Modelnut19

I am sticking with my OO but a shop owner remarked to me recently that what is missing at the moment from the TT range is a small steam engine. There is a diesel shunter but not yet an equivalent steam engine.

I have heard a number of people in shops or at exhibitions making negative comments TT120, saying it is the wrong scale and that Hornby do not have the clout to get a new gauge to stick. Personally, while I am sticking with my OO, I do hope TT is a success for them. Hornby do sometimes make life difficult for themselves but they do also sometimes get it right and are perceived by people in general as a long-established, well-respected manufacturer.

How about an LNWR "Problem" Class 2-2-2 as featured on Sam's trains this week (week commencing 2nd Oct)?

At the risk of appearing to miss the point of this thread but in all seriousness, please can we have more consistent quality control? For example, some recent models have not had very good motors despite all the attention given to the appearance and detail of the models. Hopefully we are however past the various sporadic mazak problems that occurred between about 2005 and 2010 (and not just with a few Hornby models but with other manufacturers as well).

How about re-issuing the J50 in its original GNR J23 form and livery?

I guess it is not surprising but he has done a great job promoting Hornby over the years. Some do not like him but I just think he is great sales and marketing person. I would like to think that the various model railway programmes he has been involved with over the years, including the second, successful Barnstable to Bideford attempt, along with the much two more recent A Model World series, must have helped modelling as a whole. May he have a long and happy retirement. I also wish whoever takes over my best wishes. Perhaps it will be Montana.

In response to Iain and the perishing traction tyres, I suspect the coupling rods will need to be removed. Perishing tyres are a common problem with the Railroad LNER Hunt. I recall that Sam's Trains did a video a while ago in which he replaced the wheels with ones that did not need traction tyres, which should give you some insight. However, I would stick to replacing the tractions tyres and not the whole wheels.

By the way, the service sheet is 434B.

The following may be obvious to many but I am recording my recent experience just in case it is helpful to someone. A recently purchased second-hand 2019 model of a Lord Nelson loco would not move but the motor would run. It turned out the motor had moved, probably during clumsy handling in the delivery process such that a small plastic drive shaft between the rear of the motor and the worm gear had become displaced. Thanks to prompt advice from Hornby technical Support, the solution is to remove the worm gear cover and worm gear, insert the small end of the shaft into the front of the work gear, then insert the larger front end of the shaft into the back of the flywheel at the rear of the motor before refitting the worm gear. Removing the motor from its two locating clips does not help as the rear mounting clip remains in the way. Hopefully this will never happen again. Anyway, in doing the above I observed a few other things. As noted in the instruction, to remove the body you have to unplug the cables from the tender. I hate the plugs and try to disturb them as little as possible. Make sure you that you put the plug in the correct way round. Do not force it. I did not but still manage to get confused on which way round the plus went. A schoolboy error I know.The cables between the rear of the engine and the tender are only just long enough so that they are not too unsightly. However, this means that they have to take a very direct route. Do not be tempted to tuck them into the vertical slot at the rear of the engine's chassis.The two screws that hold the main body on are the same size and length as the two that hold the tender top in place. However, those of the tender have a coarser thread. Do not mix them up.Make sure that the cables running from the motor do not touch the rear flywheel. Otherwise you risk them wearing with time. The cables are very fine and fragile.Patience is a virtue.

Regarding the spring, I have an LMS Black 5 (R2561) that I bought secondhand from Classic Rail. However, when I first ran it, the loco would not run, apperaring to lock after trying to move. Classic Rail diagnosed a problem with the spring, put it right and it then ran fine. Occasionally the problem has reoccurred momentarily but it is not something that would have been obvious to be. I thought the problem was with the valve gear!

I had a problem with my Lord Nelson in that the part that holds the front "slider" of the valve gear from above was detached. Please forgive my terminology! This was from new. Putting it right was so simple that I risked invalidating the warranty but, many months later, so far so good.

All I can suggest is to do it in small stages, at least initially, and not to use anything that is too strong or rough or too much of it at one time. It might seem horrible but a little saliva might be worth a go. Of course, it depends on how old the coaches are and thus what the finishes are. Cotton buds are not as soft as one might think. Gentle rubbing with damp fingers might be worth ago.

If the controller has overheated and shut-down to cool off then one should also be sympathetic to the motor of the loco. They can take so much but are not indestructable.

I have checked my 2 L1s and both are currently okay. Phew! However, I have experienced or know of Mazak problems with several other Hornby locos (early T9s, early Class 31s, some Patriots) that date from around 2005-2009 but by no means all: most are okay. May I ask if Chris has approached Hornby Customer Services about the problem? If they have spares I have found that they can be very helpful providing you can supply the model identification on the label on top of the front of the instruction sheet. All the best.

I am sorry to hear of your woes. I have several Class 60s from the first run over a decade ago. They do have fragile parts on them but have otherwise been good. Is your one heavy like my ones? I wonder if the weight works against it in clumsy transit. Having said that, if you pay £160 or even £70 for a new loco it needs to run and be intact!

I have bought a number of wagons on Ebay since March. My standard procedure is to leave the item for a day before opening it and then leaving it for a couple more days so that a period of 4-5 days have elapsed since the item was posted by the seller. Yes, it might seem over the top but better safe than sorry. I would resist wiping anything done unless you are absolutely sure the printed, lining or transfers are not likely to be damaged.

Some people might be interested to know that I tried my S15 again tonight after a long while. I had resigned myself to it only running clockwise without derailing and yet, praise be, it now runs fine. While the track is fixed down, I assume somethign was slightly out of alignment on the track at the point where the loco's front bogie kept derailing when running anti-clockwise. Hurray!

I suspect you have checked this already but is the track oily? Otherwise, as someone has already suggested, try checking that everything is running freely and that nothing is catching around corners.

Just be careful with the copper coloured pipes by the side of the cab. They tend to be very easy to break!

I even run late 1960s / early 1970s Trix coaches with my Hornby and other locos. Their 3.8mm scale is not that noticeable providing I do not mix the coaches with other makes on the same train. Just runs what you think looks right / suits you. Of course, some couplings get on better with those of other makes than some others do!

The newer versions of these have additional pick-ups from the front bogie. Some "single wheeler" models also have a spring above the front bogie. If the wire has broken then the model we tend to stall on points and, if the track is not smooth, also on minor crests and dips, which will cause erratic behaviour. I have single wheeler that runs well and another that is very tempremental. If you are not confident in fiddly wiring, a visit to a friendly model shop could well be worthwhile.

That is strange. I have a modern S15 which lifts the front bogie going one way and causes a derailment and yet it runs fine going the other way. I wonder if the valve gear is doing something strange? Be careful as the valve gear is rather fragile, especially on these. Have you had the model since it was new?

I think you may need the whole buffer beam. Peter's Spares normally do PS40 but this is out of stock. I would not rush and "bodge" a repair though since it will probably spoil the whole appearance. Ebay may prove expensive. Be careful since Hornby have made several A4 versions over the decades and you need to get the part for the right model.

Of course, back in the 1960s, there was the Triang Minic system, in which cars stopped at level crossings when a train was coming. I saw this demonstrated at a show not so many years ago. Hopefully shows will return eventually.

Have you by any chance fitted any of the extra piping bits? If you have they could be clashing with the front bogie.