Why is almost nobody using Hornby track

[HST Mainline]

This is not an attempt to start a heated debate about "the best" track system.

I am new to British railway modelling and I have noticed that most of the YouTube videos out there shows layouts made from PECO tracks. I rarely see Hornby track featured.

I have bought some Hornby track and I found it just as fine as any other H0 track that have. I don't see why this should be any lesser than PECO track? So when people argue quality, it makes no real sense to me. Hornby track seem perfectly fine.

I get that PECO has more points etc. but for the most modellers Hornby track should provide most of what you need.

Is there a reason for this that I am missing?

[P-Henny]

Unfortunately HST, if members were to express their real open and honest views without restraint then they could potentially risk breaching the second Hornby forum rule regarding 'Active Competitor Promotion'.

[HST Mainline]

Fair enough. I was just wondering.

[Fazy]

It’s simple you have a larger range,

small, medium, large strength and curved points, crossings, single and double slips. Small, large Y points, catch points. 3 way points Not to mention sleeper choices wood concrete steel. And a choice of rail options too.

some will say one manufacturer is better then the other but really both work very well. But Hornby can’t compete with the choice

[P-Henny]

And of course 'Electrofrogs' which I see as the key one alongside the wider choice of rail codes.

[ModelerXYZ]

more choice of pointwork and rail types and sleepers. For the record, I use Hornby track.

XYZ

[Aussie Fred]

My entire layout is in Hornby track, and I am quite happy with that.

[What About The Bee]

To the Moderators

Could one of you lads fix the title here to something more appropriate?

"Why are" seems somewhat nondescriptive, and likely a typographical error by HST Mainline.

Thanks!

Bee

[HST Mainline]

Dang! Originally the title was ‘Why are “nobody” using Hornby track’. Unfortunately a bug in the forum software removes everything after “ when editing an entry. I forgot to re-add the title.

[Rallymatt]

Peco have certainly dominated the finer looking and more prototypical ‘look’ market and with things like electro and now uni frog had some technical advantages that many like. That in itself has created an assumed hierarchy that serious modellers should aspire to. Although there have been some very talented modellers who have consistently demonstrated that well planned, laid and weathered/ballasted Hornby Set Track can look very convincing. Hornby used to do this in their catalogues but seem to have moved away from this.

TT:120 being a clean sheet for Hornby has shown that by adopting the Tillig geometry (as the market leader) there are more improvements on looks to be had, particularly with points. I chose Peco for my TT:120 layout as it was available when I wanted to get started however that’s not been problem free and if it was today, I would choose Hornby.

[Stephen in Kerry]

@hst I used Hornby track (about £600 worth of it) for my first - and only - layout, so far.

There have been one or two issues with the points, but I have 18 on the layout and it's literally only a couple that have been problematic. This could be as much to do with the way I laid them, as anything else.

Mud sticks though, and Hornby electrofrog points problems are a sticking point (pun intended) in the model rail community, as far as I can see. Whether the negativity is justified, I can't say.

@bee I see the title as having a grammatical (rather than typographical) problem: 'Why IS almost nobody...' would be correct.

But it also carries a statement of which Fox News would be proud. Who says 'almost nobody' is using Hornby track? How factual is that statement? What sources have been checked? Is this 'fake news'. :)

[HST Mainline]

@bee I see the title as having a grammatical (rather than typographical) problem: 'Why IS almost nobody...' would be correct.

 

 

Corrected. :-)

It is a statement that is totally without any factual foundation, however, that is the impression one will get from watching YouTube and reading magazines.

Personally, I find the Hornby track easy to use and sturdy.

[ace2507]

My layout is also laid using only Hornby track, total running length is just over 156ft with 25 points which are a mix of standard, express and even two of the much criticised curved points. The only problem so far was with one of the standard points which was loose and wouldn't hold its position when a train passed over it.

Once the era 7 stock starts arriving I will be building a small TT layout which will also be built using Hornby track.

[Bulleidboy]

I used Peco Code 75 for my layout as the track was considered more prototypical, and with the exception of electrofrog points and double slips, the whole layout was constructed using Peco Streamline flexi-track. I'm sure Hornby track would have been fine.

It has been mentioned elsewhere, but as my layout is DCC, I soldered droppers to "every" section of track, these were then soldered to the bus cables.

[Tony57]

Hi

I use only Hornby track. Yes it would be nice if Hornby offered a bigger selection of track pieces, it is something a number of us have asked for in the wish list section.

In some ways its a failure of Simon's that Hornby have not to looked at and improve the track sections and introduce additional piecies.

Have they sorted out the points issues that have appeared during the manufacturing process?

[LesXRN]

I'm surprised that this hasn't been mentioned yet, but here goes.

If the layout is DCC and I'm not suggesting yours is, then soldering droppers to metre long flexi track is far simpler than soldering to each piece of set track and obviously flexi can be formed easier.

I'm not aware if Hornby do flexi track, so apologies for my lack of knowledge there.

[P-Henny]

I'm not aware if Hornby do flexi track, so apologies for my lack of knowledge there.

 

 

Yes... in 00 Hornby 970mm flexible track is R621.

https://uk.hornby.com/products/flexible-track-970mm-r621?_br_psugg_q=flexible+track+%28970mm%29

[Rallymatt]

@Stephen in Kerry, maybe I missed something but when you say Hornby ‘electro frog points’ do you mean insulfrog? Or is this referring to an issue making Hornby insul frog into electro frog points?

[gilbo2]

I used Hornby set track back in 2013 on my DCC layout, designed with SCARM. I use soldered droppers every 2-3 sections, around points and all is good. I do wish Hornby did electro frog points though as that would make slow speed running much better.

[ModelerXYZ]

Hornby do do flexitrack. But their range of pointwork is pretty small. Still, as there is no standard set of points anywhere (all points on the network are modified to location) pointwork is hard to acheive.

XYZ

[My name is Bond]

Peco do the finer scale code 75 track which is used down the model railway club. However laying accuracy is very important with finer scale track as any inaccuracies and locos and rolling stock will derail if both rails on the track are not perfectly level. And many modellers hand build their locos from kits which makes huge demands of both the kit builder and the track. As stated their code 100 range of pointwork is larger and they do electrofrog points although Hornby points can be converted with the clips.

Fact is locos and rolling stock are less likely to derail on code 100 track laid a little imperfectly and ultimately it suits the at home layout builder with limited space and with a base surface that might not be perfectly flat.

Also bearing in mind the courser scale of the wheel flanges on Hornby’s historic back catalogue from the 70’s through to the end of the 90’s (which a lot of modellers still use) and many won’t run on code 75 track without rattling along the rail pins which affects electrical conductivity to the motor.

[ntpntpntp]

@Stephen

[Peco] code 100 range of pointwork is larger and they do electrofrog points although Hornby points can be converted with the clips.

 

 

Using the point clips doesn't bestow the point with a live metal frog which is the main reason for using them to get the best possible continuity and slow running of short wheelbase locos. ("Electrofrog" is a Peco proprietary term, though it's in general use just as many folk use "hoover" instead of "vacuum cleaner" grinning )

All the point clips do is bypass the "power routing" aspect of the points, ie. both routes are then permanently live. This can help with DCC layouts though I'd rather just fit additional track feeds.

[JJ73]

Mostly (for me) my track is Hornby - a little Airfix in the mix - Just what I can lay my hands on really!!! 🤔🚂

[HornbyKiwi]

I'm old enough to remember the days of steel track, and steel track from Triang-Hornby with "Made In NZ" stamped on the underside no less.

The current Hornby offering compared to when I first entered the hobby is night and day better, I think I've even commented on this previously. My main interaction has been via the occasional train set purchase, but I can't fault it in those terms.

As set-track goes, it's as good as anything out there, it's only the range of pieces that holds it back. I've often wondered why it hasn't diversified the range further, you'd think they would have a decent chance of gaining some market share if they did.

[The Doc]

Another difference between Peco and Hornby that hasn't been mentioned is that Hornby points and diamond crossings have a larger plastic frog than Peco - the V shaped piece where two rails meet. This is not an issue with most modern locomotives that pick up from many wheels, or if you are running your locos at moderately high speeds, but if you want a shunting layout and are using small locomotives such as the Railroad 0-4-0s, or any other 0-4-0s for that matter, then the Peco points may give you better performance (assuming they are laid perfectly flat).

Better still are the electrofrog points described previously, where there is almost continuous electrical conductivity. I prefer these because I do run some locos quite slowly (in comparison to the train set of my youth) but they require the use of flexi track cut into correct lengths to incorporate them into a layout that uses set track pieces, such as the starter oval in any Hornby train set.