Hornby's Ruston Shunter | It Costs How Much Now!? | Unboxing & Review

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0:00 Intro
4:18 Unboxing
7:57 History
8:45 Detailing
15:18 Mechanism
18:07 Performance
22:04 Haulage Test
29:21 Ratings
32:40 Conclusion

[@GeorgeLumkin]

Sam, on behalf of the community, thank you for your honest reviews and for calling out nonsense as you see it. It is refreshing compared to some other reviews that gloss over such things and we expect nothing less from you. You still review the models on their merits enabling people to make a free and informed choice if one comes up at a price they are willing to pay and/or on the second hand market. Keep up the good work.

[@sailormatlac9114]

Indeed! It's a needed voice. Unfortunately, in the last five years, each time I decided to purchase a high end models at premium price from celebrated manufacturers, I've been disappointed greatly: serious lack of quality control, faulty electronics and decoders, poorly glued details that flake off the moment you open the box, very bad design for maintenance. All things that shouldn't happen if I had to believe most reviewers. When you talk to modellers and collectors in private, you start to hear the same horrific stories again and again. It has reached the point many "quality" models of wagon simply don't roll freely. Very sad. High prices command commitment from the manufacturer to provide excellent quality and service. It's sad to see the Ruston is no longer a good deal. I still remember Sam's first review which was quite positive.

[@SamsTrains]

Thank you so much! I've lost all interest in sucking up to the manufacturers - much better to just say it how it is! Appreciate your support anyway - bless you! Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@bentullett6068]

@@sailormatlac9114 pre Christmas this model was still pretty good value but as soon as Hornby sent out their price increases the prices rose. The only way to find one at the old price is avoid the large retailers and look at the smaller retailers as these businesses will usually have brand new models at the original discount price they decided on before the price increases. Regarding this model I had one of these for Christmas and mine hasn't had the faults Sam's had.

[@sailormatlac9114]

@@bentullett6068 Great to hear yours is a good one!

[@sailormatlac9114]

@@bentullett6068 Glad you found a good one! These models have so much potential!

[@andrewguttry6886]

Hornby are pricing themselves out of the market in my opinion. In a time of austerity, high inflation, stagnant wages and more price hikes in store for crucial stuff like gas and electricity, I honestly can't see how Hornby expects to stay afloat asking these absurd prices while so many of us are struggling.

[@dafyddthomas7299]

agree 200% - silly and short prices across the board that Hornby subs sell under - like Airfix, Corgi and Scalextrics, laughable that they can justifying charging £53+ per Scalextrics slot car.

[@TheJimc101]

@@dafyddthomas7299 no different with Airfix, plenty of other brand offering far better VFM for the same subjects, wonder how long Hornby will survive before they have priced themselves out.

[@dafyddthomas7299]

@@TheJimc101 true on this

[@ArcadiaJunctionModelTrains]

Their sales sheet does not reflect this. Hornby are booming. People for some reason are paying these incredibly inflated prices. So they are most certainly not in trouble.

[@TheJimc101]

@@ArcadiaJunctionModelTrains Can understand that for the last 18 months, but now we are exiting C19, times are changing, all those activities that people had time for over the last 2 years are going to suffer massive decreases in consumption (have seen people dumping all their project from other activities, and 2nd hand values in those areas crash already), in addition to everything else that is happening in the world, would be interesting to revisit this in 18months-3 years, as suspect the situation will be different then not just for Hornby, but many other manufactures

[@lukeslocomotives]

Funnily enough, i bought your last ruston, the queen anne, a month ago for just £74.99 Great video Sam!

[@SamsTrains]

Someone else said this too - glad some sellers are still being reasonable! Must be remaining stock from before the price rises - hopefully they stick around! Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@teescottageguyproductions]

Same. Mine was cheaper too

[@rubybrown3905]

Hey Sam - good and fair review. If you look closely, the wagon axle nearest to the loco seems reluctant to turn. I think this has affected the performance and will certainly affect the drag on the train....

[@sadblokeproductions]

Glad I wasn’t the only one to notice that.

[@kennethhume8628]

@Ruby Brown , I noticed that as well , very disappointing . It’s seems that Hornby is all about maximising profit with quality not important . To be honest I think Sam score of 6.93 is on the generous side .

[@bentullett6068]

I have the same model and I have not seen this issue with it.

[@evanforst7272]

I have the earlier ruston myself and i had to bend the solid bar and add weight to the wagon to get contact with the front axle. its possible that could be the issue as well. still would affect performance as less pickups are touching but i dont think its dragging.

[@oscarosullivan4513]

Hornby QC

[@dibsyardshuntinglayout]

I'm so glad I got mine when they first came out. There is no way on this earth that I'd pay the current price. It hurt my wallet at £70-odd.

[@SamsTrains]

haha me too - I wouldn't recommend them at the new prices sadly... though some retailers still have them closer to the old prices... for now! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@garypollard9736]

As already mentioned the wagon axle closest to the loco, is very reluctant to rotate sometimes it’s just sliding along the rails

[@SamsTrains]

Good spot! I could look at adjusting the pickups on that wheel to reduce the drag! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@edwardallen4051]

I bought one of these (Queen Anne) for £69.95 about a year ago (love it) and earlier this week paid £59.95 for a Hornby Gbrf class 92 in a sale from Hattons.That's probably how I'm going to by any new stuff from now on, when I see something I like/want in a sale. Prices are frightening across the board, Dapol just announced some new coaches (GWR 'Toplight' mainline city ) for £60 each RRP and I don't care how detailed they are there is no chance I'm paying £51 (retail) for a coach from anyone.

[@SamsTrains]

£69 is definitely a more realistic price for this thing. The problem is Hornby are producing things in such tiny quantities that their desirable products generally won't end up in the sales... all part of raising prices :( Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@bentullett6068]

You have to shop around. A lot of smaller retailers who ordered stuff pre Hornby price increase are honouring the old prices. I recently purchased from one small retailer I know a one of the Hornby Battle of Britain class locomotives Winston Churchill, the retailer I purchased it from still had it under £200 where as some of the larger retailers had it at over £200 and not in stock. Sometimes you can also find new models that were launched three or four years ago that you may have missed out on previously.

[@edwardallen4051]

@@SamsTrains Shopping around is certainly good advice, I immediately found this model available with 2 retailers for £74 and £72 discounted from £89.99 so old stock and I agree it's not worth the new price even discounted to somewhere in the £90's. Fair review as always.

[@kingofthepod5169]

(translates them to shotgun "bucks") wow that's a lot.

[@EJ3Baller]

Very nice review Sam. Really appreciate your expertise in this hobby.

[@SamsTrains]

Thank you so much - appreciate it! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@jezzamcwaffle8391]

Hey Sam great to see another review! I'm fairly new to watching this channel but have probarbly watched ~50 reviews over the past 6 months. Really appreciate all the work your putting into the reviews and hope the channel continues to grow becuase some of your points are invaluable to us modellers. I do have a few thoughts regarding your review however which I hope could be considered constructive critism! First I think you might be better employing a weighted matrix for assigning scoring, obviousily what you consider most important will be personal but IMO value is by far the most important metric out there, as much as I might like a locomotive I'm not spending £400 pounds on it (looking at you Hornby). You could split this into non weighted & weighted scoring if you wanted. I also think revising your scoring system so that you not every locomotive gets high marks would be useful (ie what would it take for a modern locomotive to review a 1* score in each scoring range). It may also be worth combining the quality & mechanism scores? To me they both mean the same thing, as one without the other is fairly meaningless IMO. Finally I found this review potentially a tad long for a re-review of a product you already looked at when it came out (though I do appreciate the time spent!) Hopefully thats potentially helpeful and I look forward to further reviews! Especially of some of the new models we're getting this year, eying up those RapidoTrains offerings this year! Thanks. Rowan

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks so much Jezza - wow really appreciate you watching so many videos! Yes you're right - it's a weighted system - and value does indeed carry the heaviest weight. Quality and mechanism are completely separate, though there are some crossovers. "Quality" refers to build quality, quality of components, build materials, and yes the quality of the mechanical components. "Mechanism" refers to the number of pickups, quality of motor, bearings, weight, geartrain etc Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@skeezer180]

I quite like this guys presentation he doesnt hold back about his views about price and value for money

[@striderpaul]

A proper shunting locomotive that isn’t good on points and isn’t good coupling up, mmm great job Hornby. Thanks for the video Sam 👍

[@SamsTrains]

haha that's a good point - quite a few fundamental failures... that back coupling is a joke! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@darknut9696]

Well I'm happy I just bought a DCC ready Flying Scotsman from Hatton's for £75, turns out it was fitted with DCC

[@oscarosullivan4513]

Good bargain

[@SamsTrains]

Wow!! That sure is a great bargain :D Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@jessedierksheide]

Can you please get and do a review on the 8627 CHESAPEAKE OHIO Chessie system train

[@rhett11wastaken]

One thing I noticed with mine (the John Dewar & sons one, purchased in march 2021 for £65 from kernow) is that, as others in the comments here have alluded to, is that the front wheels on the included wagon have a tendency to lift up and not provide proper contact with the rails. An easy fix I found for this was to give it an appropriately weighted load, which gave the wagon enough weight to make proper contact with the rails. Not something you should have to do, but it does make it look a bit better if nothing else.

[@andrewjditton]

Hi Sam, as always a top review and I really appreciate what you do. I just bought a used Bachmann 08 on your say-so and I'm over the moon with it. I KNOW you get a lot of people asking you to do N gauge but I think we have now hit the right time. Yesterday (at Doncaster) I saw the N Gauge Society's Hunslet shunter in action. THIS little locomotive is a game-changer. It's DCC fitted but also works on DC. Even on DC, it has a bright headlight (even at low speeds) and some have a flashing beacon. Detail and running qualities are superb. Oh, and they cost just over £80. Even joining the NGS and paying the joining fee, the total package comes in at £104. Or look at the Kato (Gaugemaster) freelance shunter based on an ES-1 electric loco which is currently £42 at Rails. Yep, £42, not £111. I ended up joining the NGS and buying a Hunslet. It's not been out of the box so if you want me to post it to you to review drop me an email. So my friend, now might be the time... ;)

[@Poliss95]

All decoder fitted locos work on DC.

[@joncrawford3485]

Honest review there, Sam. In regards to the crawl, did you notice that one of the bogies on the flat wasn't turning correctly? See around 23:16 - the wheels nearest the loco (Load 10T side)

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks a lot Jon - yeah that's right - it's a light wagon with pickups (which add drag) - so sticky wheels is very common unfortunately :( Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@gs425]

"some sort of crest above the words" Hahaha Sam. I won't tell the queen ...she may not be amused !!!!!

[@ultimateventus712]

I bought the John Dewar & Sons livery for $101 total including shipping to the us from Hattons a few weeks ago for my birthday. After adjusting the pickups (they didn't make contanct out of box), cleaning out the gearbox (overlubricated to the point of not moving), and tightening the screws (None were even finger tight), I'm pretty happy with it.

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks for sharing - glad you were able to fix the issues... not that you should have to! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@ultimateventus712]

@@SamsTrains makes a wonderful track maintenance loco, and hattons gave lovely service as always. 5/8 of my engines came from there

[@johndavies1090]

So it obviously hand't been track tested before leaving the factory. Says it all.

[@mgr_video_productions]

Awesome review. These locomotives reminds me of the small Plymouth industrial switchers we have here in the states. A company called Walthers makes in HO.

[@SamsTrains]

Ahh fantastic - I'll have to look those up - like the sound of that :D Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@kenjimaurerfromdisneyland2001]

0:15 - I love the shapes music.

[@brianartillery]

Excellent, and fair review, Sam. It's a pity that Hornby didn't bother to update this model. It wouldn't have taken much. And that wagon is very old. It's an old 'Conflat'. I had some of those made by Triang, in the 1970's. Hornby should have tooled a custom wagon to complement the Ruston - a nice nondescript three planker would have been fine - and it could have carried endless private owner paint and decal schemes. If Hornby made a 'WD' (War Department) version, I'd be sorely tempted. The British Army used lots in their depots (and ran Simplex engines to carry ammunition for the big guns on the Western Front in WW1 - some even being armoured to protect crews). A WD decorated Ruston would look good pulling gunpowder wagons, I think.

[@skeezer180]

Great review honest as usual Hornby hope you are listening we have supported you for many years simply not good enough

[@astonnapper-woods1230]

Great review Sam Did you review this a while ago? The bachmann V2 and the hush hush (rebuilt) are not in your rankings?

[@andrewlivesey945]

didi you notice after run in during crawl the front wheels of the waggon were not going round just sliding on track .excelent reveiw cheers sam

[@mikehaufe6635]

.. as previously mentioned, by Ruby Brown, the front wheels of the flat wagon appear to drag on the Express Dairy model but they also appear to drag on the Queen Anne model. I found with my Queen Anne model that the wheel contacts had to be eased a little. Keep up the good work!!

[@SamsTrains]

Good spot Mike - yes that's common with these unfortunately as the wagons are light, and they have pickups which produce drag. I wish I'd mentioned this in the video! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@fabrizioviscardi40]

Awesome video! Cheers, Fabrizio

[@tmdrm9817]

Ello Sam I just bought 2 corinations an A4 Pacific and a Fairburn tank all wrenn they are City of London & Birmingham the A4 is Sir Nigel Gresley. Oh and a hornby dublo which has been converted to run on 2 track. They need a bit of TLC to the engines as half dont run sadly but day by day I'll try and fix them. Cheers for South africa.

[@SamsTrains]

Oh wow some major purchases there - good luck getting them fixed up - that's a very satisfying process! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@m10cachilles43]

Hi Sam, I was half expecting you to go for an enclosed cab version for your second Ruston, take it you preferred the Express Dairy's Livery? The enclosed cab would at least help hide the lack of cab detail a bit. Regarding your stuck chassis, I had a similar problem with my Army 48DS (Now repainted as an generic Industrial Shunter). I assumed I was doing it wrong and just repainted mine in one piece, but i think this could be an issue with the Ruston design/assembly.

[@SamsTrains]

Yeah that would have been good actually - I just liked this livery! Yeah, with the enclosed cab the lack of detail inside is much more forgivable. My Queen Anne ruston's body is incredibly easy to remove - loosen the screws, and the chassis just drops out. This is completely stuck fast, so must be an assembly problem! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@modelrailwaynoob]

I like these. I have two. One was about £70 and the other £55. I bought the cheaper one for a respray to the LMR. They had two and always lifted them with their crane demonstration at open days. There are photos with them showing the loco up in the air. Interestingly the tiny Bachmann Wickham Trolly fits on the back. I have a video showing it.

[@foxhillrailway2252]

excellent video... i'm sure i spied a Peckett during running 🚂.... great honest video Sir.... Keep the great style coming... ATB Neil

[@TheSaint491]

Hey Sam, liking these revisits to previously reviewed models. Any chance we could get one for the hornby k1 or b1? Maybe the s15 if you’re feeling lucky haha

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks a lot Brad - yes those are on the list to do some time :D Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@bentullett6068]

I got this Ruston for Christmas off my brother, just before Hornby told 'some' suppliers to increase their prices. It's just as cute as the other Ruston I purchased on the first Hornby Ruston release. It runs really well and could handle its little wagon and a heavy old wrenn milk tanker If you shop around there are still some suppliers selling new old stock models of this ruston at the pre Hornby price rise value's.

[@SamsTrains]

They are lovely cute things - and great runners for sure! Yes I've found some better prices out there from before the prices went up - so these are still buy-able at the moment! Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@bentullett6068]

@@SamsTrains there are a few smaller model shops that will have these models at the old prices. A lot of the larger retailers will have the prices increased as they would have had to have re-stocked items because they set the prices lower than smaller shops.

[@pja-ok4714]

Hey Sam, I like that Railbus model! Any chance of a rating?

[@anfieldroadlayoutintheloft5204]

good vid on the channel sam keep up the good vid thanks lee

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks so much Lee! :D

[@bobsbasementhotrains3020]

I have tried making a electrical pick up flat car for a 0-6-0 Tank engine and it need more weight to help it contact the rails better. I can see one of your flat car wheels seems to slide some instead of rolling , so weight might help. Hover great video.

[@dafyddthomas7299]

Good and fair review Sam - still can't fathom how Hornby can charge £119 for a tiny model, £49.99 would be the tops I would pay for a loco this tiny.

[@darrenrees3284]

I got mine from Hatton for £54.00 when they where in a sale, Been collecting Hornby for over 40 years, But with the new prices not any more.

[@anythingvintage2952]

Geat video mate, see the express dairy and queen ann your only Rustons? I know there are a few different rustons made by hornby.

[@kymvalleygardensdesign5350]

I managed to find an Express Dairy 48DS brand new for £70 and I am very pleased with it. Just need some 1; 72-scale milk churns now.

[@donnymurray7439]

Hey Sam do you think you could show us the Ruston and other small trains having a hauling composition I think that would be a great video idea😂

[@fardeenboodhun645]

Great review Sam. I was hoping you could review the TGV by Jouef (a french model railway company owned by Hornby)

[@SamsTrains]

Thank you! Yes I want to try the TGV from Jouef - it looks interesting! Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@davidstrains4910]

Decent review there Sam it looks very good. Wonder what it is about small locomotives that makes people go crazy about them though, the same thing happened with the Peckett

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks so much David - yeah people sure do love the tiny engines! Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@kenjimaurerfromdisneyland2001]

@@SamsTrains 00:00:16 - I like the music that reminds me of shapes.

[@ladela7348]

Little trains are quaint.

[@thoughtengine]

Small locos are useful for a variety of applications that can be modelled small enough to fit into one's house, such as industrial, or shunting small yards in older settings; larger locomotives may not be appropriate if you can only afford the space for a shelf shunting or otherwise microlayout. Also, many narrow gauge kits are designed specifically to be built on small locomotive chassis, and often parts of the body (see Smallbrook Studios' range of items based on both Hornby and Bachmann's Bill and Ben). Also, they're "cute". They often have a visual aesthetic that appeals to children and adults alike.

[@kenjimaurerfromdisneyland2001]

@@SamsTrains Can you try the music from shape searchers?

[@brianmicky7596]

Hi Sam, Nice review as always , Yes the Price is a bit out of hand, love the Express Dairy, .I to like small engines, All the Best Brian 🤗😎

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks a lot Brian - me too - I liked this livery the moment I saw it! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@Clonezack]

Not only is the V2 is missing from your log book again sam, but now the A4 hush hush is missing too!

[@cliveburdikin2777]

Hi Sam. Have you seen the prices of european models. They have always been a lot higher than even the latest figures For a small diesel shunter model take a look at the Rivarossi (Hornby International) Sogliola. No facility for NEM couplers, but you do get a couple of different types specific to this model. There is absolutely no chance of fitting any other couplings. On the protoype They manouvered under the buffer beam of vehicles. A winch system was then used to lift the vehicle slightly, this both helped increase adhesion and gave sufficient purchase for hauling/propelling. About seven years ago I paid £35.00 for a secondhand example, at the time they were selling for apprx £120.00 new IIRC.

[@papamatthewgracebrookschan7748]

I'm glad I moved to 16mm! Granted they're kits, but it's much cheaper than that! And if you're like me, all I need is cardboard and a set of drawings.

[@ivovanzon164]

The loops on the chassis are probably for cable shunting wagons with a capstan. And if Hornby ever decides to retool that wagon, they should put a metal floor in it, as that gives a more realistic wall height

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks for the info! And yes a metal floor would be essential - it's too light at the moment, which means it's wheels don't turn properly with the pickups! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@ivovanzon164]

@@SamsTrains you can add a bunch of white metal milk churns on the wagon as a load. That does fit with the dairy theme and adds some extra weight.

[@ricktownend9144]

Interesting - and depressing - about the coupling problems. Back in the 1960s, the only redeeming feature of the (then) Triang tension-lock couplings was that they did work reliably; the downside was that they looked horrendously unrealistic - and that still is the same - more so, considering that commercial models today are vastly more realistic in almost every other aspect!

[@oscarosullivan4513]

I think the big tension couplings are the best

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks Rick - yeah the couplings suck don't they? At least the wagon ones do! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@ricktownend9144]

@@oscarosullivan4513 I agree - they work the best; it's just a shame that no one seems to have come up with a really brilliant practical solution which is nearly invisible, and also allows the appearance of close-coupling!

[@johndavies1090]

I recently reverted to tension locks, and discovered that there are massive problems! The various makes all have their own standards, which don't like one another. Worse, the very narrow 'Norwegian' style (think Isle of Man) couplers which now seem standard don't like the older, wider couplers and cause derailments. So sixty years on, we're no nearer an agreed, fully compatable standardised coupling. Actually it's a similar situation with European models - again their traditional 'hook and loop' couplers aren't always compatable with one another.

[@johndavies1090]

@@oscarosullivan4513 Being a member of the 3mm Society, I buy the old Triang TT couplers from them and fit to OO stock - neater and visually less obtrusive, but robust and reliable.

[@lewishughes8541]

Hi sam I hope you're ok Would you recommended the hornby 2003 king class my ruston i won in your live stream still works wonderfully

[@Sumalee21]

Hey Sam the odd one that i can spot is the 08 shunter.Good review.

[@Station_Master_13]

After s2eeinf that livery, i feel like i need one, considering my grandparents worked for express dairy 😅

[@kingofthepod5169]

This is a good value engine Also pacer trains ride smooth, the fox and the hound is a happy movie and I did not cut power to part of Boone county.

[@dirks.4172]

Sam, thank you for your review. Concerning the price I do agree. Models (especially those made elsewhere in Asia) have become more expensive over the last few years. A look at the value/exchange rate of the Pound explains a part of that increase (when looking at the exchange rate GBP Euro - as I live in Germany - the Pound has lost nearly 25% in the last few years, blame the -Partyminister- Primeminister ...) Nevertheless a nice loco and quite amazing how successful Hornby is with industrial locos. The latest announced six wheel Sentinel diesel is the 7th industrial loco type in their range, if I am right. Concerning the Liliput H0 small inspection/maintenance railcar ('Motorbahnwagen' as it is called in Austria): It has a coreless motor fitted. Best wishes Dirk

[@georgebottarini1788]

Thanks Sam. Based on this I bought a Queen Anne on eBay for GBP of 79.99. Can’t wait for it to arrive end of month.👍

[@SamsTrains]

Oh very nice! Decent price there too - nice work! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@JustinFrazier_360]

Amazing unboxing video

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks Justin! :D

[@brian-t-]

That is a neat way you have done your attic; Lots of room, between the trusses.... Here in Canada; the trusses are 12 inches apart!! (snow load) Could you do a show about your train room!!

[@SamsTrains]

Ooh very interesting! I'd have to lose a lot of weight if my trusses were 12 inches apart! ;D Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@tenterdentown2452]

Quite a good option for those with small layouts. Maybe you should have done your tight radius test?

[@moorwatch9654]

Very glad I got one of these in works livery (r3704) for about £70 when they came out since they’re sold out everywhere and bizarrely not on Hornby’s website anymore, would that thought it was a popular choice since you’re then not tied to one location/industry…I’m more into 009 but my Ruston isn’t going anywhere! On a side note mine runs perfectly without the ridiculous wagon 😁

[@thegamingperio4115]

Hi sam i have a question for taking care of a bachmann thomas. to lubricate a bachmann thomas every type of lubricant will do?

[@Poliss95]

Use a specialist model railway oil or sewing machine oil. Do NOT use 3-in-One oil or WD-40.

[@paulc9588]

Good video. Bure Valley Models still have the Express Dairy and yellow GrantRail versions in stock at £72. Definitely good value at this price but not worth ~£100 with such a hamfisted wagon arrangement. Looks like the plain/oddball liveries have proved difficult to shift, even at a bargain price.

[@bentullett6068]

I have mentioned this to a few comments to get the good bargains you do need to look at the smaller retailers who have old new stock with the old prices.

[@denischick2519]

That ‘some kind of crest’ is an amazingly detailed ‘By Royal Appointment’ crest - as Express Dairy was. They delivered the royal milk! Look even closer at it.

[@SamsTrains]

haha thanks for this Denis - apologies for my ignorance! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@Decrepit_biker]

@samstrains Yes it's expensive, but try looking at N gauge locos and their price. That will make this seem much more reasonably priced. As for the wagon coupling being non NEM. Its not just a couple of hours on sketch up, its the change of tooling to manufacture. And if your tooling isn't worn out, why would you? let's face it the non NEM coupling works just fine, provided its lined up ok. But over all the wagon looks disappointing. You say there's not a lot of detail in the body of the loco, but there wasn't much on the real ones to replicate! I agree the lack of etched grille (though the one on the model looks very close to real ones) , the cab detail is a little wrong, again not that there is much inside the cabs in real life the 3 or 4 levers modelled and a few on the cab bulkhead but that looks to be a mechanism packaging issue. The very visible glazing bar is very dissapointing though. Also i suspect the lack of sprung buffers is due to the buffer beam being higher than the running plate, meaning they can't poke though the back when compressed.....though I personally think sprung buffers are pointless anyway, the models couplings mean they are never pushed in.... One thing I could suggest regarding your reviews, that when you do speeds and crawls can you show the actual voltage to the track, not just say 50% on the controller. That way the voltage when crawl starts and stabilises can be compared, as well as the gearing.

[@teescottageguyproductions]

I noticed on yours that the front wheel on the wagon sticks. So does mine

[@rogerking7258]

Sam, my originally priced version of this shows an almost magical ability to run over dead frogs without so much as stuttering, even with the match truck not connected. I actually can't work out how it does it. Regarding prices - my grandchildren's train set has locos dating from 1958 to brand new. The grandchildren show no preference for modern highly detailed stuff over the much cruder old stuff - and I don't have to worry so much about breakages. BUT, they do look at things like the Playtrains and say they're just for babies (they're aged 6 to 8) which just puts them off. What seems to be needed is more basic stuff (moulded handrails, much simpler construction, less metal, far less detail, etc), but still running as a proper electric train set. Railroad should cover this, but still incorporates far too much detail and delicate parts. We have a Railroad Flying Scotsman with sound, and to be honest, in the 1970s it would have been considered the most super detailed model ever made; so there is plenty of scope to make Railroad even simpler, probably to 1960's standards, and still appeal to the youngsters - just so long as it is still electric and doesn't look "babyish". Prices need to be around £50 or less for a diesel or a reasonably sized steam loco, because for most young families with a mortgage (or rent) to pay, current prices mean that the models might just as well be made out of unobtainium. Oh, and Hornby could do a better job of marketing Railroad - when I started building the trainset there was nothing in the catalogue to explain that is is a more basic range; that should be made clear and all Railroad items would benefit from being in a totally separate section. I've nothing against top of the range stuff by the way; it's expensive, but in a completely different league to what I had as a kid in the 1960s. Hornby (and other manufacturers) - you need to sow some seeds amongst the younger generation if you want to reap a good harvest from the same generation in later life.

[@ArcadiaJunctionModelTrains]

Is he loco getting pick up from the wagon wheels?

[@BMMOD10]

I very much agree with what you say about the Railroad range. It should also be permanently available, instead of the current "when it's gone, it's gone" attitude. Youngsters seeing items they want can then save up for months if necessary, and still be able to get the item they want.

[@StaxRail]

Just bought the John Dewar red one for £72, and I absolutely love it! Struggling to understand how this one performs worse than your other one though, does seem odd

[@SamsTrains]

That's fantastic - great model for that price :D Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@WestRail642fan]

this is the one i own! I got her for £89.99 in September last year

[@TomPrickVixen]

Since that wagon body is just a "clip on" why don't u replace it with something a bit heavier?

[@bluepretsels]

lovely video Sam

[@jamespoulton1795]

Sam has a beautiful, new BLOO Ruston shunter :D

[@garagewindowrailway]

Sam, yet another good review, even if this loco is not my cup of tea. With the price.. Ruston 0-4-0 shunter.. £95... Dapol 4-6-0 manor, £140.... let me see. Sprung buffers, tender, smoke box dcc, fire grate light, detailed cab...... vs..... no brainer really.

[@NWRJ_WStudios]

Sam Does anyone of your loco's wheels Thump or click when you put your finger in front of them at half power? Cheers Willow & Felix

[@SamsTrains]

Yes some of them do - particularly Bachmann ones - it's quite normal as long as they don't do it under normal running conditions! Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@CustomiZe_]

Thank goodness for that, i was was tempted to treat myself as I just recently got paid so I thought i might buy one from amazon for £69 but then i thought hang on i bet the prices have increased and sure enough they had, up to £95. So my wallet will be thanking you, plus I was previously tempted to buy this blue dairy one but the colour of the blue looks nothing like it does in the images. So if I ever do buy one it will probably be the green one with the wasp stripes 😃👍

[@peterball8241]

Thanks for reminding me about this loco, just ordered Jim for £89.95 to join my Army version.

[@stefantrainspotter]

Really nice little loco, you have a BIG LIKE

[@clangerbasher]

There is something oddly charming about Ruston with the word express blazoned across it.

[@rotacnisumis514]

If you like the smallish railcars, you should take a look at a czech railways class 810 railcar.

[@whitewallwheels1hardcore.m_o_h]

can you do a comparison against the bachmann that has the motor in the trailer

[@Mariazellerbahn]

I saw one at Doncaster in the flesh today .... I thought it was 009 until I saw the track it was running on.

[@derf9465]

💣💢💥 boom!!!!! Thats crazy. I bought a B12 after your review for £130. For £19 more i got an epic railway model, my trailer (tender) has a load In it with sides!!!!

[@shibafy773]

The ruston's wagon is the same size as a railroad hornby van so if you'd like you can switch them out! the flatbed is a little fiddley to separate the top though

[@SamsTrains]

Yeah that's true - a van would be better actually as you could hide some extra weight inside... are they the same chassis I wonder? Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@AntoekneeDE]

Completely fair review again. The problem is, when something like this crosses that mental threshold of being the wrong side of the tonne, increases it’s price way ahead of inflation, doesn’t actually get better and has by now returned more of its original investment to Hornby, it goes from being a curious unplanned purchase, the kind of thing you go ‘on that’s cool, I don’t need it, but I want it!’ to being a ‘no, I’ll save a few more pennies for a Dapol Prairie or a Terrier etc etc that does fit in with what I want’. Now, the expansion of industrial locos has been welcomed, and as a good option for space pressed modellers and shunting layouts, but it’s still fair to say that most still favour the mainline operations, so if entering into industrials isn’t attractively priced, new interest will dry up. Locos like this and the Pecketts have essential roles as already very expensive donors for the myriad of industrial types, many of which are being produced and sold as DLP resin printed kits by the likes of Hardy’s Hobbies, and these people also stand to suffer if the donor product becomes this expensive…

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks very much for sharing! Appreciate the info - and yeah I've seen this sort of chassis reused for other locos - they're very handy for that! Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@rottenroads1982]

When will their be BR class 28? When will their be a OO9 scale model layout?

[@PerClausen1954]

Just came across this :-) - Sam’s Trains nov. ’18 quote: Hornby, they really are starting to look out for everybody, aren’t they

[@dafyddthomas7299]

Sam are you going to review some Non Hornby stuff; Heijan brought an excellent class 86 out (bit dear but as one of detailed 86 Loco it's just about worth the asking price - my max £180) and Bachmann bringing out detailed class 47 (various liveries) but a bit pricey starting from £239.99 - DCC upwards ?

[@NWRJ_WStudios]

Hey Sam My hornby grange makes a grinding sound every time the rods come up from the rotation, it's fully serviced by me what should I do Cheers Jasper & Willow

[@dansmodelrailways7886]

Firstly check the Quartering on the wheels. If thats ok check to make sure none of the connecting rods are bent. It maybe prudent to take the body off and then run it too see if noise is coming from motor. Also if you can remove the motor and push chassis along to see if rods are free running and noise free

[@SamsTrains]

I think the granges have an additional rod which fits into a cavity on the loco running plate - could be wrong but I'm pretty sure it's the grange... so that's worth checking. Make sure the pickups are all in the right position, and that none of them are straying towards the spokes. Very unlikely to be a quartering issue if all you've done is clean/relubricate the mechanism! Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@richardserridge2767]

Love that Express dairy livery! Shame the price is so absurd! They could have at least added some cab detail 🤦‍♂️

[@petersmith4455]

no one is forcing you to buy this loco.the less people buy hornby products the better, then prices might come down

[@richardserridge2767]

@@petersmith4455 not buying it anyway 😂

[@SamsTrains]

I agree - at this price some extra cab detail or some lights would have done great! I think we should vote with our wallets too, but Hornby seem to produce such small numbers of products these days that a boycott wouldn't effect them unless *almost everyone* took part... which is unrealistic :( Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@jimross623]

Hi Sam, that’s a fat lot of good if you wanted to run it on DCC and you can’t install a DCC chip 🍟… what are Hornby doing?

[@michaelwalker1145]

After watching this last night I then popped over to Ebay, The exact loco ranged fro £80 to £140😳. The higher price was from a model shop. My local shop always sells at RRP, how they keep open is beyond me. Especially when you can look at the big model shops on line and save a good few quid.

[@shannonman2]

Hey Sam, what's the music at the start of this video?

[@thehobbyistden3720]

I just love the little shunters, but this one, I mean even watching it run around the front wheel trucks on the flat deck wagon attached to the engine are not touching the rail's?

[@davidbugler4597]

The weird thing is, Hornby obviously had to redesign the wagon chassis in order to fit pickups. So they have no excuse whatever not to fit NEM couplings at the same time. Redesign is redesign. At the same time they could -- given the will to do so -- have made a much better job of making the connecting cable look like a vacuum pipe, particularly since the wagon and loco are supposed to be more or less permanently coupled..It isn't rocket science. Thanks for another honest review.

[@rodallcock743]

Ruston and Hornsby had an office in London but were based in Lincoln.

[@Zebrails]

Sam... Imagine if you double-headed your two Rustons. Nose to nose or back to back... I know, never happened in real life, but the power of them together with both wired up together (M.U.'d Multi-Unit) as a single locomotive, I wish every locomotive I had had this capability already built in! It would save a lot of fuss to insure electrical continuity for DC as well as DCC instead of having the "Keep-Alive" capacitors soldered in. I've got two pair DC locomotives "permanently" attached with a basic wire system chassis-to-chassis: switcher 'cow/calf' and 'F7 A/B' units... they will never be separated. ...the best asset on your Ruston is that wiring hook-up. Digression inserted here. Do a power review/test/experiment with both Ruston's hooked up together! John British Columbia, Canada

[@silvestrorusso1207]

Really interesting the express Ruston but is the B1 still in work to print

[@SamsTrains]

Thank you! Yes the next B1 video is coming very soon - progressing well! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@deanfarndale1811]

U think for price you would think maybe change the wagon for a upgraded one like a new box van Nd more details

[@trevorsmith2152]

Hi Sam, did you notice that the leading axle of the trailer intermittently lifted (lost contact with the rail) giving a 6 intermittent 8wheel contact.

[@SamsTrains]

Good spot Trevor - it's a very light wagon unfortunately... and the pickups add a lot of drag too, which can stop the wheels! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@michaelwhiles5282]

Saw a JIM version for £69.99 at one retailer a few days before the new Hornby range 2022 - can't find any close to that price now....Love my red Ruston 48 from 2021.

[@andrewshearsby8125]

Shock at the new rrp. Will get one down the line. Approve of the Tidmouth milk tanker

[@SolarPoweredHobbies]

I've been working with Chinese suppliers for years in similar hobby products and there has been no increase in manufacture prices to justify price increases such as they have been doing, the only real change is transport prices but even that wouldn't require a price hike to this extent, even old stock pieces they have increased the prices on it seems to just be money grabbing.

[@bentullett6068]

Not sticking up for Hornby on this but the transport costs have gone up both from China and when it arrives in the UK as the hauliers in the UK are charging more money to transport stuff across the UK due to fuel and wage increases. For example the average postage price has gone up from around £4.00 to £5-£6 now and the way everything keeps going with fuel increases due to inflation the prices of models and other items we buy will increase.

[@dafyddthomas7299]

@@bentullett6068 Good point if they sold for less, they could make more and ship more items in Bulk to UK and to a distribution centre ? Margate ? and then ship to Re-sell vendors in more numbers (bulk) and to customers directly with an increased P&P if necessary. Ordered camera gear recently - a price rise is coming from Canon UK (and others) but re'sell vendor still charge same P&P (as last year) using DPD for price of £4.99 next day

[@stevemann6576]

Agree with everything you say wrt quality and features. Disappointed to see that the front axle of the wagon was binding up in the video. If the axle is locking it could mean that set are not making contact with the track. Sprue/Moulding marks in the planking is really just unacceptable these days. Thanks for the review.

[@sir-o-nigel8853]

the crest you see on the model is the uk's coat of arms