Hornby and their new range

Personally, I doubt it. I'd imagine 90% of Hornby's punters wouldn't give two hoots that the wheels are a tad close together.

I'd still like to see someone else enter the UK N Gauge market.

"David Chorley" wrote

There have been one or two articles in MRJ of late suggesting detailing and scale conversion for both Bachmann and Hornby locos - both steam and diesel.

I reckon the scale (EM or S4) market is very small, but there's no reason why such a small market couldn't be accomodated by providing adequate clearance to allow re-gauging.

John.

Wonder what the chances would be of UK HO succeeding instead? There was a rumour a few years ago that Athearn were investigating entering British HO, but decided against it. A pity. I would have seriously considered it. Not definitely bought some, mind you, just seriously considered it. Perhaps there lies the reason why it didn't go ahead.

Steve Newcastle Oz

Perhaps pigs might fly. But then, stranger things have happened.

"MartinS" <

Hornby have a working live steam OO model.

D U C K!

-- Cheers Roger T.

of the Great Eastern Railway

"Roger T." wrote

But why? If I were going to challenge in the US market I wouldn't consider using OO-scale, so why would an American entrant to the UK market use HO-scale?

Lima, Rivarossie & Fleischmann have all tried UK HO and all retreated *very* quickly.

John.

"Roger T." responded to

That's rather unfair, the Lima efforts were pretty abysmal but the ones from Rivarossi and Fleischmann were probably better than any of the contemporary UK OO-scale models.

I have to plead guilty to owning a significant number of models produced by the likes of Atlas, Kato, Stewart Hobbies, P2K and Bachmann Specutrum and find they are in the main extremely good performers, although some of the steam outline models I own are no better than those currently available in OO-scale for the UK market.

In terms of diesel models then I think I'd readily accept that the ones produced for the US market are generally considerably superior to the UK ones.

This doesn't mean that it would be necessary for any of the USA manufacturers to opt for HO-scale if they decided to try and compete in the UK market. In fact I'm sure it would be foolhardy.

John.

"John Turner" <

contemporary

".....better than any contemporary UK OO-scale models". Still crap by North American standards. :-)

From what I've seen, the latest UK batch come close, very close, but the North American ones still seem to be that little bit better.

Life-Like P2K 0-6-0 switcher.

Not a close up, but it shows mine.

Every, yes every visible detail possible is on this loco And you know how much junk gets hung on North American locos? Runs so slowly that you have to be sure that the throttle/controller is completely "off" otherwise the loco will continue o move imperceptibly slowly.

Hands down. No contest.

Of course. I'm not supporting that argument, just a scenario for what could happen.

-- Cheers Roger T.

of the Great Eastern Railway

"Roger T." wrote

I've got one of their 0-8-0 switchers which is pretty cool, but am told that the 0-6-0 model is better, so can't argue that point. I would certainly suggest that the new Stanier 8F from Hornby is rather better than say the Bachmann Russian Decapod or High Boiler 4-6-0 both of which I own.

Mind you, Hornby models are now produced in the same factory as the P2K stuff, so it should be good! :-)

John.

"John Turner"

Well that's good to know.

I have two Decapods.

and

And I'm very happy with both.

Don't own any of the 4-6-0s, yet, as I was a little disappointed in them.

They're rather "Wild West" and far too 1800's looking for me. I was hoping for a more modern 4-6-0 with piston valves and a modern looking steam dome, sand boxes and other appliances.

I certainly hope so, for UK modellers sake as they been foistered of with toy junk (By our standards) for donkey's years. I gave up modelling UK outline back in the mid 70s as UK rtr stuff was so toy-like and such poor runners.

-- Cheers Roger T.

of the Great Eastern Railway

"Roger T." wrote

Can't argue with that, which is why I have so much US-outline stuff, but the latest UK outline is catching up and UK prototype will always be more meaningful to me.

John.

I've enjoyed browsing your web pages Roger looking at the locos.

Very impressed with them and also with the scenery on your layout.

Are the *industrial* buildings at the rear of Granville Jct scratchbuilt or kits.

Tommy

"Tommy "

Thanks for the compliments

Yes to both. Some are scratch but the majority are kitbashes.

-- Cheers Roger T.

of the Great Eastern Railway

Roger T

No. My new layout is 20ft x 6ft and incorporates my old layout as a branch line. It represnts an LMS line. It really only needs a dozen locos as a maximum. So why do I have more than twice as many as needed? I tell myself that I am representing the line in three different time periods (1906, 1936,

1956) so I need more than the usual number, but that doesn't explain why I have three Bulleid pacifics, an N Class mogul and a GCR Lord Faringdon.....

Basically, I buy and build what I like. And at the end of the day, I reckon that I'm supporting the hobby.

-- Enzo

I wear the cheese. It does not wear me.

"Enzo Matrix" wrote

I acquire (pinch from my own shop) the models which I like and which mean something to me. Bugger supporting the hooby!

I've far more loco's then I could ever need or use, but I still like them and will acquire more, and still consider myself to be a modeller rather than a collector.

John.