Control Trains With Your Smartphone | Hornby HM6000 | Review

[@novakingood3788]

I recently tried controlling a train with a smartphone, but the driver told me to mind my own business and hung up.

[@pendolinofan643]

That's dangerous why!

[@cheetodorito4207]

@@pendolinofan643 it's a joke mate

[@davidwillard7334]

ONE'S !! F ,,,,T PHONE !! CONTROLS !! ENTIRE !! BRIT !! RAIL !!

[@fredashay]

@@cheetodorito4207 "Joke?" What is a "joke?" I never heard that word before. What does it mean?

[@davidwillard7334]

Just ! Don't ! Add Twenty ! Volts ! To ! It !! Otherwise !! Say ! Goodbye !! To your ! Phone !! Like !! The !! CRAPPY !! ZERO !! ONE !! WAS !! Back in the Eighties !!

[@ModelRailway]

I bought one of these HM6000 and was lucky enough to have the power supply when they were in stock. I’ve been very impressed ... I operate a ‘cab control’ system and this allows me to operate two cabs remotely away from the control panel. It’s been very useful during the past couple of weeks while testing a new fiddle yard without having to go back to the control panel each time. I’ve also been very impressed with the slow speed running and control. The sounds are a little bit of a gimmick ... adds a bit of fun ... but sound decent through the sound bar and woofer! I’ve installed Double-Pole-Double-Throw switches to allow me to swap between the HM6000 and fixed position controller on the control panel ... very pleased with the increased flexibility. A reasonable price as well ... 👍

[@ruane1995]

I reckon this will be one of your most popular vids (over time), this is a great move from Hornby. The sooner they start dropping them into traditional "train sets" the better. Great vid as always! :)

[@Adam17805]

They could possibly pull a “apple” Hopefully not though

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks a lot Richard - yeah sure, actually a perfect controller for a train set if you ask me, particularly given the type of customer likely to be getting them! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@eridani1263]

I’ve got one and it’s been excellent so far. Also, if you switch the Bluetooth mode in settings from Mesh Provisioning to Standard BLE, connecting the device is way quicker Great video!

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Have to admit I was considering getting this when Hornby announced it last year. I've since made the move over to DCC so I don't really need one anymore but it's great to see it in action. Seems like a good step forward for Hornby and makes sense considering how everything has the ability to be controlled by an app these days. Great video as always Sam 😃

[@TytonidaeIndustries]

agreed, though it still seems inferior to DCC, in my humble opinion, and as another said, im not sure im a fan of app control for model railroads though i can understand the reasoning behind it. on the other hand, being able to control two circuits or blocks at once is definitely cool so there is that

[@LordBonesaw]

Fair enough..Me personally have stuck to dc,all my carriages light up when in use so that’s good enough for me as I’m not bothered about sound

[@matthewneleigh567]

I guess I'll be the contrarian and say that my model train activities are among my greater excuses NOT to look at a screen for a little while, these days, so the last thing I'd want to do is make my train-time Yet Another Thing I Need A Mobile Phone To Do. I suppose this would be fine for those who'd enjoy it, but I'll keep my switches, buttons, and knobs, thanks. :D (Disclosure- I've never used any Hornby control hardware, digital, analog, or otherwise)

[@SamsTrains]

Of course Matthew - I know there are many people to which this would not appeal at all. As far as getting new blood into the hobby though, smartphone control could be key to attracting younger folks! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@OlivierGabin]

I have already saiud that, this controller is roughly 80% of the advantages and functionalities of DCC at 20% of the cost. It's a good alternative for a small to medium-size layout. It is also something for train collectors who wants to run vintage models with most of the advantages of DCC without butchering their engines to put a decoder in. For the power supply, I was looking at my Tomix Neo 1000 CL imported from Japan by myself for my N gauge british image layout, and reused now for my Japan N Gauge forthcoming project. Tomix seels it with a 100-240v 50/60hz transformer with an output of 12v 1,25 amps (power supply is 100v 50 or 60 hz in Japan depending of your network), and they done something that Hornby had to consider : on the mains input, they have an IEC C7 female plug. With the transformer being universal, you just have to buy the right cord with a C7 male plug on one side, and the mains you need on the other side. NCE sells its DCC medium-size unit withour cord, and with a C7 plug for worldwide sales, why does not Hornby uses this obvious solution ? By the way, with a UK plug, I can deal with a UK to Schuko adapter sold in my convenience store for less than 2€, same voltage and frequency in France as in the UK. Anyway, it's an interesting product if you don't need to run 50 trains simultaneously, and don't have a broad layout. For roughly the two thirds of the domestic layouts, this would ass DCC functions at a decent price for people interested.

[@deanbrookes2609]

Good review and seems quite a good product. Motors start and run slowly with lower frequency PWM I.e 50 to 300 Hz but you can hear this and may heat the motors at low speed. At higher PWM frequencies the motor cannot respond to the pulses so effectively sees DC. Hornby has given a few options so try with your motors. PWM typically provides less torque than DC so when you held the locos this could be a factor as we as power supply limiting. PWM controllers generally use a MOSFET to provide the power, these devices easily cater for a few amps even without heat sinks, and given that Hornby offers a 4 amp supply option I would suggest that a couple of amps per track would be easily catered for.

[@evanforst7272]

From what I've read, PWM is only a little harmful at the slower Hz. It generates heat within the motor windings from the longer voltage spikes. for model train motors the high setting will probably give you the best mix of slow-speed performance and motor heath, but the mid would most likely be fine too. The option to choose is fantastic and is certainly needed in future controllers.

[@BRMRailway]

@sam's trains - regarding power supplies (and lack of). There are a few things going on here to think of: 1. Hornby know that many people may use multiple of these and use one layout power source. So for them all the power supplies (if included) would be waste 2. We have a huge issue of waste electronics. A power supply is not trivial. We do not need thousands of unused bundled power supplies ending up in the bin. At best they might get recycled. At worst they might end up in landfill. 3. If they bundle the PSU they would have to charge correspondingly more anyway. So people using a single 15V bench PSU for mutiple units would have to spend even more. Which might make it uneconomical for them. 4. I will accept that their price for a 15V 1A PSU is a bit high. I work in the consumer electronics industry. The cost price for a PSU like this is about $3.50 (US pricing as everything in electronics is). On top of that there is shipping profit margin etc, and retail always costs more due to stocking etc, but even so, a price of about £12-15 would seem sensible to me. You'll think this sounds high, but really, all the stack up costs of retailing these does add up significantly in comparison to the raw unit cost. The other thing worth mentioning is your advice not to use a PSU rated more than 1A. I wouldn't worry about this. I think they have designed to use several all off one bench PSU. Your 1A PSU is not limited to 1A BTW. That's not how they work. It is rated for 1A over all possible input voltages and ambient temperatures. But if you try to pull more than 1A it will supply it. At some point there will be a current limit and it will go into burst mode (also known as hiccup mode) but it will be considerably higher than 1A. You can't rely on the PSU to current limit into your device. Instead the device should self-protect against output shorts. I would expect Hornby to have designed this in. (Actually Hornby have probably not designed this themselves, they will have used an electronics design partner, probably in Taiwan or China, to design this product for them to their specification). Anyway, here you go.

[@923archie]

Hi Sam. I watch your channel with great interest. I like your enthusiasm to the hobby and you can talk clearly without stuttering etc. Some videos I just switch off. What I'm on to say is your video about the Hornby HM60000 was so well produced it really decided me to get one. I had great problems trying to link it to my Samsung phone, and in the end gave up after hours of trying. As a last effort I tried connecting it to my Samsung tablet and it worked first time. A lesson here is to try a different piece of kit. The main reason in contacting you is to warn you that I had to return the HM60000 as it was of no use to me. I set up a circle of 2 rail track as a test track and all worked great. However, when I connected it to the main reason of buying it, to my Hornby Dublo 3 rail layout, it was useless. The overload protection is so sensitive it triggers at most points and sometimes just on curves. I spent some time trying different locos, but the result was mostly the same. It seams that the HM60000 is so sensitive it triggers at the slightest short, where older controllers only overload with a short circuit more than split second overload. Dublo 3 rail tends to spark a bit, so this may be something to think about and maybe warn Dublo 3 rail enthusiasts of this problem. I am still using Dublo rectifier/controllers bought around 1950. Dublo 3 rail does not like the HM6000. Keep the videos coming, and good luck to you. Cheers, John Scott.

[@adrianmorrow9882]

Hi Sam, I’ve been running one for the last few days and I’m quite pleased with it. My issue is that the sound isn’t of brilliant quality. In addition it’s difficult to coordinate the rhythm of the sound with the movement of the locomotive. I guess the sound is a novelty rather than being something for a serious modeller. Thank you for your fine review. Very best wishes, Adrian

[@gregmacdonald927]

Adrian, I too would say the sound feature needs work. I think we could make a feature request to Hornby to sync the sound to the loco speed better and improve the quality of the sounds. It should all be possible via software update, which is the beauty of the system.

[@ashraaqwahab2817]

Been looking at this as an option for my small DC layout ever since they announced it more than a year ago. Your super review on the plus and minus has sealed the deal for me! Just need to figure out how to get one and the adaptor (planning to get the P9300 4A transformer) to Sri Lanka!

[@geordielad9636]

I connected the unit and the P9300 (4amp) with my I.T. dept help, my daughter, with no problem and I am very impressed. Being 75, poor eyesight and arthritis, although I would like to have DCC and it’s benefits, alas my days of crawling under baseboards fitting droppers are over, plus the expense of fitting 70+ locos. My layout is 18’ x18’ square it has been a real pain having to correct a fault on the layout involving turn off transformer, correct fault, go back to transformer, only to find I have to go back to fault again, involving a lot of walking around. Having the luxury of taking the controller/HM 6000 to the fault is fantastic. I am also impressed with having the ability to adjust the acceleration/deceleration and braking features definitely adds more interest to driving the locos. Having now the ability to roam around my layout and not be tied to the transformer/controller is brilliant. I have encountered only one major problem and that is on PECO insulfrog long diamond crossings, every loco when crossing them nearly always shorted out, I never had this problem before with the Gaugemaster model D. I suspect that the HM6000 is just more sensitive to shorts?.

[@loganduckthomas1best697]

I love the idea, I'm just not a fan of all the model train stuff going digital. Having a controller with a knob and hearing the click as you change the direction of the trains just gives off the whole ascetic of the hobby. Blu tooth/ digital lighting would be cool but for some reason I just can't ditch my controller, loved the review though!

[@martinlutherking6550]

don't be a "ok boomer", roll with the time and embrace new technology

[@PebProductions46]

"And as you can see here, it's coming in at Number 2 in the rank book, just below the Johnson 1P"

[@SamsTrains]

haha!! I was tempted ;) Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@drhellyer1984]

This looks like a game-changer for DC controllers :) Thank you for your review

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks David - for the price it sure is compelling! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@robstrains8711]

The TTS decoders if fitted with a good speaker do not sound tiny I recommend the 2w 4ohm bass speakers from digikey the totally transform the sound of any sound decoder.

[@Trainmaster909]

I see a lot of guys asking about a DCC equivalent. There are a few solutions out there: 1. MRC (Gaugemaster in the UK) has a Protigy WiFi module 2. Digitrax has an LNWI WiFi module. 3. ESU has a Loconet converter to use the Digitrax LNWI 4. NCE is tricky to do, you will need to use JMRI As for apps, there are a few out there. I use WiThrottle, but there are others.

[@garagewindowrailway]

Sam, yet another informative video. I bought one but failed to connect to 8 android devices. After much squealing from the driver (me) I eventually 1. Forced app stop. 2. Deleted cache and data. 3. Enabled GPS (not in instructions, why?????) 4. Device scan -and located. The 2 issues are a gap in the steam chuffing and that low speed buzz, worse on some engines than others. Now fully operational Many thanks

[@tabbysnookmodelrailway9792]

I connected this controller to the kids (6&9) table top layout. The sounds were actually a big hit, we play them through a Bluetooth speaker for better effect. You can stop the trains from stopping when the app closes in the settings tab in app inactivity control you just click disable . We also have found this controller very convenient because of its size. I hard wired it in. I just think it’s a faff to keep reprovisioning and connecting but I think that may improve with further firmware updates. You can update the HM6000 through the Bluetooth which is also really cool.

[@SamsTrains]

That's fantastic - yes for the right crowd I can see the sound being a great deal of fun! Great to hear you've had a good experience with it - sounds like it fits your needs perfectly! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@dawberm1]

Great reviews, always a go to for honest reviews. I have purchased a micro Bluetooth speaker from Amazon and fits perfectly into a hornby goods wagon, it gives great sound effects from the app directly next to the loco running on the layout.

[@mikebold8027]

I have been using two blueRailways bluetooth controllers for the past two years and they do exactly the same as the Hornby HM6000 with sounds as well. They connect every time you open the blueRailways app and are easy to control using phone or tablet. The only difference is you can only use Android devices. The app is regularly updated and the support from blueRailways is fantastic. After watching this video i will be staying with my blueRailways controllers.

[@markedwards1511]

I got my bluerailways controller for my 00 garden railway last year. I don't use a tablet as it's hard to see the screen in the sunshine, but their handheld controller is very good, with a 100 foot range, I'm free to control my railway from any part of the garden. I don't know why this product is so little known?

[@mikebold8027]

@@markedwards1511 hi Mark I also have hand held as well as tablet. Like you I cannot understand why they are not better known especially with all the hype with the Hornby HM6000. In tablet mode I can set acceleration, deceleration start speed and top speed. There are also sound files to use as well. The app is also updated regularly. Mine work great and have never had a problem with them. I run 4tracks with two controllers. I think Sams Trains should review blueRalways controllers.

[@markedwards1511]

@@mikebold8027 It's great to hear your experience with bluerailways Mike. I've already asked Sam to look at it, fingers crossed he will! On one youtube video, Ian at bluerailways is using a tablet and I think a smartphone to operate two loco's independently on the same track at the same time! That is amazing for a DC system.

[@mikebold8027]

@@markedwards1511 hi Mark it is such a versatile system. I have it on both phone and tablet. And a handheld. I have never had any problems with it and it connects every time. I live I Australia and blueRailways don’t post to Australia so I had to have it sent to a relative in the UK and then posted on to me. I think because of this not posting to Australia he is missing a large market. Perhaps that will change in the future.

[@redversb2347]

Got one of these out of curiousity and I'm really impressed with it. Although the sounds are a bit of a novelty they sound much better through a Bluetooth speaker.

[@SamsTrains]

Yeah me too really - and that's probably true, though I've heard my Iphone sound much better with higher quality samples! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@ianhartley395]

Thanks Sam! This is really interesting and it seems to work quite well. No doubt it will be improved over time as well. The sounds will be good for people who don’t have any sounds at all and maybe a nice intro to sound for beginners. Video idea for you: take your worst performers as crawlers and see if you can improve their crawls using this unit. Cheers!

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks a lot Ian - yes you're right, though it's pretty much spot on right out of the gate if you ask me! That's a solid idea - would be interesting to see if the poor crawlers do any better with this! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@thatmodeltrainguy]

Wow that controller looks good I may go and get on of them at first it thought it would be like the train set controller but no it is so much better

[@stormbowman7148]

There is an extended version of the manual on the Hornby website. In there it says that the maximum output of the controller is 1.5A on the track output. Hornby recommends the P9300 power supply for maximum performance. That will give you 4A from the power supply, but the unit itself will not give you more than 1.5A. I use mine with a 15V 2.4A. As long as your power suppply is within 15V 1A and 4A you should be fine. The plug needs to be a standard 6.3 mm, 2.5 mm DC plug. One power supply, given enough Amps, can easily power additional HM6010 point decoders with a splitter.

[@rodneydraper8164]

I have connected this to two of my DC circuits and I like it a lot. I like the acceleration and deceleration mode as many of my locos don’t have flywheels. I use it on my iPad as the screen is bigger and I use my phone for taking photos. I have a 8’ x 4’ layout so the power output is not much of an issue with me. I guess the only issue is you might need to power your device for long train running sessions but I have bought another one plus transformer to connect my other 2 circuits to and as 1 is a shunting yard the tip about the Hz settings is useful. I only had 2 very old controllers so this is a great upgrade in my scenario

[@DominicAmann]

Thanks for the review. I do enjoy your channel. I actually think the low power performance assessment was a little unfair given that they said you could connect a 4 amp controller. Also - given that, they can't really say how much power will reach the track because you actually have a choice of inputs, and most likely the current will also vary according to the load your locos will represent.

[@martinpattison4018]

The size is great. No Power Pack, Pants. Is fitting a 4 amp power supply good for your engines? I think not. And the best bit is still to come!!!!! The HM6010 what a fantastic piece of kit that can only control 4 sets of points. There are forty on my planed layout alone. 10 HM6010s. Nice idea Hornby, but a UNO3 connected to an Arduino can control 16 sets of points. Dream on Hornby. martin. (Thailand)

[@garagewindowrailway]

Ahhh, can use the sound effects (steam whistle, brakes squealing) when I switch back to my old duette! Brilliant.

[@stephenrushmer833]

Thanks so much for this review, I was looking for a review on this product only yesterday. It seemed to good to be true bearing in mind the price tag but after seeing this video I’m going to buy one on Monday.

[@SamsTrains]

It's a pleasure Stephen - the price is very much due to them not including the transformer, so it sounds better than it is. We're talking at least £40 if with the adapter, which is a bit less good. Overall it's still great though, and probably even value for money with the power supply - highly recommended! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@lakotathierauf2419]

There are defiantly a ton of possibilities with this, maybe we can see like I programmable plan for running. Like start from a station run around twice and stop at the station. Or run from one end and back. Maybe they add different sound packs to the app. IE a merchant navy pack and a flying scotsman pack or a class 66 Pack. Maybe a light option could be explored. Short answer just go DCC but some of us don't have the time, money or understanding for that.

[@SamsTrains]

Yeah totally - a sequencer would be fascinating, but accuracy is not really possible... even with DCC! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@ModelTrainOutsider]

Well, I can see this being very cool for those who have analog and want some of the fun of feeling digital remote. For price and functionality it definitely has "bang for buck" as we say in the USA. Some things for Hornby to upgrade, clearly, but a nice device. Nice review.

[@SamsTrains]

Yeah me too Anthony - even if you have to buy the power supply too, you sure get a lot of features for your £40! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@proberts8]

Lower pulse rate for lower speed: 50 years ago I had an old H&M controller with a 'half wave' setting. I think this did the same thing: just gave half the rectified voltage for crawling, but it made the motors buzz.

[@stillspiritYT]

Thanks again Sam for another informative review. Was about to invest in a 2 channel Gaugemaster, however now I am leaning towards one of these. I love the control offered and the ability to hide the controller away and just work from my iPad anywhere in the room. Not to mention the difference in price!

[@CRB713]

Hi Sam- long time watcher, first time commenter! I'd love to see more on these (I know Hornby offer a few different units, plus it would be fascinating to see how the performance at 4amps compares!)- looks absolutely fascinating. And then also, just a massive thanks to you and your incredible content- you've even got my girlfriend starting to ask questions about model trains! Cheers, Chris

[@paulhorn2665]

Well if I want to sit in front of a computer screen to play trains, I use a train simulator on a PC. The nice thing about model trains is, in my opinion, that you do not sit in front of a computer. Well... who needs an app when there is a controller??

[@gbjanuary]

I’m just getting started going for DC train set as want modelling interaction not a computer.

[@Puckeater22]

Well this video has convinced me! It did say you can run 2 or more of these hm6000 so you can run more lines so I may need two of them! Thanks for the video,

[@HarryC_640]

Great video Sam! Really interesting to see how it all worked out in the end. I was tossing up between choosing this or going DCC as a way to control my layout. I decided to go DCC and got a Hornby Select which to be honest is serving me very well and really isn’t too bad, especially given the price of other DCC controllers. I really hope that Hornby make a DCC version of this app in the future as I would definitely use it and it would be a great addition to the range they have.

[@dafyddthomas7299]

Agree very good video - not bad prices around £30 Hornby although the premium of Adaptor is a lot at £20.00, should have done bundle version of around £35 - £40

[@Mokkers_stuff]

Hi Sam, have already added this comment to your video on the shuttle module, nice work soldering the diodes by the way * grin. I have emailed Hornby to see if they can add a shuttle feature to the HMDC app so that you can set up whatever interval you want and incorporate the inertia and acceleration settings too if possible. Obviously you still need the diodes at each end but it think if it was added to the app it would make it even more fun and appealing to people. Don't even need to solder either if you don't want to. Just use two isolating tracks with a diode and jumper wire.

[@LarsPW]

The higher PWM-frequencies are mandatory for a special type of motor used in modified locos, so-called coreless motor. A loco with a coreless motor could be operated a lot of smoother. But common toy motors like those Hornby inserts in their models could get overheated by high PWM-frequencies. So this is quite an important setting.

[@dakshanbalaramesh]

1:44 this bit always cracks me up

[@richarddrewe5021]

Got mine when it came out and actually managed to get a power supply! Love the app and everything you said. I agree the disconnection is frustrating however you never know what will happen with updates I guess.

[@SamsTrains]

haha what a bonus! I expect they will fix that with an update - fingers crossed! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@richarddrewe5021]

@@SamsTrains as an update...I’ve been adding my first layout to the track planning section. Some of the parts are mislabelled, and it’s quite difficult to use. Took nearly an hour to do a double oval.

[@pettra1]

Hi Sam. A very interesting and up to date piece of technology is what we have here. Such a shame that the Cons listed in your review let it down, particularly resetting and.....NO power supply??? That's ridiculous. I think I'll stick with my Gaugemaster controller and HM 2000 feedback controller for the time being. Have had to pack my layout away now, in anticipation of moving house over the next few months. Ho hum! Best, Pete.

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks a lot Pete - yeah a few cons, not sure if any of them are deal-breakers though... though the lack of power supply misleadingly makes this seem better value for money than it really is! Good luck with the move - all the best! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@kennethclark3933]

Protocab are already years ahead of this with battery in the loco and radio control From a hand held. No need for power thru the rails at all. Alas, unlike Hornby, they haven't got the £100,000 they need to get their OO sized system on the go (their O system is available, of course). Why can't Hornby skip systems which are at least a decade old and step into the 21st century with a system which abandons powered rails altogether for engine/tender rechargeable batteries and wireless control.

[@srtgrayfrance]

Re. your intro about power supplies. Having a PSU rated for more than 1A does not mean it will supply more than that, just that it can safely do so. The controller will draw what it needs and no more, and exceeding the amp rating of a PSU is far more dangerous than having a PSU with a higher rating than needed. The only downside to a higher rated PSU is more expense.

[@bb4burstbear]

Although I didn't and still haven't got a box, I installed the app as soon as I knew it was available so that I could pre make and create new layouts. However there're some strong suggestions I have for the track maker being things such as having more types of track (such as a triple point). To be able to select your gauge so that you can have multiple gauges in a single layout. And that when you shrink the board, the track should automatically move to fit.

[@ham5131]

very interesting, may well invest in one. By the way unloaded locos don't draw much current (even 4 of them) it is the heavy loads and high acceleration that push up the current consumption. If you don't believe me then stick a multi-meter into you circuit

[@AllensTrains]

The app will install on a touchscreen Chromebook if you prefer using a laptop with a larger screen (for designing layouts) to a phone. I think the PSU is the same as supplied for the eLink. A drawback with Bluetooth you don't test in this video is the distance between the smartphone and the HM6000. Users with large layouts might find themselves out of range of Bluetooth down the other end of the room! Thanks for an interesting review.

[@alexwilkerson4942]

Hey Sam, great video! In your opinion, is the HM6000 or the guagemaster better for the health of loco motors?

[@gregmacdonald927]

Great review Sam. I hadn’t noticed the pwm settings before. Will def check these out. Also, I found that most old wifi router transformers will fit, for those who are having trouble getting the ‘proper’ ones. They are usually only 12v not 15v but seemed to work just as well as the proper one. I think that syncing the sound better to the speed changes could be done via software update. All in all, quite impressed! Also worth mentioning that it’s very very light.

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks a lot Greg - yeah definitely worth experimenting with that! Thanks for sharing - interesting to know that worked - though bear in mind 12v at 1amp is even less power than at 15v! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@richardlee653]

Very interesting review, thank you. I noticed when this controller was announced, and thought it might be a good option for some people. One of the things that strikes me is that if they ever wanted to improve anything, for instance the sounds, all they would have to do is update the software, which presumable could be re-installed on the smartphone or tablet. Nearly makes me want to get a smartphone or tablet!

[@SamsTrains]

Yeah you're absolutely right Richard - all of that stuff is very easy to upgrade!! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@rafchris]

Every fibre of my body says I am not convinced but I can't definitively say its crap either... I think im just struggling to work out who is it marketed at? Younger kids will be better with a simple chunky wheel/knob, older kids would just watch youtube or tiktok, older people will probably be more likely to be put off by the need for a smart phone or not own one. Serious modellers are either dcc or have a complex sectioned multi analogue track. The later will want more power output than 1amp and probably already have a handheld walk about controller. And unless you dont want to use your phone/tablet for anything else than running the trains like at a show, then its probably fair to include the price of the phone or tablet into the system cost... But its a great idea even if after railmaster I wouldn't trust Hornby near software. The price is good and does seem to bridge the functionality gap between analog to dcc somewhat...

[@MrBnsftrain]

A DC model train controller that can work from your phone. Something that Bachmann didn't do when making their EZ-app trains. They instead only work when 100% power is applied and you control the speed of the locomotive with your phone (similar to DCC but more complicated) I don't like that the to track wires are hard-wired in either, meaning you can't use this with other track systems, especially those that aren't OO/HO gauge It's nice to have a small sound board in the app if you just want to play locomotive noises when running those that don't have sound

[@KS-oc4hu]

Thanks for covering this, I had seen this in the brochure and was curious! I will stick with my gaugemaster too though, actually my layout is very power hungry, I'm using the O gauge controller which has a 3A output, is much more stable.

[@gordontaylor1483]

Hi Sam, Like you I was quite excited when this came out but couldn’t find a review. You have ticked all the boxes for me, now to get one 😎

[@SamsTrains]

That's great news Gordon - yeah it really does tick all the boxes doesn't it?! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@DmanOfficial15]

13:39 If your steam locomotive sounds like that, you may want to take it to an engineer! On a more serious note, the controller having to be re-connected every time seems very annoying. Great video Sam!

[@SamsTrains]

haha exactly! Yeah that's pretty annoying - hopefully they'll fix that in software... or maybe I was just doing it wrong? Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@markellis6413]

I was thinking of getting this - excellent and informative.

[@michaelschultz5127]

Well software and power supply, 🔋🙄 then you might be able to enjoy it then. Keep on having fun mate with your railroad. Could you do a shunting video please.

[@packyourbag4606]

Have mine delivering tomorrow. Cheers for the review. One question do you know of a 'building' I could hide it and the 6010 in?

[@johnlunnun9769]

Sam, this has very little to do with the subject you are covering here, but it seems that this is you latest posting,and of the moment, so here goes! On a previous posting you showed and expressed your great liking for things Southern. So many various locos are available of the shelf, I delighted to say, but I would love to see a model of the Drummond T14. Paddle box , what a handsome machine it was. There’s a beautiful photo of one in D.L.Bradley’s London & South Western Railway Album, published by Ian Allan! What a fabulous model it would be! Regards John.

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks a lot John - I've just been looking at some pictures of the T14 and I agree, very handsome machines... would love to see one produced in OO! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@billyp.8038]

I am a little glad there is no transformers to connect because I am from the states and don't use the same power supply

[@SamsTrains]

That's true - you would need a different one.. but it'd be easy enough for them to make bundles for overseas too! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@IKB1967]

I have one of these for my analogue layout. I think your review was really good. It was really easy to set up and the only downside for me, which you mention, is that the trains stop when you go out of the app on the phone/tablet. My layout is also where I work, and I do quite like leaving trains running while I am doing other things which I find more difficult with this if the other things happen to be on the phone.

[@tabbysnookmodelrailway9792]

You can stop this happening in the settings tab

[@tabbysnookmodelrailway9792]

It’s in App inactivity control. You just click disable

[@jamesdunloptrains]

Awesome video today Sam I will have to get one of these it would be so much easier and wonder how it would be with Bachmann Thomas locomotives

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks a lot James - it should run any 12 DC loco very nicely! :D Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@locohauledforum]

Great review, been waiting for it. I'm planning on doing a garden railway so this should work well for me as hopefully I will be able to go outside and control the trains with the power unit indoors in the dry. Any chance of doing a quick review of how far the Bluetooth reaches? On the subject of PWM. I use an old H&M Duette which has a PWM setting which allows me to get most engines to crawl very slowly, even the old Lima's. I understand that the issue with it is using it for sustained periods, it is really designed for doing small amounts of shunting or similar. If you use it for a long time 'apparently' the motors get very hot and can be damaged, although I have not seen any evidence of that myself - but then I do operate and end to end layout. Perhaps another idea for a video - how long does an engine run on PWM before the motor gets very hot! Keep up the good work.

[@SamsTrains]

That sounds wonderful - another great application for this! Yeah I did consider doing a range test. The general rule of thumb for bluetooth is 30 feet, but a lot can influence that. Would be worth trying! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@TheTrueMichael]

never been this early before lmao.. Hey Sam! This be an interesting idea

[@SamsTrains]

You are early - hope you like it! :D Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@BrokenIET]

Not early, on time.

[@alanthorne3921]

I think I might get one since I don’t have DCC.I would love to Bluetooth the sounds to our speaker on the deck where my missus sits and annoy the crap out of her.

[@timsully8958]

Cheers Sam! Interesting review mate. I must say this seems to be a far better set up than I was expecting. Really like the measure of trim you can apply to the controller to accommodate your individual loco’s needs. I know what you mean about the connectors but then I guess Hornby always did put their own connectors on the wires (I remember the old long thin metal pegs you had to push home into the old style power clips 😉) so perhaps that is to be expected 🤷🏻‍♂️ I rather like the emergency stop feature even if it isn’t completely instantaneous and that brake feature looked quite good, a bit like using the old Compspeed controllers (which had a push button increase/decrease function). 👍 Yet another very interesting review. I may actually be tempted by this for my pop-up garden railway as it means I can wander about, especially if I can get a 4amp supply 🤔 Cheers mate 🍀🍻

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks a lot Tim - yeah it was far better than I expected too... overall a very nicely thought through bit of kit! :D Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@747wannabe21]

Great review- thanks Sam!

[@robfletch062]

Great Video Sam. I use DCC for my layout, but really want the iTraveller set coming out. I think this system looks interesting. Just need to convince my wife it's a good idea!

[@craigthe]

I mean just the controller will do if you have 2 main lines. But the train set does look nice I must agree

[@SamsTrains]

haha I know - I love the look of that set too, I might look into it too! xD Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@LewisLocos]

Really impressed by this system. I'm really going to consider getting it. I assume it will be fine for older locos?

[@rogersea6529]

quite brilliant - excellent review - thanks !

[@robwallace266]

Looks an excellent bit of kit. With an excellent price as well. Cheers for the review. 👍

[@bluebellsfan8704]

This looks cool! Awesome video!

[@SamsTrains]

Thank you - it is super cool! :D Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@rickytucker6832]

25 years ago this would of been amazing to me as a child instead of the usual black controller. But as an adult now it's obviously not going to compare to what's on offer ! But kids these days glued to there screens this is a good option to keep the hobby going 👍

[@SamsTrains]

Yeah of course Ricky - I think that's definitely Hornby's target customer! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@t.v.i.m]

Great vid Sam! If you don’t mind me asking, could you review the Gandy Dancer by Bachmann?

[@robinforrest7680]

I’m actually quite interested in this. I’ve à stock list of older Dublo, Wrenn, Lima , Airfix, Mainline, various kit built and Triang Hornby stuff. Much too much of a collection for DCC to be an affordable option. I’m still in love with my ancient H&M Duettes, Clippers and Walkabouts with a large layout wired for full cab control. My next project will take me out of the garage with a large loop around the garden. So this may be the way to go for me to be able to follow my trains and control them when I’m outside. I reckon I’ll definitely need a 4 amp power supply though - especially for my Dublo and Wrenn 8F’s and express locos. Any chance of your doing a test of one of these older « hungrier » engines with the HM6000 Sam? I seem to remember you have a few Wrenn locos in your fleet.

[@Metradio]

Think you will find the 4 Amp power supply is for running 4 X HM6000's or a combination of 6000's and 6100's, rather than upping the output of a single 6000, although Hornby have not announced a 4 way splitter cable (yet)

[@sturmtigerking4263]

This looks very interesting. Great video. Smaller than I expected. A fair faff to start with on the app.

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks a lot - yeah definitely a bit of a faff, but okay after that! :D Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@dafyddthomas7299]

Got device - App okay for connection, speed controls are annoying - touch and drag not all that responsive, controller good for most of the models apart from one Hornby Class 87 Detail - keeps on short out. Not getting much gear from Hornby now on - too expensive and QC issues; possibly looking at getting couple more detail locos hornby for Birthday / Xmas - Dapol class 86 is a very good model and Bachmann class 47 - no issues with HM6000 or my older hornby locos.

[@Junique3]

Hi Sam. Can I please ask if the trains can continue to run if you close the HDMC app? There’s not much information on this topic and I’d be grateful for your advice. I have seen some videos on KZbin with users showing it shuts down the power but Hornby also have a tutorial video for the device settings where you can change what happens albeit they do not explain it properly. They say to go to App Settings > App Inactivity > Pause and Resume OR Disable.

[@agriben7591]

It’s a sams trains phone revel 😂😂 Thx Ben :)

[@SamsTrains]

haha!! xD

[@farmerdave7965]

Is there actually a market for this device ?

[@lewiscartwright3609]

Hi Sam I have 3-4 hornby analogue controllers and three of them are a bit dodgy and only one of them is fairly reliable and therefore I have decided that I am going to replace them with a hornby controller that enables you to use loco's with sound this because I would like to get a Hornby Class 50 "Ark Royal" with sound and a Hornby A4 Union of South Africa with sound and a Hornby peppercorn Class 60163 Tornado in the British railway Apple green Livery with Sound you could say that I'm Giving them a break and I have also seen a Bachmann 00 gauge train set called The permanent way train set and the set consists of a digital sound fitted Class 20 in a grey with logo which I can't remember which company it is but it also comes with two mk1 coaches in the permanent way yellow Livery

[@brianmicky7596]

Hi Sam, Yes very enjoyable review, About time something like this came along, ( they could make it a 4 track and upgrade the transformer to 4amp?), I might consider one, All the Best Brian 🤗

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks a lot Brian - yes I'd be very interested in a 4-track edition too! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@lukeslocomotives]

2:21 depending on which way you look at it, that could mean something a bit odd

[@SamsTrains]

haha maybe a bit! ;D

[@alsmith5604]

Great video... I think this is a great move by Hornby. Even accounting for the additional cost of the power supply, this is pretty reasonably priced for a two track controller... and with the additional features, I think this is a bit of a bargain. I suspect Hornby will fix the connection issue, that should be a relatively simple fix to the app.

[@Poliss95]

Have Hornby added loco detection to Railmaster yet?

[@fredashay]

Actually, Sam, you got that backwards at 1:56. Volts are what the power supply pushes to the device, so you don't want to get a power supply that pushes more than 15 volts. That's what will cause the device to overheat and catch fire. Getting a power supply with too low voltage, the device just won't get enough power to turn on. Amps are what the device pulls from the power supply, so you want a power supply that can deliver at least 1 amp. No harm at all if the device is capable of delivering more amps. OTOH, if the power supply is under-rated for amps, then the power supply will over heat and catch fire. The more amps the power supply can deliver, the better. Most important of all: don't buy any electrical device made in China!!!

[@tico360]

I used to thing that the murchant navy’s and the Battle of Britain/ West Country locomotives were from the great wester since they lacked an eccentric rod.

[@SamsTrains]

haha yeah - their rod arrangement does look very GWR doesn't it? Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@robertgates7686]

I have not read all comments but I cannot remember you referring to short circuit protection. Is there any ?

[@Cthulhu1970]

Hornby P9300 4A power supply - £42! Ouch! Not for me thank you, I'll stick with my boring "traditional" controllers. They've got lovely knobs too! :)

[@SamsTrains]

I know - crazy isn't it? Less than £10 on ebay! haha glad to hear that - digital knobs can't match the real things! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@gordontaylor1483]

Hi again Sam, Would it be practical to put up the make and model of the power source you bought for the HM 6000 as I was wondering about compatibility of the jack plug. Thanks, Gordon

[@mikeking2539]

Apart for downloading the App do yu need Wi-Fi on whilst Using the controller or do you just need the Bluetooth on?

[@Bytebuster0]

No WIFI apart for dl but your device needs to support bluetooth 4.x or higher.

[@RRspartan24]

interesting.. you should check out the on board bluetooth locomotives from the bachmann usa , to use these locomotive have your DCC system on for track power and use the bachmann Bluetooth throttle app or Withrottle to connect VIa Bluetooth to control the locomotive

[@RiliansMusic]

That is a very interesting controller, might pick one up myself! Have an amazing day Sam!

[@SamsTrains]

Sounds awesome mate - you have an amazing day too! :D Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@Daniel-bj4kd]

I think perhaps Hornby doesn’t provide a power supply with the 6000 because you can use the power supply issued with a standard analogue controller? Considering the 6000 can only control 2 independent circuits at a time suggests it’s meant to be used with a train set or two which would already come with their own power supply. If I had a huge layout say with 4+ circuits (for which I would need extra power cables), I probably wouldn’t use the 6000 anyway for obvious reasons 😂

[@Trainfan13Official]

“Unless your Apple” Made me burst in laughter, I always appreciate a good laugh, thanks Sam!

[@kellyashfordtrains2642]

No use asking me what I think. I haven't got a Smartphone, and I wouldn't swap my Hornby train set controllers for it, no way. Send the controller back if you're not confident enough to use it. Stick to Gauge Master controllers, you know how to control the speed of your engines with those. Besides, the HM6000 could be a catastrophe waiting to happen on your railway. I'm glad we haven't yet come to "How to burn down your Model Railway Part 3". Kelly Ashford and Sonic the Hedgehog say so.

[@SamsTrains]

That's fair enough Kelly - if you're already happy, then there's no need to get this! I'm glad too - this should be safe, as it's designed properly! Thanks for watching, Sam :)