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Hornby class 60

Here's what my mate James says about the new Hornby class 60. I've got to say I tend to agree - it's a really nice model and shows just what the lads from Margate can do when they really put their minds to it..

John.

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The new class 60 is probably the most boring and depressing release we've had for a long time. There's nothing to do!

Overall it is absolutely superb. Their 31 didn't do much for me at all, but this seems much better. The underframe is amazing, and leaves other efforts a long way behind. The grilles are etched all round and are very convincing - John Flower should look at the grilles before he even sells another A1 product. The cab interiors are amazing, a right sod to remove, but very accurate, even down to the correct colours. It certainly looks like a sixty! Even the glazing doesn't have too much of the prism-effect that other releases have been cursed by. The wipers are correct too, which really sets off the front I reckon. It's great to see that the silencer has been modelled in full - it gives that part of the roof a lovely feeling of depth - although I don't like the colour. To get the correct effect through weathering, a silver silencer is a much better starting point.

There are a few bad points though - why do we have bluey-white headlights and marker lights? They look horrible! And why plastic handrails - i may be proved wrong, but they really don't seem durable to me. The horns look good, but I'd have prefered metal turnings for them. The buffers seem to rotate that little bit too much, on mine they rotate by up to thirty or so degrees, which looks ridiculous, especially when both buffers on one end have done this!

I like it anyway! It's probably the best RTR diesel, or at least it's one of the best. But I do think it's a shame that it'll kill off people detailing class 60s and make more lazy modellers. Probably a strange thing to say. But aside from actually using the loco when it's finished, there's only possible rewheeling, (maybe) renumbering and weathering. Which does make it a rather boring prospect for me. It'll never give as much satisfaction as my class

37s will give. It's very much a finescale model, but doesn't offer me anywhere near as much as some of the cruder releases do. Or am I missing the point entirely?

But, if Hornby do their rumoured 47 and 37 to this standard, they'll clean up easily!

James, EASTMOOR MODELS

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Reply to
John Turner
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Very unlikely as Hornby have already announced new liveries for the existing version of these classes.

(kim)

Reply to
kim

And hopefully, in the next couple of days, I'll have the mod to enable separate tail-lights for DCC!

Cheers, Mick

Reply to
Mick Bryan

Horrah, Did you get my e-mail Mick?

definatley owe you a pint or more at showcase next year!

Simon

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Reply to
Piemanlarger

What you haven't worked it out yet Mick, getting slow in your old age ;-)

Nick

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Reply to
Nick Gurney

Haven't worked it out, coz I haven't got one yet - still waiting for Chairman's daughter's boyfriend to deliver it to me - hopefully this afternoon!

Cheers, Mick

Reply to
Mick Bryan

Hope he isn't in the shower or you will never get it ;-)

Nick

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ps The 60 is very nice and runs like a dream with a gold decoder.

Reply to
Nick Gurney

I agree, all we need now is to be able to switch tail lights on and off and a sound chip!

Reply to
Piemanlarger

Just to avoid Eastenders and Corrie, along with a good helping of Christmas spirit, (of a slightly alcoholic type) I opened up a 60 to examine the internals with a view to making the tail-lights separate.

The wiring looks like: Function output A at no1 end (B at No2 end) common to the small pcb mounted on the cab, then via the LEDS, series resistors and then 3 wires (positive return from each of the day/night/tail pairs) back to the pcb. The day/night returns are then routed on the main pcb to the day/night switch and then the common from the switch rejoins the positive return from the tail light. (Phew!)

I think the mod for separate tail lights involves another wire to each cab and some micro-surgery on the cab pcb to separate the common feed to the tail lights and replace this with a direct feed from the decoder outputs C&D (green and purple). Another wire to each cab will probably mean a small plug/socket to enable complete removal of the body from the chassis.

As it's not my 60, I need to await permission form the loco's owner to go about carving it up, with the possibility of completely destroying the cab pcb!!

Cheers (in more ways than one!)

Mick

Reply to
Mick Bryan

Job done............ (Apologies for not having photos as that would make the whole explanation easier)

I've carried out the mods in a similar way to Norman Clymer's 31 article in the "files" section on the yahoo DCC group (This article has photos and will help with the explanation). Except that I've used small wire links instead of conductive paint. The track on the cab pcb needs to be cut in 4 places. It helps to scrape away some of the lacquer with a blade before making the cuts. The red tail LED's are the inner pair - numbered LED3 and 4. On the left LED, make 2 cuts, one above and one to the left of the LED. Similarly for the right LED, 2 cuts - one above and one to the right. I then reconnected the track around the cuts to maintain the feeds to the outer white LED's.

The top sides of LED 3 & 4 are then wired together and these are then connected via a separate feed wire to output C at no1 end cab and output D and no2 end cab. I have installed a single pin plug/socket at each end to enable body removal from the chassis.

F1/F2 now control the taillights independent of head lights - sort of! The tail lights will not illuminate if the same end headlight is on. F1/F2 will only work if F0 is on anyway. So it can't be parked up with both sets of tail lights on and both headlights off. At least now, the taillights can be turned off when hauling a train.

Cheers, Mick

Reply to
Mick Bryan

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