Generic Hornby Username Posted February 25 Author Share Posted February 25 58 minutes ago, HST Mainline said: I see your point, but with silence I look at the bigger picture. They have dwindled down on lots of their marketing around TT and their promised YouTube videos never materialized. Personally, I would keep up the marketing pace to make sure everybody knows that I mean business with my new scale. At least for a while. In all honesty, this seems like an issue across all Hornby Model Railways marketing. Putting out content consistently and on schedule is important as you say. Regular “Signal Box” (equivalent to TT Talk) content for OO has also been sporadic. In theory, I think those are supposed to come out monthly. Normalizing content schedules for both TT and OO should be a priority for the new team. It’s better to make a promise you can keep (like a video once every quarter) than make a promise you can’t (a video monthly). And if there’s going to be a gap in communication, they should provide updates instead of apologizing when the time comes. Broadly, I think there’s reason for optimism in TT. I keep repeating the stats on how many new projects are coming through, since it’s the real proof of Hornby’s commitment. I do think inflation really ended up burning them. It’s one thing to provide preorders a year out when inflation is 2%, but the inflation we’ve seen over the last few years has been staggering. Hornby honors the original preorder price, so that means their costs soar while the promised price remains fixed. That’s part of the reason why Hornby is switching to a Bachmann style of more gradual releases. Unfortunately, this means a bit of a drought in new announcements right now. 55 minutes ago, HST Mainline said: I get the impression that Sam would take any chance he can get to ridicule Hornby. It seems to be his thing. There are videos where he faults Hornby for making mistakes, that, in other videos, he does not fault other manufacturers for. He is definitely biased when it comes to Hornby. Absolutely right. I think he hated Simon in particular, so he actually has been nicer recently. Not nice, but nicer. I know he was friends with Hattons people, so the Class 66 incident might have had something to do with it (competition is good when other manufacturers compete with Hornby and Bachmann, but bad when Hornby and Bachmann compete with other manufacturers). But a turning point was the case of them criticizing his track work. The new Hornby 9F locomotive slowed down on some of his curves, so he criticized the motor. Hornby replied, somewhat cheekily, that the train was fine but they couldn’t speak for every person’s track work. That was pretty much the end of their relationship. As an aside, Key Model World had this to say about the 9F’s performance: Straight from the box our samples ran smoothly and quietly throughout the speed range and that only improved with running in. After subjecting them to light engine testing, each was loaded with a modest 18 wagon coal train which we later increased to 30 and then 50 wagons. Even the longest train was no match for these powerful locomotives with their adhesion being helped by the use of die-casting for the boiler and chassis. The model also ran faultlessly through points and crossings throughout our testing. 5 hours ago, Moccasin said: Even if all April does is confirm dates for the next phase of models, as set out in the launch brochure, that will help people plan. I think Hornby are going for steady growth, which is fine by me (and my credit card balance). This year will bring steady growth but I think they want to avoid run away speculation about new models. Martyn Weaver told me in Glasgow on Friday that they want TT120 to grow sustainably. Apart from anything else, they’ll need to keep stocks going for existing releases and they’ve said that they want to keep certain models permanently in the range. That re-stocking will use up manufacturing capacity, while model design can only go so quickly. We have at least two new model toolings to come - the small steam locomotive and the Class 37, which we know is coming as there’s a TT sound profile in the list for arrival in Q2 2025. New liveries for existing models are also coming. I would expect no more than 3-4 brand new locomotive models per year in the future. I’m sure there will be doom-mongers on April 2nd saying that Hornby/TT120 are finished - predicting the end of Hornby seems like a national sport after all - but that would be the case whatever Hornby do! We should be getting really close to the 0-6-0T. It was first mentioned in January of 2023 as about to enter tooling. By March of 2023, we received information that it had advanced into the tooling stage. In addition, another 0-6-0T was also entering tooling in March of 2023, so that makes at least 3 projects that should arrive late 2024 to mid 2025. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moccasin Posted February 25 Share Posted February 25 1 minute ago, Generic Hornby Username said: In all honesty, this seems like an issue across all Hornby Model Railways marketing. Putting out content consistently and on schedule is important as you say. Regular “Signal Box” (equivalent to TT Talk) content for OO has also been sporadic. In theory, I think those are supposed to come out monthly. Normalizing content schedules for both TT and OO should be a priority for the new team. It’s better to make a promise you can keep (like a video once every quarter) than make a promise you can’t (a video monthly). And if there’s going to be a gap in communication, they should provide updates instead of apologizing when the time comes. I completely agree. February’s Train Terminal has 4 days to be released; if the Exec HSTs are indeed in the UK, maybe it’s waiting for them to start despatching. They promised a development sample in it, which I expect will be the 66, but we will see. The TT Talks have been somewhat sporadic (that’s being polite). I’ve wondered whether the TT120 brand manager is a bit camera shy as we’ve not really seen her. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Singer33 Posted February 25 Share Posted February 25 Unfortunately, the only thing that dear Sam has done for me is mess up my algorithms on youtube. Lots of great content out there, useful advice, how to's and such like, the opinion of one person adds very little to the hobby for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Last Ninja Posted February 25 Share Posted February 25 "Sam's Trains, known within the industry as 'Sad Sam the xxxx,' has got attention as we all know with views/clicks/tax-free revenue for his very harsh and biased reviews on Hornby and Bachmann locos. However, his glowing review of Accurascale's Class 37, dubbing it 'Train of the Year' for its design and perfect running caused some issues for him. Despite this praise, he has faced criticism for not discussing openly known operational issues Accurscale have with this loco such as frequent derailments and running issues with detailed bits falling off. These issues have been highlighted by other channels. This is a stunning-looking model and I am not knocking Accurascale, but looks are not everything. If it runs badly or derails, this should be highlighted in his review as he does with reviews of Hornby and Bachmann locos. His use of provocative titles, like referring to a Hornby Beatles-themed train set as 'tat,' is seen as a tactic to boost engagement and revenue. He is not a positive or a good force for the modelling world. Many serious model train enthusiasts have expressed dissatisfaction with what they perceive as biased reviews, suspecting that his content may be influenced by compensation from manufacturers like Accurascale as is common with influencers. This scepticism underscores a broader concern I have about the transparency and objectivity in online reviews with influencers. Mod note - although I agree with you, your disguised swearing edited out - see Guideline 5. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HST Mainline Posted February 25 Share Posted February 25 (edited) 31 minutes ago, The Last Ninja said: Many serious model train enthusiasts have expressed dissatisfaction with what they perceive as biased reviews, suspecting that his content may be influenced by compensation from manufacturers like Accurascale as is common with influencers. I am pretty sure he is not compensated. He usually mentions if a model was given to him or on loan. With regards to his "nickname" in the industry, I am not surprised if some manufacturers hate him. Edited February 25 by HST Mainline Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rallymatt Posted February 25 Share Posted February 25 41 minutes ago, The Last Ninja said: "Sam's Trains, known within the industry as 'Sad Sam the Tw*t,' has got attention as we all know with views/clicks/tax-free revenue Just a tax point, HMRC consider all earnings howsoever accrued. YouTube earnings require the individual to post Self Employed earnings (possibly in addition to PAYE) and even if the person doesn’t declare it, YouTube, like EBay, now disclose the information directly to HMRC and that then opens a whole new world of pain..Tax Evasion. I blocked Sam’s Trains on my You Tube feed a long time ago now as it’s pointless drivel and counter productive for the hobby. Although contributing to this thread during the weekend, only been while waiting for something to dry or cure…. I do modelling, it’s very enjoyable 😁 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HST Mainline Posted February 25 Share Posted February 25 4 minutes ago, Rallymatt said: I do modelling, it’s very enjoyable 😁 You do actual modelling? I thought model railways was all about getting into fights on forums and complaining about everything. 😂 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LTSR_NSE Posted February 25 Share Posted February 25 (edited) 10 minutes ago, HST Mainline said: You do actual modelling? I thought model railways was all about getting into fights on forums and complaining about everything. 😂 Yeah, you’re supposed to criticise manufacturers for not making what you want, or selling it for more than you’re prepared to pay - not actually make stuff! How are you going to be able to complain properly if your layout actually contains what you want it to?! 🤦♂️😂 Edited February 25 by LTSR_NSE tpyo 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moccasin Posted February 25 Share Posted February 25 Given what has happened previously with influencers getting upset about what has been posted about them, I suggest it might be better to steer away from this aspect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Singer33 Posted February 25 Share Posted February 25 I do feel now compelled to comment on TT120, and for me sadly I do regret the foray I have made. The scale ticks all the boxes, finally, I can run full length express trains and whilst the roll out has been slow, I am willing to wait. My issue is the disastorous quality conrol. I have 5 locomotives and quite substantial rolling stock, probably to a value of over £1000, running on Hornby set track. Not a single locomotive operates without constsnt derailing despite running on a solid baseboard on Hornby set track. Now am finding problems with coaches derailing too. This is a massive problem for me, I have just had two hours of fiddling and trying to get the models to run, when I want to be using that time "playing trains" or modelling. I barely get any time as it is, where is the joy in messing around with products marketed as "ready to run"? To that end I do feel that I have made a mistake in investing so much time and money into this scale. In all honesty I am about ready to pack it all up and crack on with 00. Yes, I get that others don't seem to have these problems and bully for them, but I do and put simply I don't have anywhere near this amount of issues with 00 be it Hornby or other manufacturers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LTSR_NSE Posted February 25 Share Posted February 25 @Singer33 have you spoken to Hornby Customer Services about the issues you are experiencing? If items are not fit for purpose I am sure they will be prepared to repair/replace them as required. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Singer33 Posted February 25 Share Posted February 25 1 minute ago, LTSR_NSE said: @Singer33 have you spoken to Hornby Customer Services about the issues you are experiencing? If items are not fit for purpose I am sure they will be prepared to repair/replace them as required. I've not, I took advantage of the discounts so most of the items were bought months ago or even over a year ago. It has taken until now for me to build the layout, so the problems are only just coming to light. I probably should go back to Hornby but feel a bit embarrassed for them revealing that an entire line of their products are garbage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LTSR_NSE Posted February 25 Share Posted February 25 They will certainly honour all items still within warranty & if you explain that you have only just been able to discover the issues they may even resolve the older items for goodwill… If you don’t even ask, they certainly can’t offer a resolution! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rallymatt Posted February 25 Share Posted February 25 If things are not right, why would you feel embarrassed? I had a number of issues early on and Hornby sorted everything with no problem. I have had much worse experiences with other manufacturers and ultimately no resolution. Everything is fixable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skelton Junction Posted February 25 Share Posted February 25 My input amounts to these points: @Singer33Hornby’s customer service is unequalled and certainly worth your attention The fact that this thread exists with such a lot of opinions confirms the said YTuber’s raison d’etre Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rallymatt Posted February 25 Share Posted February 25 1 hour ago, HST Mainline said: You do actual modelling? I thought model railways was all about getting into fights on forums and complaining about everything. 😂 I apologise, it must have been the glue that made me hallucinate. I should really do a video on opening a box of some description and note the markings on said box, and it’s dimensions….. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LTSR_NSE Posted February 25 Share Posted February 25 10 minutes ago, Rallymatt said: …I should really do a video on opening a box of some description and note the markings on said box, and it’s dimensions….. Unfortunately you’d then ‘spoil’ that ‘interesting’ video by going on to film yourself actually making something from the box card! 😉 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Postman On The Rails Posted February 26 Share Posted February 26 14 hours ago, Singer33 said: I've not, I took advantage of the discounts so most of the items were bought months ago or even over a year ago. It has taken until now for me to build the layout, so the problems are only just coming to light. I probably should go back to Hornby but feel a bit embarrassed for them revealing that an entire line of their products are garbage. On 2/19/2024 at 9:05 PM, PeterM67 said: I hate to say it but looking at all the out of stock items then apparently everything is due back in stock on 15 Aug 2024 with the exception of Plato which arrives a day later for some reason. It's as if they just kick the out of stock items 6 months down the road! They can only fix things if they know there is an issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Postman On The Rails Posted February 26 Share Posted February 26 14 hours ago, Rallymatt said: I apologise, it must have been the glue that made me hallucinate. I should really do a video on opening a box of some description and note the markings on said box, and it’s dimensions….. might as well watch the glue set lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinB Posted February 26 Share Posted February 26 19 hours ago, HST Mainline said: I get the impression that Sam would take any chance he can get to ridicule Hornby. It seems to be his thing. There are videos where he faults Hornby for making mistakes, that, in other videos, he does not fault other manufacturers for. He is definitely biased when it comes to Hornby. Did you actually watch all the video, sounds like you didn't. He was incredibly complementary about the models saying that they were well made and reliable. Then he said there are not enough of them which is absolutely true. If you are an OO gauge modeller the amount of new releases in the last 3 months have been substantial, compare that with TT. He was saying what a lot of us are thinking Hornby's resources are spread too thinly, with lack of resources and a substantial list of OO models that were scheduled for last year still not available, it is of no surprise. I buy a lot of Hornby locos, but when you look at the 8F they have just released, it is difficult not to think they have lost the plot. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
96RAF Posted February 26 Share Posted February 26 Have a guess at resource numbers based on recent HH videos. There is one designer allocated with his boss supervising and taking the product next step up for sign off. Too many gen-pop folk think there sre dozens of folk milling around doing little bits and pieces to get the product out of the door. For a sound loco there is the designer, the sound guy and their boss and his boss. Allied trades are the livery guys and researchers. Add to that marketing of the product, some back stage guys doing the product pages, support pages like service sheets, etc and that's it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LTSR_NSE Posted February 26 Share Posted February 26 @ColinB - Hornby have produced a wider range of models in one year for TT:120, than they have in 4 years for Era 1 models in OO. However you don’t see many Era 1 fans complaining that they haven’t produced more of that range - those of us who are actually interested, are too busy enjoying what has been & looking forward to what is being developed! Why do you believe that Hornby haven’t produced enough TT:120 models? - considering it is a new venture for them! If you were actually interested in the scale, surely you would enjoy what is available & not criticise/complain about what isn’t? 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Generic Hornby Username Posted February 26 Author Share Posted February 26 1 hour ago, ColinB said: Did you actually watch all the video, sounds like you didn't. He was incredibly complementary about the models saying that they were well made and reliable. Then he said there are not enough of them which is absolutely true. If you are an OO gauge modeller the amount of new releases in the last 3 months have been substantial, compare that with TT. He was saying what a lot of us are thinking Hornby's resources are spread too thinly, with lack of resources and a substantial list of OO models that were scheduled for last year still not available, it is of no surprise. I buy a lot of Hornby locos, but when you look at the 8F they have just released, it is difficult not to think they have lost the plot. His reading of the situation was absurd. Take his quote from Hornby’s financial statements. Here’s what he found issue with, “after a few weeks, the sets had all but sold out.” This statement means that the sets took only two weeks to almost completely sell out. Anyone following TT120 knows that the sets sold out a few days later. What followed were months of no availability. That is clearly shown in the statement, when it describes efforts to create bundles to offset the limited availability of sets. Instead of interpreting it as a successful launch, he decides to argue this means the sets never sold out. If he had bothered to ask any TT120 fan, they could tell you that the sets have sold out multiple times. That was either: 1) Intentional 2) Obtuse I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt and say he just didn’t know any better. But that only makes him seem sloppy in his research. Maybe he shouldn’t opine on things he doesn’t know about or understand? 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HST Mainline Posted February 26 Share Posted February 26 (edited) 1 hour ago, ColinB said: Did you actually watch all the video, sounds like you didn't. He was incredibly complementary about the models saying that they were well made and reliable. Of course I watched the whole thing. The video has a negative tone to it. I know he tries to make it sound a bit positive by praising the models, but I find the overall tone to be the usual negativity towards Hornby. He also speculates a lot, which does not make it any better. Edited February 26 by HST Mainline Clarification. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grenkin Posted February 26 Share Posted February 26 1 hour ago, ColinB said: Did you actually watch all the video, sounds like you didn't. ... I would say that one big issue of the video is his interpretation of his OO scale audience poll as - "No one is interested in the TT scale" At the same success I guess he can make a poll "How many people want to change to H0", and then report that H0 scale is dead and not interesting to anyone. 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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