Hornby 2023 - New tooling - Streamlined B17/5

[Boleyn Road]

14 hours ago, Bernard Lamb said:

Oh. I do like that.

Living in Billericay in the late 1940s I remember the appearance of a few locomotives in post war green as an improvement on the grot. I never saw anything like that. Though the inhabitants of Devons Road ran it close.

Very temping just to try.

Bernard

 

Judging by the colours, I believe it might be colourised black and white photo rather than an original colour photo. Although colourised photos can look great, often the only show an approximation of the what the colour was and therefore aren't always accurate nor show the gradient between colours as effectively as an original colour photo.

 

Happy to be corrected if I am wrong!

[PaulG]

On 22/08/2024 at 20:15, Johann Marsbar said:

 

Is that just co-incidental red oxide applied where the "bufferbeam" should be, or is that deliberate?

It looks to me to be a colourised black and white photograph, (or very poor colour copy) hence "strange" colours.

 

Paul

[Bernard Lamb]

On 23/08/2024 at 10:37, Boleyn Road said:

 

Judging by the colours, I believe it might be colourised black and white photo rather than an original colour photo. Although colourised photos can look great, often the only show an approximation of the what the colour was and therefore aren't always accurate nor show the gradient between colours as effectively as an original colour photo.

 

Happy to be corrected if I am wrong!

Evidence?

It looks to me like typical 1949 10ASA colour film, with the picture taken in the gloom of Liverpool Street station.

   Bernard

[Adi]

My review 

[tractionman]

On 16/08/2024 at 09:08, Downer said:

...A one-off, of course, and more than a slight stretch of Rule One.  And then there’s the price.  £225 isn’t that much for a loco these days, but will it be another 10800, too niche for its own good, and down to half price before spring comes round?  Decisions, decisions.  

 

it certainly seems to have been popular, sold out at many retailers already, as well as at Hornby.

 

I'd have liked one but only had it come down to half price, no chance now!

 

[Opelsi]

Just run mind in this morning, gorgeous thing, super smooth.

Then pre-programmed a decoder on my ECoS and ESU Decoder Tester.

Fitted the Hornby Sapphire, it was dead. Thought maybe I had cooked in applying the heat shrink.

So did same with a Gaugemaster Ruby (which already comes with heat shrink pre-fitted).

It immediately sped off on the test track and then almost as quick blew the chip.

Some time later tried an old Uhlenbrouk decoder, which also was very erratic and then refused to work.

Sad to say it is going to have to go back to Hornby as guessing a short somewhere which I am not prepared to look for!

Anyone else either successfully fitted a decoder or had similar problems?

[ColinB]

15 minutes ago, Opelsi said:

Just run mind in this morning, gorgeous thing, super smooth.

Then pre-programmed a decoder on my ECoS and ESU Decoder Tester.

Fitted the Hornby Sapphire, it was dead. Thought maybe I had cooked in applying the heat shrink.

So did same with a Gaugemaster Ruby (which already comes with heat shrink pre-fitted).

It immediately sped off on the test track and then almost as quick blew the chip.

Some time later tried an old Uhlenbrouk decoder, which also was very erratic and then refused to work.

Sad to say it is going to have to go back to Hornby as guessing a short somewhere which I am not prepared to look for!

Anyone else either successfully fitted a decoder or had similar problems?

Of all makes, it was a LaisDCC, works perfectly. The thing that would worry me, when you take it apart to  fit the DCC decoder check to see if Hornby have trimmed off the corners of the PCB, this is normally where the pads for left and right pickups are. So did they do damage to the pcb when they did this.

[Butler Henderson]

1 hour ago, Opelsi said:

Just run mind in this morning, gorgeous thing, super smooth.

Then pre-programmed a decoder on my ECoS and ESU Decoder Tester.

Fitted the Hornby Sapphire, it was dead. Thought maybe I had cooked in applying the heat shrink.

So did same with a Gaugemaster Ruby (which already comes with heat shrink pre-fitted).

It immediately sped off on the test track and then almost as quick blew the chip.

Some time later tried an old Uhlenbrouk decoder, which also was very erratic and then refused to work.

Sad to say it is going to have to go back to Hornby as guessing a short somewhere which I am not prepared to look for!

Anyone else either successfully fitted a decoder or had similar problems?

Hornby locos IME all too often have an unneccessary spiders web of wiring and eaqaully are miswired so they work on DC but not DCC.  If the model is otherise okay I would be tempted to strip the PCB out and hardwire a decoder in place.

[ColinB]

1 hour ago, Butler Henderson said:

Hornby locos IME all too often have an unneccessary spiders web of wiring and eaqaully are miswired so they work on DC but not DCC.  If the model is otherise okay I would be tempted to strip the PCB out and hardwire a decoder in place.

Other than the chopped off corners to the PCB, Hornby have done a really good job with the PCB if you look at it, it is pretty self explanatory to which wire goes where. It really is difficult to get the wiring wrong. They could have got the motor and right feed round the wrong way (both red wires) or similarly the same with the two black wires. Hard wiring the decoder brings its own issues as it is impossible to easily get back to DC running, if you think there is an issue with DCC.

There two choices, return the loco to Hornby to get them to check it is wired properly or take off the loco body and with the DCC header removed, check whether there is a connection between motor terminals and track. It should be open circuit. A favorite is the lower motor connection shorting against the chassis. You should really return it to Hornby, if you are not happy, it wasn't exactly cheap.

[Opelsi]

On 25/08/2024 at 16:11, ColinB said:

Other than the chopped off corners to the PCB, Hornby have done a really good job with the PCB if you look at it, it is pretty self explanatory to which wire goes where. It really is difficult to get the wiring wrong. They could have got the motor and right feed round the wrong way (both red wires) or similarly the same with the two black wires. Hard wiring the decoder brings its own issues as it is impossible to easily get back to DC running, if you think there is an issue with DCC.

There two choices, return the loco to Hornby to get them to check it is wired properly or take off the loco body and with the DCC header removed, check whether there is a connection between motor terminals and track. It should be open circuit. A favorite is the lower motor connection shorting against the chassis. You should really return it to Hornby, if you are not happy, it wasn't exactly cheap.

Would you believe that the instructions fail to illustrate how to take off the loco body!

I do wonder if this could be because of how difficult to could be to get off and particularly back on again correctly.

Toyed with the idea of putting an alternative (6-pin) harness for a spare Gaugemaster DCC93 decoder I have.

I may have a tinker and see if it is easily removeable though will be very careful indeed as don't want to invalidate the warranty.

Like you say, want to make sure wires to motor not shorting out on the body - good call thanks!

[PaulG]

On 19/08/2024 at 21:21, PaulG said:

As for stock to run behind the B17, this perhaps is an easy option? Witham on an up milk train. I'm assuming loco is in black livery.

 

Paul

 

 

Photographed a bit further down the line at Colchester.  A bit of modelling to go!

 

 

Paul

[Ian Hargrave]

On 25/08/2024 at 12:24, tractionman said:

 

it certainly seems to have been popular, sold out at many retailers already, as well as at Hornby.

 

I'd have liked one but only had it come down to half price, no chance now!

 

Which is a pity.Because it’s one of Hornby’s best since the Standard 2MT 78XXX. This is a class act.

[IOW O2]

On 25/08/2024 at 12:24, tractionman said:

it certainly seems to have been popular, sold out at many retailers already, as well as at Hornby.

 

I'd have liked one but only had it come down to half price, no chance now!

Dead right no chance, esp. as one major retailer that has more than ten in stock put up the price, £224 Sat, £247 today.  Maybe they pay in arrears.  Must say never noticed 'in stock' items going up before when the manufacturer increases.

[ColinB]

36 minutes ago, IOW O2 said:

Dead right no chance, esp. as one major retailer that has more than ten in stock put up the price, £224 Sat, £247 today.  Maybe they pay in arrears.  Must say never noticed 'in stock' items going up before when the manufacturer increases.

You never know, the 2MT sold well but a few months after release I got one at a substantially reduced price. I don't think it is worth £247 pounds, I preordered mine at just less than £190 which I think is a more reasonable price. As with Oasis tickets if someone will pay it then they will charge it. Since they sold so well I imagine Hornby will do another run.

[MikeParkin65]

16 hours ago, ColinB said:

Since they sold so well I imagine Hornby will do another run.

Not so sure about that - if Hornby look at the performance of previous 'second runs' they might think twice. 46256 for example - you can still buy that new if you shop around yet the first batch sold out very quickly. 

[ColinB]

1 minute ago, MikeParkin65 said:

Not so sure about that - if Hornby look at the performance of previous 'second runs' they might think twice. 46256 for example - you can still buy that new if you shop around yet the first batch sold out very quickly. 

You could well be right but I would have thought they would have wanted more return on their tooling. I bought the green one and thought about the black one but it is just too expensive now. 

[Gilwell Park]

I might be tempted by one in BR lined green. OK I know it's not correct but I can apply rule 1.  Hornby seem to happy to produce inaccurate versions of the W1.

[Flying Pig]

24 minutes ago, Gilwell Park said:

I might be tempted by one in BR lined green. OK I know it's not correct but I can apply rule 1.  Hornby seem to happy to produce inaccurate versions of the W1.

 

It would probably look good in British Railways express blue as well. Or post 1956 'Stratford' blue, like the Liverpool Street pilot.

[stewartingram]

Yuk!

[Hroth]

16 hours ago, adb968008 said:

Network Rail yellow ?

 

The Flying Banana!

 

[2750Papyrus]

17 hours ago, adb968008 said:

Network Rail yellow ?

Only if Norwich City was streamlined.

[Hroth]

8 hours ago, 2750Papyrus said:

Only if Norwich City was streamlined.

 

In the alternate universe labelled R1....

🐦

( theres not a good selection of birds that go "tweet" in the emojis...)

 

[Cofga]

Got mine in the US yesterday and fitted a SoundTraxx UK steam decoder and sugar cube speaker. Ran in on my rolling road for an hour total but it still has a catch in the motion when starting up but only going forward. Will put it back on  the rolling road for another hour. The tender is very plasticky, with only the installed weight adding some metal to the mix. Had to reglue the tender sideframes back on as they popped loose after just touching them. The coal load is not glued in, just a very tight friction fit. Check the wheel distances, mine ranged from 14.11 on the lead truck to 14.55 on the rear tender wheels with everything in between. Still managed to go through all my Peco turnouts. The detail pack is very basic, no crew, lamps, or tools, just brake rigging, vacuum pipes, and coupling. Speaking of which the coupling is metal but does not fit in the hole provide so had to be filed down for a press fit. Overall the model is beautiful and a shade darker than it appears in the various YouTube videos. Given how quickly they sold out, I think Hornby underestimated how many to make. Or maybe they just decided to make up the difference by charging such a high price and avoid the risk.

 

After another hour of running in the catch in the motion did not go away so I went over the drive rods. It turned out one eccentric rod was catching on the inside of the valence. A quick bend of the rod fixed it so now it is running much smoother. 

Edited Wednesday at 01:48 by Cofga