good because not everyone knows this, so quite often if say Duchess tender parts have run out, you can use the Royal Scot ones. Perhaps if Simon is that interested in us keeping a loco for life, he might one day sort it out.

[atom3624]

RS / Patriot tender generally = Black 5, 8F.

Duchess can be similar to Princess.

Princess mainly riveted higher capacity tender.

Duchess mainly welded (no rivets) higher capacity tender.

Princess / Duchess tenders are fundamentally different to RS / Patriot / Black 5 / 8F.

Al.