Hornby Britannia Class | Unboxing & Review

[@dinstonsurrchill5218]

Just discovered you. At first I was Ashamed of this hobby. But you’ve given me confidence that I’m not alone and it’s not something to be ashamed of. Thank you☺️

[@SamsTrains]

That's lovely to hear - many thanks for your kind words! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@kazanu23]

Just because you uploaded this I am using this class of locomotive in a story I am writing. Thank you for the idea.

[@SamsTrains]

Ooh awesome - good luck with the story! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@kazanu23]

@@SamsTrains Thanks

[@jmream2618]

Sam'sTrains the Britannia reminds me of the Flying Scotsman

[@robertwilloughby8050]

It's not about the Settle rail accident of 1960, is it? I have a lost film script I wrote on that very subject. (I only want a pint even if it is!)

[@kazanu23]

@Samuel Olesek Its a ghost story that takes place in America. Two engines named Louis and Clyde tell the other engines a story after Linda, the Britannia, tells a spooky story of her own. At first they do not believe them until strange things begin to happen. The story is loosely based off of Duncan Gets Spooked and Percy's Scary Tale

[@tommogriff]

This is my favourite loco class of all time. A few years ago I had the chance to drive Oliver Cromwell in real life and it was fantastic :D Great video Sam, keep up the good work :)

[@SamsTrains]

Awesome Thomas - that sounds amazing, lucky you!! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@leokimvideo]

How strange to have a static pony wheel.For this sort of money you would expect everything to be correct. Where I live this is a mega bucks purchase in store. From what I have learned here, this loco is best kept in store. So often there are wheel mech issues and coupling issues.

[@SamsTrains]

haha yeah for sure - I wasn't too impressed with this one for what it cost!! Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@blackterminal]

In NZ dollars 200 pounds is about 600 dollars. Slightly less than a whole week s pay for me. Lol

[@7r47ufchfyw7twguwgu]

Funny to see you here Leo!

[@matthew_miller0075]

How to stabilize the Bachmann Edward: add weighted crew members to the inside of the cab.

[@vitalitylimited]

Ha!

[@SamsTrains]

Good idea actually!! :D

[@andrewshearsby8125]

So add the only named crew in the series :)

[@fredtedstedman]

I would like to volunteer , 90k allright ??

[@MFL8378]

When I first saw the Britannia class you have here, I thought wow I want one, but after watching your review and taking in the points, I think I have saved myself a large wad of money. Thank you for an honest review.

[@jimbell6367]

Agreed

[@bentullett6068]

I don't like the fixed pony truck design as I have a Hornby A1 class Tornado and it does seem to derail on some parts of my layout even though I used a old Hornby 9F with the most wheels and longest chassis to test the curves.

[@paulypyro]

agreed, i'm not risking it either

[@kevfrombutterley]

The way this one runs is unlike any I've experienced. Sam mentions having this one apart to check on the bearings. It's possible something isn't quite happy after reassembly.

[@SamsTrains]

haha glad to hear I saved you some money mate! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@viligrkovic6635]

The 'Britannias' are my favorite standard type steam locos!

[@SamsTrains]

Great to hear that Vili! :D

[@robbyboy03]

The Britannia was the loco that drew into the hobby in the first place....such a beautiful loco. You are right about the rear pony truck in the fact that it no longer pivots. I thought that would have to have been a fundamental and important part of it. Great review Sam. I agree with all that you said about it.

[@leilacentral1883]

Oh how lovely is this! Really like the shade of green they have used here. Seen this in a few places but have not seen it out of the box. This review was most enjoyable but I will admit I do shudder at the price. Clint

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks a lot Clint - yeah me too, superb livery isn't it?! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@harrybarrington8917]

got my limited edition class 5mt today. i can really recommend it :). You make great videos and actually got me into hornby and oxford rail.

[@SamsTrains]

Ooh amazing - it's good then?! Great to hear that! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@harrybarrington8917]

@@SamsTrains yeah it's wonderful. and i only paid about 120 quid for it instead of the 175 quid they charge for it on the official hornby site

[@HarryC_640]

Hi Sam, great video! The Britannia looks really beautiful! I’m thinking of saving up for it and being Australian the ANZAC loco is quite special. Shame about those minor problems though but I think if it was a more reasonable price it wouldn’t matter as much. Thanks again for a great review!

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks so much Harry - really hope you enjoy yours, hopefully it won't have any issues! Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@stephensimmonds184]

My first steam loco was Oliver Cromwell in 1973. Still going strong, and what a puller. Great class of locomotive, I also have Anzac, John of Gaunt and Britannia on my fleet, plus Duke of Gloucester. You can't beat a big Pacific with a nice long rake behind. Personally, I would be sending that loco back, looks like a Friday afternoon job.

[@SamsTrains]

Many thanks for the info Stephen, appreciate it! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@User-3O3]

26:26 Sam'sTrains: Al pu dup er poll. KZbin: No.

[@NurseNoodles67]

KZbin always ruining the fun... :(

[@SamsTrains]

haha I know right! ;D

[@michaelgamble296]

Historically, one of the Britannia Class locomotives, "Britannia" was on display in the "Dome of Discovery" for the 1951 Festival of Britain. I went to see it there. The name ANZAC is derived from the British Commonwealth Nations: Australia, New Zealand, And, Canada I believe. Anyone know anything different please say!

[@Colz_]

Man I wish I had as many trains as sam

[@SamsTrains]

Thank you Cole! :D

[@DC4260Productions]

That makes two of us, Mr. Smith.

[@billbenproduction0164]

Same here

[@Tombola1993]

Gotta love the Britannia class. I remember seeing No. 70000, simlpy called "Britannia", at Cardiff Central last year as if it was Yesterday. I've been inside Britannia's cab and it was roasting. The first tender engine I saw was a Baldwin loco at Brecon Mountain Railway. But the first British Steam Locomotive I saw was the Stanier 8F No. 48151, "Gauge O Guild", on a mainline tour past Port Talbot Steelworks.

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks Tomas - ahh fantastic, so did Hornby get their cabs right then?! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@mikewoods4177]

Didn’t look like the name plate was etched. At that price no excuse for printed or am I wrong?

[@SamsTrains]

No, no etched name plate - I agree!

[@alanrobertson9790]

After seeing this video it makes me feel good about my older tender drive Britannia which performs fine to this day.

[@davidshaw5979]

your Right Sam too expensive and poor performance. I would expect to pay no more than £115 absolutely tops. great post keep up the good work.

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks David - yeah absolutely, that's fair!

[@lukeslocomotives]

70046 Anzac Built: 1954 Number(s): 70046 Name(s): Anzac Railway(s): British Railways Power Classification: 7MT Rebuilt: N/A Withdrawn: 1967 Current Status: Scrapped

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks for this Luke! :D

[@andrewknights1304]

Thanks Sam. I really could have found a use for a Brit on my East Anglian layout. But I think you may have saved me the best part of £200. Are you sure there isn't an X04 motor under there? Too much fettling needed by the buyer for that price. Poor assembly, poor gearing, poor design, high price. I'll keep my wallet in my pocket.

[@kevfrombutterley]

The ones I've driven all ran beautifully, this one seems to have a problem. Maybe since being opened up for inspection. I personally wouldn't recommend taking them apart just to look at the bearings.

[@SamsTrains]

Great to hear that Andrew - haha the performance was quite typical of the X04, haha! ;D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@wellsworthjunction]

The Britannia is such a lovely engine.

[@SamsTrains]

Thank you! :D

[@fuccasound3897]

when i was a lad,i saved up and bought the tender driven version of this,(as i remember costing somewhere in the £30 pounds range) it had pick ups on the tender and locomotive and the slow speed running was excellent, but much of the detailing was moulded onto the engine, and the valve gear was missing the expansion link, which strangely was fitted to the 9f they produced at the same time (also tender driven ). Anyway when i bought it the shop assistant unboxed it, let me look at it and then put it on the stores layout so i could see it running and let me have a go. This was in the 70's and shopping for a new loco was a day out! I,m guessing you buy online? Disadvantages no day out, no test drive....

[@SamsTrains]

Those were the days Andy! Yes I buy everything online - the model shops near me sell at the RRPs, so it wouldn't be cost effective at all! Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@uncledodge9396]

When Britannia was at NVR I worked on her many times, and rode on the footplate four times, that was from 1983 through to '86.

[@SamsTrains]

That's fantastic - what was she like to work on?? :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@uncledodge9396]

@@SamsTrainsas I was a quite slim teenager at the time, I got the wonderful job of cleaning the inside of the firebox... many a day I'd head home in my austin mini looking like I'd done shift work in a Lancashire coal mine... fun days though!

[@robbyboy03]

The Britannia class is the main reason why I love British model rail. I just love this loco and the 9F. I guess the rod work is its appeal.

[@SamsTrains]

Great to hear that mate - yes they're incredibly smart machines! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@joeeason6538]

I've got a Caledonian pug I got from hattons for less than 15 quid... looks good, no glue marks, ran perfectly straight out of the box, couplings were all the same heights as my wagons and I've never questioned its performance... now I know we're talking about a bigger better detailed loco here but if I'm paying more than 10 times that amount, the very least I would expect is that I could get it out of the box and it would run well without needing to modify/ fix it. I think if I'd paid that much for any loco and it came out of the box with any defect it would be getting sent straight back

[@SamsTrains]

Oh wow yeah, I remember seeing them that cheap! Every other model looks terrible in comparison, given the price, lol! ;D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@ashleystanbridge846]

I have an identical locomotive called the "Firth Of Tay", I bought mine second hand for $50 Australian about 2 years ago. It's missing a couple of details that were broken off prior to my ownership but still a great runner and looks beautiful going around my layout. Excellent review Sams Trains 👍

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks for sharing Ashley - glad to hear yours runs well! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@martinpattison4018]

We have the Triang Britannia (Older brother) it was and I hope still is a great runner. It had tin Plate NamePlates on the Smoke deflectors they poked through 2 little holes in the Smoke Deflectors. Unfortunately, I think it was me that dropped it and it broke one of the deflectors off and caused some other body damage. I saved my pocket money every week and took it to the local Triang dealer and had it re-bodied. The Nameplates then just had a stick-on foil type sticker. When my brother halved the collection he kept her and gave me a Tender Drive Version instead. It does run ok and it does have flanged Pony Truck Wheels. Martin. (Thailand)

[@SamsTrains]

Great to hear that Martin - the tri-angs are great runners - ahh sorry to hear that, glad it all worked out well in the end! Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@TrainmanDan]

Hey Sam. I also had one of the early Britannias. One of my favourites. She was not near as detailed and I only got to run her back and forth on my counter top before she sold. I would re-build/re-place the rear truck mounting so it swivels. Mounting it solidly seems like a zany idea and not something to deviate from the prototype! Good review, cheers.

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks a lot Dan - great to hear that - and yes, an update to the pony would be great to try! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@rynodynomyte2755]

Beautiful model! You’d think more than 2 would be preserved but we’re lucky to have two examples which one of them is the first one built!

[@SamsTrains]

Yes indeed Ryno - quite lucky to have two! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@paulbowman1500]

I gotta say Sam, it's a beautiful Hornby locomotive from my own honest opinion, I won't what you will be reviewing next, it'll be a mystery to all of us who watch your video's. Hope your keeping updated with everything with this Covid-19 and I hope your keeping well yourself with your nice collection of Hornby Locomotives and Diesels. I hope to hear from you very soon. Kind regards, Paul.

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks Paul! haha hope you enjoy what comes up next! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@fredtedstedman]

20:56 =Aaaah the Duke ! His design was vindicated after correct rebuilding -as specified in the original . Kylchap blast pipe etc ....and so beautiful (handsome ?) my favourite . ( Always think the "white string" coming out of the cab is unfortunate and messy looking on such a gorgeous loco ??) Wales UK.

[@SamsTrains]

Yeah that's right!! Thanks for sharing! :D Cheers, Sam :)

[@theretrocrowe]

Interesting fact - My Great Grandfather was working at Crewe Works while a Britannia was being made and got crushed by a falling part from it. He survived, but had a pretty long stay in hospital :/

[@SamsTrains]

Blimey that's terrible - sorry to hear that happened to him - thank goodness he survived! Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@ShredderLivesOn]

Sam, the one you're referring to that's £199 from Hornby is I presume their model of 70013 'Oliver Cromwell'. Hattons has another Britannia Class listed for £162, which Hornby also had £20 cheaper on their own site and in line with their usual price for the Britannia Class models, which is 70046 'Anzac'. According to Hornby's page for the Oliver Cromwell model, they're licensing the likeness of the locomotive from the Science Museum Group (SCMG Enterprises Ltd) who own locomotive. So that licensing deal has probably been the reason for the bump in price compared to other Britannia Class locos Hornby does, similar to how Bachmann's models of City of Truro cost more than their other variants of the GWR 3700 Class due to their licensing arrangement with the National Railway Museum.

[@SamsTrains]

Ahh that's very interesting - I wasn't aware of that - blimey, at £20 per loco, that sounds extremely steep! :O Licensing usually adds about 5%, and you'd expect that to be the big brands!! Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@alantoms3263]

Hi Sam - back again! I've 2 'recent' retool Britannias - not quite the very latest, but really super-detailed - sliding roof, draincocks, cab ash / wind deflectors, etc ... Britannia herself and Ollie. Both are too-high geared, I'll agree, but Ollie can run smoothly right down to a reasonable crawl - not Royal Scot / Princess / Coronation / Flying Scottie crawl, but reasonable - Brit cannot. Both are super powerful, quiet and super-smooth from perhaps 40 mph upwards, but generally Brit isn't below that - there's a 'stiff point'. Instinct is to check the chassis - quartering seems OK, all rods (there are a lot!!) seem OK - BUT it's slightly MORE THAN ONE REVOLUTION .... thinks!! Must be gear-related. There's an intermediate gear between the motor worm and the driven axle gear. This has a translucent / transparent plastic/nylon space at one end. I shifted it to the opposite side - worse! I've removed it - perhaps a little better but not really noticeable. As a last resort, the worm seems much too long - I've used a band saw to grind down the far end a little - watch this space, but I think it'll still work perfectly, but it won't be resolved. As a model, the look and detailing, plus available hauling performance are superb, but there's something in the chassis - in-between those gears, there could actually be some slack which could account for this as well as binding. I'm thinking just to set it running at '40+' and enjoy it, and see if it's a tight spot which can 'bed in' ... mechanic's excuse (Dad was one many moons ago!!). Al.

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks a lot for sharing, lots of other people said theirs was smooth too, do wonder whether mine had a slight defect on the motor in some way! Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@alantoms3263]

@@SamsTrains I don't think it's the motor - Britannia perform superbly, and better on the very slow when a bit warmer. Ollie is smooth from the start. I think it's imperfect gear manufacture and alignment / axle location in the chassis - or basically I'll have to live with it. I'll see if I can smooth it out under moderate to higher load for a couple of hours - not non-stop at higher load, but we'll see. I even moved the main drive gear a little one side and the other ... no change. Another option is it may be a bit of slack, and the gears are baulking - hope not, as that'll only get worse! Al.

[@lorrainedimmock4096]

Steam operated coal pushing ram in the tender, this was a feature taken from the LMS Coronation class locos, this only goes to show when the standard classes were built, they took the best features from the top locos of the big 4 railway company's....

[@SamsTrains]

That's fantastic - thanks for sharing, great feature! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@calebmoore8982]

Very nice review! Thanks to you, I'm getting back into the hobby and buying the flying scotsman set and the 1:1 black five.

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks a lot mate - that's amazing to hear!! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@adamrushton1740]

Another Super detailed Hornby loco I can highly recommend is the rebuilt Battle of Britain 34050 Royal Observer Corps.

[@SamsTrains]

Ooh fantastic - I'd love one of those!! Never tried the rebuilt version! Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@joshrussell4081]

Such a good looking loco especially with the coaches it wad haulingshame about the performance and the overall quality, kerp doing what your doing sam!

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks Josh! Yeah it was a shame, but very happy overall! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@anykaarwen2675]

Beautiful model love the way it runs so smoothly

[@SamsTrains]

Thank you!! Yes it's nice and smooth at the higher speeds! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@paulwilson3083]

As always Sam a good and fair review, I do wonder if yours was built on a Friday afternoon as some people in the comments find that thiers are ok, if I worked at Hornby quality control I would send you a new one out to review and take yours back to investigate, they can't get complacent as there is a lot of competition out there. Thank you for making an interesting hobby even more interesting.

[@SamsTrains]

haha I wonder Paul - I would like to try a motor swap, to see if that improves things! Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@Cthulhu1970]

I probably should have mentioned this sooner, but this month (January 2021) is the 70th anniversary of the first Standard Class 7 (Britannia itself) being built. It was built at Crewe Works on the 2nd of January 1951, and named on the 30th of that month. :)

[@SamsTrains]

Oh wow! That's pretty incredible - can't believe it's that long! :O Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@DC4260Productions]

70046 'Anzac' is one my favourite members of this class, mainly because of the ANZAC name and its relation to New Zealand.

[@SamsTrains]

Ahh great to hear that - and I didn't know that! :O Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@farric1]

The rear pony truck is of the Cartazzi type which was not designed to pivot. I love the Britannias...I have 2 hornby versions and a DJH kitbuilt version. The hornby model is not much lighter than the whitemetal and brass DJH model! My hornby models run very smoothly at a crawl too....you might have received a less than stellar example.

[@SamsTrains]

I don't think that's true Craig - the Brits did have moving pony trucks! It's a shame mine didn't run as well as others - I will investigate! Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@shivinsrivastava6662]

Beautiful locomotive sam

[@SamsTrains]

Thank you! :D

[@malcolmmyatt9092]

Oh yes as to the price I agree with you that there shouldn't be any faults for nearly £200 and just DCC ready. On second viewing I noticed the back offside buffer on the tender didn't look straight, or may have been camera angle.

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks Malcom - yeah for sure, it's a shame about that! And others have seen that too - I will investigate that! Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@vincentmorris8431]

I believe the odd one out is the black one to the left of the turntable (I noticed the number started with 4 and Standards are 7-9). I recognized a Stanier type tender, but I couldn't see the wheels well enough to determine the class (Black 5, 8F, or something else).

[@SamsTrains]

Very well spotted Vincent - I think it was that one! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@jimmyduncan7650]

Hi Sam, I think you were spot on. It must take a while to set up the running sessions but the theme running is brilliant.

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks very much Jimmy! Yeah it does take a little while - glad you liked it! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@derekpalethorpe7030]

I have a hornby oliver cromwell put in tts sound for the brittania class and works really well sounds nice and I have it pulling ten mk1 coaches for the 15 guinea so called Last run for steam

[@SamsTrains]

Ooh very nice - yes those TTS chips do run a motor very nicely! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@theretrocrowe]

Another interesting question - What would you say is the rarest model produced in the last 20 years? A few come to mind - The Hornby Clan and Stirling Single come to mind, but I'm sure there are some rarer models out there somewhere.

[@SamsTrains]

Ooh tricky - yeah the Clan could definitely be one of them! Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@noughtpoint1gaming247]

I just got Britannia class Anzac too she arrived 2 weeks ago in BR Green awesome loco and totally worth the money :) / Great review sam's trains and trust me she will be very fun to have on your layout. (The Britannia class is my favourite class)

[@SamsTrains]

Great to hear that - is it any different to mine then?! Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@noughtpoint1gaming247]

@@SamsTrains She doesn't have the issues that yours had and runs perfectly at slow speed apart from that exactly the same.

[@MBHmodelrailways]

strange, I got my Britannia in 2010 (same tooling as this as far as I'm aware) for £104 and it runs really smoothly, one of the best performing locos I own

[@SamsTrains]

Yes many have said theirs were better than mine - I hope mine doesn't have a faulty motor! I'm thinking of replacing it! Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@9501599]

Another good review, I opened my Bachmann class 44 to run on my club layout, and found myself checking the crawl each way and I had to chuckled to myself , Sam does this. No I wouldn't pay £200 or $400 NZ dollars plus postage for this model, you should send it back that loose mechanism isn't your responsibility.

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks a lot Guy - haha I just love seeing locos crawl! Nah agreed - I wouldn't recommend this for £200+ Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@davidarnold2173]

Hi Sam! Thanks for reviewing this model as it’s the first modern Hornby locomotive of my modest collection, my ANZAC seems to run well enough however to be frank it lives in its box as I’m terrified of all that delicate detail & will keep my eye out for a more robust 2nd hand version for every day use, having said all that I’m pleased you listed various issues such as couplings ect as I can now compare, thanks again _Dave 👍👍

[@SamsTrains]

No problem David - glad to hear yours is a good runner! Yes the detail is a bit frightening on this one, but it was more rugged than I expected it to be! Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@85dstudios]

I have just started on o gauge the other day, started of with 12 yards of track and a hall class

[@SamsTrains]

Ooh amazing - hope you get on well with it! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@little_britain]

I was able to pick up mine for £105 pre-owned. I really hope it runs well as I have yet to test it.

[@farfartom]

Bit late in the day Sam but I follow all of your reviews. This model is no different to a previous issue 70010 Owen Glendower. These were selling at a discounted price of £100 5 years ago dc fitted. I bought quite a few to bolster my GE stable. I found similar issues with the connection to the coaches and had to trim off part of the drop length to avoid running problems over ballasted track on 45C Westlands. Great work Sam. Too generous on the value though. Regards from Finland.

[@SamsTrains]

Blimey - I didn't know they'd been available that cheaply in the past - what on earth are they thinking with prices creeping towards £200 then?! Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@farfartom]

Sam'sTrains Simons mantra whatever the market can stand?

[@minitrains4285]

Hello Sam. I have been watching this video and I´m afraid the jerky running is because of the motor (not the gearing ratio). I bought a Britannia class several years ago at Hatton´s (mine is R2718 "Firth of Clyde" in that odd Hornby split packaging and costs me 64 pounds at bargain price) and runs much more smooth than yours. It's exactly the same tooling (a super detail model) and mechanism, so I strongly recommend you to replace the motor (be very careful with the speedometer). Some years ago I bought a Hornby Thompson B1 by 87 pounds at Hatton's in BR apple green (exactly the same you've reviewed in another video) and she had the same problem as your Britannia: very jerky running at slow speed. So I had to buy another B1 motor (good bye bargain!) and replaced the original. Now it runs much better (not perfect, but not jerky). The original motor (alone) at very low voltage starts and stops, starts and stops....so the loco running is terrible. With the pony truck, I didn't have any problem but I don't like it very much. I suggest you to unscrew it and put a thin piece of paper around or below the axle so the wheels go up a little. Maybe it improves.... I'm sorry about the long comment but I hope you fix the loco because is very beautiful. Greetings!

[@SamsTrains]

Yeah I do think it is the motor too now, though better gearing would have made it less obvious, as it still runs too fast at mid-speed! Thanks a lot for all the info! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@minitrains4285]

@@SamsTrains You are welcome!

[@trainfanproductions7149]

I was waiting for the Britannia! :D keep up the good work!

[@SamsTrains]

Awesome!! Hope you enjoy it! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@theretrocrowe]

Love the Duke of Gloucester, it was the first loco I ever got :D

[@SamsTrains]

Ooh awesome - yeah they are cool looking! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@cameronmcilroy8261]

I've got one of them myself. Not ran mine in a while but I definitely plan to soon

[@SamsTrains]

Ahh fantastic - hope you do mate! :D

[@send2gl]

Fascinating, I had a Triang TT layout when I was a lad which included a 70000 Britannia and around that time Triang introduced the smoke on their OO range. I wrote to them asking if my TT could be fitted with that option; they allowed me to return the loco for factory fitting of the smoke system so I was probably the first owner in the UK of a TT guage that smoked. Why would they fit non flanged pony wheels but supply flanged ones for user fitment? That seems very odd.

[@SamsTrains]

Oh wow that was very good of them - did it fit then?! I can only assume that's for added realism (a moving pony may have to be compromised?) - besides that, no idea! Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@send2gl]

@@SamsTrains Yes, the 'smoke' was fitted and worked fine. Cannot recall now what the cost was. I think they charged for the smoke device but pretty sure fitting was done free. Seem to recall that Hornby, at that time, used an unrealistic three rail system.

[@robertwilloughby8050]

Love the Britannias. Although excellent engines, their reception varied by region - the Eastern loved them, the Southern wasn't sure at first, but grew to love then, the London Midland liked them, rather than loved them, the Scottish ditto, and the Western flat out hated them - until they got to Cardiff Canton who ignored the wide firebox and fired them like they would the GWR Saints, to great effect.

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks a lot Robert - I never knew this, very interesting indeed!! Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@brianmicky7596]

Hi Sam,Was very excited at first, then not so excited after the things you sorted out, It's a very nice class but to big for my layout, (fancy a job at Hornby as aMr fix it ) All the Best Brian 🤗

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks Brian - yeah me too, I was a bit disappointed in the end sadly :( Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@isaacrb9557]

I wonder if Hornby will release the ‘Lady Nan’. A small engine at east Somerset railway. Me and my dad got to drive it. You should check it out. But other than that, I love this model. Bit of a high RRP but is still beautiful. Great video! 👍🏻

[@SamsTrains]

Ahh very interesting - I'd buy one if they did! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@jamesgilbart148]

Nice review. I don't understand why all recent (expensive) Hornby pacifics have fixed rear pony trucks. On their older models they pivoted - as the prototypes do. I also don't understand why manufacturers can't agree a standard coupling height - and maybe factory-fit something better than tension-locks (I get a lot of unscheduled carriage slipping!)

[@SamsTrains]

Yeah I know - I assume it's for more realism overall, but it certainly lets a model down! Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@gamerfan8445]

I got a challenges for you. You have to make working slip coaches. There only two rules. 1 the engine have to go high speed. 2 the engine also have to pull five other coaches. Also you can use any coach you want but it have to be a GWR coach. Ps the slip coach have to unhook from the train when it moving.

[@SamsTrains]

Ooh that does sound cool - thanks for the idea!! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@TATICMOOR]

Sam, hopefully since you up loaded this review that you altered the back to back wider on the pony truck wheels. To enable the wheel set to stay above both rails on either side while running the loco to stay stable on the track. The price is expensive and again £25 off the RRP would be great. The detail on these Britannia's are similar to the Hornby Clan Class (not Clan Line) and are a beautiful model non the less. I've had the same problem of the driving rods acting up like this and it takes a little bend in them to stop catching or in your case tightening up of the Hex nut/bolt.

[@SamsTrains]

I'll have to see if I can do that yeah, that's very true actually! Wonder if Hornby would ever do the Clan model again? Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@TATICMOOR]

@@SamsTrains Hopefully the suggestion works for your pony truck wheels. Hornby released four #72000/2/5/8 (2009-12) of the 10 locos that were ever built. I'm finding it hard to get two, Campbell & Macgregor. None of the Class where saved, but enthusiastic Claners are building an 11th loco to be named Hengist.

[@robertgates7686]

Hi Sam, you may find that Britannia runs better at slow speeds when DCC fitted. My 2009 Silver Jubilee version with cab white roof does. Not much use however if your layout is analogue.

[@SamsTrains]

Yes that does seem to be the case sometimes - I will try that! Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@roryanderson7808]

I love that music in the background

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks Rory! :D

[@noughtpoint1gaming247]

Agreed.. they sell it for that price and put on all the separately fitted parts but the etched name plate which is a small job.. If I where head of manufacturing at Hornby I would put the etched name plate on any loco for that price and amout of detail (reply if you Agree)

[@SamsTrains]

Yeah you're right - high prices are fine, but the locos need to match! Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@trainguy611]

Wow, they have that’s for Train Simulator as well, I’m into the 1st minute of the video and I like it already

[@SamsTrains]

Ooh fantastic - I'd love to try that! Glad you're liking it! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@lapiswake6583]

I bought a special edition standard 7 70000 Britannia herself in unlined unnamed black (as she was delivered) in november for £80 posted, although she did have a dodgy tender connection which I've since fixed. Great loco, I don't think she is juddery at slow speeds like yours, but she does slip with my 13 coach charter rake (as do most of my steamers). I might need to invest in a mixed rake of hornby or bachmann maroon/blue and grey mk1s for her and others to haul in the future.

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks for sharing mate - glad to hear yours was much better overall! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@70053morayfirth]

That fantastic detail must cost a fortune in labour, which is why it is expensive. It really needs etched nameplates. The actual engine was an old friend for me, working the Holyhead-Euston trains (for which it was fitted with a large capacity tender, faithfully reproduced in this model.) By the way, a friend of mine had a Trix 'Britannia' back in the 1960s. Boy, were we Triang people envious! I wonder how it would stand up today.

[@SamsTrains]

No doubt John - but it doesn't explain why the cost of the model has basically doubled in less than 10 years!! Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@davidshepherd397]

While I noticed that you said seven thousand and forty six instead of seventy thousand and forty six, but that just means I truly pay attention to your videos, so its actually a compliment.

[@SamsTrains]

haha duly noted David - and very well spotted! ;D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@theretrocrowe]

I'm saving up for a Heljan Garratt, should be able to order one tomorrow!

[@SamsTrains]

Ooh awesome - hope you get one mate!! :D

[@jamiemarshall6832]

Hmmm I might think of getting one, hmm maybe

[@theretrocrowe]

@@jamiemarshall6832 I'll let you know what I think if I get one :)

[@keitho.sylvan1137]

I thought we don’t use the word “Heljan” on this channel lol

[@theretrocrowe]

@@keitho.sylvan1137 The Garratt is the only exception to the rule - Anyone who says the words "Heljan" and "1361" in the same sentence is locked away in Sam's basement

[@Mike-dw8wf]

so besides the pony truck, what major downsides does this model have? Hornby's U.S site have a 70013 "oliver cromwell" for pre-order and it's good timing that you've uploaded this. and would the west country class by hornby be any good?

[@SamsTrains]

For me it's the poor slow speed performance, high price and badly designed coupling! Yes the Hornby West Countries are great! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@adamcat1882]

Oh man those locomotives are so elegant

[@SamsTrains]

They really are! :D

[@DigitalDavis16]

A) the detail of the loco is incredible here, but B) I own a rebuilt Battle of Britain secondhand (cost me $AU245); she’s really well detailed and incredibly smooth BUT like your Standard/Britannia class, it doesn’t have a flywheel and its rear pony is bolted to the chassis. It doesn’t drop underneath the track but obviously doesn’t stay on the corners; no derailments yet but like you I find it annoying. My Mallard was a UK built Hornby and still has a pivoting rear pony; huge advantage.

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks Davis for the comment - yes you're right about the Bobs, though they do run pretty nicely overall! The moving pony is definitely the best! Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@17puttab]

There's something about this class that gets me to like it and enough to want to get one. I like to believe, even though I don't know much about it, that the Britannia is iconic somehow. Even though it's a bit difficult here in America, I can always hope for a good deal and I'll snag one so that my one diesel, EMD FT, won't be lonely. Thanks for the video, amazing as always! Cheers! - Bhargav

[@SamsTrains]

Yeah I know what you mean, they're very impressive and iconic!! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@17puttab]

@@SamsTrains Thanks again!

[@liamcalder5063]

Hi Sam . it is a shame that the Brittania had a few problems. that rear pony truck is hopeless. Looking forward to the Life stream. Cheers Liam

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks Liam - yeah I agree mate, lol! Hope you enjoy the stream! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@alexferguson6982]

All rear pony trucks now or exactly like how they or in real life on the locomotives and that is static. The movable Ones or unrealistic and don't look right, that is why Hornby & Bachmann or starting to make them static.

[@StaxRail]

Cor, lovely locomotive there Sam- BR standard locos like Brits and the Duke Of Gloucester have such a nice appearance! That loco must've been a Southern region example as it has the larger tender

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks mate, yeah I agree - they're very striking! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@kingorry7223]

I believe anzac was a midland example

[@StaxRail]

@@kingorry7223 really? I thought that the only Brits given the larger BR1D tender were Southern region, due to the lack of water troughs

[@kingorry7223]

@@StaxRail yeah, I just checked, worked on the midland region all its life

[@ar_railwayvideos8805]

Received 70013 as part of the 15 Guinea pack and was a bit disappointed with the crawl and no flywheel - thought a track clean may have improved it, but no. The tender is also a bit resistant on mine but should be easy to solve. Stunning loco nonetheless.

[@SamsTrains]

Yeah, it's a pity for the price isn't it? Hope you can improve it! :D Merry Christmas - Sam :)

[@ar_railwayvideos8805]

@@SamsTrains A bit, but pleased with the running at normal speed. Thanks, the tender pick ups and wheel bearings may need a check. Merry Christmas Sam :)

[@britanniaolivercromwell5006]

Also I had the clicking problem on sir Nigel Gresley but fixed it by tightening the connecting screw

[@SamsTrains]

Ahh well fixed! I did check the pins on mine - all were tight enough! Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@jesseasher7520]

20:22 the buffers appear to be pointing at different heights on the rear too :o

[@SamsTrains]

Yes you're right, I checked that too! Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@2005Kam]

Hi Sam, I am a Scottish expat living in China, I love watching your videos because they really keep me from getting homesick due to the fact that I associate trains and kindness with the UK and your videos have both. Thank you for making such great content and helping me stay connected to the UK.

[@SamsTrains]

Ahh that's good to hear - that's my pleasure!! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@davidstrains4910]

Great review Sam I got an old hornby one Oliver Cromwell for only £60 last year

[@SamsTrains]

Oh wow - that's very good!! :D

[@alancarpenter2070]

Sam, good video of the Britannia. The tender doesn't seem to have many, or any, controls for the brakes, water valve or water scoop. Does it? Likewise, does it have a floor? The fall plate seems to be hanging in mid air. As far as I know, on the full sized loco, the trailing wheels are in a radial truck which is not pivoted like a bogie or pony truck, but the axle boxes and horn-blocks have a sideways motion that allows the wheels to move sideways on curves. Regards, Alan'

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks a lot Alan - yes you're right, haha! I wasn't convinced by the fall plate/gap either! Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@cbrooks122000]

Funny I have the Duke of Gloucester with TTS sound that goes really well and a limited edition Britannia that also goes well. The two later variants of this model Thomas Hardy and Firth of Tay are much better detailed models, but are no end of trouble, I have had issues with valve gear, gears, motors, so perhaps when Hornby updated it, they got something wrong. Locks like Anzac suffers from a similar fate.

[@SamsTrains]

Glad to hear yours go well - I am wondering whether mine has a fault! Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@robbyboy03]

This is my all time favourite loco. Such a shame about the static rear pony truck. I have older versions of this with the X04 motor and am very happy with the performance. Cheers Sam.

[@SamsTrains]

Great to hear that mate! Yeah it's frustrating, but luckily it didn't cause any problems! I love the old X04 version too! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@vincebagusauskas278]

Ahhhh just delivered one from AJM! Including the TTS decoder. Has not been run yet. Now I am getting a bit nervous Sam.

[@SamsTrains]

Ooh fantastic - hopefully yours is better than mine! ;D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@michaelgoodliffe4795]

Got 2 of these,William Wordsworth,and Firth of Tay, on the second engine I had to assemble the tender body, it literally fell apart, no glue appeared to have been applied! Also had problems with the coupling boxes dropping out on the tender.Too many problems with quality control I fear.

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks for sharing Michael - sorry to hear that, that's a bugger isn't it? Yes that's a very common issue, I've seen that countless times too! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@haz2005]

I have a Britannia class but it is unservicble : ( so I just got old track and put it as a preservation loco. Another great video sam !

[@SamsTrains]

Sorry to hear that mate - what happened to it?! :( Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@theretrocrowe]

Just done a Hornby review myself on the class 08. I wonder if this can beat the 9/10 I gave that?

[@SamsTrains]

Ooh interesting - the 08 sounds awesome then! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@fangliu2763]

Hey Sam,I really want the centenary Smokey joe but it’s limited edition and I would plan on buying it when I’m 18 but as I said it’s limited edition.😭😓

[@SamsTrains]

Ahh sorry to hear that mate - hopefully they make more one day! Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@jonathancruz562]

Just had a movie stoped because of this i didn’t regret it

[@SamsTrains]

Bless you mate, thank you! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@divinechild_creativerebellion]

Top 3 Locos .Dapol Box Hill .Airfix 14xx .Hornby E2 All very good for beginners👍

[@theretrocrowe]

My personal top 3 Bachmann E4 Oxford N7 Hornby Pug

[@SamsTrains]

Ooh great choices guys! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@donsharpe5786]

You could try a stepped coupling to lower the level. Maybe Hornby should have included one as an alternative to fit in the NEM socket.

[@SamsTrains]

Yes that's true Don - though the whole point of NEM is to have a standard height for everything, lol! ;D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@SVSportscars]

Lovely looking model with all those details, it just feels like Hornby has a issue with quality control. With the loose parts, coupling not lining up. And you didn't mention but it looked like the tender had a buffer that wasn't straight, but that could be the camera angle. But great review as always. Keep it up

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks mate, glad you liked it! Yes I do suspect most of my issues were due to lack of quality control! Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@extrapolator2000]

Great review as always. I'm not sure its fair to compare the crawl.under DC to the crawl under DCC though - DCC will use a PWM motor control, which always allows motors to turn more slowly but under control. DC does not due to the inertia of the motor.

[@SamsTrains]

Yes that is very fair to say - but even so, other locos do run much better on DC, as we've seen many times! Thanks for watching - Sam :)