Longer years ago than I care to remember, I started collecting Hornby 00 Thomas trains for an exhibition layout, forerunner of my current large scale effort. The stuff was not inexpensive, though certainly far from top-of-the-line technically. Cheap (in the uncomplimentary sense) motors and poorly designed chassis.
I was browsing the dealers at our fall rail show today. Hornby Thomas stuff, now produced in China, is considerably less expensive than it was … what? … 20 years ago, and from a quick look, considerably better quality in the mechanicals. I picked up a thing or two with the idea of reviving that old layout, which has been gathering dust these many moons. It’ll be interesting to see how it turns out.
Yep, not large scale, but it does bear out the notion that not everything out of China is schlock.
Just as it was Bachmann, then derided in North America, that showed the British modelling world how much better an out-of-the-box model could be than the stuff they had been putting up with.
Chris Vernell said:For the third year running, a Chinese-made British outline model locomotive has won the top acclaim in the UK model railroad press.
Just as it was Bachmann, then derided in North America, that showed the British modelling world how much better an out-of-the-box model could be than the stuff they had been putting up with.
Not difficult, mind you, since ALL of Hornby and Bachmann are made in the PRC.
I am not a great fan of British outline stuff, but I went out and bought the NRM version of the ‘Flying Scotsman’ and ‘Mallard’ just to enjoy the unbelievable amount of fine detail on both these locos. My own custom-painted, tender lettered with stainless steel letters and special namplated model of the A4 streamliner ‘Dominion of Canada’ has pride of place on one of my teeny train shelves.
As for the Pullman cars, with full interior and table lighting too, even down to the ‘no smoking’ sings on the windows [4/100th of an inch high]…they have to be seen to be bleeved.
tac
To slightly go adrift of the original intent, as far as running ability, I have spent almost a year of spare time rebuilding and restoring old US made Half-Zero locomotives and rolling stock.
I have 3 of the Version 2 Manutua Mikados (gearboxes bolted to the frame, cast cab and tender) that still run beautifully to this day.
I just rebuilt 2 old Varney die-cast Docksiders, one a pre-war (1941 on this side of the pond), one a 1948, just did a full-on rebuild of a Varney “Old Lady” 2-8-0, done Varney F-3’s, die-cast, spring-belt drive to a gearbox, a John A. English 0-4-0, and a 1957 Athearn dual-gared Geep, metal screw-together gearboxes with oillite bearings.
I have one that isn’t so hot, yet, a later Varney NW/SW switcher, die-cast, but a jap-crap motor that doesn’t have the smoothness of the Pittmans.
I never intend to have any track laid to run them, but once tested on a 6-foot test track, they go to the local hobby shop to run on their railroad.
No dcc, either, ever, and couplers are either X2F’s or Mantua.
Mantua to whizz off the nmra boys.
Curmudgeon said:Yes, some of that old stuff does stir fond memories and even a notion or two ... but I have neither world enough nor time ... There were some fascinating boxes at the second-hand table at Railfair this weekend, but I resisted almost all temptation :(
To slightly go adrift of the original intent, as far as running ability, I have spent almost a year of spare time rebuilding and restoring old US made Half-Zero locomotives and rolling stock.
The purpose for me was to restore my uncle’s old locomotives that we still had, our old locomotives, and to obtain a few of those I saw all the time in MR in the 40’s and 50’s, even the 60’s magazines.
You would not believe the “fixes” I have come up with!
One, on the old cardstock side cars, when they get frayed or rodent-eaten (as some were), there appeared to be no fix.
Until I decided to flood the damaged area with thin super-glue, and when set, files like hardwood!
I even came up with two fixes for early Athearn gear-drive dismals.
One replaced the clips that held the trucks in (currently manufactured of unobtainium), and a ground wire to the same point as the new mount that eliminated the “stutter”.
Fun to go back and use an addidtional 35-40 years of experience and see what you can do with them.
Next is to section in end platforms and steps on an Athearn GP-7/9 shell.