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The mail set as it is now released, is great if you missed out on the first editions. And it's great that there are still rockets available for those who don't have one. But it's quite disappointing from Hornby that they didn't release the mail coach separately for those who already had the first editions, fully agree with that remark. I don't see the point of heaving two Rocket's in my collection, and I won't buy a set just for one missing type of coach. And just receiving the flatbeds, really disappoint me a lot. Sinds they are not a realistic image of the real ones, not cheap, they could at least given some freight to go along with them. It started of great but is becoming a cheap scam, I hope they do better on future releases…

Wow, it seem that I triggered a lot of reactions here 😆 I don't often visit this forum, and to see that a heated discution went on. I've been reading this with intrest. About half a year ago I bought a Mallard set, that a friend of mine picked up for me. Sinse about two weeks ago I picked up my live steam Mallard set, up at a friend who kept it for me until I was in the UK. Arriving with my relitives in Leicester, the where to wrack of a Flaying Scotsman that I bought with AC models also waiting. My trip was very well planed, because that weekend the OOLS had there summer meeting. I became a member as soon as I bought my Mallard set, something I would advice to everyone who has or is thinking to go into Hornby live steam. So being in contact with them, I was invited to come, and bring my new toy with me. And here I have to say, I was glad that I took the invitation. It begone with a very warm welcome by the club members. Than they took there time to inspect my Mallard, showed me where to give attention to, what parts wear out and need to be replaced, it was a facenating tutorial. Than they let me use their club track to get aquainted with running the locomotive. So I had a super day with them and made some new friends. The question, this whole discution started with, has hornby droped the live steam line, well I think this is answered here. Will it ever be produced again, I think for 99% NO, at least never again in this form. Is the system no good, the answer is no, it works perfect. So why did it fail? Well I think it a bit the clumsiness of Hornby them self. It was not the price, If you see people by O gauge live steam locos starting at £2000, and they sell them like sweets in a candy store. Than in copare, this is a relative cheap product. I saw people say," well for that money I have a few electrical trains", than I say rubbis. Look a the total cost of DCC and all the rim ram that goas with it, and it also will cost you finely a lot money. To me it is pure failure in marketing, not believing in the product you sell. Hornby sold something without thecnical support, even with wrong instructions, and than pulling back from their product, leavig those who believed in it, cold. A product like this defnitly needs a support system, because it's so technical, that you need a tutorial, to alone get you acquainted with it. It was not ready of the shelve, it was not a childs play, perhaps you might say that this was not a product for Hornby. I my vieuw they had to start the OOLS club, even before the Pruduct came to marked. Because what these guys, of the OOLS are doing now, is what Hornby should have done while they lunched there product. Unfortunately, now thar there is a support group, and it's alas already over, and that a real shame. That beining sad. For those who are facenated by steam, technic and this awesome piece of engineering, live steam is defenatly worth investing in. But at the same time, and it doesn't matter how great your engineering skils are, go for advice, and the OOLS is a perfect medium for this. For those who say, well the range stayed limited, I say be creative. That's why I bought the two Scotsman wracks, I starded to resore them, aigain with the great help of the OOLS. But at least I have by doing this, great insides in how the technical aspect is working. And with some of my own skils combined, I turning one in to a late A3 livery, so there will be a complete new loco standing there. Conclusion, hornby live steam was a great product, but sadly was not believed in by the people who produced it. And definatly not a product for the fine scaler, who loves it senery, near reality perfection. But those who are looking for something else than strait of the shelf, this is a great product to invest in. This is a product for people who care more for engineering than fine scale. It's a total diffrent approch, a diffrent discipline… Cheers, Danny

Well, I bought the Mallard starters set, and a loose Flying Scotsman, and joined the OO live steam club. Those guys are super helpful and I hope to meet them soon in one of the evends they attend. It's indeed more difficult to operate it, than a DCC locomotive. But what did you expect this is live steam, and with some practice these run fine and are fun to opperate, I'm glad I bougt it. There are even people who have proven you can run it on DCC, so that's also no excuse not to make them. I do hope that Hornby will make an efford to those who believe in the system and produce a new model. It would at least show that they care about the customers who they sold it to in the first place. Of course, I know that it will hardly be, that Hornby ever will go that direction again, but one must keep hoping. 😎

This is what I thought that happend, typical Hornby. They produce, and lets be honest, quite expencive system, making everybody warm to buy it, and then let their customars sit stone cold. I would understand that new ranges are stoped due to expencive production costs and not big enough audiance. But at least see to it, that refilments and spare parts are availeble for the costomers who did the investment. Sorry to say this, and I'm being polite here, customer services are hard to find at Hornby. Instead they let their customars solve everything under them self in a forum, that's cheap! Who can tell me witch oil is the alternative? Cheers, Danny

I find the 00 gauge live steam range a wonderfull concept. But has Hornby given up on it an us? Why don't we see new things appear, or a healty stock that you can order from? Same goes for spear parts and an refilments. Seartching on their webside, it seems that they want to forget this range asap. Sorry I have to say this, but after market is a real disaster with Hornby. Cheers, Danny