More Railroad please....

[rayarpino]

Could we please have more Railroad models. I know Hornby are regularly adding to this range.

It is of course essential to make more affordable items available to attract customers and keep the hobby alive. And affordable doesn't have to mean cheap.

 

The Railroad models are reliable and the deatiling is generally superior to that of the "superdetail" models of many moons ago. Once we have built a layout that reflects the atmosphere of the real thing and the trains are running, the fine detail can't be

 

seen from operating distance. I do of course love highly detailed models and am fortunate to be in a position to own a number of these, knowing all the time that something might break or fall off when I pick an engine up from the track or during maintenance.

 

Items that drop off I replace using superglue. Items that break I attempt to reproduce using brass or copper wire. Such as the pipework Under the cabs of some types.

[LCDR]

I think it is highly likely that you will get your wish. The range has expanded year on year although I notice that some of the older models have been withdrawn of late.

 

The key features that I desire from a model locomotive are -

 

(a) reliability

(b)

 

cost

© fidelity to prototype at normal viewing distance

 

So I want good motors with sufficient pickups, and a shape that is proportionally correct, but I am not too bothered about tiny applied detail, or gimmicks such as lights, sound etc.

 

A

 

good paint finish which is reasonably accurate is also desirable.

 

Railroad is OK, and most of the time the Railroad locomotives meet my specification, but the carriages and wagons do not.

 

I would like the option to exchange valve gear to a finer

 

scale, as some of the Railroad models are a bit crude, but I have disguised this by weathering.

 

I would like to see some more of the old Hornby Southern models in the Railroad range, the only one we have so far is the Schools, and it would be nice to

 

have the old R374 Battle of Britain too. Hopefully the E2 might return, shorn of its Thomas modifications, and 'Sir Dinadan' but modified as a S15.

[rayarpino]

Couldn't agree with you more. The list of features also matches mine as does your call for improved coaching and goods stock. Mild weathering does solve a lt of issues. And lights and sound can always be retro-fitted.

 

[Graskie]

I really resent the assertion that adding lights and sound is a gimmick. Is adding smoke as well? Is adding your own modifications a gimmick? Since I went the sound way, I have enjoyed running my railway far more.

[Jeremiah]

Railroad IMO is a pretty good range. But the issue of rising prices pokes it's head in. Some models are just not worth their price. And some models like the Class 73, 86, 87 and 90 which are exactly like an RR model are in the main range with prices in

 

excess of 80 quid. I do like the RR range though.... Something I've always wanted i.e the Regional Railways Class 37 is still on my wishlist and I hope they do it again. Livery wise they are almost perfect IMO except that DRS Class 47. So RR range needs to

 

have a few more editions (eg. Mk2s, Class 47, 73 etc) and the main range should be devoted towards High end models

[walkingthedog]

Graskie I think you can do what you like to your locos, why should it be a gimmick. That excuse is usually used by people who can't manage to add details.

 

I must add though that I find smoke a bit disappointing. It lacks the power of the real thing

 

and can look a bit pathetic as it drifts away. I dare say over time it will improve.

The exhaust smoke from O gauge diesels looks pretty good though.

[LCDR]

Sorry Graskie , but for me lights, smoke, sound etc are gimmicks. They rarely appear realistic, the lights are on when they should be off or off when they should be on, are the wrong colour, or the wrong intensity. Smoke is also the wrong colour, is usually

 

inadequate, never appears when it ought to, and never synchronises, the sounds rarely match what the train is doing and on some (the Hornby 08 for example) sound nothing like the real thing!

 

Personally I would rather pay a little less to delete these

 

gimmicks.

 

Adding extra detail can never be a gimmick as it is something you choose to do and to spend or not to spend if you wish. And I don't count the little bags of bits that come with some locomotives as added detail.

 

For that reason I am

 

generally in favour of Railroad, but would like to see many more models in that range which are dimensionally similar to the prototype they are meant to portray. I would also like many more realistic carriages and wagons included.

 

If you want to pay

 

extra for lights smoke sound etc, so well and good, but I think we ought to get a choice.

 

Graskie said:

 

I really resent the assertion that adding lights and sound is a gimmick. Is adding smoke as well? Is adding your own modifications

 

a gimmick? Since I went the sound way, I have enjoyed running my railway far more.

[poliss]

You can set the lights to be on when they should be on. Smoke can and has been synchronised using DCC. Sound can also be synchronised using DCC. Sound can be very good if the right hardware and sound files are used. If you don't like these things, fair

 

enough, but others do like to have them on their locos.

There's a chappie on the Hornby Facebook page that thinks the reduced detail is a backward step and prefers the B Teams older model as it has more detail.

[LCDR]

All those extras pre-supposes DCC, but some of us will not be going down that road because we already have a large collection of pre-DCC models and the cost of chipping and re-controlling is prohibitive. In order to give this matter a fair trial I have

 

purchased and tried some DCC stuff with sound, but I am underwhelmed, especially if ones considers the much higher price ticket. Therefore lights on the trains I buy do NOT turn off unless you disconnect the wire, and the smoke units in the few OO models where

 

it is fitted are feeble beyond belief. Sound is just not practicable on DC, unless you are some kind of electronic whiz (which I am not).

 

 

The B team are just as guilty in adding detail which is too fragile for normal handling.

 

Hornby does

 

now seem to be bringing stuff out which is going in this direction. I did recently have a look at the 2Bil, and that seems to have a lot more moulded detail without losing appearance, and the headcode panels DO NOT LIGHT UP! Hooray! The old Triang 3Sub always

 

looked odd as the light went out when it stopped.

[LCDR]

The last paragraph should have made it clear that Hornby appear to be moving in the Right direction, I didn't read it carefully enough before hitting 'post'.

[Jeremiah]

LC&DR said:

All those extras pre-supposes DCC, but some of us will not be going down that road because we already have a large collection of pre-DCC models and the cost of chipping and re-controlling is prohibitive. In order to give this

matter a fair trial I have purchased and tried some DCC stuff with sound, but I am underwhelmed, especially if ones considers the much higher price ticket. Therefore lights on the trains I buy do NOT turn off unless you disconnect the wire, and the smoke units

in the few OO models where it is fitted are feeble beyond belief. Sound is just not practicable on DC, unless you are some kind of electronic whiz (which I am not).


The B team are just as guilty in adding detail which is too fragile for normal

handling.

Hornby does now seem to be bringing stuff out which is going in this direction. I did recently have a look at the 2Bil, and that seems to have a lot more moulded detail without losing appearance, and the headcode panels DO NOT LIGHT UP! Hooray!

The old Triang 3Sub always looked odd as the light went out when it stopped.

I surely agree with you entirely LC&DR.

[walkingthedog]

Wise words as usual LC. I have a CL17 made in a country famous for bacon and the light behind the head code is like a spotlight. I have disconnected it.

 

Still don't think they are really gimmicks but I see your point.

 

I have just seen a

 

DVD of a German model steam loco with smoke. The power of the 'puff' out of the chimney is fairly impressive but then the smoke drops down in globules and looks pretty pathetic. I have never been impressed with model smoke. It looks like somebody has left

 

a lit cigarette in an ash ray.

[LCDR]

I have a class 14 by the same firm, the lights are always on both front and back, and also shine up through gaps on the body and inside the cab. I haven't got round to disconnecting them yet, but I will do!

 

It is all SO unnecessary.

[Postman Prat]

 

Did the lights on the Sub go out because it was under water???

 

[The son of Triangman]

One of things I don't like is the locos you see at exhibition and on peoples layouts that have laser bright white lights, it's soooooooooooooo unnecessary. The 4mm scale passengers on their stations must be blinded everytime a train passes on these layouts.

 

The LED lighting current is being driven far to hard for realistic lighting.

[The son of Triangman]

Railroad is a pretty good range, it's our best seller and always sells well in other retailers shops too. The right models at the right price, not too fragile, easy to repair, robust.

 

I agree about DCC sound, most locos don't sound like their full

 

scale counterparts unless you spend heaps on an expensive sound decoder and speaker which will cost more than the loco, and LED lighting is nearly always too bright to be accurate. It amazes me that modellers now go to great lengths to get every little tiny

 

rivett in the right place to the thousandth of a mm but never seem to get the lighting levels of lights anyhwere near right.

 

Any yes to the original question, more railroad please.

[The son of Triangman]

The best smoke unit I have come across is the old Tri-ang syncrosmoke smoke units for realistic smoke, they look good and instead of the globule effect mentioned earlier, they just have a drifting smoke effect when just stopped and puff out smoke and it

 

is possible to see smoke rings which you sometimes see from the real thing, the drawback is the lack of a lot of smoke production when the loco stationary. For me they are as good as model smoke units get, I have tried many over the years but still think these

 

were the best smoke units made,

[walkingthedog]

Welcome back PP.

[Postman Prat]

 

Thanks for noticing, nice that someone cares. Feeling rather done-in after an 11hr flight to Madrid, and a 3hr sit-around waiting for French Traffic Control to stop messing around. And then everyone ignored my light-hearted comment. I guess most of

 

the others didn't miss me.

 

I'll send you an e-mail in the next day or 2 after reading the backlog of e-mails, only 77!!

 

[LCDR]

Sorry I didn't reply earlier but I was out all day with a couple of mates from drinking beer and talking about the Ashington Coal Company.

 

Although a 4Sub has two periscopes it rarely went under water.

 

How come you took 11 hours to fly to

 

Madrid? It only took us 10 to fly to Mauritius. Were you routed via Florida? Or were you going by microlight?

 

 

 

Postman Prat said:

 

 

Thanks for noticing, nice that someone cares. Feeling rather done-in after an 11hr flight to Madrid,

 

and a 3hr sit-around waiting for French Traffic Control to stop messing around. And then everyone ignored my light-hearted comment. I guess most of the others didn't miss me.

 

I'll send you an e-mail in the next day or 2 after reading the backlog of

 

e-mails, only 77!!

[Postman Prat]

 

It was 11 hours from Lima!!! Sat around Madrid for three hours before the leg to the UK, then the messing around at Gatport Airwick before my lift home. Still tired and got the well known stomach disorder.

 

I feel sorry for me!

 

[The son of Triangman]

Get well soon PP, it's good to see you back

[LCDR]

From me too, good to have you back and hope the old affliction gets better.

[Graskie]

Yes, great to hear you're back at your old post, PP.

[Postman Prat]

 

Thanks, Fellas. I must be empty soon and then I'll get back to normal!!