flyingfox4475 Posted May 25, 2023 Share Posted May 25, 2023 To my surprise my new Hornby LNER A3 Harvester arrived today. Once I opened the box to my surprise Hornby are supplying a loco crew with the loco. very happy to see this. The new loco has been modified since they released of Doncaster and Knight of the Thistle with a new front bogie and new connection between the tender and loco body. I will see once I have completed my running in process how it performs on point with the new bogie. The little bag of spare parts for fitting included the front step as well as a front coupling to go on the front if you want and the usual spare flanged wheels for rear pony truck + cylinder pipes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atom3624 Posted May 25, 2023 Share Posted May 25, 2023 Interesting they've reverted to supplying the front steps as 'extras'.They never seemed to interfere with normal operation when they were fitted previously.Glad they've got an alternative to that pain of a 4-pin plug! Great if you never wish to remove it, but once you do .... !!Al. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brew Man Posted May 25, 2023 Share Posted May 25, 2023 Glad they've got an alternative to that pain of a 4-pin plug! Great if you never wish to remove it, but once you do .... !!Al.I find them OK to remove with the little extractor tool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atom3624 Posted May 25, 2023 Share Posted May 25, 2023 Hi BM, I generally run locomotives on a daily basis, which will mean I'm probably having to open up, clean and service one or 2 per month, minimum. This will mean separating for convenience so as not to risk damaging loco or tender body.This means separating the tender from the locomotive. When I first used the extraction tool, I must have broken the sides - one or other, fortunately not both - of at least 3, and I'm not heavy handed, so I reverted to the 'gentle persuasion initially' with a small bladed screwdriver, then the extraction tool - they're a pain! Life shouldn't be that difficult!OK, I do ensure good contact, or push the plugs in firmly when establishing contact, as I've had a few disconnect as well, so this won't help when I need to reverse it.Quite simply, I hate them! I understand their relevance, but the Bachmann ones are much more robust - which doesn't help sometimes in the corners I admit, but does mean the plug remains there.The pin and fingers has it's foibles, but once the fingers are aligned, I find them near 95%+ reliable. 4-pin plugs can mean I just don't run some locomotives as much as I'd like to.We'll agree to disagree. Yes, I'm not running DCC so going from 2 to 4 contacts had no advantage for me!Al. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Splatz Posted May 30, 2023 Share Posted May 30, 2023 I also had a surprise when my brand new LNER A3 Harvester recently arrived. When I opened it up to fit a 21 pin HM7000 TXS decoder, I found to my surprise that it had an 8 pin connector! On the website and box it states it has a 21 pin connector for decoders. Has anyone else come across this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gilbo2 Posted May 30, 2023 Share Posted May 30, 2023 ....When I opened it up to fit a 21 pin HM7000 TXS decoder, I found to my surprise that it had an 8 pin connector! On the website and box it states it has a 21 pin connector for decoders. hushed hope you hadn't bought the 21 pin especially! Must have been a last minute design change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Splatz Posted May 31, 2023 Share Posted May 31, 2023 ....When I opened it up to fit a 21 pin HM7000 TXS decoder, I found to my surprise that it had an 8 pin connector! On the website and box it states it has a 21 pin connector for decoders.hushed hope you hadn't bought the 21 pin especially! Must have been a last minute design change. Yeah, I did 😟. I won’t do that again. I have a pre order for another steam loco with fire box light that is showing 21 pin too, however I suspect when it arrives it will also have an 8 pin as 21 pin is over kill for one light. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gilbo2 Posted May 31, 2023 Share Posted May 31, 2023 Yeah, I did 😟. I won’t do that again. I have a pre order for another steam loco with fire box light that is showing 21 pin too, however I suspect when it arrives it will also have an 8 pin as 21 pin is over kill for one light. I would email Hornby and explain what's happened so that their tech spec/packaging can be corrected for future customers. Maybe ask for a decoder exchange? I'd also seek reassurance from them on the decoder needed for your pre-order. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Splatz Posted May 31, 2023 Share Posted May 31, 2023 Yeah, I did 😟. I won’t do that again. I have a pre order for another steam loco with fire box light that is showing 21 pin too, however I suspect when it arrives it will also have an 8 pin as 21 pin is over kill for just one flickering fire box light.I would email Hornby and explain what's happened so that their tech spec/packaging can be corrected for future customers. Maybe ask for a decoder exchange? I'd also seek reassurance from them on the decoder needed for your pre-order. I did that on Monday and also included photos to show the pin descepency problem. Also spoke to their tech department yesterday and they confirmed there are no 21pin connectors for thier 2023 steam locos that have flickering firebox. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gilbo2 Posted May 31, 2023 Share Posted May 31, 2023 You would of thought that having been told of this error that they would have updated the website straight away, not so though, which is a shame. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Splatz Posted June 2, 2023 Share Posted June 2, 2023 You would of thought that having been told of this error that they would have updated the website straight away, not so though, which is a shame. One person said it was a running change as they transition to from 8 to 21 pin, and other person said it was factory error. Altough they could be saying the same thing, but the bottom line is sending out 8 pin for new loco heavily adverticed as 21 pin, and has the potential to upset a lot of customers who might receive this. As far as the website is concerned, I also pointed out some of the confusing details for another new loco. The anniversary A4 Mallard R30286 states it comes with 21 pin and 8 pin connectors (look in the Tech Spec section). As of today (11:00 2nd June when I last checked), this proof reading error still exists despite me pointing this out to them. So yes, you would think they would update the website as quick as possible once they are told about something and it only looks worse for them if they do not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
96RAF Posted June 2, 2023 Share Posted June 2, 2023 Now says 21-pin only. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Splatz Posted June 2, 2023 Share Posted June 2, 2023 Now says 21-pin only. Not sure you were looking at the right one RAF- its this one I was talking about being wrong: https://uk.hornby.com/products/lner-class-a4-4-6-2-4468-mallard-85th-anniversary-edition-era-3-r30268. Just for clarification, I even cleared my browser cache in Chrome just in case it was not updating, and also tried Firefox browser that has never been to Honby site, Hornby website still says 8 and 21 pin in Tech Spec. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
96RAF Posted June 2, 2023 Share Posted June 2, 2023 I was using the SKU in the thread title. The other SKU throws up a couple of different loco types. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Splatz Posted June 2, 2023 Share Posted June 2, 2023 I was using the SKU in the thread title. The other SKU throws up a couple of different loco types. I spotted that SKU pointing to different locos too - but haven't contacted Hornby about that problem yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Going Spare Posted June 2, 2023 Share Posted June 2, 2023 R30268 info is confusing inasmuch as it is twice stated to be fitted with a 21-pin socket but recommends an 8-pin decoder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinB Posted June 2, 2023 Share Posted June 2, 2023 I noticed on my Hornby Coronation that it actually says 21 pin decoder. So does the A1 not do the same? All my Hornby locos that have 21 pin decoders (three in total) have it printed on the box. It took a little while for Hornby to get there but it appears they are now doing the right thing. If it says 21 pin that is what it is, if it says nothing then 8 pin or 4 pin, which you can probably figure by the size of the loco. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Splatz Posted June 2, 2023 Share Posted June 2, 2023 My R30216 A3 Harvester box has 21 pin printed on the box, and this mirrors the details on the Hornby website , however when I opened the tender to fit a Hornby 21 pin TXS decoder, all I could see was an 8 pin socket. This was the surprise that spawned this part of the thread.How many here have R30216 A3 Harvester? Can you report back what pin configuration is in your loco? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinB Posted June 2, 2023 Share Posted June 2, 2023 Now that is serious, sorry I didn't realise. I know the Coronation is 21 pin and it says 21 pin, Queen Elizabeth II and Evening Star are the same. Sir Nigel Gresley is 8 pin. I suppose they could have printed the boxes but issued the wrong PCB I think connection wise, the 21 pin and 8 pin PCBs are the same. As you say, you need to find someone with one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Splatz Posted June 2, 2023 Share Posted June 2, 2023 Now that is serious, sorry I didn't realise. I know the Coronation is 21 pin and it says 21 pin, Queen Elizabeth II and Evening Star are the same. Sir Nigel Gresley is 8 pin. I suppose they could have printed the boxes but issued the wrong PCB I think connection wise, the 21 pin and 8 pin PCBs are the same. As you say, you need to find someone with one. When I spoke with their tech department, they said they did not have any 21 pin PCBs or tender to sent to me (I was willing to fit PCB myself) so they now are sending me an 8 pin decoder for free. What I am interested in is how many people are buying this excellent loco and finding out it has an 8 pin socket instead of the advertised 21 pin socket. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinB Posted June 2, 2023 Share Posted June 2, 2023 It may be a plus point having the 8 pin. It depends what decoder you are going to use. I recently put a 21 pin Zimo sound decoder into my Coronation and I couldn't get the "Keep Alive/ Stay Alive" capacitor to fit whereas with the 8 pin I could have gone for the smaller PCB which would have fitted better. Surprisingly I always thought the 21 pin would be a better fit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinB Posted June 3, 2023 Share Posted June 3, 2023 Just got a post from a guy on RMWEB his has also got an 8 pin socket, so it looks like they got it wrong. Probably ran out of 21 pin PCBs not good for the customer though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinB Posted June 3, 2023 Share Posted June 3, 2023 I am going to state the obvious which will offend a few people, have Hornby not heard of stickers. I think in the old days Wrenn and Triang used to do it, even a lot of modern companies do it. Once you know it is wrong, which you must because production doesn't do anything without a request, put a sticker over the 21 pin printed label which says 8 pin. The original person that posted this request is the second person to buy the wrong decoder because they relied on the printed label, there must be more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris-360718 Posted July 3, 2023 Share Posted July 3, 2023 Another one with an 8 pin where I thought it was 21 pin. For £250 you'd think Hornby could afford them.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atom3624 Posted July 4, 2023 Share Posted July 4, 2023 Is the 'drawbar distance' between locomotive and tender, with the new connection fixed, or is it adjustable?Can it be closed up for wider radii tracks / display purposes, and widened for tighter curves?Al. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now