yozzer

My latest purchase was the Collectors, 'King Charles' locomotive. it arrived and was opened eagerly placed on the track and - NOTHING, no running, not even the tell tale slight hum of power reaching the motor, no tune, no sound effects. I contacted Hornby as the instruction leaflet was a bit sparse in case i had missed anything, i hadn't, although i was told my Select Controller needed an upgrade. i sent it back with the Controller and they were returned in due course, it was a faulty decoder according to the invoice for the upgrade and it works great. Top Marks to Chris in Customer Service and the guys and gals in the repair department.

I have been a member for some years and my renewal date was always April, until last year when for some reason only known to Hornby mid February i was advised my renewal was due and i did renew it immediately without thinking. When my card arrived it had a date of 23 February 2023 on it and contacted Hornby and was told that they would sort it out. On Saturday 25th March i tired to access the Members Area for the Virtual Day and could not get access and yet all other aspects of my club membership was the accessible. When i was flicking through one page or another i discovered my membership expired on 23 February so renewed it. Everything was immediate, my membership date became 25th March, and i could access the Virtual Day. I received an e-mail confirming and more to the point on the Club Forum i saw, 'Welcome Back', plus my Reward Points also increased by 300. So certainly on 25th March all membership activations were immediate.

Interesting discussions on Forum about Hobby Rewards, I have joined and have pre-ordered the 'Coronation' locomotive and have been told it qualifies. I also checked my other pre-order, Beatles Singles Train Pack, ( on order since January and due just after Christmas i have been told ) and as confirmed in other postings this does not qualify, so the obvious thing to do was to cancel and reorder, except if I do that, yes I do qualify for the rewards, but the new price is almost £2.00 higher than the price I got it for plus the value of the rewards. So be careful if you follow the cancel and re-order route.

I was lucky to get the Platinum Jubilee locomotive and as with all my so called 'limited editions' or 'collectibles' are run on my layout and have never sold any on. I have never bought or placed orders with the intention of having a non-runner model in my collection, but what I think would look good running on my layout, this engine looks great with both my pullman coaches and some of my LNER coaches. I have not tried others as yet but will. When my other two Hornby pre-orders do arrive, they, while being advertised as 'collectibles' will be run as well. I am very well pleased with this addition, so keep up the good work Hornby.

With what is going on in the world and a point under discussion being the reliance on other nations for products maybe Hornby and other Model Manufacturers should take stock and review their reliance on China for their product. Already there are whispers about sanctions if China supports Russia so maybe these manufacturers should start getting their tooling back and return them to this Country or another that could manufacture them- Just in case!

I have watched the first three episodes with interest and have found them engaging, but i do have one complaint, in all three a product is discussed but none give the timeline involved from discussion to product release. I know from discussions at the various shows i have been fortunate to attend that we are talking anywhere from six months to two or three years particularly if new tooling is required but no sense of this is given in the show, or at least to date. It is possible a later episode may discuss this but for now a non-model railway enthusiast may not realise just how much effort is put into producing a model.

Since the introduction of the new website I have been trying to find the 'search box'. The various aspects of the model railway make up are their but i use my catalogue , get the product number and like to search availability but i can't seem to find the box. Any ideas where i can find it?

Yes, I was disappointed to receive my e-mail from RoS, and am glad the last pre order was fullfilled, the Stephenson Rocket pack. Like others I didn't like the attitude on of both ROS and Hattons when the Hornby TV series was screened, and sent a message of support to Simon and Hornby. I have dealt with both companies for years, being born in Liverpool, naturally for many years they were my sole port of call, until I discovered RoS. I have managed to visit them once, for Sheffield is out of my way, and I received excellent service and the staff are friendly, the same as Hattons. A cuppa anyone, especially when they find out you have travelled well over a hundred miles to visit them. Whatever this rift is between Hornby and RoS I hope they can resolve it. The primary consideration has got to be the the Model Railway Industry and its customers, there are enough challenges out there with Computer games, facebook, Apps. and the like without having rifts between ourselves. Come on RoS and Hornby, kiss and make up, we will all be the better off for it.

I have just received an e-mail from Hornby asking me to join the club and informing me all new and renewing members will receive a holder for their membership card, Telling me what other benefits being a member would bring. Sorry Hornby, I have beem a member since shortly after the original club was formed and renewed my membership in April, A couple of days before I received your e-mail, I received my copy of the Collector magazine. one membership is enough thank you! I hope you haven't lost my membership details and are trying to recruit again.

Thanks for all your submissions. I have waited in anticipation since the announcement for my Rocket train pack, and while it looks great, to me, I could not get the couplings to work. A big let down Hornby. I experienced the same problems, get one coach connected, as soon as you try with the others they became uncoupled, and there was not one word as to recommendations on the best way to connect them in the enclosed leaflet, (see Class 156 Spirit of the RAF simple but effective) I like the idea of the chain, but will it fit easily over theose tiny pins, and more so, stay there. I don't like the idea of gluing either. In the meantime until my local modl shops open, nearest one thirty miles away, it will only be the engine that is run. Hornby, I have ordered two of the 3rd class coaches, maybe you should consider chains with those.

I have the original Santa's Express and have bought the wagons for most years, but can;t run them all with the little engine, so I have a 0-6-0 engine that is 52 years old (Triang) and runs fine that runs in the opposite direction under the tree. I have also made a 4 wheel coach into a Santa and Elf transport and with the aid of Santa figures and sleigh from the Range provided by Gaugemaster converted a flat wagon as a carrier, and they look quite effective running under the Christmas tree. This year I have changed slightly and have bought the Coca Cola train set and am awaiting delivery, from Hornby, of additional wagons, and this is now travelling with the Santa's Express. I have seen Sam's Trains 48 hour test run of the Santa's Express and Know the little engine is robust, mine runs most of the days, all the hour the grandchildren are here, and of course it is 'running' Christmas eve while all the children are asleep delivering their presents, after all the power does not have to be on when Santa is here, 'Christmas Magic' is everywhere with him. I now hope there is one more wagon that I would like to add to the train, the Sleigh transport wagon that is in the new set, I hope Hornby will release it as an individual wagon, and that next Christmas morning, Santa will have dropped one off un der the tree.

Hi Choralc, The engine does not have any electric warning signs on it. On the tender there are two letters G W with a coat of arms between them. This appears on both side of the tender. On the engine, again on both sides, is the locomotive name Pitchford Hall and the number 4953. The number also appears on the smokebox door together with a small white rondal with the number 84 over the letter E. This is so small I needed to get a magnifying glass to decifer what was on it. Hope this helps

My latest Acquisition was 2 fold so should be acquisitions - the Tylsley connection trainpack by Hornby and the Ambulance Train by Bachmann. The first as it contains the engine 'Pitchford Hall' the engine I drove as a 60th present from my family and is a beautiful model. The second I saw it on display and had to have it. So tightening the belt for a few months.