Trainboy and company Posted November 11, 2018 Share Posted November 11, 2018 When I was looking on the Internet one time, I saw that a few custom-made Thomas the tank engine 00 gauge Hornby locomotives were being sold. The locomotives basically consisted of a shell from a Trackmaster Thomas toy train that had been attached somehow to a 00 gauge saddle-back tank engine chassis. I just wanted to ask if anybody has ever heard of this conversion, or if you have maybe even done it for yourself? I personally think it is a good idea if it was a locomotive that Hornby never brought out, and the only disadvantages I can think of for them are that they lack detail due to the Trackmaster shells being a plastic toy (Not forgetting you could always do some fine-tuning to make them seem somewhat more realistic and less toy-like) and you would need to be careful when running them through tight spaces because the Trackmaster sphelps are slightly wider than an average Hornby shell. Thanks. Peter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NWR-Gordon-4 Posted November 11, 2018 Share Posted November 11, 2018 I see Trackmaster boded locomotives on a OO Gauge chassis on eBay quite often. Granted, this will proved one with a locomotive that Hornby and / or Bachmann Trains has never released, but I would not do such conversion or buy one like this. Trackmaster bodies are not OO Gauge / 1:76 Scale, so quite frankly they do look rather daft. I would buy a repainted OO Gauge locomotive, with face from an Trackmaster, Advebtures, etc toy, than repaint a body off an toy. I wnt buy these conversions. GNR-Gordon-4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trainboy and company Posted November 12, 2018 Author Share Posted November 12, 2018 GNR-Gordon-4, I agree. They do look a bit daft because they are toys, so they obviously won't be like that of precision locomotives that we prefer to purchase. However, I am assuming that those Trackmaster custom Thomas models were made specifically for younger children who don't care in the slighest about how little detail the Trackmaster custom models have, and also because the Trackmaster shells can survive a bit of bashing. Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NWR-Gordon-4 Posted November 12, 2018 Share Posted November 12, 2018 also because the Trackmaster shells can survive a bit of bashing. Yes, they are able to survive being bashed about more than model railway products are. This one main reasons Hornby are ending their Thomas & Friends license. GNR-Gordon-4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
96RAF Posted November 13, 2018 Share Posted November 13, 2018 Yes, they are able to survive being bashed about more than model railway products are. This one main reasons Hornby are ending their Thomas & Friends license.Am I reading that right Jacob.......Hornby is ending its Thomas licence because the locos can take a bit of a bashing???Where is the logic in that?Rob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NWR-Gordon-4 Posted November 13, 2018 Share Posted November 13, 2018 No, because Hornby Thomas locos are delicate. When you bash them about, they break. Another reason for dropping the range is because not many kids are interested in model railways anymore. Those are the reasons Hornby gave us when they announced the dropping of the range. GNR-Gordon-4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RB51 Posted November 13, 2018 Share Posted November 13, 2018 I take it Jacob you are paraphasing a part of the official statement from Hornby as found in the Press/News section of this website? If so, may I point out that there is no reference to them being delicate or breaking with harsh use. If you have other information perhaps you could quote your reference? R- Hornby’s association with Thomas and his Friends has been a long and happy one but with changing trends, plus toy safety age restrictions, we have taken the difficult decision not to continue with the Thomas license. This decision means that production of all Hornby Thomas sets and accessories has ceased with the range inevitably being completely removed from Hornby’s portfolio by the end of the year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NWR-Gordon-4 Posted November 13, 2018 Share Posted November 13, 2018 Reference: Hornby Thomas & Friends™ Announcement. Qoute from above reference: plus toy safety age restrictions This is my understanding of what mean about the models being delicate, in an earlier post of mine, a reason for Hornby dropping the Thomas & Friends license and range. GNR-Gordon-4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walkingthedog Posted November 13, 2018 Share Posted November 13, 2018 It doesn’t say they are delicate. Could mean the complete opposite. Parts of them could hurt young children. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NWR-Gordon-4 Posted November 13, 2018 Share Posted November 13, 2018 Could be that too, WTD, but what I stated above at 21:26:39 is what I took from it. GNR-Gordon-4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walkingthedog Posted November 13, 2018 Share Posted November 13, 2018 We all read different things between the lines don’t we Jacob. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RB51 Posted November 14, 2018 Share Posted November 14, 2018 Just about anything "bashed about" long enough and hard enough will break, and in any event Hornby have not given this as a reason to drop the TTTE range. R- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trainboy and company Posted November 14, 2018 Author Share Posted November 14, 2018 Walkingthedog, Yes. That may be one of the other reasons why Hornby have dropped their Thomas the tank engine range. Virtually every Hornby item has a warning on the back of the packaging saying something along the lines of "This product has functional sharp points. Handle with care." But I suppose even the Trackmaster shells are not indestructible, meaning that they would probably get damaged if you dropped them with force onto a hard surface. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walkingthedog Posted November 14, 2018 Share Posted November 14, 2018 I think the reason they dropped it is the excessive cost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NWR-Gordon-4 Posted November 14, 2018 Share Posted November 14, 2018 Plus not many baby children being interested in model railways and the toy restrictions thing, which many have different interpretations of what this means. GNR-Gordon-4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walkingthedog Posted November 14, 2018 Share Posted November 14, 2018 The trouble with your comment Jacob is that Thomas is still available from Bachmann and the same YOUNG children will be playing with them and the same rules apply who ever makes Thomas products. Hornby obviously decided it was time to call it a day and why not. They need to concentrate on products that sell well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NWR-Gordon-4 Posted November 14, 2018 Share Posted November 14, 2018 Yes, Bachmann Trains still produce their Thomas products, bu this could go in the future too. Who knows? I hope this does not happen, but one never knows. I am very sad and always will be sad that Hornby decided to drop the Thomas range. Why did you point out the word 'young', in capital letters? GNR-Gordon-4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishmanoz Posted November 15, 2018 Share Posted November 15, 2018 The clue is in your previous post Jacob. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walkingthedog Posted November 15, 2018 Share Posted November 15, 2018 Jacob it is baby or infant, toddler, child then teenager. Your baby children would never be able to play with trains because they are only concerned with rattles and getting their teeth. 😀 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trainboy and company Posted November 15, 2018 Author Share Posted November 15, 2018 GNR-Gordon-4, It is indeed a shame that Hornby are ending their Thomas the tank engine range, because I am starting to collect the Hornby Thomas trains. I only have Thomas, Percy, Gordon, James, Edward, Diesel, Troublesome truck, Annie and Clarabel, S.C Ruffey and a custom Rusty model that was made by attaching a Trackmaster shell onto a spare saddleback tank engine chassis. You can still buy some of them on EBay or Amazon, and you might even find the odd one in a model shop. I know I bought my R852 James second hand from a model shop a few years ago, and it was in near mint condition as well, so I had to get it fast. I can't remember how much I payed for it, though. I think my R9287 Thomas, my R9288 Percy, my R9291 Gordon and my R9289 Edward were bought brand new from the Hornby website (In the days when you could still get them, of course). My R9050 Devious Diesel came from EBay, but I honestly can't remember where I got Annie and Clarabel, S.C. Ruffey and the Troublesome Trucks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NWR-Gordon-4 Posted November 15, 2018 Share Posted November 15, 2018 I'm sorry to let you feel down, but you will struggle to get a lot more from the Hornby Thomas & Friends range. There's so much discontinued and everything will be discontinued very soon. So much of it goes for a lot of money. You will struggle to get almost everything like I have. I have been collecting from 2005 onwards. If you manage to get almsot everything, or half the range, it will cost you a lot and have to be a good at winning eBay auctions, that's all I can say, to be honest with you. GNR-Gordon-4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trainboy and company Posted November 15, 2018 Author Share Posted November 15, 2018 GNR-Gordon-4, I don't feel down about it, because I have most of them anyway. The only ones I don't have are Duck, 'Arry and Bert, Stepney, Oliver, Bill and Ben, The Diesel, Bear, Dart, Emily and Bertie the bus. Yes, they may be discontinuing soon, but you could still buy some second hand ones in a model shop? A few months ago, I found quite an old clockwork Thomas train set in my local model shop that I think if I remember rightly was called "Thomas Clockwork Passenger Train Set". It still had the original packaging, and it came with a clockwork Thomas, Annie and Clarabel and a circle of track. It only cost a tenner, so I bought it. The track wasn't really much use, because it wasn't nickel silver and didn't have a power flow, but I kept the Thomas and the Annie and Clarabel for nostalgic purposes. You never know what you will find in model shops. 😉 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NWR-Gordon-4 Posted November 15, 2018 Share Posted November 15, 2018 The clockwork stuff does not sell as well asthe electric range does. Stepney, Oliver, Bear, Diesel (Not to be mistaken for Devious Diesel), Emily and Dart will definitely cost you a lot of money. GNR-Gordon-4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The00Engine Posted November 15, 2018 Share Posted November 15, 2018 I wouldn't be so sure. Some model shops sell them for relatively cheap. I got Stepney for £40 and D261 for £75. Granted, they were second hand, but it's certainly a good price for the sought after models. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NWR-Gordon-4 Posted November 16, 2018 Share Posted November 16, 2018 That’s because they don’t know what they are selling, or about what people are willing to pay for those products. GNR-Gordon-4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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