Great review Jennifer. I think there is definitely a place for the Railroad Plus range. 87 pounds UK is $160 in Australia, much more manageable than $400 to $600 models of much higher detail. I look forward to the modifications you will go through on Friday!
Fantastic review Jenny. I have a railroad plus 47 and I am very pleased with it. My eye sight is not as sharp as it was, and I do feel the levels of detail are fine when watching train on my layout from a distance. Yes the more costly models look great close up but on a running session these are more than up for the job! And it means I can have 3 railroad plus models for the price of one HD one what is not to like! Looking forward to see what you and Craig do with the 37 in future videos.
Good review and all the points spot on. There is nothing wrong with this range if you want models for kids or for daily running . Another model to mention is the recently released class 90 that celebrates the 100th anniversary of malcolm rail which is an exclusive available from Hornby to their collectors club members. This is packed more like the main range and includes etched name plates. Best part though is that it is priced at under £90. Admittedly you need to be a member to buy it, but at the price it is great value.
Interesting review as I brought a Railroad Class 57 and very pleased with it, accepting a few limitations. Runs well, good finish and looks the part. Feels it needs a bit more weight too and looking forward to your next upgrade video.
I have fitted lights to Railroad class 47, 59 and 90 and also internal lights to a Railroad 121, very satisfying, improving my wiring and soldering skills and also increase the fleet without breaking the bank. I also had them lightly weathered which definitely improves the look as well.
Great review , I have been retired a few years now and have just purchased a HST in swallow livery to complete a set with my intercity coaches , it is a railroad range that I have fitted a DCC decoder and it was the right price for me . I will add sound later on this year when I have saved up for it , as a pensioner I find the Railroad range very reasonable to buy and add to for further detailing at a more economical cost . Cheers..........Peter
Hi Jenny. The fact that £87 seems an affordable price for a loco only proves that we have got to used to these terrible prices! This Railroad offering is a better option for someone intending to fit a decoder. The limitation is drive mechanism with the traction tyres. The bodywork looks good. Thanks for uploading.
Agree, these would be ideal if it wasnt for the traction tyres, and on some models not even scope to add a driver/s - I think the 47s have old style couplings too for some reason
Superb content. Informative and helps to grow the hobby. So refreshing amid all the recent shock jock negativity which undoubtedly drives clicks (even in the Grauniad!) but is really damaging. Keep it up. Coming to this video long after upload but hope comments still helpful. I think that Hornby's approach of a single powered 2 or 3 axle bogie for Railroad/plus is quite sensible as it's easy to adapt to manufacture many different diesel models at low cost. I have a similar Class 67 from the "Red Rover" train set. Hornby have used the Lima tooling for the body shell but used a single powered bogie rather than the original Lima two bogies powered from a single motor. For the Railroad/train set diesels I wish Hornby would put a bit more weight at the non-powered end of the loco. I like to use the motor auto calibration function of the groundbreaking HM7000 decoders to get the optimum crawl (CV149). It works really well but launches the loco at top speed for around 1.5m. With a loco as light and umbalanced as the Railroad ones, they tend to derail. Thankfully they're generally robust enough to survive that but it's still a bit "heart in the mouth" every time you launch it at top speed until you get a successful 1.5m run!
Nice review. Im a old school modeller. Back in the 70's to the late 1990's these Lima models & the Hornby margate ones where the bedrock of the hobby. Some of the finest exhibition layouts ever built all used these base level models, detailed up / repainted etc etc Now we are in the age of a different approach whereby building a layout & utilising the great array of new tool models is the way , the new models are very seductive with their features etc & they come at a cost. For some money is no object & for many it is & its obvious that a one size fits all product range isnt going to work. Ok making rolls royces but if punters can only afford minis then you've got problems. The old Lima models are a good way of of offering a alternative. The Railroad range is a dogs breakfast & the best thing Hornby could do is get the Lima models redone as Lima & marketed as such. The key is to then expand the range with some new models to offer some competition / break the reliance on the new tools. Ive gone back to the Lima models for £30-50 you are getting a great base model to do what you want with , just like we did back in the 70's-90's . Im DC so even these railroad models are coming with things that are not required for me. For the railroad approach to fully work , the models would come with lights but none of the dcc bits , these sold as add ons. to reduce the base cost of the model. Nameplates , well Fox etc make all them & so no need to supply them. You could argue Hornby have improved the paint finish but ruined the guts of them with the motors etc. The old Lima motors will last a lifetime, the metal is to a higher grade , the wheels are not coated , im still running stuff thats over30-40 years old. The way Hornby could have improved them is by fitting the can motor thats in the Lima 67 driving all four axles, plastic chassis , lots of weight & a traction tyre on 2 of the wheels , if you have a lima 67 youll know what a great model this is mechanics wise. you cant compare these models to the new tools , theyre completey different animals , but at least buyers on a budget do have a bit more choice than the new tools or secondhand Lima etc to go at. I guess these models are aimed at the newer entrants. Whats sadly lacking is the cottage industry of suppliers making the etch brass detailing parts etc that really enhanced the models.
Fully agree, not everyone can afford the model equivalent of a Rolls Royce! But have you seen the value of old Minis these days? (my other passion, apart from railways and railway modelling...) A Rolls might be cheaper!
Considering how many are stamped out and where they are produced. They could be a lot cheaper. Some people buy cheap dolls, pull them apart, and rebuild as a high end. Could do with trains Very comprehensive video. All the best from Western Australia.
Hello Jennifer, great review as always. I think its sad that there are no lights on the loco. I would prefer lights in stead of etched name plates. But as you say £87, is better than £100 plus.
They do say the Lima mouldings for their 31/37 & 47 were one of the best. For the money it looks right enough! Not everyone is a rivet counter, and with some weathering you can hide some of the issues
Nice review Jennifer. I have just purchased one of these from Bure Valley Models who are currently knocking them out for £72 including delivery. Get them while stocks last folks.
Great review Jenny! It's about time we had a middle of the road priced model range- not everyone wants Primark or haute couture quality.. Can't wait for the class 31, I always thought the old Lima one wasn't bad, even if the motor was awful..
@@bentullett6068 That's good to know, I model Eastern Region, I might get a couple to repaint in heritage green. I fancy doing the Stratford one, D5583/31165..
Good video Jenny. It would be great if Hornby released the motorised and trailer bogies, or steam mechanisms, onto the Spares market thus enabling old Triang/Hornby/Lima locos to be upgraded. Such items have been listed for a long time but always as “out of stock”. Maybe you can exert some influence Jenny?
Great video Jenny, great to see models at a lower price. I haven't had a new loco in years , which due to having kids and buying a house plus other issues. I have told my family never get me a loco priced at 3 000 range. But this range looks more affordable with been not too weak on detail and performance with a score of 41 out 50 you can't go wrong. My son had a go at making tracks 3 last week with is grandad. Lucky him I was at work. Hopefully this will get away from the Xbox if not my daughter who turns 7 this week will have some interest in it too. I have still the next video and making tracks 3 with Pete Waterman, to watch I am sure it will informative as always.
I'm mainly a steam fan, but I do want some early BR diesels for my layout. I generally regard diesels as boxes on wheels and if I'm going to spend a lot of money on a loco I'd rather get a beautiful steam pacific, so these are a nice compromise whilst still being DCC ready. However I think Hornby have missed a trick by not including lights. If they can do it for the railroad HSTs, not to mention the Hogwarts Castle then why not for these?
Great review, I have actually bought this model a couple of weeks ago but wasn't actually looking for it in particular. The main reason I got it was the price of £89 which I thought was really good. I've found the model to be a great runner and perfect for me as I have both a tight budget and basic dc layout
Atlas and Athern and I think Walthers in the US have there budget lines in HO scale. N-gauge seems to be more DCC ready or Not as far as budget pricing . Cannot wait to see the rest of the series
I snap up these models now, specially the TTS sound fitted... I super detail them add a bit more weight and fit lights, all done at a price I can afford.. I use car wheel balance weights, they come in 2 sizes and can be fitted easily into the loco chassis , you can get 4 into the space for the speaker, an iPhone speaker will fit on top...
These are the old Lima tooling , which for the age and accuracy are not bad at all .. The 37 & 47 were the best and thats why Vitrains used them for their range of locos, pity they went broke , they were very good models...
Body tabs - I find that narrow slices of surplus acrylic glazing (box fronts, etc) are perfect for the job, just work a sliver in under the shell, but over the tab, one at a time, then you can pull the shell off more easily, without breaking your fingernails! Dead bank cards tend to be a bit too thick.
Thanks Jennifer ,great review ,will seriously consider any thing railroad ,being for the price this range has never let me down .Hopefully hornby will release in green or blue . Keep up the great work 😊
Jennifer, thank you for your review. It was interesting to compare this model with the original Lima L205079 model. When Hornby upgraded the body of this model from the original Lima tooling, they could have rectified a number of issues which would have catapulted it into the 2020s level of tooling. If they had enlarged the front cab windows to scale size, increased the tumblehome to a more accurate degree and made the radiator grill a separate item, then I feel many of the more minor issues could have been overlooked (compression of details on the side grills bonet shape etc.). Whilst Hornby have improved the twin horn array, removed the bonet headboard mounting points and poked through the holes in the exhaust vents, there is little else that appears to have changed from the original Lima tooling. The chassis appears to have had more attention. I had hoped you would have covered the motor more in your review. Is it a 3 or 5 pole motor in this release? What was the slow running like? Again Hornby could have tweaked the details on the chassis, Those underslung fuel and water tanks could have shown a degree of separation, as the chassis has been changed, could this have been a separately fitted item? The central chassis securing lug, could have been altered to reflect the two footholds above both fuel and water tanks as per the real thing. Again these were black not as on the model (bodyside livery). Overall the Hornby re-production of this Lima model is better, but Hornby missed several tricks that would have made the model even better, such as including the Lima snowploughs (as Lima did). How about providing the body as a separate part, so that those with Vi-Train models could use the bodies? Hornby could have also reduced the price of this base model then provided the various upgrade kits, that the customer could have added. After all, as demonstrated by the comments on this thread, there are those who want more detail, and there are those who are satisfied with the base molding. Let the customer decide! Again thank you for your review. I know it takes alot of work to produce these videos.
All hornby have to do to this model is retool the front cab windows and it would be spot on. It's about time they changed them since that tooling is well over 30 years old.
Personally I think Hornby have nailed this perfectly. Its a pretty solid performer, simple build that anyone can work on, is a decent price and they've done it in a very eye catching delivery, thats well applied. I think its a market area they need to look more at. Having said all that I do love my new tooling A1 "Doncaster" that I picked up from TMC after your recent review. It's simply stunning. But personally I never could have justified the full rrp, so thankyou so much for bringing us that bargain to our attention also. 😊
Great video, I still think for the price front and rear lights would really sell the loco. It would cost Hornby buttons. I’ve had to many issues with Hornby now and have fallen out of love with them sadly. Even at £89 I’d rather save up for something else. 🤨
I like the look of it and the report on the train at the end, what I can not find is a decoder for a inter city 125 train that I got in the late 80's would you have any input that may help please.
To some degree, the lesser detailed models are more useable. There is less 'fear' of damage or loss of small bits. It also addresses the conundrum of, if the model has more parts to fit (accessory pack so called), do you open the bag and fit or keep unopened with more of a collectors mindset. I have to say the online review 'obsession' with separately fitted parts has driven the manufacturers down the line of higher cost and bits, in my opinion. Not all reviewers I would add!
I ACCIDENTALLY ENDED UP WITH 2 NORTHERN LIGHTS MODELSBUT WHEN PUTTING THE DECODER ON ONE OF THEM I PUT AN OLD LIMA BODY FOR A 37 NICKNAMED MIRAGE BACK ON INSTEAD TURNING IT INTO ANOTHER FLEET MEMBER QUITE CHEAPLY.I AM A REAL NEWBIE AS WELL
Just buy a secondhand Lima one. Still plenty of one's out there that have spent there entire life stored in a box - so basically new - for between £30-£35.
And to think theyve got the red stripe matching here on the cab door yet on the so called hifi Class 87 at £217 they used 2 different reds and ruined the latest release of 87009. So they can get it right if they try.
Regarding etched nameplates it's infuriating that all the named Hornby diesel locomotives I own have oversized printed nameplates and crests. When I purchase etched plates from third parties - which I understand are correctly sized - much work (with associated potential paint damage) is required to remove some or all of the printed name. Why can't Hornby get such a trivial issue sorted? I have never experienced this issue with any of the Bachmann locomotives I've fitted with etched plates.
Speaking of couplings Jenny, do you know if anyone has produced a Hornby Dublo type coupling to fit in a nem pocket. I be searched on line, but no joy. Maybe someone with a 3D printer could come up with one?
Being a Welsh Valleys boy and the son of a coal miner, I grew up virtually surrounded by class 37s, growling to and from the local collieries (and on various occasions hauling passenher trains too) and have a soft spot for them. I like this Railroad Plus model. It's got enough detail to look the part to most observers. And as you say, it provides a excellent base for customisation. But I'm not a fan of the InterCity livery. The only thing it looks good on in my opinion is HSTs! BR large logo or even Rail Ops Group looks far better.
I won't deny that these cheaper models deserve a place in this hobby, but it's not really my cup of tea. Regarding the Class 37, I chose an Accurascale model of 37027 'Loch Eil' instead.
The fact we're referring to under £100 (let's be clear: £90) as 'budget' is quite sad. Yes relative to other manufacturers this is more affordable, but for value for money is appalling. Hornby has well and truly recouped any cost from the Lima tooling and has done little to justify in creasing the price. If it had DCC fitted it would be much more appealing to the younger audience who want the complete package, but at £90 I can't imagine buying this for a relative as a gift, just as could be done years ago.
Great review Jennifer. I think there is definitely a place for the Railroad Plus range. 87 pounds UK is $160 in Australia, much more manageable than $400 to $600 models of much higher detail. I look forward to the modifications you will go through on Friday!
Fantastic review Jenny. I have a railroad plus 47 and I am very pleased with it. My eye sight is not as sharp as it was, and I do feel the levels of detail are fine when watching train on my layout from a distance. Yes the more costly models look great close up but on a running session these are more than up for the job! And it means I can have 3 railroad plus models for the price of one HD one what is not to like! Looking forward to see what you and Craig do with the 37 in future videos.
Good review and all the points spot on. There is nothing wrong with this range if you want models for kids or for daily running .
Another model to mention is the recently released class 90 that celebrates the 100th anniversary of malcolm rail which is an exclusive available from Hornby to their collectors club members. This is packed more like the main range and includes etched name plates. Best part though is that it is priced at under £90. Admittedly you need to be a member to buy it, but at the price it is great value.
Interesting review as I brought a Railroad Class 57 and very pleased with it, accepting a few limitations. Runs well, good finish and looks the part. Feels it needs a bit more weight too and looking forward to your next upgrade video.
I have fitted lights to Railroad class 47, 59 and 90 and also internal lights to a Railroad 121, very satisfying, improving my wiring and soldering skills and also increase the fleet without breaking the bank. I also had them lightly weathered which definitely improves the look as well.
Great review , I have been retired a few years now and have just purchased a HST in swallow livery to complete a set with my intercity coaches , it is a railroad range that I have fitted a DCC decoder and it was the right price for me . I will add sound later on this year when I have saved up for it , as a pensioner I find the Railroad range very reasonable to buy and add to for further detailing at a more economical cost . Cheers..........Peter
Hi Jenny. The fact that £87 seems an affordable price for a loco only proves that we have got to used to these terrible prices! This Railroad offering is a better option for someone intending to fit a decoder. The limitation is drive mechanism with the traction tyres. The bodywork looks good. Thanks for uploading.
Agree, these would be ideal if it wasnt for the traction tyres, and on some models not even scope to add a driver/s - I think the 47s have old style couplings too for some reason
Superb content. Informative and helps to grow the hobby. So refreshing amid all the recent shock jock negativity which undoubtedly drives clicks (even in the Grauniad!) but is really damaging. Keep it up.
Coming to this video long after upload but hope comments still helpful.
I think that Hornby's approach of a single powered 2 or 3 axle bogie for Railroad/plus is quite sensible as it's easy to adapt to manufacture many different diesel models at low cost.
I have a similar Class 67 from the "Red Rover" train set. Hornby have used the Lima tooling for the body shell but used a single powered bogie rather than the original Lima two bogies powered from a single motor.
For the Railroad/train set diesels I wish Hornby would put a bit more weight at the non-powered end of the loco.
I like to use the motor auto calibration function of the groundbreaking HM7000 decoders to get the optimum crawl (CV149).
It works really well but launches the loco at top speed for around 1.5m.
With a loco as light and umbalanced as the Railroad ones, they tend to derail.
Thankfully they're generally robust enough to survive that but it's still a bit "heart in the mouth" every time you launch it at top speed until you get a successful 1.5m run!
Nice review. Im a old school modeller. Back in the 70's to the late 1990's these Lima models & the Hornby margate ones where the bedrock of the hobby. Some of the finest exhibition layouts ever built all used these base level models, detailed up / repainted etc etc Now we are in the age of a different approach whereby building a layout & utilising the great array of new tool models is the way , the new models are very seductive with their features etc & they come at a cost.
For some money is no object & for many it is & its obvious that a one size fits all product range isnt going to work. Ok making rolls royces but if punters can only afford minis then you've got problems. The old Lima models are a good way of of offering a alternative. The Railroad range is a dogs breakfast & the best thing Hornby could do is get the Lima models redone as Lima & marketed as such. The key is to then expand the range with some new models to offer some competition / break the reliance on the new tools.
Ive gone back to the Lima models for £30-50 you are getting a great base model to do what you want with , just like we did back in the 70's-90's . Im DC so even these railroad models are coming with things that are not required for me. For the railroad approach to fully work , the models would come with lights but none of the dcc bits , these sold as add ons. to reduce the base cost of the model. Nameplates , well Fox etc make all them & so no need to supply them. You could argue Hornby have improved the paint finish but ruined the guts of them with the motors etc. The old Lima motors will last a lifetime, the metal is to a higher grade , the wheels are not coated , im still running stuff thats over30-40 years old. The way Hornby could have improved them is by fitting the can motor thats in the Lima 67 driving all four axles, plastic chassis , lots of weight & a traction tyre on 2 of the wheels , if you have a lima 67 youll know what a great model this is mechanics wise.
you cant compare these models to the new tools , theyre completey different animals , but at least buyers on a budget do have a bit more choice than the new tools or secondhand Lima etc to go at. I guess these models are aimed at the newer entrants. Whats sadly lacking is the cottage industry of suppliers making the etch brass detailing parts etc that really enhanced the models.
Fully agree, not everyone can afford the model equivalent of a Rolls Royce! But have you seen the value of old Minis these days? (my other passion, apart from railways and railway modelling...) A Rolls might be cheaper!
Considering how many are stamped out and where they are produced. They could be a lot cheaper.
Some people buy cheap dolls, pull them apart, and rebuild as a high end. Could do with trains
Very comprehensive video.
All the best from Western Australia.
Hello Jennifer, great review as always. I think its sad that there are no lights on the loco. I would prefer lights in stead of etched name plates. But as you say £87, is better than £100 plus.
They do say the Lima mouldings for their 31/37 & 47 were one of the best. For the money it looks right enough!
Not everyone is a rivet counter, and with some weathering you can hide some of the issues
Nice review Jennifer. I have just purchased one of these from Bure Valley Models who are currently knocking them out for £72 including delivery. Get them while stocks last folks.
Great review Jenny! It's about time we had a middle of the road priced model range- not everyone wants Primark or haute couture quality.. Can't wait for the class 31, I always thought the old Lima one wasn't bad, even if the motor was awful..
@@bentullett6068 That's good to know, I model Eastern Region, I might get a couple to repaint in heritage green. I fancy doing the Stratford one, D5583/31165..
I picked up a class 97 from Hornby. Bought a Lima bodyshell, detailed that & swapped the Network Rail body out. All in £75! Much more cost effective!
Good video Jenny.
It would be great if Hornby released the motorised and trailer bogies, or steam mechanisms, onto the Spares market thus enabling old Triang/Hornby/Lima locos to be upgraded. Such items have been listed for a long time but always as “out of stock”.
Maybe you can exert some influence Jenny?
Great video Jenny, great to see models at a lower price. I haven't had a new loco in years , which due to having kids and buying a house plus other issues. I have told my family never get me a loco priced at 3 000 range. But this range looks more affordable with been not too weak on detail and performance with a score of 41 out 50 you can't go wrong.
My son had a go at making tracks 3 last week with is grandad. Lucky him I was at work. Hopefully this will get away from the Xbox if not my daughter who turns 7 this week will have some interest in it too.
I have still the next video and making tracks 3 with Pete Waterman, to watch I am sure it will informative as always.
I'm mainly a steam fan, but I do want some early BR diesels for my layout. I generally regard diesels as boxes on wheels and if I'm going to spend a lot of money on a loco I'd rather get a beautiful steam pacific, so these are a nice compromise whilst still being DCC ready.
However I think Hornby have missed a trick by not including lights. If they can do it for the railroad HSTs, not to mention the Hogwarts Castle then why not for these?
Great review, I have actually bought this model a couple of weeks ago but wasn't actually looking for it in particular. The main reason I got it was the price of £89 which I thought was really good. I've found the model to be a great runner and perfect for me as I have both a tight budget and basic dc layout
Atlas and Athern and I think Walthers in the US have there budget lines in HO scale. N-gauge seems to be more DCC ready or Not as far as budget pricing . Cannot wait to see the rest of the series
I paid £67.00 for a class 47 and as Barrie Davis would say "at 3 feet they all look good" Looking forward to Friday
If anything is too close it looks fuzzy to me anyway 😊
I snap up these models now, specially the TTS sound fitted...
I super detail them add a bit more weight and fit lights, all done at a price I can afford..
I use car wheel balance weights, they come in 2 sizes and can be fitted easily into the loco chassis , you can get 4 into the space for the speaker, an iPhone speaker will fit on top...
These are the old Lima tooling , which for the age and accuracy are not bad at all ..
The 37 & 47 were the best and thats why Vitrains used them for their range of locos, pity they went broke , they were very good models...
Body tabs - I find that narrow slices of surplus acrylic glazing (box fronts, etc) are perfect for the job, just work a sliver in under the shell, but over the tab, one at a time, then you can pull the shell off more easily, without breaking your fingernails! Dead bank cards tend to be a bit too thick.
Very interesting Jenny... I was unsure about them TBH... it's something im gonna look at now ..
Thanks Jennifer ,great review ,will seriously consider any thing railroad ,being for the price this range has never let me down .Hopefully hornby will release in green or blue . Keep up the great work 😊
Jennifer, thank you for your review. It was interesting to compare this model with the original Lima L205079 model.
When Hornby upgraded the body of this model from the original Lima tooling, they could have rectified a number of issues which would have catapulted it into the 2020s level of tooling. If they had enlarged the front cab windows to scale size, increased the tumblehome to a more accurate degree and made the radiator grill a separate item, then I feel many of the more minor issues could have been overlooked (compression of details on the side grills bonet shape etc.). Whilst Hornby have improved the twin horn array, removed the bonet headboard mounting points and poked through the holes in the exhaust vents, there is little else that appears to have changed from the original Lima tooling.
The chassis appears to have had more attention. I had hoped you would have covered the motor more in your review. Is it a 3 or 5 pole motor in this release? What was the slow running like? Again Hornby could have tweaked the details on the chassis, Those underslung fuel and water tanks could have shown a degree of separation, as the chassis has been changed, could this have been a separately fitted item? The central chassis securing lug, could have been altered to reflect the two footholds above both fuel and water tanks as per the real thing. Again these were black not as on the model (bodyside livery).
Overall the Hornby re-production of this Lima model is better, but Hornby missed several tricks that would have made the model even better, such as including the Lima snowploughs (as Lima did). How about providing the body as a separate part, so that those with Vi-Train models could use the bodies? Hornby could have also reduced the price of this base model then provided the various upgrade kits, that the customer could have added. After all, as demonstrated by the comments on this thread, there are those who want more detail, and there are those who are satisfied with the base molding. Let the customer decide!
Again thank you for your review. I know it takes alot of work to produce these videos.
Very good review
Well done hornby for the RR range
All hornby have to do to this model is retool the front cab windows and it would be spot on. It's about time they changed them since that tooling is well over 30 years old.
Thank you for the video! Miserly scores! A great model for the price! Add a TXS and this model fits the bill!
Your reviews are super Jen!!
Personally I think Hornby have nailed this perfectly.
Its a pretty solid performer, simple build that anyone can work on, is a decent price and they've done it in a very eye catching delivery, thats well applied.
I think its a market area they need to look more at.
Having said all that I do love my new tooling A1 "Doncaster" that I picked up from TMC after your recent review. It's simply stunning. But personally I never could have justified the full rrp, so thankyou so much for bringing us that bargain to our attention also. 😊
Great video, I still think for the price front and rear lights would really sell the loco. It would cost Hornby buttons. I’ve had to many issues with Hornby now and have fallen out of love with them sadly. Even at £89 I’d rather save up for something else. 🤨
I have the hornby R30041tts class 37, I paid £105, cheap I think,and actually it’s quite a decent performer, the sound is a little tinny though
I like the look of it and the report on the train at the end, what I can not find is a decoder for a inter city 125 train that I got in the late 80's would you have any input that may help please.
“You can pimp them up”. You cool kid! 😂
To some degree, the lesser detailed models are more useable. There is less 'fear' of damage or loss of small bits. It also addresses the conundrum of, if the model has more parts to fit (accessory pack so called), do you open the bag and fit or keep unopened with more of a collectors mindset. I have to say the online review 'obsession' with separately fitted parts has driven the manufacturers down the line of higher cost and bits, in my opinion. Not all reviewers I would add!
I ACCIDENTALLY ENDED UP WITH 2 NORTHERN LIGHTS MODELSBUT WHEN PUTTING THE DECODER ON ONE OF THEM I PUT AN OLD LIMA BODY FOR A 37 NICKNAMED MIRAGE BACK ON INSTEAD TURNING IT INTO ANOTHER FLEET MEMBER QUITE CHEAPLY.I AM A REAL NEWBIE AS WELL
Just buy a secondhand Lima one. Still plenty of one's out there that have spent there entire life stored in a box - so basically new - for between £30-£35.
And to think theyve got the red stripe matching here on the cab door yet on the so called hifi Class 87 at £217 they used 2 different reds and ruined the latest release of 87009. So they can get it right if they try.
Regarding etched nameplates it's infuriating that all the named Hornby diesel locomotives I own have oversized printed nameplates and crests. When I purchase etched plates from third parties - which I understand are correctly sized - much work (with associated potential paint damage) is required to remove some or all of the printed name. Why can't Hornby get such a trivial issue sorted? I have never experienced this issue with any of the Bachmann locomotives I've fitted with etched plates.
Good video but putting the chip inside weighted area are you not putting it in a place where it could short on the weight??.
The weight is painted and covered by plastic moulding.
Speaking of couplings Jenny, do you know if anyone has produced a Hornby Dublo type coupling to fit in a nem pocket. I be searched on line, but no joy. Maybe someone with a 3D printer could come up with one?
Being a Welsh Valleys boy and the son of a coal miner, I grew up virtually surrounded by class 37s, growling to and from the local collieries (and on various occasions hauling passenher trains too) and have a soft spot for them.
I like this Railroad Plus model. It's got enough detail to look the part to most observers. And as you say, it provides a excellent base for customisation.
But I'm not a fan of the InterCity livery. The only thing it looks good on in my opinion is HSTs! BR large logo or even Rail Ops Group looks far better.
Do any of these have a 21pin socket as I was thinking about adding a Bluetooth decoder.
Good for a 2nd / backup but spend an extra £70 to get ultimate detailed class 37 from Accrascale.
Nice to see your tran set there.
Awesome video
As an O.A.P. i can only afford one loco a year when i get my heating allowance and even then i go for 2nd hand.
Awesome trains
50p a week???? How rich was use. I was luck to get two and six.
It really is a shame that Hornby only do a few models in this range and no other manufacturers make a similar range.
I have a railroad plus 47 with tts sound
Do you have Accurascale and Bachmann models for comparison?
Long live 37s 😁
Tardis in the brown truck, lol
I won't deny that these cheaper models deserve a place in this hobby, but it's not really my cup of tea.
Regarding the Class 37, I chose an Accurascale model of 37027 'Loch Eil' instead.
First!!
@@platformten5958 to comment…
The fact we're referring to under £100 (let's be clear: £90) as 'budget' is quite sad. Yes relative to other manufacturers this is more affordable, but for value for money is appalling. Hornby has well and truly recouped any cost from the Lima tooling and has done little to justify in creasing the price. If it had DCC fitted it would be much more appealing to the younger audience who want the complete package, but at £90 I can't imagine buying this for a relative as a gift, just as could be done years ago.
Not saying I disagree, but what would be an acceptable price for a loco for you?
i lov diss. :)
my railroad HST ran terribly for about an hour then died! Sent it back - Utter garbage.
I had the same experience