Hornby's Worst Product | Giant Cola Bottle Wagon | Unboxing & Review

That's right, it's an 11ft Cola bottle plonked onto a 1970s Airfix Lowmac and it costs a fortune too!
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0:00 Intro
3:32 Unboxing
5:08 Detail
8:51 Performance
14:14 Ratings
15:30 Conclusion

[@Larry]

Aw, dude, you should do a series on terrible products over the years, you could call the show: "Mind The Crap" 😂

[@SamsTrains]

Mind the crap.... that’s amazing 😂 might actually do this... cheers Larry!

[@thejohnler8358]

Hi Larry

[@mikehipperson]

@@SamsTrains You must remember Sam, that "It's the real thing!"

[@RailwayDan]

Most of the current Hornby catalogue would be right there

[@modelrailpreservation]

You could do several seasons just with what Lionel offers here stateside. Half the darn catalog is licensed, overpriced junk.

[@davidknowles2491]

My expectations for this wagon were zero, and I'm STILL disappointed.

[@SamsTrains]

haha me too - I knew it'd be bad, but nothing could've prepared me.... Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@jos4669]

you could say coke zero

[@teacoffee5847]

that comment 🤣 spot on!!

[@lux4134]

should repaint it to be coke zero i do agree though that is trash bin quality might at least run smother if u get some lead dot weight's and spare steel wheels i always keep a parts bin

[@teacoffee5847]

@@lux4134 yeah but you shouldn't need to add your own parts to customise a new wagon... I am pretty sure my boys Thomas and friends wagons from smyths run smoother than this for a fraction of the price and at the same detail 🤣

[@pettra1]

This has to be the worst insult that Hornby could ever pay its customers. A truly shambolic, cheap and nasty heap of rubbish being sold at an extortionate price. Utterly disgusting. Thanks for the warning Sam and thank you for actually buying this so that we know exactly what to avoid. Dapol wins every time! Best, Pete.

[@rudolphbondefangerer5513]

No, it's not. The customer do not need to buy it. It's ok.

[@fremanwarrior]

@@rudolphbondefangerer5513 Yes but this 'product' succinctly demonstrates the utter contempt Hornby has for its customers.

[@slimetank394]

@@rudolphbondefangerer5513 it is falsely advertised, so people are being lied to too.

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks Pete! And "The customer do not need to buy it. It's ok." is true but irrelevant. People may decide to buy this. People *have* bought this, including me. If or when they do, this is what they can expect to get... and I don't think that's okay. Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@grahamfigg5817]

@@SamsTrains The nondescript old mould vans with Beatles album covers on them are even more ridiculous.

[@m10cachilles43]

I think the reason it advertised to adult collectors, is that you can get into a lot of trouble for screwing children. In all seriousness Sam, stuff the fire, pop it back into the box and return it for a refund due to the lack of metal wheels as advertised. Otherwise Hornby will keep doing it. You can pick yourself up another Turbot with the cash instead.

[@bow-tiedengineer4453]

Yeah, I agree. Those plastic axels can fly on a used bargain wagon from Rocket Railways, but not on something that's been produced this century.

[@marks.6480]

Children toys have higher standards for safety regarding small parts, lead-free paint etc. Marketing it to adults avoids that extra scrutiny.

[@Tim5corpion]

A lot of trouble indeed. To the point the FBI get involved. Am I taking the definition of "screwing" the correct way?

[@m10cachilles43]

@@Tim5corpion "screwing" is a good triple meaning word, especially for the purposes of this joke.

[@Haueru86]

This reminds me of one of those HiT Entertainment Thomas episodes where they'd have to use a flatbed wagon or open wagon to take one tiny thing on it's own Edit. I also remember getting this flatbed as a piece of rolling stock in a £59 train set with a siding, saddle tank engine and 3 other wagons, including a few background details like hight indicators and track signs

[@LegoBob4123]

Put Thomas in front of this wagon and make your own episode where Thomas gets a special, and completely inappropriate for a train, job to deliver a giant sign to Coca Cola's new bottling plant on Sodor.

[@SamsTrains]

haha that's true actually. And I got one of those sets for Christmas one year too - it came with multiple wagons, buildings, points, etc, just as you say! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@joshuaW5621]

This definitely feels like something that would happen in the Hit or Miller era. Thomas and the Coke.

[@ShibaInYourWalls]

Looking at this I'm glad I boycotted Hornby. It's just so shady, and it's clear they're not changing, and I doubt they will. Sad to see a once beloved company stoop so low.

[@oscarosullivan4513]

Then again the 1920’s and 1930’s they were selling non reversing gear locomotives to the lower middle classes with the reversing gear ones being sold to the upper middle classes.

[@darrenrees3284]

same here not brought any of there stuff for a long time.

[@SamsTrains]

haha I don't blame you - you'll sure save a lot of money, and whatever else you spend it on is guaranteed to bring you more joy!! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@oscarosullivan4513]

@@SamsTrains Frank Hornby would be rolling in his grave at what Hornby has become.

[@BAKU2K2]

This is why I'm a KATO/Tomix guy.

[@akumaurufu7524]

When Sam mentioned that the Coke bottle should have been a glass (or atleast hard clear plastic) bottle filled a colored liquid, my thoughts instantly went to the classic metal Thomas toys that did just that with some of the tankers (ones i can remember is the Snowglobe car and the Aquarium shark tanker. An early 2000s toy managed to be alot better than what a 2022 Hornby "collector's" car did in that area

[@stephenrussell-clark8329]

From the sublime, Accurascale Deltic, to the absolutely ridiculous Hornby Coke wagon. I just cannot believe this I really can't. Totally speechless.

[@SamsTrains]

Absolutely. So 6 of these, or the Accurascale Deltic....bonkers!

[@stratman9449]

yep...for the price of one acura "Deltic" you can buy 6 Coca Cola waggons.....fantastic.....🙂

[@MegaTrainlover]

I remember laughing my head off when I first saw this announced back in January. I really can’t believe how low Hornby have sunk and I honestly question the motive of releasing this rubbish. Great review all the same, keep up the good work! 👍

[@SamsTrains]

haha so did I - it's just absolutely astonishing isn't it?! ;D Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@eliseorossiproductions6348]

Xd

[@Ptepsi]

You know what would have been more creative? If they made it into a tanker and the tanker itself was in the shape of a giant Coke bottle, latters, valves, details and all. Now THAT would have been infinitely more interesting to look at. ...Oh yeah, metal wheels and standard couplings would be nice too.

[@SamsTrains]

haha definitely - that would have been super cool.... but would have involved tooling a new model... which apparently Hornby don't want to do any more xD Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@lastswordfighter]

Hell go the extra mile and have it full of Coke.

[@pdsnpsnldlqnop3330]

"...brown water, I am sure there is lots of that at the factory..."

[@6allmotivepowers363]

15:39 - "If you've bought one of these, I recommend you destroy it, and then destroy yourself to teach yourself a lesson." I CAN'T FREAKING BREATHE!!! 😂😂😂😂😂

[@stanbruce8510]

I am 72 years old , got into model trains for my grand son , have bought eight locomotives all Hornby in the last ten years , very disappointed in most of them stopped buying Hornby rolling stock , just not worth the money so we have bought over thirty old mainline wagons and upgraded the wheels and couplings, I am certain I will never buy Hornby again and my grandson certainly will not have the affection for Hornby I grew up with, we love watching your videos here in Australia keep sticking it to Hornby they deserve it

[@joshuaW5621]

Hornby’s downfall really makes me sad.

[@grahamariss2111]

Bit generous to give it 2 for value it deserved a straight set of 1 star.

[@markchernoff2977]

Now THIS is an accurate review of Hornby products. No sliding scale on quality, operation, etc. I like this. Hornby, on the other hand, is going in one of two directions. 1. The current owners are milking the company for as long as they can before it folds, at the expense of the public. 2. They are working to make the company look valuable on paper as much as they can before selling it off using licensing like coke a cola or others and increasing the pricing of their product line to add a perceived value to the company. I say this coming from a heavy corporate background and being part of companies that were sold off to other companies. Investing in new product, R&D, new tooling, etc. would not be done in either of the above scenarios. Which is what Hornby seem to have been doing now for awhile. Any "new" product would have been designed and approved of years ago and would be introduced slowly to make it look like the company is still viable in these area's to a new buyer for the company or just to milk it like i said until the end. Sad really, with the history of Hornby going back so far. It could've been different.......

[@peterwalker6535]

Interesting take on the potential future for Hornby. Thank you for commenting. What’s your view on their purchase of Oxford Rail who produce reasonable/good quality locos and wagons at typically 50% of the Hornby equivalent? I am totally sold on the Oxford rolling stock in particular.

[@Aeonterbor]

That explains the re-use of the old Thomas & Percy patterns in recent years, they wouldn't need to invest in new tooling for that.

[@SamsTrains]

That's very very interesting Mark, thanks for sharing this. Certainly seems to make sense doesn't it? Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@Aeonterbor]

I just realized some other things that line up with this theory!: 1: The Playtrains line which just re-uses the Marklin line to make a so called new product instantly. 2: The constant re-use of their old wagons to make "Collectable" rolling stock like the Beatles set which would not require any new tooling, the Hornby collectors magazine even recently boasted about bringing back a cattle wagon that has been in production since the triang days despite the tooling losing a lot of the fine details. 3: The TV show "Hornby a Model World", That show was really more to try and pump up their brand so it looks good on paper with some of the products highly featured ending up being disappointments when they got to stores.

[@markchernoff2977]

There are even more indicators of what I am proposing here. Any company that is in financial trouble will be looking to cut "overhead" at any cost to maintain viability, at least in the short term. Areas targeted would be senior management/staff (they have the highest salaries and benefits) , warehouse operations, Quality control, and customer service. Accounting would propose this cutting of "overhead" as a means to prop up the company for a time. Accounting in my experience is only focused on the bottom line, not people, knowledge loss by sacking employee's, nothing but numbers. They are- evil...lol. If management is looking to keep operations going, they would then need to approach banks with a restructuring plan showing they are able to pay on any loans by the banks. Banks will send in auditors to review the books, and if the bank believes the restructuring is correct, they will make a loan. However, if the business shows that its profits were flat for several years, or even on a decline, the banks would walk away. This would leave management in a pickle- how do we keep the doors open and money for our salaries going? Well, with customer complaints and returns on the rise, quality control little if any, and those that knew the business and had the working knowledge of the company sacked, that would leave the shenanigan's that we have been seeing like fake product photos showing metal wheels instead of the shipped plastic ones. Inferior quality, less powerful motors with defects, poor paint and details, etc. The company would know that their reputation is taking a hit and that product returns are piling up in the warehouse. But if we increase our pricing to cover these issues, we can still show that we our viable on paper. At least for a period of time. Also, other companies that are owned by Hornby may make up for the loses by their better product lines/quality/pricing (Oxford Rail for one) and Hornby may be using their profits to prop up their own side of the business. This is Peter robbing Paul- it can only lead to more trouble down the road. I'll make a statement here- the management of Hornby is completely responsible for all of this, period. Not the market, Corona virus, senior staff/salaries, etc. Poor execution of a short sighted business plan and out of touch top management is the culprit here. end of story in my book.

[@atomic...]

Frankly I wouldn't even keep this even if I was given it for free, I think it deserves the stairs of doom, or whatever you call the ladder to get to the loft.

[@SamsTrains]

Yeah that's a fair call... it certainly doesn't deserve any valuable shelf-space! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@goldenarrow71]

​@@SamsTrains What about the scrapman? Actually not even he deserves this...

[@nigelbevan8449]

@@goldenarrow71 I don't think Booths in Rotherham would accept it.

[@Paraffinmeister]

Fun fact about that wagon: It's that old that one features in the original Thunderbirds series as part of the overly elaborate boarding mechanism for Thunderbird 3.

[@Parkman3614]

Atleast in the show it worked better!

[@Paraffinmeister]

@@Parkman3614 I mean it couldn't work worse! In the show, all it had to do was get dragged along an arrow straight piece of track by a piece of piano wire with a 1:76 couch and figure(s) a couple of feet.

[@bjoe385]

Hornby should have painted it grey and glued a sofa on top and sold them as replica props.

[@SamsTrains]

haha is that a joke or actually true?! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@Paraffinmeister]

@@SamsTrains Genuinely, if you watch the launch sequence for Thundrerbird 3, the sofa makes it's journey on what is unmistakably an Airfix lowmac (only thing that isn't clear is if it's the RTR or kit built variant). You'll never un-see it now.

[@gamingwithlukeJToH]

What you get for £22: Dapol: A high-quality bogie wagon which performs well, & has a lot of detail. Hornby: An 11ft Coca-Cola bottle on a Lowmac that has terrible detail, terrible performance, & lack of quality.

[@SamsTrains]

Yep - just about sums it up perfectly! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@sknawa9860]

14:16 the scraping sound of it going off the rails during the ratings just adds to the mess 😂😂 love it

[@brianartillery]

If I might correct you somewhat, that grinding, scraping noise you could hear, was Frank Hornby rotating slowly in his grave. I've heard it before, and I daresay I'll hear it again, unless 'Hornby' get their act together.

[@SuperRobotStudios]

@@brianartillery You my good person deserve one free internet

[@SamsTrains]

haha yeah poor old Frank Hornby... I wish I could go back in time and show him this!! xD Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@kingkeshi1140]

2:28 : "Not meant for adult collectors" - Sam Box *"I BEG TO DIFFER"*

[@damianinCanadaTT-OO]

I guess Hornby isn’t going to invite you to take part in series two of Hornby: A Model World 😂

[@switchgeer6519]

my god, there's not an ounce of metal on that model. not even a single screw. honestly that's almost impressive on hornby's part. the pure ingenuity to create something so cheap confounds me to no end!

[@richardrich5093]

“If you’re insane” and “glueing cows” 🚂🤣🤣🤣

[@SamsTrains]

haha I was proud of those too xD Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@gavincampbell2862]

Sounds like introducing bovines to the joys of solvent abuse.

[@thatoldmilkcarton7029]

These "Sam gets angry and rants about overpriced crap" episodes are genuinely the best model railroad content on KZbin. Balanced reviews and being respectful have their limit. And when one of the premier companies is doing shit like this, the price gouging, the Rapido-Thunderbolt thing, and horrible models from the 70's still being sold at high-end prices, we've passed that point long ago.

[@sirhilsam]

Based on this experience, I think you should do a series entitled...'I'm not going to tell you what NOT to buy.' Feature the absolutely worst models which are rip-offs and rubbish. Make sure you DON'T say, "Don't buy this." Cheers🍺

[@SamsTrains]

haha love it - I definitely should try something like that!! :D Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@harrytodhunter5078]

Honestly its stunts like this that really make me think I wont feel sad when Hornby inevitably go bust

[@J0hnstrains]

This is like something you would see Tyco offering in the 80's.

[@tombarclay7108]

I think CEO, Lyndon Davies needs to retire before he destroys the company in the name of profits.

[@gs425]

They have gone bust about 5 times already

[@theenigmaticgamer]

How low they have sunk, it’s a tragedy. Bankruptcy would be a mercy!

[@lindaoffenbach]

Going to park this here Sam as it might be interesting. Hornby have published their annual financial report on the 16th of June. Interesting read. Picked highlights by me: They have dreadfully little capital to work with. Margins are razor thin. Operating profits are positive again since reporting year 2021 and have further relatively significantly improved this year closed. In 2018 they were in deep trouble in the negative. Margins remain extremely thin; with a revenue of £48.5m (up 10%) only £0.6 m profit before taxation is being reported. But at least they are out of trouble for now. A net cash of £3.8m isn’t exactly the world but they can survive for another year or two. H have invested in automation within logistics and are looking for manufacturers outside China by duplicating some of their tools. They claim that it is not to leave China, however it can be assumed safely that they don’t want to keep all their eggs in one basket anymore. Generally speaking, whilst having an almost institutional name in the UK and traditionally touching very special sentiments, this is a petit company trying to survive on a shoestring by trying to better the financial situation somewhat, which is simply their very highest priority no matter what it takes one may presume. Their possibilities seem to be limited atm, sadly. However, for now Lyndon Davies seems to be able to turn the business around… Problem is, Hornby are legendary by name but tiny thin financially… One just have to hope that they will be making sensible decisions but their priorities are a very mixed bag indeed and pointing heavily towards financial optimisation whatever it takes, whilst banking on their legendary name. Meanwhile, competition is overtaking them left and right rapidly and Hornby's product standards have eroded at higher prices... It’s going to be interesting… At one point in their recovery, a longer term vision will be needed... polaris.brighterir.com/public/hornby/news/rns/story/w13dg3r

[@rochmel1409]

Very interesting. Thanks for posting this. I remember years ago I was working at the BBC when every employee over the course of a year was required to attend a day's course in London during which the question was asked 'What is the most important thing for the BBC?' to which answers like the integrity of the news coverage or the quality of the drama were given, we were told No! The most important thing is money, without it non of the other things are achievable. It is a sad fact but it is true. On one level I feel for Hornby it is a dilemma that I'm glad I don't have. On the other hand I am rapidly losing any sympathy through the way they are conducting themselves. For a company like Hornby I would imagine that a loyal customer base is a 'bankable' asset. They are shooting themselves in the foot by the way they are treating these customers.

[@lindaoffenbach]

@@rochmel1409 Very true indeed. When a business is putting money first as the ultimate highest priority then there is something very wrong. Of course it is needed, however, everything starts with ideas, imaginations, passion and visions fitting the customer base with the highest commitment in which money is to facilitate for making them come true in the long run, and have it returned by revenue to cover total costs with healthy margins to keep development and investments well good going. In survival mode one have to make some decisions and focus strongly on the financials. However when the first aforementioned elements are missing, a business will just stumble from crisis to crisis... Sadly, H have a track record of exactly the latter. We'll have to see how it all plays out...

[@thedrewstez5556]

I love how this video is just sam ripping on hornby for their poor decisions…AND I LOVE IT

[@happiestcamel5064]

You could couple it to that hornby Coca Cola Christmas train set

[@SamsTrains]

I tried... wait until later in the video! ;D Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@paulsngaugechannel]

Wow. I think you are right, but think whoever decided it was a good idea, was sniffing the coke rather than drinking. Most probably some air head saying “the bubbles tickle my nose” whilst drooling brown Liquid from their nose. Oh dear, but no doubt their will be someone who thinks it is the bestest ever made. 😖. I enjoyed your comments. Yes it is the worst so far. But I am sure worst is still to come. 🤬😡

[@cmdrbudman1ao580]

To be somewhat charitable, most Coke branded collector products like this are meant for Coke collectors and never meant to be removed from the box.

[@ghostlightwhisper6802]

Best entertainment I've had all week! You especially made me laugh when you almost stood on your head to get the engine coupled to the wagons. Whenever my Dad had something difficult or frustrating to do, he said he felt like he had to "stand on his head and stack BBs." This is the first time I thought of him saying that in years; thanks for the fun memory!

[@AQuietNight]

Sam's mocking tones can not hide the fact Hornby has his money :)

[@Alpha-oo8]

Well, he paid for the privilege to mock them, and if people see this and don’t buy this, they make less in the long run… hopefully

[@thebigengine]

At least you get a makeshift tender for Bullman when he goes on long journeys. Although I wouldn’t recommend relying solely on Coca Cola to quench your thirst

[@paulkeith9680]

Bullman is very cool! We need to see more of him!

[@thebigengine]

Bullman is a saint!

[@Tayztrainz]

I think now sam is now going to start drinking pepsi products until heljan start producing psychopathic rolling stock 😂😂

[@Tayztrainz]

for when they have the sponsor of pepsi product

[@SwordlordRoy]

You know, I distinctly recall one of my first comments on this channel was that I was getting the impression that Hornby was great, while Bachmann was reviled...my friends, we are beyond the looking glass...

[@SamsTrains]

Absolutely. I used to feel Bachman charged an awful lot for pretty mediocre models… now their prices are much the same, but the quality (particularly mechanisms) is so much better now!

[@trainfanproductions7149]

the tango: Finally a worthy opponent

[@SamsTrains]

haha very much so! :D

[@andrewshearsby8125]

Our battle shall be legend

[@TotoDG]

4:09. You mean to tell me that a company falsified the details of one of their products in order to make it look like it's of higher quality than it actually is? I would never have expected anybody to stoop to such shady business practices...

[@SamsTrains]

That's exactly what they did - they must have photoshopped the metal wheels in deliberately, as I've never seen a Hornby Lowmac with metal wheels (and I've bought a lot of them, for when I used to give away Bullmans). They do this quite a bit too - several times the packaging/photos have shown better features than on the actual product! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@andrewlivesey945]

had one of these given to me a few days ago .tried to run it massive failier .cut it in half with jig saw i use them as door wedges now great at that .cheers sam great content

[@gs425]

This stands with the Polo and Duracell tank wagons I guess

[@hwmusics]

This wagon is clearly being advertised to Coca Cola collectors rather than Hornby. I Know a few, and they’ll buy literally ANYTHING with the coke branding. It’s a rather lucrative market apparently.

[@philbartlett7898]

Of course. It is what collectors do isn't it. Despite that Hornby are just selling gimmicky collectors items which will probably sell - using superannuated tooling. Good job that the likes of Accurascale, Rapido, Revolution, Cavalex etc have risen to the top flight. Most people want scale trains that run properly rather thsn gimmicks like steam and cheap rate sound

[@fast-subaru7129]

They missed the opportunity to make the bottle comically large 😂

[@SuperRobotStudios]

What's even crazier is that I got the Hornby Railways 50th Anniversary wagon, and it has (shockingly) crisp decoration, clean molding, no plastic flashing (only on the underside where nobody can see it), and best of all...METAL WHEELS! The wheels are also very free rolling and spin for a very long time. The one drawback is the large D shaped couplings which are riveted on instead of NEM pockets (I don't mind this too much though) And it's £5 cheaper than this piece of junk!

[@lukebarber9511]

Oddly enough, there was a Czech company (Merkur, which seems to have exited the model train business) that made an O scale tinplate wagon shaped somewhat like this one, but being in O scale it was big enough that you could put an actual bottle on it. They also made a matching flatcar that was designed to hold shotglasses!

[@NorthKentTransport1]

That definitaly is the finest piece of 00 gauge rolling stock Sam,Lol

[@SamsTrains]

It sure will take some beating! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@SodorStudiosAndCoProductions]

I have the gut feeling there might be some kinda "Martin Mart-Martison" guy behind all of this

[@jameshardy4354]

I am shore he works fore hornby

[@SamsTrains]

Ahh yes! Martin has been missing since April... now I know where he's been, and I can send the carers out to recapture him! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@jameshardy4354]

@@SamsTrains it's a wonder he diddnt trample the box down in the packaging department 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@class395driver]

Wow, can’t believe this is for real! I’ve lost faith in Hornby products, now leaning to the likes of Rapido and Accurascale for quality and price. Thanks for taking the time to do this video!

[@shadow6953]

Bro you we're so energitic at the start hahahaha, didn't expect that from you. Good play

[@Gondarth]

Well Sam, I was always hoping you'd review something that scores 1s across the board, but of all the things you could've reviewed, I wasn't expecting a wagon with a Coke bottle on it 😄 I haven't collected model railway merch for 12 years, but if someone showed me this thing, I would legit consider it a joke model they spent 15 minutes to make. I would never think it was an official product from a leading model manufacturer. Even at £25, I think you overpaid.

[@rachelwhysall9169]

You should have had the heljan 1361 or tango pulling it , great video again Sam, cheers 👍

[@SamsTrains]

Ooh damn, wish I'd thought of that! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@Alpha-oo8]

@@SamsTrains the coupling may have even been at the right height!

[@matthewchrzanowski8584]

Absolutely hilarious reaction sam to the coupling scene I was just completely laughing away 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@PennsyPappas]

I don't even know what to say about this model that you haven't already said. This "model" would've been great if it had come out 30 years ago but this makes even modern Thomas and Friends Bachmann rolling stock look of high quality manufacturing. What a waste of time and resources on something that isn't worth 25.50 but rather 2.55 more likely. This would be something I'd buy at a strain swap/flea market for almost nothing and then do some basic upgrades just for the novelty of owning it. Wonderful sarcastic and honest review I was laughing the whole time.

[@Red_wine]

The wierd thing is, I'm sure hornby have done partnerships with coca cola before, they've got the coca-cola tanker wagon and the coca-cola box van. This is just plain stupid.

[@LUNITUNZBackup]

The first was the Coke Christmas set (which I have, and was my first model train anything) and those two pieces of Rolling Stock, and a Summer Set with different Coke Rolling Stock and a Coke Steam Engine.

[@gs425]

@@LUNITUNZBackup May I ask why you bought the cola set? It's not realistic and nothing to do with Xmas? Just asking

[@crow1655]

@@gs425 It may not be realistic but it does have something to do with Christmas, even if it's on the commercial side. Assuming we're talking about the same set (the one Sam reviewed on this channel), the Coca-Cola Christmas set features a picture of Santa Claus as illustrated by Haddon Sundblom, who Coca-Cola commissioned to paint Christmas advertisements for magazines starting in the 1930s until the 1960s. Later ads were based on this depiction and have been used since then. It's also said (by Coca-Cola at least) to have partially shaped the image that people have of Santa Claus today.

[@gs425]

@@crow1655 As i said, it has nothing to do with Xmas. Just marketing guff to sell more American junk food/drink in the winter when its in essence a drink for warmer days. And yes i agree, they even hijacked Father Christmas too. The only link to Xmas is because we are hit with adverts TELLING us it is lol. Its a whole step down from a Xmas train with a tree and gifts.

[@LUNITUNZBackup]

@@gs425 Basically what the other guy said. Also, I thought it was neat, it was affordable for a first train set, and looked cool. I'll probably never be into s3tting up super detailed, accurately timed layouts or anything. I just want to put something on a track and watch it go.

[@FerroequinologistofColorado]

Saw this on Hornby’s Facebook page and immediately thought: “Sam is gonna do a review on this piece of rolling stock” glad I was right. Another great video Sam.

[@skuula]

While you still considered it rolling.

[@SamsTrains]

You were absolutely right... I knew the moment I saw it! xD Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@OlivierGabin]

@@skuula Only default it doesn"t have, it's square wheels...

[@TrentFalkenrath]

Haha, love the melodrama and sarcasm of the intro. Made me lol irl.

[@SamsTrains]

haha glad to hear that Trent!

[@AbbeyYard]

"One day, Spamcan had been ordered to take a goods train to the Island of Sodor, but was disgusted when he saw what his load was. It was a giant bottle of Coca-Cola on a flatbed, along with two empty flatbeds "I'M supposed to pull *THAT!?"* Spamcan spluttered! He refused to go any further, and a diesel shunter was called in to take the train, but was busy elsewhere, so Spamcan was ordered to take the train instead. Out on the line, the flatbed at the front derailed due to spamcan's roughness, and started bumping along the sleepers. The soda was very shaken up by the time Spamcan reached the big station, and Spamcan slunk away back home."

[@rubysaur777]

Could've been worse - it could've been a blown-up balloon attached to the wagon by a single piece of string. XP That coke bottle doesn't look bad though. Also Bullman gets some spotlight! =3

[@SamsTrains]

haha that would've been pretty bad too, lol! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@GerardScroogeGoes]

Serious question Sam: How long do you think Hornby will be in business with management like this. Quality keeps going down and prices keep going up. In these days of Internet sales a brand reliability is VERY importand. Hornby is putting real effort in destroying everything they once stood for. Somebody needs to be sacked there, starting with the tw.t in marketing who came up with this idea. Clearly by-passing engineering (if there is anyone left).

[@grahamfigg5817]

Whenever you see the TV programme about Hornby it just looks like a load of amateurs playing around in a small business doing things they like, not actually attending to the needs of the brand, the future, what customers want or product quality, not a high profile global brand.

[@AtkataffTheAlpha]

I remember your little "Find the Bullman" game and look I found him! He's actually part of the train :D

[@Seagull-sq4wh]

What a fantastic review - it made me laugh all day😂

[@ged8896]

The Airfix Lowmac was first introduced in the 1980 catalogue as part of the Kings Cross to Newcastle freight set. So £25 for a 42 year old model. Great value, NOT!

[@mikehipperson]

It was originally a plastic kit with a JCB back hoe that you had to assemble and paint yourself. The couplings were crap then too!

[@malcolmloud9389]

Hornby, unrealistic prices unrealistic models.

[@SamsTrains]

haha, absolutely perfect!

[@jeffreysmith156]

This video cheered me up last weekend when I was not feeling very well. There is so much wrong with this wagon. If it was half the price and actually ran properly it might be worth considering as a oddity but the whole thing just seems tp be so wierd from whatever way you consider it.

[@nickhale2900]

I went passed Hornby HQ the other day and all the staff were wearing bright coloured bowler hats with a flower coming out of the top of them, they also had big red noses, light up bow ties and size 14 red shoes on!

[@bernardwells9549]

I thought they all wore pointed hats with "D" printed on them!!!!!!

[@paulcarroll7767]

Cool Sam :) and hey see a few videos ago about when I said you should do a TTS sound video and you sent me a link to a TTS sound video with all steam locomotive’s you already uploaded well I watched it and it was a masterpiece 👍🏻 so you should do 2 more TTS sound videos with diesel locomotives and then one more with steam and diesel locomotives cheers :)

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks so much Paul - really glad you enjoyed the TTs video! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@paulcarroll7767]

@@SamsTrains your welcome and great :)

[@Benji_transport_vids]

And to this day, BenjiBoogle still wonders how Hornby has the brains to let Sam make partnered videos with them...

[@madduckuk]

Magnets

[@linesided]

Reminds me of the kitkat wagon i had from Hornby when I was a kid. Quality just keeps on giving 🤣🤣

[@paulcherrytrains3339]

Thanks for showing this. I need an equally large bottle of Bacardi to go with it. Perhaps Hornby had several Bacardi and Cokes during the design process. If you burn it, could we all, be allowed to witness the event? Regards Paul.

[@timbervalleyproductions]

Personally I think you should review the coca cola 121 for adult collectors or the coca cola steam loco, again for the adult collector. What is wrong with Hornby?!

[@SamsTrains]

haha, love how they always specify "for adult collectors"... desperately trying to cover their very obviously mooning asses.... and no I don't think I'll be buying the 121 xD Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@brianartillery]

I hate corporate sponsorships - especially with Coca-Cola, who don't give a toss about anyone except their shareholders. I have not drunk the 'Champagne Americaine' for many years now. And their logo just makes things it's applied to, look tacky.

[@BrentSudric]

IMO they should've made the bottle three times as big at the very least to cover the price lol

[@nicolasfriswell1668]

Sam the way round is to look around the shows in the bit boxes for the old mark 1 couplings as they will couple the modern ones

[@ArcherDooser_Roo]

Mr cow is probably the most famous character in the channel to be honest.

[@alexfaulkner6275]

This just reminded me of an arcade near the seaside that has a ten foot tall coke bottle statue on top of it. Maybe that's what the model is trying to replicate. But I do agree with the question: why?

[@OlivierGabin]

Good question... Personally, I like joke wagons, I am planning to do an anachronistic load for a warwell (A Soyuz spacecraft on a transport craddle made of lumber beams), and I have seen a seven plank loaded with Daleks once on a video. But this thing is so shoddily manufactured, and the price so absrud, that it makes me wants to buy some Schweppes instead...

[@kiwitrainguy]

@@OlivierGabin Oh dear, I think that Schweppes is owned by Coca Cola now as well.

[@dilwich]

Hornby once again scrapping the bottom of the barrel . . . .

[@SamsTrains]

haha that's putting it mildly! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@warwickholden6332]

Thank you for the review. I am not, at present, a railway modeller. But I used to be and I still love trains. As to the cost of this monstrosity, mark up from the producer (Hornby) to the retailer (shop) is often around 40% - 50% on each item. But the real "high cost" of this product is in the name and logo on the bottle and packaging. That drink's company guards it's copyright jealously. And when it sells the right to use it, it don't come cheap! I am sure the drinks company will have charged Hornby a very high price to use it. And probably they will get a percentage of each item sold as well. But I am surprised they let Hornby produce such a shoddy product with their name on it!

[@lukeslocomotives]

Just had to check the date, thought it was the first day of April for a minute there!

[@christopherstokes9393]

Well, this is rather sad. I desperately want to like this model - and if it was of better quality and it cost a bit less, then it would be an interesting novelty. But as it is, it's not even Railroad-worthy (Railroad models may be basic, but they're usually reliable and fit for purpose). This is just AliExpress-grade plastic tat, for the price of a modern super-detailed wagon.

[@SamsTrains]

haha absolutely.... although I've bought cheap wagons on Aliexpress that were *FAR* better than this.... just saying xD Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@christopherstokes9393]

@@SamsTrains Fair point: I got three of the £10 ones that El Cheapo reviewed a while back, and they were actually very good value!

[@bow-tiedengineer4453]

@@christopherstokes9393 Not only were they good value, they are the freest rolling wagons ever reviewed by Sam. I've watched all the reviews, and each time a wagon makes it down the hill, I pull up the Ali Express hoppers to see if the new model makes it further around the corner than they did. This new wagon belongs with the battered Triang wagons I bought off Rocket Railways for less than £5 each, not with 21st century models that cost 5 or 6 times as much.

[@azuma892]

What would you pay for a Bachmann Gandy Dancer? I got one today for 45 HKD, around 4.67 in pounds.

[@SamsTrains]

Blimey, that's much much less than I'd expect to pay... I think I paid £25! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@edwardhawke8338]

Hey, on the plus side we got to see Bullman on track for a good session!

[@gregmacdonald927]

“Hashtag: not sponsored” Classic quote Sam!!

[@TomDavias]

You can buy separate couplings that can slot into those spaces where the D couplings are that are compatible with NEM. However those wheels are unforgivable, even Wrenn manufactured metal wheels on their lowmacs... Complete cheap out by Hornby especially considering how we're meant to cut down plastic usage in the modern world 🤣 Well shame, ah well

[@mikewoods4177]

Can you explain why you should be expected to pay to repair what is clearly an overpriced piece of junk which is not fit for purpose; because it won’t couple(even to the Coca Cola diesel with similar non standard couplings) and instantly derails due to the wheel sets fitting poorly. Or have I missed the point somewhere.

[@TomDavias]

@@mikewoods4177 no I'm not saying pay to repair it, I'm just pointing out that you can get replacement couplings for this if, for whatever unknown reason, you want to replace it. I do it for most of my other models, but I'm certainly not doing it for this one because I won't get it at all 😂 Modelling is what you make it

[@pfgc-plasticoferroviarioge3711]

The lowest score that you ever do to a piece of Rolling stock and an engine, wow, great video anyway.

[@DansModelBench]

What they were thinking were collectors of coke memorabilia, who would never use this model on a layout and most likely never take the model out of the box.

[@ianhaynes5898]

I have a feeling that Coca Cola Inc. may be reaching for their lawyers.

[@robwallace266]

Accurascale must be laughing all the way to the bank. This is a terrible item of stock. Thanks for the review and video Sam. Sorry you had to spend your hard earned.

[@johncunningham6928]

Words fail me... Well, nearly... Just one question: How did it even rate getting five stars, especially TWO for value...? If you haven't already destroyed the thing, have you tried swapping out the plastic wheelsets for metal ones...? Would it improve the running at all, do you think? And are you going to review the Christmas Tree wagon...?!!

[@SamsTrains]

haha me too John! I did that for comic effect... in no way do I want to portray the value as "good" by any stretch! ;D Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@teescottageguyproductions]

Oooh! Well now you have something to feed to the scrap man between episodes of your locomotive salvage series 😂

[@robertsparks3685]

Thanks for another entertaining video. For Hornby Adult Collectors. I would have assumed, like you, "Adult Collectors of model railway items." Perhaps it was intended for "Adult Collectors of Coca Cola Memorabilia." LOL

[@tykedopwnz]

So... We go from the Accurascale Deltic to this? Interesting

[@SamsTrains]

Yep - I thought this was a perfect contrast too! xD Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@TotoDG]

Would it be safe to say that Hornby's... _Gone off the rails?_

[@SamsTrains]

haha, waheey!

[@alexanderpoirier3350]

Thank you for these reviews, we here who watch you greatly appreciate it. Bit of a dumb question but what can be done to “improve” this model? Metal wheel sets, improved couplers, etc. Also, if someone offered to buy this model off of you along with improvements, would you sell it?

[@paulrb894]

Good videos, I appreciate your mainly steamer but could you review the new Hornby apt? cheers

[@MrJoeyWheeler]

Large, obsolete tension lock couplings? Sorry, I must have missed something - how are those obsolete? They're NEM couplings as always and they still use NEM tension lock couplings. And the large ones are typically useful in various situations even if unsightly. Historically I always favoured the big ones to the thin ones.

[@SamsTrains]

Nope - these aren't NEM - these are the large D type ones (not the slim tension locks) and they have the old Airfix clips, not NEM ones! The large D type can be useful, but only when NEM compatible, and you wouldn't want them shipping with models instead of the slim ones! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@MrJoeyWheeler]

@@SamsTrains Oh! Goodness, that's so much worse than I thought! I have the same sort of wagon as this from a starter set and those use NEM! And that's from 10+ years ago!

[@azuma892]

Is the hideous load glued on?

[@bobbarnacle4309]

Sam thankyou for all your hard work -------- adult collection piece can't stop giggling ...... should have a ceremonial burning again !

[@richardserridge2767]

I see Hornby are still at it 🙃 I recommend you put a miniature figure of the Hornby owner straddled over the bottle to go with Bullman.

[@JayseHeiney2000]

Hey, i just thought of something... this Lowmac could go Perfectly with the Coca-Cola Trainset you got a while ago, it'd look Great with the Consist, but, if its gonna keep derailing as it is, theeeen you're gonna have to put it at the Back of the Train, heh

[@SamsTrains]

haha yeah that's true - I will have to try that some time in all seriousness! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@azuma892]

Bachmann steam crane?! Yaayy that should be interesting. 😊

[@railtrolley]

Coca Cola memorabilia is everywhere. I have a Matchbox Ford Falcon AU series,which was in a very dull dark green, and emblazoned with a large Coke logo along the doors. Looked hidious, and wasn't a "mint in box". No more: I took the car apart, stripped it and respayed it a light metallic blue.

[@DennosManCave]

"I wonder if Coca Cola have seen this thing" Of course they have. Coca Cola will have signed off on the merchandise! 🤣🤣🤣🤣