Why the lack of RTR EMUs?

Was the Hornby 466 a big seller? It struck me as a very unusual choice for an EMU, working in a limited part of what is already a small area of the country. :-S An EPB would have made more sense if Hornby wanted to go for a smaller unit.

Off the top of my head and including layouts in the mags Some are OO, some are N:

Cranleigh Down Effingham South Hedges Hill Cutting Platfrom 4a & 4b Walmington South Sheppey Rushenden Metals Vauxhall Road Borckley Green Welton Down Chessington Chalk Lane

Del

'nuff said! That said, I managed to pick up a couple of 466 bodyshells off ebay at a bargain price, to use the cabs on a scratchbuilt 325, so the model has some use. ;)

"Rich Mackin" wrote

Goodness me I'd forgotten all about that it's so long since we had an enquiry for one let alone actually sold one.

I suspect I will have sold no more than half-a-dozen since they were released.

John.

"Derek Heath" wrote

Yes, I'd forgotten about Rushenden which was also a Hull Club creation, but even with that lot I suspect the numbers are dwarfed into insignificance by the 'rest'.

John.

In message , Rich Mackin writes

I've got two of them, and I'm not going to buy any more. If Hornby were to make a 465 4-car networker, I'd buy 4 of those.

When I'm running these Networkers on my garden layout, I can see the real things on my local the line, which is no more than 200 yards from the bottom of my garden.

actually

Apart from the Lima 73, how much RTR 3rd rail motive power do you see? Perhaps there might just be a connection...

bodyshells off

Well, I suppose if it's down to bum choice (probably due to listening to ignorant modern image modellers ) buy people like Hornby then it probably is 'nough said - but if, as you said, they had offered a 2EPB or 2BIL I strongly suspect that the story would have been different, especially with a 2BIL as they are old enough to be used on many layouts set in Southern Rly days.

creation, but

insignificance by

Yes, and remember how few LNER layouts were there not so many years ago, and remember how the LNER fan was crying out for RTR loco's and stock...

Oh and South Pimlico...

Del

Of course! Because for the beginner,or the less practical modeller, it's a difficult furrow to plough. There is hardly anything available off-the-shelf, so if you want an EMU you have to build a kit. If you want a GWR or LMS branch-line train, you buy it out of the Hornby or Bachmann catalogue.

Del

":::Jerry::::" wrote

I wouldn't argue that point, and there's a case to be made that a number that have been released in 'recent years' are ripe for retooling - at least of the chassis. Amongst those I'd include:-

J72 B1 V1/3 V2 J39

all of which have the very dated Bachmann 'split chassis' arrangement.

John.

":::Jerry::::" wrote

Hornby 'Networker', Eurostar and class 92, but I think that about covers it; unless you include the ancient Tri-ang and Hornby Dublo EMUs and which I'm told didn't sell particularly well, which might account for the reason that the range of EMUs were not expanded.

John.

years

arrangement.

Yes, and I would not argue that point either, but I will point out that the SR fan might just like some models that need retooling let alone ones that don't!

I can remember the old Triang EMU mentioned by John, although details are a little hazy! It was a two-car unit, extra coaches were available to make it three or four car, it was in Southern Region green and carried a "V" headcode. It looked a bit like a 2BIL/2HAL/2NOL, but I can't be more precise, except that it was introduced by Triang in the mid-1950's. At about the same time they introduced a two-car DMU. While the DMU stayed in their catalogue for many years the EMU did not - I saw (somewhere) at the time that Triang had withdrawn it as sales had not held up sufficiently. One of the reasons given at the time was that it lacked a broad appeal outside the SR/BR(SR) area, whereas the DMU - if you were prepared to ignore the regional prefix letter (M, E, W or SC) on the vehicles had a much broader appeal. The Hornby-Dublo two-car EMU was marketed (and marked) as Southern Region stock and extra coaches were available to make up three and four car sets - but, it was quite a good model of LMR Euston-Watford stock. Not surprisingly with that geographical limitation of prototypical use, it failed to sell well. Hope this helps, David Costigan

Didn't Wrenn do a Brighton Belle as well?

Regards,

Stuart.

"Stuart Smith" wrote

They did of course, but quite how close to scale it was is beyond my knowledge.

John.

I had a Triang DMU, which I had modified with pickups to run on my Hornby Dublo 3-rail layout! I replaced the wheels on the 3 non-powered bogies with HD steel wheels, but the large flanges on the power bogie wheels caused them to rumble over my HD turnout frogs.

Here's a few more. Tonbridge West Yard, and it's predecessor Maidstone Barracks. Witton. Can't remember the name, but it was by Walter Pulman of the Wigan Club.

Then you've got a few "Underground" layouts. 4 rail!! City Road, Chesham on a Sunday. There was an excellent layout at the NEC, but again the name escapes me.

Cheers, Mick