Username

Tom Davidson

 

Version

08375 BR Blue with hinged door 32-111A

 

Appearance

Good overall shape, but some slightly chunky parts (such as the connecting rods and front fan grille) mean that it looks less realistic than the Hornby equivalent. Good rendition of BR Blue that looks even better when weathered.

 

Detail

The weight of the model gives it a solid, sturdy and robust feel. I didn’t try fitting any extra detail to the loco, although I think the steps had already been added. Make sure you glue these in as one set had fallen off! Although the handrails look quite fragile, they have a degree of bend in them which prevents any breakage.

 

Performance

Extremely smooth running loco, quieter than the Hornby model and better suited to insulfrog points due to the sprung centre axle. Pickups can get a bit dirty as they run on the wheel treads, but if these are adjusted and cleaned regularly you should have no problems. A low top speed is in keeping with a shunting loco of this type.

 

Maintenance

It was easy to open up the body and fit a DCC decoder, with plenty of room behind the front grille. Cleaning the wheels and pickups was also fairly easy, and it was easy to put it all pack together again once finished.

 

Comments

Excellent little shunting loco, with a great mechanism and easy maintenance regime. The pickup design has since changed to go behind the wheel, which should mean they get less dirty. Some overly chunky parts make it look more model-like than the crisp and clean Hornby 08, but improved performance will win the day for many.

 

Overall ranking

9/10