A4 profile and curve track issues

[Silver Fox 17]

There has been a lot of talk of the Hornby 120 curves being an issue and as I never used them before I thought I would check them out.

I have 3 sets and everyone has the same issue of giving an overlap. On 3rd radius the inner rail seems too long leaving a gap on the outer rail and to join into a circle gives a kinked joint.

I tried 4th radius and the result was the outer rail was longer resulting in a kinked join the opposite way to 3rd radius.

Both 3rd and 4th have the reverse camber effect due to its twist, more noticeable on the 3rd radius.

Yes, you can fit the track together but not with a smooth curve all the way, clearly a design/manufacturing issue.

Also the A4 body shell is very poor in the cab roof to cladding profile. There should not be a step between the two as the 00 and real versions show.

This does not stop the A4 running, which it does nicely, but this is a design issue that should never have got through, but, if it is in two pieces then it is not assembled correctly.

[Rallymatt]

I think a few people have successfully ‘tweaked’ the track with some gentle manipulation and the camber/overlap issue can be resolved. No it’s not ideal but seems like the issue might not be as serious as we thought. I’m using Peco for my layout so I’m not overly concerned, the Hornby track is for DC running in only.

The A4 cab profile is a bit harder to resolve, they look like a separate moulding. I have seen some pictures of real A4’s that seem to appear to have a noticeable step. It could just be camera angle but knowing that almost no loco left the works identical to its class mates could it be that some do have a raised cab profile?

[Clement Matchett]

To Rallymatt,

From my experience of Hornby 00 Schools, the cab will certainly be a separate moulding.

That comment is reinforced by a recent YouTube video showing a difference in design between the cab on TT120 Flying Scotsman and TT Blink Bony. That is explained, the comments say, by the reduction in the LNER loading height during the temporal interval between the two builds.

somone is very knowledgeable about Greeley Pacific’s, though not I.

[Peachy]

Ive got a feeling this is just a quality control issue at the manufacturers and hopefully someone’s doing something about it (as well as the upside down whistle)

The catalogue photo has it flush & the photos I’ve seen of the locos with stepped cabs clearly show gaps at the bottom of the cab.

when mine arrives I will be taking it apart straight away to rectify it.

[ntpntpntp]

The cab on the A4 is clearly a separate fitting, not quite settled fully home as you can see a gap and locating tabs at the bottom of the cab sides on my example. Whether it's due to the front glazing or something else getting in the way I wouldn't like to say. I suspect I'll need to have the body off to investigate, noting of course the speedo link seemingly glued to the shell. Too many other things on the go to tackle it right now, so it's a job for the future!