Just How Bad is the Hornby Class 66? | Unboxing & Review

[@JagoHazzard]

"Mrs Logistics, what are you going to name your son?" "Malcolm."

[@FlyingScott]

She went on to marry Mr. Rail.

[@Red_wine]

The names Rail, Malcom Rail

[@unamused8939]

Jago! Your channel is stellar!

[@SamsTrains]

It's the greatest company name ever isn't it? Way up there with "Bernard Rail" and "Jeremy's Trains" Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@BibtheBoulder]

@@unamused8939 Does he review lager then?

[@lucitonstjames3925]

The Lima 66 was produced back in 1998. Back then Limas UK importers at Riko ain’t just could t be convinced that modellers would pay £75 for a can motored 4 axle drive loco with lights. At this time Riko had tied its colours to the collecting mast. So they turned out a poor model in comparison to the previous class 92 & 59. The model is nothing more than a slightly modified 59 bodyshell as the front windows are the wrong size for a 66, the model utilising the existing class 59 glazing units, the bogie sideframes lack the distinctive curved ends. The model back in 1999 at £49.95 was expensive for what it was & what was required to heavily modify it to get it looking better. It was a real disappointment as the 66 should have been the Lima loco that brought Limas HO spec to OO. When Hornby acquired Lima all they did was take out the proven / ultra reliable / easy to maintain / nyon run forever motor - pick up system & replaced it with a cheaper motor / cheap grade metal wheels. Hornby is all about sales , they’re a company still bound by its debts / previous mis-management & so they’ve decided that utilising older models in new colours is a easy / cheap way to get the money in. Cheaper models in the newer colours is a noble idea & its a shame the Lima 60 , 67 , 92, HST power cars / mk3’s are not available in the newer liveries of which they are better models than the Lima 66. It’s typical Hornby that they flood the market with the worst Lima model. For me at £75 it’s not worth it’s money as the model requires so much work to get it anywhere near how it should look & therefore it’s more cost effective to buy a Bachmann or Hattons one. That said these 2 models have their issues & it is quite something that we are now onto a 3rd gen tooling & they’re still nowhere near the standards of the Marklin / Trix model or the ESU version, whilst the Mehano model is no slouch either. Given the weight of some of the wagons that are produced , the loco will struggle to haul some of these heavyweight vehicles such as the Dapol megafrets that this loco would haul. Anyone expecting miracles from the 66 is going to be disappointed , all products like this do is tarnish the Hornby brand , be far better to keep models like these fully packaged / sold under the Lima brand, as with the Lima UK range you knew what you where getting.

[@williamsinden6146]

What's really annoying too, is that the tooling for the main body atleast after taking one apart is that it's identical to Lima ones I also have, so the cost to produce this has been done with the most minimal amount of effort, so this should definitely be a railroad model if a model by hornby at all

[@bentullett6068]

The tooling is the old Lima model tooling but revised slightly

[@SamsTrains]

Yep exactly - just adapted to take the modern Hornby motor bogie! Fine as a Railroad model... but a joke in the main range! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@robinforrest7680]

Most of the Railroad range seems far better than this

[@euanhood]

Makes me wary of cheap. Nothing wrong cheap cheerful but scary.

[@jameskalas16]

Whoever at Hornby thought using a wrap on something this small clearly has no idea about vinyl wraps. Clearly they were only concerned with saving money and churning out many different variants of the same model.

[@SamsTrains]

haha yeah exactly - it's a competitive move - without the vinyl wrapped models, they'd have to stick with the simpler (and do-able) liveries. By producing these, they think they're competing. By producing these badly, they actually aren't xD Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@jameskalas16]

@@SamsTrains they are certainly doing their best to make themselves less and less credible 🤦🏼‍♂️🤣

[@FlyingRabbitMedia]

Hornby: Hmm what train do we go for next Emperor Palpatine: Execute Order Class 66

[@SamsTrains]

haha!! xD

[@peterlongland4357]

I have just seen a review of the br 66 and the livery is 100% better than the one you’ve got as you can see the corigations as it seems to be painted not wrapped they didn’t look at the mechanics so don’t know what they thought of it

[@NoaZeevi]

@@peterlongland4357 Did you get Hornby or Hattons?

[@kyle5674]

My grandparents bought me one for 80 pounds - we were in a model shop near theirs and I was under the impression that it was a high quality model since it's not in the Railroad range. Needless to say I was disappointed beyond measure and felt quite guilty about asking for it! When i switched to N gauge a while ago, I was selling my 00 stock and couldn't get more than 35 for it. Really disappointed in Hornby for this one. :( Thank you for getting the word out. Great video! You got me into 3d printing, I too bought a Flasforge Adventurer 3 after seeing your review, and I'm making some new products for the modelling market, and already designed a sci-fi body for my N gauge 47 chassis. Take care, Mikhail

[@SamsTrains]

Ahh I'm sorry to hear that! Yes the whole purpose of the Railways/Railroad ranges was to help differentiate between different kinds of Hornby model. The system falls down when Hornby bung Railroad models into the Railways range just to try and sell them! That sounds amazing - good luck with your models - the Flashforge is great! :D Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@andywest1007]

I bought the Hornby Class 66 in the Cemex livery which isn't a wrap and was quite pleased with it. Mind you I only paid £56.24 back in April! 😉 Great video btw. It's good to hear an honest review. 👍

[@closeyamy]

I mean..looks okay from..a distance? Haha. The wrap is shocking though, especially in the close ups.

[@SamsTrains]

haha yeah, great distance! The wrap is definitely the worst decoration I've ever seen! ;D Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@DC4260Productions]

I've just realized something, perhaps Hornby are thinking they can get away with subtly reviving their 'Design Clever' era.

[@jameshardy4354]

Hornby design not so clever 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@SamsTrains]

haha yeah! This certainly was about as "clever" as the other design clever stuff ;) Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@jameshardy4354]

@@SamsTrains the thing is Sam both Hornby and bachmann produce garbage but bachmann in my view are better than hornby I've had more problems with hornby than bachmann

[@mikeblatzheim2797]

Märklin/Trix also do a Class 66, might be worth a review to complete the set of available models on the market. It's quite a bit more expensive than the Hattons one, but is fully digital with functions, has metal bodywork, 4 axle drive (and traction tires, so pulling power is quite ridiculous), and is also scaled in H0.

[@Nellerkillerstrains]

I have the märklin one in the lineas livery and it’s amazing but I don’t think Sam will get it as it’s around 435€

[@blackterminal]

@@Nellerkillerstrains gee that's expensive

[@ScottishNSRailFan]

Loved your honesty and frankness. Currently I have 40 Class 66s, in my collection, 35 by Bachmann and 5 by Hattons. Of the former, 2 are Rainbow Railway specials and 2 from Ben’s Resprays. Do have others in mind from RR.

[@Mapplewell_Park]

So after zero help from Hornby regarding my class 66 and faulty TTS. My local model shop fixed the problem. I’ve now traded it in, and excitably await the arrival of my sound fitted Hattons class 66. After watching your review of the Hattons I was lucky enough to get a good deal at my local shop on one. 👍

[@modelrailwayCORP]

Usually wouldn't bother commenting but anyway, This review isn't really showing off this locomotive for what it actually is. A cheap model aimed for the not so serious modeller. You're getting what you paid for, this isn't for someone who wants to seriously model the Class 66, go to Bachmann or Hattons examples for that. This model is for your 4 year old son who's just seen a 66 out on a daytrip and wants one for his toy train set. Wont care about lights, livery or details but it runs, it can pull a train and that's all that matters with something like this. In this day and age you can't expect something as cheap as £75 to have everything you'd expect a model that costs £170 would have. Bachmanns new Mk2s DCC fitted cost more than this whole loco. It would seem the reviewer would like premium models for budget prices and that's not really going to happen. Just my opinion.

[@AVFCAM]

I understand what you’re saying, but it shouldn’t be in the main range…and I still can’t accept that there’s no lights for that price. It’s an old tooling, there’s very little of expense in it, £70 is still too much in my opinion.

[@modelrailwayCORP]

@@AVFCAM In this day and age, anything under £100 would be about right for something of this level. Models don't sell for dirt cheap anymore therefore can't be reviewed in such a way!

[@leewaymodels]

I would partially agree with you if it wasn't for this vinyl sticker wrap on it. The other class 66 made by hornby are much better and cost the same. That vinyl wrap ruins it. A lot of people reported It peeling apart with wear and tear. Concerning the price, you should consider that whole train sets can be bought under 20$ (yes $, not £). They are not OO and made as toys but they use a lot more "raw material" then this. I even got a chinese G scale set that costed the same as this. In OO, Oxford Rails had all of their locos under 100£ at the retailer. These models are often way better then some of bachmann and Hornby's 160£ models. Now that Hornby bought them, watch what will happen.

[@jaydee2559]

Yet Hornby themselves in the packaging state that this is NOT for children - so your 4 year old son scenario is completely invalid. Pull a train? My 2nd one can barely pull itself around a 3rd radius curve without trying to stall. £75 cheap? - When they've had the tooling for years from Lima? - So this has been made on the cheap as well as designed on the cheap. Hornby have not had the same overheads as the competitors so they could be a bit more generous with quality. Either way, it's a loco. It should still offer the basics such as running along and around a piece of track reliably irrespective of cost. Just like a bike, a £100 bike should still be able to move forwards when you turn the pedals - even if it doesn't have a super light frame and other advanced features that a £2k bike might have. Sorry mate but your defence of the ops review video is a bit naff if i'm honest. The op is right, this is not a great loco, i've got two of them and they both have troubles going around a 3rd radius - the newest one pretty much stalling and also shorting out on points that the other one clears easily.

[@AVFCAM]

@@jaydee2559 100%, the tooling is old and cost them nothing, the least they could do is add basic items like head/tail lights…when you consider the costs involved with a new model, Hornby have none of those…

[@greg_mmm]

There's something to be said for affordable versions of modern locomotives and rolling stock. I personally like lots of detail and features, but sometimes a well built if slightly simple, and well thought out model is really worth every penny and a super detailed one is not. Here in North America we have Walthers Mainline versions of modern diesel locomotives that have LED lights, heavy diecast frames and all wheel drive for about $100/$120 with DC and $150 with DCC & Sound. They seem to be incredibly popular, which speaks volumes about what people actually want in this hobby, and they didn't have to pay an arm and a leg for that enjoyment!

[@SamsTrains]

Absolutely Greg - affordable models are so important to the hobby... but this is cheap and nasty rather than cheap and cheerful... we've seen much better even at this price! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@hsjcarrier707]

Sam, just wanted to say thank you for inspiring me to get back into a hobby I loved years ago, but had given up on owing to the pressures of life, job, mortgage payments, all the rest of it, for several decades. Now, about that big box of old Hornby stuff in my basement. Nah, let's the build the layout first and have fun buying new stuff (not this Class 66 though)! One day, I will dig out that 1988 Hornby Mallard, though. Tender drive and all the troubles that go with it....

[@Onthemainline]

I’ve got 5 of these! I love them.. They’re not meant to be super glamorous, just a good budget models for people who don’t want to spend loads.. Obviously if I had the money, I would choose a Hattons one, but the Hornby ones work for me.. I don’t know about the livery you got, my favourite is my Freightliner G&W Orange one.. Great video, stay safe and take care 😀👍👋

[@RedShedNick]

Yes and the liveries you mentioned are perfectly applied and equal in application to the Bachmann and Hattons examples i know, i have them as well, The Pink One, on the Hornby is exactly the right shade of Magenta, whereas the Hattons example is far to bright, not a subtle pink like the Hornby model, Agreed the Malcolm wrap on this new Hornby release is a one off and yes appalling!

[@RoadsterRyan23]

Was looking forward to this , now I know why I spent 134 quid on a beautiful Bachmann one! lol Awesome review Sam

[@SamsTrains]

haha yeah - compared with this, the Bachmann is definitely worth it! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@stepheng7586]

This review reminds me of the Hornby Class 156 review. Old Lima tooling but the prices are laughable. Great review as usual Sam.

[@SamsTrains]

Yep exactly - they don't learn do they? Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@dkiely03]

The Hornby 66 can be a good model. I was surprised when I saw the title because I have a 2008 EWS version. Being a RailRoad model (yes, mine came in a RailRoad box) derived from Lima tooling it would never be expected to match the features of the Bachmann or subsequent Hattons models. However, while not flashy, it is certainly adequate as a locomotive. The lights, while not working, are about as convincing as they could otherwise be (and lights are usually an easy upgrade if you're that way inclined). The detail looks accurate, if not always as fine as the more expensive versions (though this of course makes it more robust). The grilles, while moulded, are reasonably convincing and of course, it has the ridges which define the locomotive. Haulage is adequate, though I don't require it to pull enourmous loads due to the size of the layout, and the only mechanical or electrical deficiency is the cogging at low very low speeds (which smooths out by about 10mph scale speed). That said, I wouldn't spend more than £50 on any RailRoad diesel, even though I am very satisfied with those I have, and I certainly wouldn't spend anything close to that on this monstrosity. I would probably try to remove the vinyl and start from scratch.

[@Poliss95]

Tri-ang had working headlights on their locos back in 1955.

[@dkiely03]

@@Poliss95 They certainly weren't the norm though, either on Triang models or the (usually much better looking) Lima models which followed (and it's the Lima models that most of the railroad range are derived from). I grew up with locos made by Hornby and Lima from the 70s, 80s, and 90s and the HST power cars were the only lit locos I had (they only had headlights and they made the whole front end glow). Even into the 21st Century I'm not sure they were universal on higher spec models - when did the Bachmann 20s and Warships first acquire lights?

[@SamsTrains]

You're right - as a Railroad model at the right price with traditional decoration, this would be a totally acceptable model. I didn't realise it *used to be* a Railroad model... so they've ruined the decoration and put it in the Railways range? The working lights would be great - yes Lima rarely (if ever?) fitted them, but every applicable tri-ang loco certainly had lights! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@FormallyknownasE100]

I really enjoy and value these comparison type reviews.

[@SamsTrains]

Thank you so much!! :D

[@greathorton]

Why the listed price of Class 66 on Hornby website is GBP96.99 to 99.99 today? Price up a lot!!

[@glennscotttrains7513]

I have a second hand Ebay bought Hornby GBRF Class 66 and I've had it for 2 year it runs really well, pull about 15 wagons with no problem.

[@LEKProductions]

Good to see more diesels reviewed on this channel. I've got a Hornby and a couple of Bachmann 66's, the Hornby is a real disappointment, can't comment on the wrap as I have the BR livery (66789), one of the biggest fails in my eyes was missing out the cab lights; a simple addition which is very cheap to manufacture and should be standard on every loco these days..

[@donsharpe5786]

At this price, it means that as a children's starter locomotive, it is affordable.

[@gordonhanning476]

I agree that hornby should not have marketed loco as top of the range but as a railroad model I think it's a winner especially at the price.

[@DigitalDavis16]

I’ve got one of these in a much better DB Schenker red livery, and it looks good. No broken bits or chipped parts. Was very glad that it had pickups on every wheel. I definitely agree on performance, as even on my oval loop it’s sometimes funny around 2nd radius curves in its speed, and if it’s not sitting right on the track, then it just won’t go. And the weight distribution is off. But if it gets going, then I find it’s fine and it navigated hand built points at my model railway clubs layout no problem (which is built to HO Scale being an Australian club). For the $115 I paid, I’m happy. It’s definitely not as good as my railroad 47, which is my closest diesel comparison, but it does go, and the NEM sockets are a big advantage.

[@SamsTrains]

That's good to hear - so did that one have regular decoration and not the wrap then? Yeah overall the performance is okay for the money - not 100% reliable, but close enough for £75 I guess! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@DigitalDavis16]

@@SamsTrains indeed it did! I can’t remember how many others but from memory most of the ones that looked better were the unwrapped ones, Freightliner and all the common ones like Gbrf etc. you’re right, I wouldn’t have paid much more if I’d known what the performance was like at the time, but it fitted my need for a mainline British diesel without the price tag perfectly

[@jaydee2559]

You're lucky - one of mine is struggling on 3rd radius! The other one also slows but not quite as dramatically.

[@theoddodst5302]

I do love buying a top of the range model and get 3 whole separately fitted parts

[@SamsTrains]

I know... Hornby are wizards aren't they? ;D Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@bentullett6068]

I still can't understand why this model is still in the main range not the Railroad range. They could have at least fitted some LED lights and detail upgrades when Hornby did the Lima tooling upgrade. Although Matt Slade did a great comparison on his channel where he lined up the Hornby, Bachmann and Hattons class 66's and compared them, he came to the conclusion the Hornby version is a low price beginner's model, Bachmanns is middle of the road on detail but not on price and the Hattons version was excellent detail and great on price.

[@fredtedstedman]

They're 'avin a laff !! can't even be bothered to print the sides !

[@mein-3d-kraft]

Hello Sam! I bought my wife the Hornby Class 66 in ONE livery (because its pink 😉 ) and she just runs fine... Luckily its painted and printed well... You´re right its a basic model, our version is absolutely ok and I think a good basis for homemade improvments, such as lightning and so on... True is, its more a loco for the railroad range, but for the price it is also a fair beginners model... (when there is no such rubbish sticker livery on it) At least its quit common that many manufacturers use old forms and toolings and put a high price tag on it, I think of my other TT gauge models and the manufacturer Tillig GmbH here in Germany, use partly forms from Berliner TT Bahnen (BTTB) from the old GDR (DDR or East Germany) times... Those forms and tooling are over 35 or 40 years old now... And they sell them with prices of todays models... Like an old saying means that "everyone cooks with water" from that point of view the prices for those Class 66 models are ok... 😃 It would be interesting what is underneath this sticker... Another livery or blank plastic? Hm... 🤔

[@CharliChimp]

Hey Sam! I have the Pride version, and it doesn't have a manky vinyl wrap. I'm happy with my version, especially when I got it cheap. It even comes with extra little metal name plates! (I would've liked lights in it though,...)

[@ed4415]

I have had this train for 1 year now. Not only does the decorative wrap obscure details but it flakes and chips away at the edges under light touch. It is now relegated to a model for my kids to drive and abuse. On the other hand it drives very well with an enormous and cheap home made stay alive as there is loads of room inside and the hornby sound decoder is cheap. In the long run there is nothing for it but to strip the wrap off and treat it as my first attempt at respraying a loco. Model is fine but dont get big decorative wrapped versions. My kids still love it though so it has a place!

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks for sharing Ed - yes I've noticed that too - genuinely dreadful things! Great idea on the stayalive though - bet that makes a big difference! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@pettra1]

"Ridiculously naff" and "lipstick on a pig"; you had me roaring with laughter Sam! From a distance it looks lovely but up close it's an entirely different story. Even having a 5 pole motor is really small beer in a bar full of stiffs. Did it need lubricating in view of performance or did the pickups need adjusting? I have the Hattons Class 66 model which weighs 700 grams, I'll stick with that, I think. Calling it a Railways model when clearly it is a Railroad model is an insult to the quality Hornby Railways models out there (and quite a number of Railroad models too, I would suggest) There are still a number of the Hattons models still available. Best, Pete.

[@davidstewart5902]

Hi Sam great and accurate review. My parents bought me this exact 66 for Xmas last year and it is such a disappointment for what it is. I sold mine and bought a Bachman 66 in Evening Star livery. Much nicer and better made model with much more feature for only 40 pounds more. Keep up the great reviews.

[@SamsTrains]

haha good choice David! Yes for £40 the Bachmann is a far better choice... because they're actually decent! ;D Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@dafyddthomas7299]

Good and fair review Sam, Hornby's 66 models okay for punters to buy for particular livery / 2nd header loco and buy Bachmann / Hattons (apart from some QC issues) for a detailed version.

[@Damocles178]

lol do you have a map? I'm struggling to find the detail. Hattons knew what Hornby was up to when they suddenly went all out on 66 liveries. It was actually mentioned in James May's Big Trouble in Model Britain. A model like this (Malcolm specifically) is probably nice as wallpaper in a fuelling depot but not a patch on the higher grade models up close. However it is definitely true that depending on what livery of Hornby Class 66 you pick you could get a very decent looking one. I saw someone review the DB Schenker variant. None of the critical detail got lost under the livery. Everything was much clearer.

[@freebrickproductions]

Sounds like with the DB one they actually painted it, lmao.

[@SamsTrains]

haha if only I did have a map! Yes the Hornby 66s without the wrap are definitely going to be a bit better... but I bought this one :( Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@maringarvanovic8011]

As usual Sam I agree with a lot of what you have said. However, I believe there is a place for the Hornby 66. Yeah that wrap is crap and they should have lights but that is it for me on the criticism. I have 9 of them and 11 Bachmann. I have owned one Hattons 66 and could not wait to get rid of it. The Hornby one has surprising pulling power and mine have never let me down. If I do not run one for a couple of months it just goes, no hassle. The Bachmann ones will not. Your one needs running in and go for a DB one for detail on show.

[@andrewwalker8382]

I looked at some old Hornby catalogues from the early 90’s the other day. So charming, fun and simple. Hornby have simply lost their way. Again.

[@alfiestrains7190]

another great vid loved it sam ive been watching u for ages in 2015 i think ive well done on 100k you have grown

[@Chauglington_Station]

Crikey did they send you Hornby's decorated sample. Shocking for finished product!

[@SamsTrains]

I agree - how did they think this was okay?! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@poshdan4071]

I still don’t think testing an engines performance on a layout on a carpet floor isn’t particularly fair. Models are designed for a flat wooden baseboard layout, not fluffy uneven track

[@flickrscreen]

I finally bought a GBRf Metronet R30021 on sale for AUD99, or GBP56. It runs well enough, and looks much better than Sam's, as it's painted, not wrapped. The roof grille is painted silver, and looks better too. Interestingly, on the bottom RHS of page one it states: "Locomotive Bodywork - The locomotive body is overall spray painted and the rest of the decoration is applied by a printed process, not transfers." I wouldn't have bought at a higher price, and feel I've done well. It even comes with name plates!

[@maltnz]

Got one of these plus a Malcolm container - a train with my name on it seemed cool. Arrived with snowploughs loose (apparently a thing with many Hornby class 66). As they help hold in the couplers that is not good. But worse .. the motor bogey clip had broken away from the body leaving the motor held in only by the wires. The plastic motor shell is very thin. The wrap had also chipped away over some of the grooves. The replacement I got was better - no chips and the snowploughs were tighter. Take care of that finger - looks painful.

[@SamsTrains]

Ahh sorry to hear that - yes the quality isn't what it aught to be... glad your replacement was better though! Yeah the finger is fine thanks, much better since filming this! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@AsherHuskubus]

To be honest. You could potentially use this as like a scrapyard level class 66 for a layout tbh. A 66 working in a scrapyard while running on its last legs, shunting and making short trips back and forth to locations to deliver and collect materials.

[@jaydee2559]

What i will say about these is that they're all different quality - and i know why but i'll leave that until the end of my comment. I have two class 66s from Hornby - both bought brand new. The first one is the GBRf / Andrew Scott CBE. Runs well enough but i did notice after a while that it has a tendancy to slow down a little - on 3rd radius curves! That's not a good thing, 3rd radius should be easy to power along right? But I just assumed this was normal and left it at that. It crawls well at low speed and i was happy with it - even if the blue colour was a tad too dark. Well today i came home with the 2nd one. It's the Bardon Aggregates / Bill Bolsover version. I liked this as the shade of blue was nicer / lighter and while it didn't jump out at me from the shelf, it was certainly waving. So having reminded the retailer that he knocked off 10% last time, he did the same this time and i came home with it all excited. Excitement wasted! It runs like a dog. I'm really disappointed with it. On those same 3rd radius curves at the same speed setting it nearly comes to a complete STOP. Yes, you got me, it comes to an almost standstill. It's also slower that the other one oh and it hasa habit of causing a short on a set of points - which the GBRf / Andrew Scoot rides over with no hassle. I'm really disgruntled with Hornby over this - and my son is STILL waiting for his car transporter over 6 months after he was due it for his birthday gift all because Hornby can't get their act together. Anyway the newly acquired 66 is such a disappointment i'm going to take this up with Hornby direct. Now.. the cause. China. See Hornby are in Kent - the other side of it, or so i thought until I had a recent run-in with an external contractor that is used by their facilities. This chappy told me they now have a facility in canterbury and that he'd been there in his line of work. While being there he was shown two identical models by a Hornby rep - who showed them to him and asked his thoughts. The chap said they both looked great and asked what the difference was. One was made in Italy (presumably the old Lima setup?) and was well made. Then the hornby guy shows the chap the one from China. It had bits of excess plastic inside the body from where it's removed from the mouldings too quickly, They arrive in the UK and Hornby staff have to manually open them up and cut these bits of plastic out before repackaging them ready for sale and presumably there are other defects that may or may not be found and rectified. So basically, there is no quality assurance from their chinese partners and over there in china they're not really bothered about providing any form of quality, just knocking them out as fast as possible and sending them out to Hornby. This is a real shame but my source is credible and it is the problem behind a lot of Hornbys problems at present - although Hornby show no signs of wanting that to change. I only bought a 2nd class 66 due to the shade of blue (lol) but purely by accident i've exposed a glaringly obvious difference in quality that most people would never discover - as it's not often people buy two of the same model so they can compare them yet alone review them both. The irony is that i have a lima class 92 and 50 (victor hugo and a NSE) and both pull better than the Hornby 66s. The NSE does well but does need a service. The 92 is knackered - damaged chassis allowing the motor bogey to grind its gears against the sides.. traction tyre came off a month or two back and i've had to add in extra pickups made from 30A fuse wire.. but hte 92 is literally superior over all of them for reliability despite its faults - it never stalls, never slows, can pull a 28 car train on one traction tyre (literally the back of the train going round the loop just a foot or two in front of the 92).. its a lima and yet it's proven to be so much more reliable than my Hornby 66s.

[@317Dan]

So issues in realism for this particular example, 66434: Headlights are incorrect Windows are incorrect Grills on the roof and side are the wrong size Missing a door on one side of the body Fuel tank is the wrong size Maybe it's just me being picky because I know a lot about these locos but that sorta thing really puts me off.

[@SamsTrains]

Wow! So all in all, a great model from Hornby xD Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@RedShedNick]

Ah also did you realise the height of the silencers is incorrect, its sits below the top of the roof line!! Can be rectified thought, prise the silencer unit off as luckily its a seperate item and just build it up, i used white tack, and just refer to some photos to get the right height above the roofline, it makes a huge difference visually!

[@stuartaaron613]

I had experienced Hornby's Class 47 when I worked at Gulliver's Gate. It had the same mechanism as your Class 66, and it ran just as well (junk). I replaced it with a Bachmann Class 66 in Freightliner livery, which ran much better.

[@SamsTrains]

Yeah those really are junk - I've tried one of those - light as a feather too! Bachmann's diesels definitely have better mechanisms than these! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@lewiscartwright3609]

I have always wanted to get a Hornby Class 66 but I decided to wait for the right time also I may be Getting a Hornby railways tender driven Duchess of Sutherland for My 17th birthday

[@cbrooks122000]

I bought one of these after watching the James May program, after they were saying it was the latest and greatest. I was horrified when it came, I at least expected lights. The only good thing was I bought the Evening Star and the paint job on that is quite good. The body is the same as the old Lima class 66 but they have updated the bogies, chassis and mechanism. The reason I know is that I upgraded my old Lima chassis to be the same. Compared to the old Lima the Hornby new mechanism is a lot better especially if you want to add TTS sound as it draws far less power. I eventually bought a couple of Bachmann ones that Rails did cheap, and the same with a couple of Hattons ones. Both of these models are tons better, but as you say they are a lot more expensive, even on discount, but worth the extra.

[@robertgates7686]

Interesting review. My only Class 66 is the 'Capt Tom' special edition. It appears to have a different body moulding and a painted finish. No rivets on mine where you show the rivets in way of the grill. Pleased with mine running on DCC.

[@davidantoniocamposbarros7528]

The "committed to the environment" sentence in both sides of the model is pretty funny ngl

[@SamsTrains]

haha! xD

[@SprattyHeath]

Personally I don't think the Hornby 66 is all that bad for the price, at least they don't fall apart like the Hattons ones do...

[@SamsTrains]

haha that's fair enough! And that's true... though that's because there's nothing fitted on them that could fall off ;) Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@CustomiZe_]

@@SamsTrains haha yeah if anything fell off it would have to be the body 😅

[@TamworthTheOfficial]

I mean.. to be fair you can actually fit lighting to the Hornby 66.. I've seen it done before! Nice video anyway :D

[@petergrossett6763]

I’ll keep my £70 quid. I was thinking about buying a couple. Great review. How about a review of hornby railroad plus diesels? Class 20,37, and 73? Thanks Sam.

[@jaydee2559]

IF you bought a couple i think you'd be surprised at the difference between them. I've got two from hornby, one is alright (ish) the other one runs like a dog. Can barely make it round a 3rd radius (yes you did read that right) and on two spots almost completely stops. I'm pretty sure it'll do a eurostar soon and completely stop and let out some magic smoke. The other one does manage to get around but even that slows a bit - completely useless for pulling a train round at any sort of reliable scale performance speed. I've bought and tested two, you don't have to. Take my word on it, you're better off getting something else.

[@pierslindley]

"Adding a decoder would be like putting lipstick on a pig". Made me splutter over my tea lol. I wonder if it might be redeemed a little if you could peel the rap off. Then again you could buy a second hand Lima body and do a swap over. That's if the power pack can be said to be better than the old lima motors?

[@SamsTrains]

haha sorry about the tea Piers! I'd be fascinated to try pulling off the wrap... might be worth a try some time! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@Railway.Enthusiast.1989]

i have a Hornby RAILROAD class 66 and it's in Colas Rail Freight livery plus you can see the cab doors on it. That lima Freightliner class 66 506 Crew Regeneration that you have, i saw the real thing of that parked up on the east midlands branch line opposite me and i took some photos of it. 😊

[@DomWhibley]

A Railroad model in all but the name and probably rushed too. Had they given it more time in development, could have created an excellent diesel for the younger audience. Just a shame it was rushed into competition.

[@SamsTrains]

Yeah exactly... just pulling out the old tools and slapping big stickers on was never going to cut it... had to be said! ;D Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@jeffb6730]

Always test sprung buffers with index finger only

[@modelrailwaynoob]

I have Bachmann and Hornby Class 66s. I plan to buy a Hatton's version at some point. My Bachmann has a built in sound decoder and lights but that was reflected in the price. I own the ONE, Capt Tom, BR and the new delivering for our keyworkers locomotives (because I was one) Hornby models. I tend to put sound decoders in them all and I have light packs to add. All of mine run very well. I got what I paid for, so I don't have any complaints.

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks a lot for sharing - glad to hear you were pleased with all of yours! :D Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@wickedwitch99]

Wow the wraps are shocking.. I'm a little surprised, I bought a Hornby 66 "Cemex Express" about a year ago and it has a really nice paint finish which is enhanced with a little weathering. Why Hornby would go with what is basically a "sticker" amazes me.

[@jwpalfrey]

Great review as always Sam. I was shocked to see that Hornby have used a wrap as a livery, and done such a bad job. Shocking. I have a freight liner Lima model from early 2000 and that wrap it terrible. You have highlighted how valuable reviews are in the day of remote/online sales. I’d send it back if I’d have received it. However we now all know to be wary of this. I hope Hornby don’t repeat it. I know why they’ve done it. But at the sample/prototype stay they should have stopped it or changed it. As a follow up see if you can find out if other liveries are wrapped and thus can advise us. As the price isn’t too bad if it was on a par to the Lima model of old.

[@fatmaninthesun1]

Christmas is coming but I don’t think you will be getting a card from Mr Hornsby. Great review, always entertaining when you get the hump. Keep up the good work Sam

[@SamsTrains]

haha I doubt that too! Appreciate it Dennis, Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@ciaranburke3243]

Hi sam im glad you reviewed this as I have a db red 66 for a few years now and although it's cheap and cheerful it runs nicely and never had problems with stalling, the wrap on that one is appalling, the best part of it is the fancy railways box 😂

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks for sharing! Yes the non-wrapped versions look way better for sure! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@louisbuscarino7330]

Sam this is the first time I can say I am disappointed in a Hornby engine. Even at the price it is not worth it. I have old 66 ‘s that are much better. This is why I do not buy until I watch your reviews. Thank you Sam for saving me from a mistake.

[@freebrickproductions]

At least with the bad-running Bachmann and Heljan models they look decent (and as such, you can put them on display on the layout), but this doesn't even have that going for it, lol. Honestly, it would be neat to see a "head to head" for the various Class 66s in production right now some day.

[@lapiswake6583]

I've got a hornby 59 (59001 Yeoman Endeavour in Aggregate Industries livery) which would be an identically tooled model to this, although I got it back in 2012 i think. I added weight to it to improve traction, as well as adding bullfrog snot to replace the traction tyres, but it still is way less powerful than a bachmann 25. Lights may be a future modification, once I can face attacking the noses with a drill. I had a lima EWS 66200 for a while, which is obviously the basis of this model, but I swapped it for other stuff. So yeah, the DCC socket and motor are upgrades, as are the new style wheels and all wheel pickup, and the NEM pockets plus the object deflectors. This model should really be in the railroad range. Or at least branded railroad+ due to its 'advanced' livery application which doesn't seem present here at all. The decoration really is shocking, and looked much better in promo shots (although I didn't look at promo shots of this livery tbh) I've got 3 bachmann 66s (EWS 66135, Freightliner Heavy Haul 66610, FirstGroup GBRf 66725) and a hattons 66 (GBRf/large logo 66789), and I'd rather get another hattons 66 than 2 of these.

[@geoker55]

I kept checking the date to ensure it wasn't April. I kept expecting you to tell us you picked this up at the Pound Store. Snarkyness aside, I know not everyone can afford expensive models, but like you said, even budget models should have standards. And that, I think, is what upsets me most. I have been on the buying end of budget models that ended up subpar and it's just a waste of money.

[@richardhiggins6471]

I think Simon Kohler said that Hornby Railroad models only had a maximum of three painted colours in their livery. E.g. model moulded in green plastic with painted red bufferbeam, black smokebox and white lining (Flying Scotsman). So the original railroad class 66 had very simple livery but nice crisp mouldings. It's a shame if their attempt to give a more complex livery has been done on the cheap by some vinyl wrap.

[@dcb_trains]

I had the previous Malcom Hornby 66 and got it new for less than £60 and the livery was much better and it runs great

[@thomasawl]

To be honest, I am a cheap sort of person who buys 0-4-0s and older locos but I bought the pink ONE livery one and couldn’t find a problem with it. Although, it really should be a railroad loco.

[@davidbugler4597]

Detail... Mmm. This level of detail is what we used to think was pretty good seventy years ago on Hornby Dublo cast-metal bodies. Not outstanding -- we were all blown away by the exquisite detail on their first 0-6-0T plastic bodies -- but pretty good for the 1950s. Maybe someone at Rovex/Tri-ang/'Hornby' is nostalgic for the good old days when things were so much simpler... Thanks for the unbiassed and very useful review.

[@SamsTrains]

Yeah exactly - the wrapping has literally reduced these to 1940s detailing. No problem mate, thanks for dropping by, Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@the_autism_express]

Fun fact: the BR Class 66 is based on the American EMD SD40-2 class of freight engines

[@SamsTrains]

Yes you're right - such a cool fun fact! :D Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@cacline72]

The 66 is closer to an SD60 or SD70 in terms of electronics and computer controls, the 59 is closer to an SD40-2 than the 66.

[@freebrickproductions]

@@cacline72 Well, the 59 was basically an SD40-2 in a body that could fit within the UK's tiny loading gauge, lol.

[@railsuisseromande]

Hi Sam, nice video as usual ;-) It would be interesting to see the ESU (Electronic Solution Ulm) (Germany) class 66 in comparaison of the 3 models as it has very interesting functions that the other don’t have. Cheers

[@anfieldroadlayoutintheloft5204]

good vid sam keep up the good vids

[@SamsTrains]

Thank you so much! :D Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@SaltyVan]

Michael Jackson singing about being good after seeing this (“Bad” reference)

[@matthewneleigh567]

If the mechanism were close to decent, I might consider getting one of the Malcolm ones just to strip and repaint in a different livery, but as it stands... no thank you.

[@SamsTrains]

That'd be a game changer for me too - proper mechanism with all-wheel drive would make this much more like it for the money! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@chrisj6321]

oh noooo i purchased this one out of a choice of three hornby 66s because I liked the livery. Didnt realise it was a wrap. haven't openned it yet

[@johnd8892]

Hard to pick up current from wheels with traction tyres fitted. Another reason to avoid them. Cannot think of any Australian HO diesel or electric models without all wheel drive and pick ups since the first Austrains 442 changed the game in the late nineties and put the skids under Lima and their old drive systems.

[@jaydee2559]

Traction tyres shouldn't make any difference to the electrical pick ups. The pick ups should be on the non motorised bogey where the tyres won't even be needed.

[@Alpha-oo8]

I remember someone telling me Hornby locos were more detailed than other manufacturers… this kinda puts a dent in that… Not quite as awful as I was expecting, but still, not good, is it?

[@SamsTrains]

They sometimes can be... but then they do things like this with certainly do put a dent in it! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@richardcopeland3226]

love the concept that the price should be related in some way to the weight of the loco

[@Mariazellerbahn]

17:00 This has the running qualities of a 3 pole motor.

[@mrhaggit]

I have the Biffa waste version which doesn't seem to even work any more after having it since maybe 2018

[@sturmtigerking4263]

I have one of these in the BIFFA livery which I say is fairly well applied. But I like it because it was extremely cheap however it could just be In the railroad range. Great video.

[@SamsTrains]

Ahh interesting - so not as bad as this then? Thanks for sharing! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@sturmtigerking4263]

@@SamsTrains nope not as bad as that, should definitely be in the railroad range though.

[@paullepine4765]

Thanks for the review Sam - doesn't pull any punches! Whilst it is fairly weak and should be in the Railroad range no question, it is not as bad as the Railroad Class 47 (unbelievably light and weak!) and the very expensive new Avanti West Coast Train Pack which (the two examples I have owned) derail constantly on the motor bogie in either direction when stopping or starting. What on earth are Hornby doing? Thank you for being honest!

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks a lot Paul - yes their 47 did seem much lighter... and the way they put them into Railways train packs is insane! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@CustomiZe_]

Its a bit like that top gear episode where jc wrapped his vw golf in orange velvet but covered everything including door seals so he could only open the drivers door and windows. He even wrapped over the sunroof haha 😄 😆 😂

[@ravenmusic6392]

I picked one up for 60 quid in a local shop, getting it mended soon. For me it runs quite well and does the Job from a distance, but it get the point you’re making, it isn’t the most detailed and for a railways range it’s not enough, maybe a railroad could be better

[@Calvertfilm]

Thanks for the review. Wow. I generally like 66s but this one I can leave as I have three nice Hornby ones.

[@atomic...]

Hornby could of used a scalpel to cut the vinyl rap where it covers the gaps in the vents and the indented details like the doors and i doubt sprung buffers are very expensive. For some reason this video reminded me of a programme on the Yesterday channel on October 11th about Hornby, i don't know what time its on though.

[@davidstrains4910]

11th October on yesterday at 9:00pm

[@atomic...]

Thanks for providing the time. I was watching the advert with like a 3rd of my attention.

[@Verylonelyloconow]

Im pretty sure they have fixed the problem with wrap

[@karlyoung3275]

You should get ahold of the mehano one its got lights and fans and separately fitted details... According to eBay I didn't even know mehano did one tbh

[@pedalcarguy]

"Lipstick on a pig!" You made me squirt coffee from my nose.

[@SamsTrains]

haha!! That sounds painful! ;D Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@BigBoy-em3cb]

I watched this whole video at 66% volume. Also Sam I hope your finger is better soon.

[@andrewharrison5983]

I totally agree with you regarding the Wrap/Crap finish on the Loco, only 2 driven axles what the hell are they thinking of?

[@Robutube1]

"Lipstick on a pig" 😁. Hornby, the market leader, need to be careful that they don't destroy their heritage and thereby their reputation with cheap shots like this.

[@SamsTrains]

Yeah I agree - they wasted their time on these 66s with the wrapping! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@yattonjunction]

@@SamsTrains Too late Sam, they have already destroyed their image with their cheap dealer stunts and rubbish quality. Bachmann for ever!

[@lukeslocomotives]

Bad decoration? My experience is the complete opposite. It is the NHS (66731) Limited Edition from last year. The decoration was really good exept the nameplates (but they were printed onto the corrugated bodyside so it isnt their fault) but they provided etched nameplates to cover that imperfection anyway

[@SamsTrains]

Ahh interesting - so they're not consistent either then?! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@lukeslocomotives]

@@SamsTrains yup

[@chrisr19897]

Decoration and the fact that it has the capability to take s DCC decoder are as modern as it gets. Hornby are really missing a trick by missing out on features like lights, sprung buffers and separately fitted details.

[@SamsTrains]

Yeah definitely - not cheap enough not to have lights etc sadly :( Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@paulweston8755]

Thanks Sam, much appreciated and brilliant as always

[@SamsTrains]

No problem Paul, thanks so much for your kind words! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@tgk300xx4]

You say for it to be a model regardless of the price the basics have to be met. They have In this case. It looks good, pulls well and will be reliable. I have a 12 year old Hornby 66 which is reliable as anything.

[@SamsTrains]

Nope - because it doesn't look good - the livery application (and detailing as a result) are absolutely dire... you obviously didn't watch the video. Your 12 year old Hornby 66 won't have the new wrap-style decoration that this does! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@tgk300xx4]

@@SamsTrains You’re looking at it from far too close up. Realistically, people would barely have noticed these issues had you not zoomed in so far.

[@aleopardstail]

actually used to have one of these in the days I had a OO layout, to my shame I had the choice of this or the Bachman for similar money at the time.. and picked this.. its not bad as it goes, review is spot on, I DCC fitted it and off it trundled with the only short rake of wagons I had which it managed killer issue was the traction tyres, I made my own pointwork, which shredded the tyres, naturally at the most inaccessible bit of the layout where it sat spinning its wheels, unable to even move its own weight so yeah. never did get them fixed my verdict: avoid

[@SamsTrains]

Oh wow - for the same money the Bachmann would be a better deal... but it's not your fault for not knowing, it's Hornby's for marketing this as a Railways model! Ahh sorry to hear about the tyre problems - another reason why those are no good! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@aleopardstail]

@@SamsTrains its why I like your reviews, at least I had the EWS one without the wrap, that stuff is a pig to apply on a 1:1 scale train never mind a little one it was a while back, think this was about £50 and the Bachman about a fiver more, was kicking myself when I saw the reviews of both online after, was just a spur of the moment thing when my better half said "go on then" thanks for the reviews

[@mariebcfhs9491]

they could have done a discount at 66£66 and that would be nice also, I must absolutely say this.... Commander Sam, the time has come. Execute order 66 P/S: 7:50 you have explained why I like to call them order 66, lol. They destroyed the classic diesel era

[@blisseyran-dom6822]

Ooh that score though... Going back to the quality, I have to say props to Hornby for the gauging. It doesn't seem like a lot but recently I bought an absolutely stunning 57 from Bachmann recently and it had everything you'd want in a model and the price was brilliant. The problem, the wheels came in from 14.6-14.8. So it can't run on track which with points, or insulated fish plates leaving a gap in the rail. 🙄 Just goes to show how even the smallest details need to be considered, which raises the question of how Hornby got that right for the 66 and everything else wrong...

[@SamsTrains]

Yeah that's very true - Hornby seem to be consistently good with their gauging - probably the most accurate of the brands! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@Mariazellerbahn]

I thought that Sam was very generous with his stars.