Hornby's Disastrous L&YR Pug in "Marron" Livery | Unboxing & Review

[@brianartillery]

I had a Hornby Pug many, many years ago - and it was bloody rubbish. There's nothing to really go wrong with it, but it would run for about twenty minutes, and then slowly die. My dad had the damn thing CKD (Completely Knocked Down) a great many times. He knew what he was doing, but the stupid thing kept dying. He got fed up with it, eventually, and threw in the towel, and the Pug in the bin, but not before he got me an 0-6-0 Diesel shunter, which worked perfectly for years. And Hornby are still selling that Pug, as a new engine. The cheeky bastards.

[@SamsTrains]

haha funny to hear they've always been bad then! Can't believe they're still making it... crazy! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@Samanthasrailadventures]

​@@SamsTrains my father has one, he had a medical episode while we were messing with the layout. Long story short we ended up leaving in a hurry to seek help and left it going around and around. He had three days in hospital and came home to find it running quite happily. Last I know it's still going strong and never been taken to bits.

[@eisenbau]

Faulty motor. Change it, fixed. Can happen to any loco, any manufacturer.

[@1471SirFrederickBanbury]

Hornby’s pug has been considered a toy for years. They should have just accepted this and put it the railroad range. Thanks as always Sam.

[@SamsTrains]

Yeah they should - putting it in the Railways range raises expectations and then dashes them.... it's just irritating! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@joshslater2426]

I have a BR Pug model, and I think it’s pretty decent. It’s not massive on the details, but for what I payed for it 2nd hand (only £20) I’m fine with that.

[@Wvw_trains]

@samstrains will you be reviewing the Hornby flying Scotsman with tts sound and steam generator

[@Locknut61]

​@@joshslater2426 £20 is about right.

[@leftin74]

This model is suitable for conversion to three rail. My pig looks great with lipstick, quite attractive in fact. Please don’t insult my pig, she gets very upset

[@dakshanbalaramesh]

Oh dear, looks like Prince is going to be receiving a right French royal treatment in your 5 worst locomotives of 2024 video Sam.

[@SamsTrains]

hahaha quite true!! xD Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@warrenlehmkuhleii8472]

This model is like putting a coat of paint on a dilapidated house. From a distance it looks nice, but then you come up close and notice there are broken windows, broken doors, the copper pipes have been stolen by vandals, and there is asbestos in the ceiling. All the new coat of paint does is make you look closer to see more clearly how bad things are.

[@Razer_-fe9mo]

Marron has got to be one of my favourite colours. Up there with Orbange and Grein.

[@stevethompson9862]

Yeah and yella 😂

[@SamsTrains]

hahaha!

[@SamsTrains]

We need more yella engines 😂

[@AbbeyYard]

​@@SamsTrains Honestly I prefer bleu or reod

[@ajclarke9189]

I can’t tell if it was a typo or if they meant the Spanish word for “brown.” Just kidding. It’s definitely a typo.

[@GarthDavies-cd5oh]

Its sad to see Hornby seem to be getting further and further behind using very old tooled models. A fair review Sam .

[@DC4260Productions]

As the Chuckle Brothers would say - oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. Thank you, Sam, for helping me to save $149 - NZD; that's how much the Prince Pug costs as my local model shop. Instead, I'll put that money towards something better, like a Heljan Class 33/2 or whatever else takes my fancy.

[@Cthulhu1970]

This was considered a great little model when it was first released by Dapol, but that was 40 years ago now. Bringing it up to date wouldn't be too difficult, considering the tiny motors that are available these days, but that would involve Hornby spending a few quid. The ghost of Simon Kohler would not be happy with that.

[@SamsTrains]

That's right - 40 years ago I'm sure it was lovely! I think it just needs retooling from the ground up - and I think it'd be a real looker then! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@Cthulhu1970]

@@SamsTrains I'd only just started watching when I made those comments, and then you more or less said exactly the same. 🤪

[@johnd8892]

​@@SamsTrainsMy memory of forty years ago was that this first locomotive for Dapol gave them a bad reputation for years. Only very recently would I could start to consider the purchase of Dapol. Add to that how they made Wrenn worse while claiming they had improved them.

[@marrrtin]

Prior to making this model, Dapol had a kit available, for which the tool came from Airfix, and before them, Kitmaster. So in a sense, this model is closer to 60 years old rather than 40. I made a couple of the kits in the mid-70s.

[@Blur4strike]

@@marrrtin Jesus tap dancing Christ, this model could get the equivalent of a "Senior Discount" in terms of age. It really needs to be either demoted to the budget line or retired wholesale.

[@ChristinaGXL]

This little guy was my first ever model train, I loved it to death. It looked strange pulling two wrenn Pullman coaches but hey that's what I was given and I'm still hooked today.

[@David_Mattox]

I’ve heard plenty of talk of how old and outdated Hornby’s Pugs are. When this loco was announced, I had a small sliver of hope that it would be better than it was. A new paint job doesn’t count as better. Hornby!! For the love of anything, please put this in the RailRoad range where it belongs. Doing otherwise is insulting our intelligence.

[@SamsTrains]

Yep - a new paint job is the only thing going for this, and even then it's questionable with those handrails. This needs to be in the Railroad range at the least, and in the junkpile at worst! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@chrissimpson6011]

​@@SamsTrains Surely the one thing that locos in the Railroad range MUST be is reliable? If they are poor performers or don't work then entry level modellers are going to quit the hobby in frustration. What are Hornby wanting to achieve releasing this?

[@TheHoveHeretic]

As an Airfix kit, these babies were a favourite of 009 and 00N12 modellers, back when Eggerbahn were about the only manufacturer of RTR NG stock. I've seen these wee things in all sorts of odd liveries, sometimes with 6w chassis or running as 0-4-2STs. Using tramway shrouds and cow catchers, anything which would fit underneath would do. Tonnage was achieved using glue and small lead fishing sinker weights!!

[@SamsTrains]

haha yeah I've seen lots of strange creatures based on this chassis - good to know it had some use! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@johnd8892]

Would have thought putting the Airfix or Rosebud Kitmaster Pug body on good quality N gauge mechanism is what would have been seen. Converting the very poor HO gauge Dapol or Hornby mechanism to N gauge would have been a nightmare delivering rubbish running. For that purpose no point buying a locomotive mechanism that is really a throw away product.

[@joshuaW5621]

I’m surprised that Hornby hasn’t thought of making an LMS Kitson 0F by this point given how much they love 0-4-0Ts.

[@SamsTrains]

I'd definitely be down for that :D Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@jamfjord]

Only if it's done like their Peckett W4, not this. Problem with that is the person who brought the Peckett to market now works for Accurascale iirc

[@stevedoggart2805]

The reason that Hornby have not upgraded the model whilst charging the premium is quite simple. GREED !

[@Samanthasrailadventures]

No one's putting a gun to your head to buy it, stop using greed as an excuse for when you want something you don't need and can't afford it. Besides, it has to pay for it's self. Whom among us has any concrete information about how much it cost to make? What the condition of the tooling is these days? What might have needed done to keep it going? Is this price reflective of them wishing to make money to put into a retool? Who knows, greed is the laziest most simple minded explanation really and brass tax, buy it or don't being annoyed won't change jack.

[@peters1127]

GREED is to good of a word to use.

[@Samanthasrailadventures]

@@peters1127 greed would be making enough to be in profit and then wanting to make that profit unreasonable. Hornby are overall not yet a profitable business. You don't call someone greedy for eating less than they need to survive you call them greedy for eating more than necessary. Lol educate yourselves on the company you wish to talk smack about otherwise you just look silly.

[@peters1127]

@@Samanthasrailadventures Sorry, I seem to have a different definition of the word Greed

[@Samanthasrailadventures]

@@peters1127 what is yours?

[@phantoms3933]

Lipstick on a pug! The funny thing is I have a 1980's saddle tank (? probably got the name wrong but LMS 16032) from Hornby which is a bit of a pocket rocket but the motor is fine (and not visible), it has some cab detail (unpainted), it has separately fitted brass whistles/safety valve and it weighs 123g. It can be had for about 20 quid online and yes it it just plain black with gold lettering but still I think I know which one I would rather have.

[@MrVorpalsword]

Marron IS french for chestnut (I think) and I reckon they use it to mean brown too.

[@doomotron6160]

That is correct, although I suspect Hornby weren't using the French word for brown/chestnut on purpose. :D

[@SamsTrains]

It's a typo - the loco isn't brown it's maroon, and Hornby's website says maroon! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@thhseeking]

Marron *is* French for chestnut, and the colour "chestnut" is a reddish-brown shade, so, ironically, Hornby's spelling mistake still makes some sense, as "maroon" is another variation on the shade, and it comes from the French word "marron" :P Probably a spelling mistake by the Chinese.What was that instruction on that American brake van box?

[@stanbruce8510]

I bought two of these second hand eight years ago, squeezed a chip into the cab, and with a lot of adjustments and TLC they both have run great for many years if the track and the pickups are cleaned regularly they handle my layout which has many points with ease they are two of my favourites

[@SwiftSlots]

I got one of these and bought the High Level Pug chassis kit to under it with the motor in the boiler. A bit of super detailing and you have a lovley model!

[@BoaFilmsPlc]

I believe that this model was originally made by Dapol. Along with the Class 56 etc. Hornby acquired the molds when Dapol stopped making model railways.

[@SamsTrains]

Yeah it certainly was a Dapol model back in the day! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@jonathanmillar1975]

The dapol class 56 was a great model for its time. I had a one.

[@BoaFilmsPlc]

@@jonathanmillar1975 The old Dapol/GMR/Mainline models were if you got a good one, you got a good one. But you got a dud & oh boy!

[@andrewdking]

Dapol didn't stop making model railways, they stopped making 00 gauge models, to concentrate exclusively on N gauge. Now they are back making all sorts of gauge models.

[@andrewdking]

I've got the Dapol one of which there is a kit to give it a new chassis, motor and cast metal blackhead in the cab. Not available for the Hornby one apparently.

[@rowanthursday5860]

While this loco is very badly marketed, I do feel there's a place for these old vintage models. What would be nice though would be if Hornby would consider either a) upgrading them to NEM pocket couplings or b) releasing a conversion kit of some sort (in this case, something like a NEM pocket with a screw hold correctly placed to interface with the existing screw coupling attachment). Since they've now started dipping their toes in the magnetic coupling market, and a lot of their railroad (or *should be railroad*) stock is still not NEM fitted, it would be a sensible step.

[@chrissouthgate4554]

Hornby insist on producing ready to run at high prices. Could there be a place for a base model with extra detailing parts, handrails, name plates, reverser rods, any of the potentially fitted parts. After all this is a business model that works very well for their stable mate Airfix. It’s not like railway modelers don't already do this sort of stuff with their layouts!

[@SamsTrains]

Sure - if it was made properly and upgraded so that it was actually usable, then I'd be all for it! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@johnd8892]

​@@chrissouthgate4554amazed that people are attracted to detail while no mention of the junk mechanism that was substandard in 1984.

[@joek5882]

My son and I stumbled upon Halburn Hobbies in Edinburgh a few days ago and this was in one of the cases. I bought it after a thorough look over simply because Sam reviewed it. The owner was as nice as could be and my son got some other goodies. It's just a display piece for me and now that it's home and in the case I enjoy seeing it. 🤗

[@jamesgilbart2672]

My Hornby Pug which has the earlier pickups was a hopeless case and just stuttered and died continually until I fitted a stay-alive. Now it runs over any dirty track or points. The decoder and capacitor, however, completely fill the small bit of cab space not occupied by the motor. Yes, a re-tool is long overdue.

[@blakesmith6303]

I wanted one of these back in the 90's, and the W4 Peckett being a similar but vastly better model got me back into the hobby. When I saw Hornby were bringing this back at roughly the same price as the Pecketts I did a spit-take and just bought a second-hand one for £20 instead.

[@richardhiggins6471]

Like you, I bought a secondhand one for a similar price to yours - and so I was delighted by it. But then, if you pay a lot more, you naturally expect a lot more. Mine is a great little shunter on electrofrog points, and can go around 9" radius curves.

[@user-yn9of7gr4h]

Dapol were the maker of the original J94 that Hornby sells! My pug was first made by Dapol in seventy’s,still runs fine.

[@richlawrence4160]

Hornby 040 sentinel has a totally different inside mechanism (and a 4 pin DCC socket), but has the same issue with wires draped over the worm gear. Worked OK out of the box and pulls six wagons with ease, except over dead frog points. With a tiny 25mm wheelbase, really needs a shunting wagon for extra pick ups or maybe suspension to ensure all wheels are in contact with the rails.

[@leokimvideo]

More evidence why sadly the Hornby share price is heading to $0. On the value score once it's value added to a market outside the UK honestly it may only get one star. The hornby prices in Australia are now totally ridiculous. Anyway I learned about Australian crayfish. The Hornby share price since May 2007 has been in a decaying trend. It fails to ever break out of this trend and many people were caught out in a Bull trap during Covid. Anyway. honestly with a performance as I saw here I would demand a refund. Maybe shows there is very poor QC going on at factory level.

[@KeeganLynch-sn2qu]

I think if you change the motor and hide the motor and maybe 3d print a fire box. You’ll get a pretty good Pug but y’all probably know that. But this was a great video Sam! One thing about me is that I don’t care about the detail, I care more about how it runs! Keep making the great videos! :)

[@Valleys56xx]

Not sure if this has been mentioned before but for the price of two of these 70's Princes you could get a 2024 Accurascale class 66....

[@Samanthasrailadventures]

Yeah but equally that's kinda useless and irrelevant if you want a red pug 😀 you know for the price of an accurascale 66 you could buy a Squier by Fender Stratocaster learn to play it and write a song about how much Hornbys pug costs.

[@jackb3555]

I never had the money to get into model railroads until recently, and this was rhe first enging i bought. Its run well so far, I've had it for a few months, and have had no issues. Sad to see i may have just gotten lucky

[@darreno9874]

This is an insult to Hornby customers. Even if they left the tired body they should have upgraded the chassis and mechanism. They spent time and money making this look good but no substance. Great review Sam. God bless you.

[@Cross_Trainspotting]

This loco is the exact reason why Hornby are no longer as popular as manufacturers such as Accurascale per say, but they need to understand that producing the same, aged, tacky models will not help overcome their already tarnished reputation. Instead of making silly Sci-Fi models and Beatles Shrines, perhaps they should have a proper go at making something quality. They are clearly capable to do so as well, ie: The Class 56, The Peckett, The Ruston & so many more! The way things are going at the moment are absolutely diabolical.

[@jonathanmillar1975]

And the class 60 until Caralex and Accurascale release theirs.

[@leewaymodels]

Just got one at Rails of Sheffield at a much discounted price already!

[@user-yn9of7gr4h]

When Dapol first introduced it there was nothing like it ready made.The alternative was to build brass or white metal kit!

[@leoclown83]

This video is unique because my pug actually runs nicely, it stops on points at slow speeds but its because of the small wheelbase and our switch's frog size (The layout is american but we use multiple locos from countries) THOUGH! to be fair, I have the LMS Black pug. This video gave me a good perspective and what to look out for, thanks Sam!

[@rasputinxray1]

Regarding the livery. There is a Queensland football team whose uniform is marroon, referred to locally as the 'Marrones'

[@chriswade7470]

Marron is also the French for Chestnut. The L&Y pug was originally a model manufactured by another maker and was taken into the Hornby Range.

[@missmarple5526]

hi, marron is chocolate colour. it's 231 superpacific colour from "la compagnie des chemins de fer du Nord" before the creation of SNCF😉

[@Sideways101100]

@@missmarple5526 Sam needs to read this. I swear sometimes he just sees the first thing on Google and assumes that's the only meaning

[@SamsTrains]

It's a typo - the loco isn't anything like chestnut!! So many people trying to make excuses.... look at the listing on Hornby's site, it's been corrected to maroon! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@TenCJones]

As soon as I saw the word "disastrous" in the title I went and grabbed my popcorn! Thanks Sam. A cute loco but like you say well overdue for a remake. Maybe with a stay-alive in it too that would be great. There is a video here on KZbin of a guy who reworked the chassis to put a coreless motor in it that didn't intrude into the cab so it can be done. Cheers.

[@dansmodelrailways7886]

Sam, they are dcc compatible, just not dcc ready, theres a big difference. You can hard wire DCC decoders to this and it will run, it just takes some ingenuity to hide the tiny decoder! Always find your reviews a great watch. 👍🏻

[@SamsTrains]

That's right - and it's not good enough in this day and age! Anything with a motor is DCC compatible! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@SueBobChicVid]

The capacitor in the cab could be a scale speed bag for Preston to use during slow switching days. Great review - or should I say "warning".

[@SamsTrains]

hahaha! Warning indeed! ;D

[@BoxtankEngine]

If Hornby misspell Maroon, they could of course describe themselves with the word Moron. Isn’t too far off.

[@bensids]

Many more inaccuracies to mention. Lamp brackets are wrong, whistle is wrong, even the chimney is wrong, shouldn’t have the cross head covers, but we know that they hide a complete lack of detail (ie there are no cross heads under that cover!) With the success of the Peckett I really don’t understand why Hornby chose not to update this model. Had they put a decent mechanism in it and updated the tooling a bit it could have been a great seller. What a shame!

[@RocktCityTim]

Love your "background" segments with the dated black and white imagery. The model IS that bad. That capacitor and ferrite bead looks like a WWII bomb hanging there! Oh, and you've caused me a bit of grief in the office. My wife watched a couple of these with me and all she took from them was - "See, Sam's running his trains on the floor." 😱 ... and I'm totally onboard with your filament storage 😆

[@SamsTrains]

haha thank you! Yes I love it when the weather's so dry... I don't have to faff around storing all my filament in air tight cases haha! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@cmc9775]

That reminds me of a running video session Sam did once with the Q1 and Hornby Holten Rocket Pocket. It was called "Trains in the Blitz"

[@christopherbellamy639]

I run my hornby/tri ang/dapol locos on my bedroom floor

[@RocktCityTim]

@@christopherbellamy639 Not helping 🤣🚂

[@christopherbellamy639]

@@RocktCityTim only because I don't have room on my desk or my bed to build a layout on

[@rogerking7258]

Come on Sam, this is a £30 loco, ideal for small children's train sets - and that assumes that it runs correctly out of the box. I just love the effort that has been put into the sheet of plastic foam that fills half of one cab side just like the prototype. "What's that? They didn't have plastic foam in the 19th century? Really? Are you sure? - Oh! Personally, I find it an insult to my intelligence when companies think they can get away with taking the p*ss like this. Exactly how you gave it three stars for quality and value I really don't understand.

[@PhilBender612]

Peter pointer came to my mind when I saw that cab figure.😆 Nice job Sam.😃

[@caw25sha]

He should come with a speech bubble. "Oh look, another wagon load of bottles for us to shunt."

[@SamsTrains]

hahaha!!

[@gwheregwhizz]

Well we had the Beatles, now lovers of Prince can party like it's 1999 😊

[@JonatanGronoset]

Sam, the Pug story is similar to Märklins BR81 tank engine. It's still in production under the "Start Up" range and has been left virtually untouched since the 60s with no separate details or tooling upgrades, not even glazing in the windows or proper valvegear. But it is made of metal, which is something. The prototype was a heavy shunter and the model would've possibly found a home on many peoples layouts if Märklin would bother upgrading it with a new tooling, separate detailing, fine valvegear and sound. But as with the Pug, this seems very unlikely to happen. In comparison, the BR74 tank engine is availible in the Start Up range, and it has fine separate detail, valvegear and recently upgraded with sound! It's very odd how manufacturers think sometimes...

[@kellyashfordtrains2642]

Thankyou, Hornby, for selling Sam a 5-star disaster. I totally agree with you here. However, the engine's disastrous performance will possibly be nothing compared to the disaster, which might unfold behind your sturdy bookcase in my birthday video. I'll remind you again about it. Although the Pug is in a nice new livery, what happened to great performance here? Sam, send the model back and demand a refund. Or, if you're really mad, chuck it down the ladder.

[@ashraaqwahab2817]

A better fate would be the return of the Scrapman - now upgraded at the works, and even more ferocious! This loco is the ideal "first candidate" for it, after its rebirth.

[@AlongPreservedLines]

My 40 year old pugs run extremely well... wonder what went wrong here!

[@AlongPreservedLines]

@@ashraaqwahab2817 I don't think that's fair, not the loco's fault hornby wants to keep producing it without updating it!

[@chrissouthgate4554]

@@AlongPreservedLines They did update the pickups; & made them worse!

[@terryflynn8830]

This is an example of "you get what you pay for". The main problem with the Pug, other than seeing the motor in the cab, like any 0-4-0 is electrical pickup. If you apply Inox mp3 to the wheels and pickups it will run much better. Alternately for the pickups a small amount of carbon grease is also very good. The plastic bearings will outlast the model. Also on 0-4-0 models you can easily compensate the front axle so all wheels stay electrically on the rails by removing the bottom of the bearing on the front keeper plate. Finally on my Pug, I put in a DCC non sound decoder with a storage capacitor and replaced the diecast zinc weight with a piece of sheet lead. I makes the model a little heavier. Its heavy enough to shunt about 20 of my 4 wheel wagons on the flat.

[@billmmckelvie5188]

Thanks Sam it's one of those videos were you want to cry! I have a BR Pug but it really should be called a Duck. It literally waddles around the track wagling from side to side. Model no. is R3728 another sticker on the box gives a longer part number of R3728-38-284. Given the frustration that we all feel it's just a shame there isn't a motor manufacturer, who produces their own 5 pole motor were you can cross refer to Hornby's. Giving you the option to swap it for something better.

[@colinking8374]

I recently bought one of these in black for about £40 from eBay. Well worth it for that many as it runs very well. It's absolutely tiny and looks great

[@bavarianbanshee]

I don't want to defend Hornby for this model, because it really is woeful and overpriced for what you get, but I feel the need to be fair. The box you pointed out, on the running board, does appear to be in the right place, from all of the photographs I can find.

[@SamsTrains]

www.flickr.com/photos/blue-diesels/5265348633 Feel free to share photos of prince with the box in a different position! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@EversTrainz]

I'm honestly starting think Hornby hires anyone for quality control

[@theenigmaticst7572]

They hire people for Quality Control?

[@chrislampard7170]

I think I caught a glimpse of "DCC Ready" on the paperwork.

[@sullivanrachael]

Sam, you’ve got yourself a new piece of jargon to describe a re-released Hornby model. It’s a crayfish! Its creation is ‘Crayfishing?’

[@captaincave5907]

Hi Sam, excellent review as always! I was surprised you didn't mention how badly warped the running plate on this model was... after 40 years of production, you'd think Hornby would have fixed that by now!

[@leekmuncher7474]

Absolutely unforgivable that this ‘Piece of Kit’ is in the Railways range not Railroad. My heart sank as soon as I saw the ancient couplings! 😂

[@briancooper562]

My Pug is an Airfix model from the 60's when power came from box wagons with a drive motor installed.

[@stephendavies6949]

The marron (sic) livery is definitely the best aspect of the thing. To be Frank, Sam, I wonder why Hornby seems determined to trash its reputation and historic position within our hobby. Hornby at its best is hard to beat. Look at the Turbomotive, and much of its Era 1 stuff. I was running my Hornby Tornado on the weekend that pulled 17 carriages with ease around a layout that includes 1.5-ish radius curves. But then they do something like this! No-one would have cared if it had been in the Railroad range for £70. But this really is an own goal.

[@davidrobinson8700]

I have one of these which I've detailed - but due to the age of the tooling it's in my static collection. I really do wonder what on earth Hornby were thinking when they announced this for the 2024 range without making some improvements (DCC socket/NEM Couplings/improved motor etc). But given Hornby's "track" record on dropping clangers & messing up I'm not surprised.... Good Review Sam

[@timchalk6810]

I bought a hornby pug around the turn of the century and returned it within a couple of weeks as the performance was not good and i was told it was a 1000 hour motor then it needed replacing. I went on to motorize an airfix pug kit.

[@drevo50]

Just buy a second hand Pug - I did, at a local show, for £15! Stripped it down, cleaned it up, lubricated it and it runs really well! I did have to shim the motor to ensure it meshed with the axle gear wheel. It's actually worth £15 and a bit of effort.

[@tjmfarming9584]

That loco behaves worse than my poor old pair of unmaintained Caledonian pugs on a GOOD day! Mind you, even in the virtual realm of train simulators, the Pug has dated models with controls that don't quite work right (in Trainz anyway not sure about TS classic) Why hornby keep ancient models like this around yet refuse to make new toolings in accurate liveries for models like the E2 or the Jinty is beyond me. When I (eventually) return to 00 gauge modelling once I get my train table assembled I will be avoiding this model like the plague. Probably either restore the caley motors or get a peckett instead.

[@SkyeSoarer04]

Its about time they took that thing in for a overhaul as itis almost as bad as a hornby class 66 Great review sam keep it up

[@Alan-ln3ls]

You are being extremely generous with a ☆☆☆ rating for value. I would struggle to go above ☆ as I don't think it's worth even £40.

[@heiderichvladimir7341]

The PTSD random employees of Hornby have whenever Sam uploads a review...

[@Blur4strike]

The performance of the pug is giving me flashbacks of Bachmann's older North American locomotives, not good at all. When a budget offering has shoddy performance it's enough to turn away newcomers to the hobby. This model will be seen in the "Worst Model Trains of 2024" video released at the end of the year due to how shoddy it is.

[@SamsTrains]

Oh dear - don't know if I've tried many of the older ones - but I've definitely got at least one old Bachmann dud! haha yep, it'll make the worst of the year for sure... I hope!! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@TiptreeJams]

I think it was a great marketing ploy by Hornby to add extra realism for owners of this loco by requiring them to carry out an overhaul / maintenance / repair before it can be operated :)

[@paulc9588]

Very, very poor for almost £100 RRP. Mine was returned faulty and thankfully the one they had left in stock also turned out to be faulty so it could not be replaced! Upgraded to an 88DS for a little more money rather than taking a refund and it is vastly better in every respect for a few pounds more. 50% of the Pugs sold have been returned according to the retailer, which is shocking. My other two much older Pugs both run better than this, I had a lucky escape.

[@johncranston4051]

Hi Sam update on Hornby shares Model railways manufacturer Hornby is now worth less than it was when Mike Ashley’s retail empire Frasers Group revealed its investment in the brand earlier this year. Down from 38.5p to now at 20.5p today Thought this is interesting!

[@ianjeffery6744]

A bit of research in Railway Modeller archives, and I find that the Kitmaster Pug kit first appeared as long ago as 1959, and was quickly followed by a Perfecta kit for motorising it - I don't know how effective the motorisation was. The price of the un-motorised kit was 2/6d, I think (12.5 pence!), which coffin-dodgers like me may remember was regarded as a quite reasonable price at that time.

[@thetweedcladenglishman]

The original Dapol ones had a grim tendency to totally strip their cheap nylon gears.

[@cirseltoo]

The pug came out years ago, well before DCC and was state of the art back then, but you are reviewing a 40 year old model. No idea why Hornby have reissued it but it is well beyond its time.

[@Taggart00]

When I saw this I was looking forward to it, as I liked the look of the livery, but its too expensive for what it is. I think these should be at most a £50 starter loco.

[@stuartburton1167]

I made a Pug out of the Dapol (ex Kit master) body kit and a 0-4-0 chassis from South Eastern Finecast (could have been Nu-cast) and a motor with a flywheel it ran like a dream

[@fastline_productions]

this pug is actually still around today and runs sometimes at the east lancashire rsilway just outside of manchester in bury with the running number 11234 i think edit: i posted this before hesrinf that you already stated it, also got the number wrong

[@Olivers-trains]

I would love a decent pug, I saw the only running one at the East Lancs, it was hillarious seeing it run a small train through the fields at their autum steam gala

[@briancooper562]

The 'pink' handrails is due to using the same paint on two different base materials i.e. plastic and metal, hence the differing appearances.

[@davidfromborneo259]

Great amusing video, but........ you forgot the warped running plate, but as every Hornby loco that has one is warped I can understand you not bothering😂😂

[@williamsquires3070]

I think Sam should design and 3D print a new Pug! We’ll call this the Sam’s Train line. What say, Sam? Are you up to the challenge? 😊 BTW, I recently saw a video here on KZbin with a small 0-4-4 steam loco here in the States that’s not much bigger than the Pug, pulling a (to it) massive auto rack van. It was quite amusing seeing it pull that massive, 89’-long railcar, with its cute little teapot whistle blowing for the grade crossings! It’s be about like Sam trying to pull an elephant on roller skates down the British Rail lines! Toot, toot! 💙 🚂

[@glennscotttrains7513]

Hi Sam, I have a few thoughts on today video, yes I agree with you that motor set up is a right dog's dinner and didn't run right at all, but here is where we will disagree if this locomotives was to have Die Cast body and chassis a five pole motor in the body of said locomotives and also a detailed cad interior, the price of said locomotives would more than likely treble to something like £150 to £170 and add on hornby postage and packing costs your looking at £155 to £ 175, the plastic body doesn't bother me the only thing I would want changing is the motor set up and a 4 or 5 pole motor in it and the prong condition on the base keeper plate so it make it easier to do any maintenance to said locomotives.

[@SamsTrains]

It certainly would be more expensive - but it shouldn't be that much - the Pecketts have many of those features and go for £100-£120. The new Dapol Hawthorn Leslie tanks will be £107 and they look stunning! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@TheDCDuncan]

Of course it must be pointed out that Dapol first released the L&Y Pug, not Hornby, I have one here, it is essentially identical to this but it is a good bit heavier coming in at 99g or 30% more mass. However it ran poorly and was noisy, the mesh between the worm and gear is very poor.

[@ChristopherDennie-tc5jt]

I would definitely take Lionel updating their postwar trains to LionChief (their budget friendly/beginners range) over a straight up reissue of a #50 gang car (the o gauge equivalent to a bump and go toy) And that’s exactly what these pugs are like

[@bodger7134]

I have a Hornby pug from 1999 51218 in BR liveryy..Paid £29.99. Run it from time to time. Im happy with it.😊

[@Northerner_Transport_Hub]

Well Sam, even though I think you were a bit overly critical of this loco, I'm not shelling out 77 quid for PINK handrails, love the train you ran the loco with

[@chrissouthgate4554]

Hi Sam, Thought for a project. Rather than bin it at the end of year etc. How about designing a motor mount & stay alive for the boiler & a face plate for the front of the cab. Give Prestion something to point at. Show Hornby how it SHOULD be done!

[@SamsTrains]

Yeah I could do to be honest - if I had the time I'd be on it already as I love that kind of thing! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@ausfoodgarden]

The "upgraded" pickups seem like a downgrade to me. I sold my newer Pug and kept my old one. With a DCC chip and tiny stay alive, it performs quite well. But seriously, selling this as a Railways model these days is ridiculous. They didn't even bother changing those massive couplers.

[@joelightrailway2362]

Not that I dislike the model of the L&Y Pug, but the model is very dated and it needs a a up to date with great detail. Excellent review Sam 👍

[@jeannedarcalterberserker8620]

Oh wow. I didn't actually expected that you pick up this one. I paid 22£ for the old Dapol model in LMS black. Runs as new with a dab of oil. This is another candidate for the Railroad range. Just like the 2P and the 4F. I like mine, but this is an old and crusty model. If it at least would have a DCC socket, but the Peckett is just miles better for not that much more.

[@SamsTrains]

Yep - available very cheap second hand... this is what you get new! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@FunAngelo2005]

Every steam loco looks good in maroon

[@paulkandi]

The cover over the x head, was a safety feature, as most of these worked in docks or running down public roads..nice paint but could have been re tooled as a modern model..nice chunky design...

[@itsconnorstime]

For 15 pounds more you can get an Accurascale Andrew Barclay. Step up your game Hornby.

[@GM-fe5lw]

Hornby are driving us to 3D printed our own locos.

[@user-uk8jr6zc9l]

I do like the Marron, (brown nut), color and the pinstripes. The rest of the locomotive is what I call a 20-footer so don't get within 20 feet or you will be disappointed. On point review, Jersey Bill

[@SamsTrains]

haha it's not marron - it's maroon! And absolutely - if you can help it, stay further than 20 feet away and do not approach under any circumstances! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@johnarmstrong3782]

Bought one by mistake on Saturday. (Got over excited seeing it at the back of the cupboard and thought it was a Peckett😂) Apart from being crestfallen mine runs OK though.

[@ashleystanbridge846]

Would love to see someone covert a Pug to use a coreless motor, make it heavier and just make it more appealing overall. Still a great review Sam 👍

[@nigelcole1936]

The crayfish coloured loco perhaps shows that Hornby are doing what they can to see if you actually can polish a t*rd. I have a very very old one of these and its kind of 'okay' but by today's standards £84 for this is a lot of money. Surely they could have remodelled the cab!!! The Hatton's P Class is such a lovely model by comparison as you say. Thanks Sam for a great review.

[@peterstanley7465]

Sam i love your channel especially when you review horribly outdated tat like this its always really funny. As for hornby they should be utterly ashamed of themselves and learn how to spell properly to. Always look forward to all of your uploads. Of course the reviews of stunning models are always excellent to. Its the honesty of your reviews that i love. Keep up the great work sir.

[@WillCaII]

Maybe you should try and "retool" the loco yourself? Do it better tan hornby

[@ThatRailwayEngineer]

This is very shocking for a Hornby locomotive in 2024. It shows that the company is taking people's money and cutting corners exponentially. I am appalled at this. Yes it was £70-£80. It still should not be doing this what so ever. That is really aggravating. An amazing comparison to this is Dapol's really amazing Hawthorn Leslie Marston, Thompson and Evershed No3. I recently purchased this for the cost of £270 from Footplate Ltd (Footplate of Kidderminster). For a £270 loco, something like this isn't what you'd want frankly. But Dapol BLEW me away and its a locomotive I HIGHLY recommend, and think @Sam'sTrains should review it.

[@adamswindells1]

I recon whenever you order a train from Hornby and they see Mr Sams Trains flashinng lights and alarms go off at Hornby HQ and they all scurry roundlike the scene from Office with the fire drill until Mr Hornby bangs his hands down on his big oak desk pulls the cuban cigar from his teeth and says "Send him the reject!". Kitmasters pug looks better and there about as old as time itself

[@CplBurdenR]

In fairness, it's better than the standard Hornby 0-4-0T chassis. (The "other Pug", the 0-4-0T Thomas, Class 04 Shunter etc) I would also add that my old (2000s) LMS Pug, same chassis and everything, runs fine. Is it perhaps a problem of quality control vs design (although I agree the design is...not superb)?