Availability of International Wagon Parts.

[bill7437]

I am surprised that there does not seem to be any availability of Hornby International wagon service sheets or parts. In the early days of these brands sheets were issued and parts appeared to be available. Alas this is no longer so. Other major international makers Roco, Trix, Fleischmann, Trix, offer a comprehensive supply of parts for their wagon ranges. I have tried to source an extended NEM coupler housing for a Rivarossi wagon around four years old but Hornby tell me the part is not available from them nor is there any service sheet for this item. Does one therefore have to scrap a perfectly good wagon because the maker does not wish to stock parts ???

 

 

 

 

[ellocoloco]

I agree with you totally Bill.

 

I am missing a buffer from an Electrotren wagon and a roof vent from an Electrotren postal coach and would like to order spares but unlike the locomotives, this does not appear an option. I am generally fairly careful with my stock but sometimes accidents happen and although these are parts that will be hardly noticed - I know they are missing!!!!!!!

[bill7437]

There is a guy in France who trades as Details Trains Service who seems to carry a great number of bits

for various brands - including Electrotren. The only snag is that Fred does not accept credit cards or

Paypal and has a minimum order of 10 euros plus postage. Have a look at his website via Google, most enlightening !!!!.

[96RAF]

You are allowed to post a direct link to him Bill.

I presume this is him...unfortunately no English flag to translate the page So having to rely on dodgy google page translate.

https://www.detailstrains.com/

This is exactly the basic level of spares Hornby should provide for the UK market models.

Rob

[ellocoloco]

Thanks for the above link.

 

I have had a look around the website and although interesting, I think there are more spares listed for Hornby Int'l on Lendons website and I have had great service from them in the past.

 

My main gripe about the wagons is that unlike Roco, where a wagon may contain a service sheet listing replacement part numbers for buffers/bogies/wheels/couplings/accessory bags, the Hornby Int'l wagons I have - mostly Electrotren - don't mention a single part number......Roco part numbers are also searchable on their website to check availability. 

 

I believe Roco set the standard that Hornby should be aiming for, and its not just about first class product, its about the whole package. My Hornby Int'l locomotives run as well and look as good as my Roco locomotives, but I have no doubt that I will be able to continue servicing my Roco locos, if required, long into the future. Being able to do that with current Hornby stock appears to be a recurring theme on this forum...................

 

[bill7437]

Yes ellocoloco, Roco is quite defininitely the GOLD standard. Even if they cannot supply the exact part they will try to advise an alternative. I am aware of Lendons but have never used them, any parts I required  supplied direct by Hornby from Madrid or Margate usually after some hassle. All parts now though appear to be stocked at Hersden in the UK and whether this facility has the in depth knowledge of the European brands is questionable.I am sure the parts issue is that Chinese manufacture is with third party factories not controlled by Hornby. Roco do at least control their factories so have some idea of  future parts provision. It is high time that Hornby International should provide parts for their models ever increasing in price so that they at least should last a little longer than a couple of years. It is simply not good enough.