New Hornby 21 ton Hopper @ Warley

[MichaelP]

Nice to see the fitted handrails which help set the wagon off, it's a bit too thick around the top of the body for my liking and it doesn't look there is any representation of the 'Morton Clutch' although the clasp brake gear is present, on one side presumably.

Quite a high price tag for what it is when you think you can get a far superior kit version of this wagon from 'Parkside Dundas' for around £9.00, having said that if you're not into kit building and wagon weathering you can just plonk the 'Hornby' wagon on the track and away you go but obviously the kit has to be built first but the 'Hornby' wagon is not as good as the 'Parkside' kit In my opinion.

Michael

[D2100]

... it doesn't look there is any representation of the 'Morton Clutch' although the clasp brake gear is present, on one side presumably.

The clutch should be on the side without the brake shoes; the side as seen is therefore quite correct. Obviously I'm no more able to comment on the unseen side than anyone else.

Quite a high price tag for what it is when you think you can get a far superior kit version of this wagon from 'Parkside Dundas' for around £9.00, having said that if you're not into kit building and wagon weathering you can just plonk the 'Hornby' wagon on the track and away you go but obviously the kit has to be built first but the 'Hornby' wagon is not as good as the 'Parkside' kit In my opinion.

It's a good price for what it is, and it compares well with other recent wagon models of similar size. As you say, the kit has to be built, which implies a 'cost' for the time involved; and in that light, it's hardly one of Parkside's easier kits.

[MichaelP]

What do you think is not easy about the 'Parkside' kit?

[DS239]

the 'Hornby' wagon is not as good as the 'Parkside' kit In my opinion.

I think such judgements are somewhat premature,until both models can be compared side by side..

The caveat with the Hornby images states:
Please note – images are CAD drawings and renders, and are provided for illustration only.

[D2100]

What do you think is not easy about the 'Parkside' kit?

I used the word 'easy' in a sense comparative to their others - it certainly goes together better than, say, a Cambrian Dogfish, but nobody could pretend it's as straightforward as a van or open goods and the relative openness makes it more delicate. I built some when they first came out, and whilst I got reasonable joins on the outside of the hopper with the usual fettling, the inside was a different story. Not that this is a criticism as such - Richard Hollingsworth resisted doing hoppers for long enough because he felt they'd be difficult on his machines - but it remains a valid observation that if you place even minimal value on your time, the RTR model will represent a significant saving in labour, that can be channelled in other directions.

[MichaelP]

I completely agree and understand with what you say re: hopper kit build up, I have had the same problems as many other modellers will have had and will still have with these wagons and you are quite right these wagons do not build up as easily or as quick as say a box type wagon.
Having said that I think that once problem areas with kit builds are identified obviously one can progress quicker with the build as I think the same problems apply to all three of the hopper wagon kits, PC77 PC78 and PC80.
Despite the niggly build up problems with the 'Parkside' kitsI still prefer them to RTR wagons.

Years ago I was very lucky to inherit a large collection collection of railway wagon photos from various locations around the country and there are a lot of hopper wagon photos in the collection which were taken here in North East England where they were used extensively, when I compare these photos with 'Parkside' kits and RTR wagons I'm afraid the RTR wagons just don't look right to me so it is 'Parkside' everytime for me, but that's just me, as you quite rightly say some people don't have the time to build kits or wouldn't build a kit even if they had the time and thats fine.

Whenever a new item is released some folks will like it and others won't.

[DS239]

at the same time I found out about the K1 and the J15 [and another as yet unannounced LNER loco]

Do tell!

Okay,this probably isn't the right thread to mention it in,and bear in mind that it is over 4 years since I last looked at a Hornby computer screen and I didn't make any notes at the time, so I am relying on memory here,but I think it was a Q6...

[As this is a LNER forum I'd better not mention the 3 SR loco's and the GW one I also remember seeing on the list.. ]

[D2100]

[
Okay,this probably isn't the right thread to mention it in,and bear in mind that it is over 4 years since I last looked at a Hornby computer screen and I didn't make any notes at the time, so I am relying on memory here,but I think it was a Q6...
]

I'd laugh if it was. TBH I thought it might be the B12...

Not frothing. Honestly. No no, not me

[D2100]

A few thoughts on my model, picked up recently:

https://windcutter.wordpress.com/2015/0 ... newcastle/

Other opinions are obviously available

[S.A.C. Martin]

For what it's worth Ian, I agree with your views on a number of points.

May I add, I find it difficult to believe that a type of wagon for which there were potentially 35,000 examples didn't get across the length and breadth of the country as has been suggested elsewhere. I would also echo having done some (admittedly limited research) over the last few days that actually it's clear they did get quite far afield and the LNER examples inherited by BR.

My views can be read on MREmag today: K1 and 21T wagons