Hornby quality vs The Rest

[ExRes]

I went to a smallish Antiques Fair yesterday and came across a Hornby OO Class 86, spotless and boxed, which I bought for a seemingly, by ebay standards, cheap £25

Being a former Res driver it got me looking last night at putting a 47/86/90 Res collection together, I noticed that ebay 47s tend to be generally Lima and am hoping that some of the more experienced Forum members could advise me of any differences between the makes, ie, do the different makes go together well or stick out as being different ?

I'd be grateful for any advice

 

[thedbdiboy]

Yes, 'modern' (by which I mean anything made since the mid 1970s) Hornby, Lima, Mainline, Airfix, Wrenn, Replica, Bachmann, Dapol etc will all work happily together. Due to the rise of superdetail models for adults in the last 15 years there is a lot of 1970s/80s/90s secondhand out there at reasonable prices if you are prepared to look, not nearly as sophisticated as the modern stuff but as a pastime perfectly entertaining.
If you fancy practising your modelling skills, models from this earlier era are a great base as they are generally dimensionally correct (unlike some of the things that emerged in the 50s and 60s!)

 

[SpacePhoenix]

One thing you have to keep in mind with modern models is that the trade off for having the super detailing can make bits very fragile. There used to be a brand of paints called something like "Rail Match", which used to have the various colours needed for repainting (no idea if the brand is still about), so if you've got a steady hand you could always respray a model into the required livery.

I think the most extreme example of dimensionally incorrect stuff was the old Hornby Mk3 coaches, can't remember when they started bring out the proper scale length ones but think it could have been the very late 90s

 

[sprinterguy]

I think the most extreme example of dimensionally incorrect stuff was the old Hornby Mk3 coaches, can't remember when they started bring out the proper scale length ones but think it could have been the very late 90s

The scale length Hornby mark 3s were launched in the range in 1999. Although of course Lima and Jouef had been producing scale length 00 gauge mark 3s for a number of years beforehand.

 

[DaleCooper]

I think the most extreme example of dimensionally incorrect stuff was the old Hornby Mk3 coaches, can't remember when they started bring out the proper scale length ones but think it could have been the very late 90s

The scale length Hornby mark 3s were launched in the range in 1999. Although of course Lima and Jouef had been producing scale length 00 gauge mark 3s for a number of years beforehand.

But they all run on 4ft 1.5in gauge track anyway.

 

[centraltrains]

Class 47:
Lima - Cheap single moulded plastic though motors are generally quite poor due to age.
Hornby RailRoad - Cheap single moulded plastic Lima shell on Hornby driving mechanism.
Bachmann - Not sure but better than the Honrby one.
Heljan - Not sure but generally heljan models are usually V. Good.
ViTrains - Reasonably priced though most details have to be added separately and not made any more.

Class 86
Hornby - Old moulding so detail isn't brilliant, No lighting.
Heljan - Not sure but has lighting. One would assume it is better than the Hornby one due to newer moulding.

Class 90
Hornby - Really old model (so low detail) still being made and being sold over priced.
Bachmann have announced they are working on.

 

[hairyhandedfool]

Class 47:
Lima - Cheap single moulded plastic though motors are generally quite poor due to age.
Hornby RailRoad - Cheap single moulded plastic Lima shell on Hornby driving mechanism.
Bachmann - Not sure but better than the Honrby one.
Heljan - Not sure but generally heljan models are usually V. Good.
ViTrains - Reasonably priced though most details have to be added separately and not made any more.

Class 86
Hornby - Old moulding so detail isn't brilliant, No lighting.
Heljan - Not sure but has lighting. One would assume it is better than the Hornby one due to newer moulding.

Class 90
Hornby - Really old model (so low detail) still being made and being sold over priced.
Bachmann have announced they are working on.

The Hornby Railroad 47s are actually the old Hornby ones and are really poor models (and expensive), The Lima body/Hornby chassis version has only been released in main range train sets and packs.

The third best 47 is generally recognised to be the Heljan one, although I don't know how many are being made now, they were to wide which earned them the nickname "tubby duff". Some have been know to suffer from "expanding chassis" which isn't great, but by now I'd have thought they'd either have expanded or they aren't affected.

Strictly speaking I believe the ViTrains 47 is the best, but it has a large number of fiddly extra parts that you need to add on (Rail magazine's "expert" reported that he took 90 minutes putting them all on) and they aren't being made at the moment.

The Bachmann 47 is a damn good model (it was thought very little could improve it) and Bachmann haven't stopped making them, but with prices rising all the time, the secondhand market might be the best option here too.

The Hornby 86 is crude (and underpowered) by today's standards, but there are people who still prefer it over the Heljan example, partly because the Heljan Pantograph is equally crude and sits too high on the roof. Some have also commented that the cab and roof profiles on the Heljan example are wrong, I'm not convinced about the cab either way to be honest, but the Hornby one is more plentiful in number and livery option. Early examples of the Hornby 86 do have really crude Pantographs, so watch out for them.

Hornby never did a RES livery 90. There was one in "Express Parcels" (a livery the 90 never carried) which isn't so very different, but it might be worth waiting for the Bachmann 90 to hit the market, firstly to see how good it is, and secondly because the price on Hornby 90s might fall.

 

[trainmania100]

My freightliner 86 from hornby is quite well detailed for a cheaper model with single bogie drive, it doesn't have working lights but the model is detailed nicely.
I have the older hormby 86 Pheonix with ringfield motor, it looks okay but the detail isn't great. The bachmann 47s are very detailed sprung buffers, I have a tmc custom 47

 

[sprinterguy]

Hornby never did a RES livery 90.

Actually, they did, as 90018 in 1993/94:
http://www.hornbyguide.com/item_details.asp?itemid=1310

There's even a couple for sale on Ebay at the moment, for example here:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/OO-Gauge-...394075?hash=item58d594645b:g:yLUAAOSwFNZWt1cE

 

[fowler9]

Going back to the 80's now but I always thought the Hornby 86, 47 and 37 were very poor compaired to the Lima 87, 47 and 37. This is of course only relevant if you are buying stuff from then. My favourite from those times were the Jouef Class 56 and the Mainline and Jouef Mark 2 D's. I used to respray and detail models back in the day but they seem a bit better out of the box these days.

 

[sprinterguy]

Yes, 'modern' (by which I mean anything made since the mid 1970s) Hornby, Lima, Mainline, Airfix, Wrenn, Replica, Bachmann, Dapol etc will all work happily together. Due to the rise of superdetail models for adults in the last 15 years there is a lot of 1970s/80s/90s secondhand out there at reasonable prices if you are prepared to look, not nearly as sophisticated as the modern stuff but as a pastime perfectly entertaining.
If you fancy practising your modelling skills, models from this earlier era are a great base as they are generally dimensionally correct (unlike some of the things that emerged in the 50s and 60s!)

I can only really echo this excellent summary. Most 00 gauge locos from any major manufacturer produced from the seventies onwards will look and play fine together. In a lot of cases in my opinion you'd only really notice the difference between different manufacturers' models of the same class if you were to push them up alongside each other and get out a magnifying glass.

As far as the electric locos go, as described above your options are limited: You already have the 86, which is good as while the Hornby model is a bit basic the dimensions and overall look are all pretty sound, the newer Heljan model is more detailed but very pricey. At present Hornby are the only producers of the class 90, and they come up pretty cheap secondhand.

There's far more variety in terms of class 47s. My rule of thumb with regards the older models is that the ancient Hornby models are cheap and nasty and to be avoided (plus I don't think they ever made one in RES), but the Lima ones can be bought cheap and are very reasonable and reliable models. With regards the newer stuff, the Vitrains models offer fairly decent value for money and a decent level of detail, while both the Heljan and Bachmann models are very detailed but also very expensive.
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Going back to the 80's now but I always thought the Hornby 86, 47 and 37 were very poor compaired to the Lima 87, 47 and 37.

Yeah that's always been the opinion that I've held. The Lima 37 and 47 were far and away the superior models compared to the comparable Hornby offering in my view.

 

[DaleCooper]

I seem to remember that early Lima models were HO scale or am I mistaken?

 

[sprinterguy]

I seem to remember that early Lima models were HO scale or am I mistaken?

According to Wikipedia this was the case with their British range until 1977, and of course their Continental European product range was always HO.

Of course this doesn't affect their later class 37, 47, etc British locos, which were definitely OO gauge.

 

[ExRes]

I'd just like to take the opportunity to thank all you guys for your responses, they've all been of great interest and use to me

I've discovered that there's a Train and Toy Fair on at Newton Abbot Racecourse in a few weeks so I will try to get on face to face terms with Hornby/Lima/Bachmann etc

Thanks again

 

[SpacePhoenix]

You used to be able to get various kits for detailing locos, if them kits are still around then you could always buy an older loco, detail it with a kit(s)s and then respray it to the required livery (if the correct colour paints are available)

 

[hairyhandedfool]

Actually, they did, as 90018 in 1993/94:
http://www.hornbyguide.com/item_details.asp?itemid=1310

There's even a couple for sale on Ebay at the moment, for example here:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/OO-Gauge-...394075?hash=item58d594645b:g:yLUAAOSwFNZWt1cE

I stand corrected, don't ever remember seeing one before which I find very curious.

 

[mike e]

Bachmann make a good selection of model trains

 

[455driver]

My favourite from those times were the Jouef Class 56 and the Mainline and Jouef Mark 2 D's. I used to respray and detail models back in the day but they seem a bit better out of the box these days.

Jouef didn't do a 56 (Mainline then Dapol then Hornby did), or a mark2D, they did a mark3A though (different vents on the roof compared to the Hornby/Lima mark3s).

The mainline mark2Ds were well ahead of their time and I think they are still a worthy model compared to todays offerings.

 

[fowler9]

Jouef didn't do a 56 (Mainline then Dapol then Hornby did), or a mark2D, they did a mark3A though (different vents on the roof compared to the Hornby/Lima mark3s).

The mainline mark2Ds were well ahead of their time and I think they are still a worthy model compared to todays offerings.

Apologies, mixed up my makers. Thanks for correcting me. The Mainline Mark 2D's were really good. I'm sure I had a few Airfix boxed ones that looked the same! Am I mistaken? I first saw the 2D's on a massive modern image layout at an exhibition at the Merchant Taylors school in Crosby, north of Liverpool many years ago. That prompted me to buy loads of them, ha ha.

 

[455driver]

Apologies, mixed up my makers. Thanks for correcting me. The Mainline Mark 2D's were really good. I'm sure I had a few Airfix boxed ones that looked the same! Am I mistaken? I first saw the 2D's on a massive modern image layout at an exhibition at the Merchant Taylors school in Crosby, north of Liverpool many years ago. That prompted me to buy loads of them, ha ha.

No need to apologise, it does take a bit of keeping up with who did/has each model.

The Airfix mark2Ds (I am questioning whether they went to Mainline now _) were/are indeed very good.

 

[fowler9]

No need to apologise, it does take a bit of keeping up with who did/has each model.

The Airfix mark2Ds (I am questioning whether they went to Mainline now _) were/are indeed very good.

Just trying to think what it was that got Jouef in my head now. I think you are right about the Mainline 2D's though. Am sure I had a mix of Mainline and Airfix. Remembered the name of the layout I first saw them on though (ish). It was an absolutely massive terminal station model called Bamford. It had about 7 or 8 platforms and a TMD/stabling point if I recall correctly. Set in the BR Blue/Grey era. I stood watching it for hours.

 

[theblackwatch]

Jouef didn't do a 56 (Mainline then Dapol then Hornby did), or a mark2D, they did a mark3A though (different vents on the roof compared to the Hornby/Lima mark3s).

Was it just a Mk.3 catering car they did, or did they do other coaches too? I can only ever remember seeing a catering car - if so, it was a bit strange not to do any other vehicles!