Hornby X6354 (Coupling) Mounting blocks

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Graeme Leary
GNR C1 4-4-2
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Hornby X6354 (Coupling) Mounting blocks

Post by Graeme Leary »

I have been using Hornby's X6354 mounting blocks which provide a simple way of changing couplings from older style cast couplings (eg on Triang, Mainline wagons) and which allow use of either standard fishtail NEM or Kadee couplings. They're also ideal to fix to kits for the same reason.
However I have just been advised by one of my usual UK suppliers that Hornby 'seem' to have ceased producing X6354. I'm waiting for a reply from Hornby to confirm but in the meantime have any other forum members found a suitable replacement (again to take both NEM and Kadee)?

Many thanks.

Graeme Leary
New Zealand
exile
LNER N2 0-6-2T
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Re: Hornby X6354 (Coupling) Mounting blocks

Post by exile »

Bachman couplings 36-030 come complete with NEM mounting box.
Hatfield Shed
LNER A4 4-6-2 'Streak'
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Re: Hornby X6354 (Coupling) Mounting blocks

Post by Hatfield Shed »

Graeme Leary wrote: Wed Jul 08, 2020 11:34 pm ...I have just been advised by one of my usual UK suppliers that Hornby 'seem' to have ceased producing X6354...
More likely a temporary interruption in supply. It is universal on their RTR product, so unless they are shortly totally changing their coupler mounting (anything is possible!) they will be procuring them in quantity in China from whatever 'Couplers'R'Us outfit' they purchase from. And should Hornby cease spares supply of these items I expect another business will quickly enough fill that void.

What you really need to fill the gap in supply is internal trade in NZ. Surely there must be a modeller fitting alternative kit or handmade couplers to RTR OO wagons out there, leaving the commercial parts surplus? (I have harvested quite a quantity of the Bachmann variety from friends in this way, and until quite recently had a steady trade of 'any Hornby NEM fitting type I have, for any Bachmann NEM fitting type he had'. N.B.The Bachmann and Hornby miniature tension locks are of distinctly different dimensions, and don't 'play together' well enough to satisfy my reliability requirement, so I have standardised on the Bachmann type. Either with its own kind alone is fine.)
RayS
NBR J36 0-6-0
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Re: Hornby X6354 (Coupling) Mounting blocks

Post by RayS »

Faintly ridiculous that unlike the US market where everything comes with Kadee or Kadee compatible couplings - standard height, and not too oversized, and yet the two main UK suppliers can't do the same. Hornby spares seem to be generally in short supply from China at the moment, but DCC Concepts do the German Symoba range of NEM fittings which might help. What we need are NEM boxes that will take an adhesive properly.
Hatfield Shed
LNER A4 4-6-2 'Streak'
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Re: Hornby X6354 (Coupling) Mounting blocks

Post by Hatfield Shed »

RayS wrote: Fri Jul 10, 2020 7:59 pm Faintly ridiculous that unlike the US market where everything comes with Kadee or Kadee compatible couplings - standard height, and not too oversized, and yet the two main UK suppliers can't do the same...
That's RTR OO all over, which as modellers we 'walked away from' at some past time when age or experience revealed just how technically shoddy Triang, Hornby-Dublo etc. was, and how much better we could do by our own efforts.

When Bachmann and subsequently Hornby began to dangle the fruits of the decades of development for HO in OO product, I went for a look. At last, a RTR OO loco I could reasonably plonk on my continental cousin's HO layouts, straight from the box. (WD 2-8-0.) External appearance at 'expert kit builder' standard, competent mechanism inside, very attractive price; that's better!

But RTR OO is still the same animal it always was*. Made down to a price, all development taken from HO. A good example the camming close coupling systems for bogie vehicles. Bachmann and Hornby have had these mechanisms on their coaches for near twenty years, but have never once to my knowledge explained to the customer how they work and what is required for best results.

*Slight exaggeration. Peco have just recently got the message that they could make and sell quantities of superior OO track in the style that previously required kit or scratch building. Not all the way there yet, but it is only two decades since the superior RTR OO appeared, and toime it moove sloow dunn West...
Graeme Leary
GNR C1 4-4-2
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Re: Hornby X6354 (Coupling) Mounting blocks

Post by Graeme Leary »

Thanks all for your comments.

Exile-you are right about Bachmann's 36-030 but changing to these would put me in the same predicament as a modeller on another forum who wanted just the mounting blocks (pockets) and has ended up with a surfeit of the actual couplings once removed from the pockets.

Hatfield Shed and RayS - good to hear the same degree of healthy scepticism as mine over the ability of the major r-t-r makers to recognise what 'modellers' want(in contrast to toy train collectors). Hornby's 'must have' latest releases would confirm this.

Hatfield Shed - regrettably the model railway hobby in New Zealand probably does not have enough adherents (and certainly those of us who like to 'improve' our stock) to produce these sorts of 'spare parts' although there is one very good manufacturer of wheels and related metal 'bits'.
I will look up the Symoba range you mention RayS and on adhesives, try CA Glue - but do not put your nose near it (or scratch your backside if any on your fingers - you will need to have the resulting hole in your trousers repaired by a tailoring expert.

I will live in hope that Hornby will place an order with the factories in China (did they actually go into 'lockdown') of, may I suggest a minimum of 1000 packets - or whatever their 'minimum' run is - as it sounds to me that many others would be keen to get their hands on a packet or 2. I will take a dozen for starters. In the meantime I will put my coupling changeover plans in the 'too difficult' box (and put my remaining 4 units of X6354 in a high security safe - they could literally become 'collector's items!)

Graeme
Hatfield Shed
LNER A4 4-6-2 'Streak'
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Re: Hornby X6354 (Coupling) Mounting blocks

Post by Hatfield Shed »

Graeme Leary wrote: Sun Jul 12, 2020 1:14 am ...good to hear the same degree of healthy scepticism...
I actually apply this to every organisation run by humans...

Among the longer established outfits in RTR OO, it was Bachmann that won my respect for clearly giving thought to what might better suit modellers. No traction tyres, drives in steam locos, good subject choices tending to the commonplace in more variety than had ever previously been seen, thought given to providing vehicles suitable for forming trains for the traction. (Models of LNER traction other than pacifics and small tank locos, that alone was a shock!)

One particularly telling design decision in my opinion, (not LNER applicable) faced with the longer BR diesels that have their wheel tops inside bodywork making it impossible to get them around set track curves if rendered to scale: the compromise chosen was to raise the body sufficiently above the bogies that the wheels cleared underneath. The mechanism construction was so simple, that a modeller with layout curves that permitted the wheels to be inside body work without fouling, could with a few minutes work enjoy a model that looked right. This as opposed to those manufacturers that 'fudge it' with off scale dimensions and distortions: which typically results in a model very difficult to modify to overall correct appearance.
Hatfield Shed
LNER A4 4-6-2 'Streak'
Posts: 1664
Joined: Fri Dec 23, 2011 3:34 pm

Re: Hornby X6354 (Coupling) Mounting blocks

Post by Hatfield Shed »

While surveying the poop sheet from a Bachmann model I noticed that in the parts list the coupler pocket alone has a part number: BL2006 NEM pocket. Whether Bachmann service would actually supply in quantity is quite another question; especially as they mention 36-030 which is the retail pack of 10 x coupler and pocket.
Graeme Leary
GNR C1 4-4-2
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Joined: Fri Oct 28, 2011 9:43 pm

Re: Hornby X6354 (Coupling) Mounting blocks

Post by Graeme Leary »

Thanks again Hatfield Shed - will follow this up.

I have had a reply from Hornby about their X6354 - no, they haven't been discontinued, just currently out of stock. I asked the obvious question, when will they be back but so far no response. Watch this space!

Graeme
Quicksilver95
NER J27 0-6-0
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Re: Hornby X6354 (Coupling) Mounting blocks

Post by Quicksilver95 »

Did you ever get a response on this from Hornby? I could do with a few of these too, but doesn't look like they're available at the moment!

Thanks,

Joshua
Graeme Leary
GNR C1 4-4-2
Posts: 751
Joined: Fri Oct 28, 2011 9:43 pm

Re: Hornby X6354 (Coupling) Mounting blocks

Post by Graeme Leary »

Hello Joshua,

No I haven't but I managed to pick up a few packs through ebay from A C Models and Spares, 9 High Street, Eastleigh, Hants SO50 5LB. Maybe worth contacting even though this was back in July.

Graeme
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