Hornby Prorail REA

In message , Rich Mackin writes

Maybe it has been produced to go with a range of super-detail RTR LUL rolling stock that Hornby have been secretly developing.

"Rich Mackin" wrote

Just noticed this item has arrived on the Hattons website -

- I can only ask - Hornby, why?! The aging VDA tooling aside, it seems a bit pointless to me that Hornby have released a barrier vehicle for LUL stock when there's nothing to go with it. Most pointless wagon of the year so far?

Rich, Would it be compatible for all those that have gone to great lengths with the EFE tube stock?

Why should the fact that there is nothing RTR make it pointless for Hornby to do it? At the end of the day, it may be one of those space fillers in a corner of the yard!

Andy

run round in pairs. The most unlikely vehicle is the tank wagon used as a barrier vehicle or should it be reach wagon?

If that's the case Hornby have dropped a clanger there - it's got the same couplings and buffers at both ends. :-)

There was a standard 45t TTA used as such on the LPG trains from Furzebrook to Avonmouth- I believe it was filled with water. Brian

Maybe that's the question Hornby were trying to ask in a roundabout way when asking about manufacturing an EMU? Can only hope...

Interestingly of all the suggestions people made in various forums, I don't recall any mention of LUL stock, just mainline stuff.

In message , Michael Walker writes

I think most people believe that the major manufacturers will never produce LU stock so they don't bother requesting it in things like the MREMag poll, consequently Hornby and the other major manufacturers are led to believe that there is no demand, so they don't produce the stock.

It would be interesting to see how well the EFE models have been selling, it's just a shame they're so expensive in comparison to offerings from the major manufactures (~£100 for an unpowered 4 car set of 38TS, vs the same sort of money for a 5-car powered DEMU form Bachmann).

Yes, they are expensive (but look great). They can be motorised with a couple of Tenshodo WB245 motor bogies - $20.95 each from Holt Model Railways. I also replaced the other wheels with 10mm Romfords.

Sorry, that should be £, or GBP.

Now if they did a two-car version in NSE livery... :-)

In message , Spyke writes

The only problem with that is that, except for some odd branch lines like the East London Line, underground trains are formed of six or seven cars, not four.

In message , Jane Sullivan writes

My point exactly, if they were available at the Hornby/Bachmann mass produced prices it would be just about practical to get a decent length powered set (assuming you have a layout to run it on). At EFE prices, it's probably a little too much for the average modeller unless they have a specific interest in LU.

Spyke wrote: Snip

Frank Joyce of EFE explained to me that the main model manufacturers will never produce tube trains because they need extremely large radius curves with the wheels being inside, rather than underneath the bodies. The wheels are actually inside the longitudinal seats which prevents the bogies turning sufficiently for even the largest of what we call, trainset curves.

You need a very large or probably more likely, an end to end layout if you motorise the EFE models with Tenshodo bogies.

Dave W.

Re all the discussions about LU stock, doesn't The Harrow Model Shop offer the range in kit form?

ISTR that when the Prototype 38 stock was introduced uncoupling and running of shorter formations outside of peak hours was an every day occurrence and the 38 stock was designed as 4 and 3 car sets accordingly. So if you model the right era a four car set can be justified.

The daily uncoupling had ceased by the time the aluminum 1959 derivative came along so your point does apply to those.

G.Harman

They work fine on 2nd radius curves and points, although the plastic coupling thingies are a bit short. Of course, you need to cut a hole in the floor and trim the seating units to fit over the Tenshodos. Also, any added weight you can fit in helps with traction.

In message , g.harman writes

That happened fifty years and more ago. These days most people's era is more modern than that.

Those that want more modern tube stock and have the space and finance might find something to suit in the Metromodels range.

The Harrow model shop for long one of the few suppliers of tube stock is gradually revamping its range of white metal kits into resin equivalents which some people will find easier to get together.

G.Harman

Mine isn't!