I don't buy RTR locomotives. I like to kit build small industrial steam engines. And yet here is a small industrial in a box from Hornby. How could I resist?
When the Peckett was first announced, it was immediately high on the list of models I'd spend my own money on. No freebies here, my local model shop is £70 better off and I have a nice new red box. Compared to the RRP of £87.99 this is a bargain (and not from a box-shifter) and is easily comparable to the cost of kit and bits for a model you have to make yourself.
I've chosen the Huntley and Palmers livery as I like biscuits and it's the prettiest on offer, but Manchester Ship Canal and 565 Dodo are also in the shops at the moment.
Comparing the model to prototype photos, I can't see anything obviously wrong with it. There will doubtless be nit-pickers but these locos saw more than the usual number of detail changes and modifications during their lives so you'd need to pick a particular date for the prototype you are comparing it against if you want to moan.
Since this is a sort of review which means I'm legally required to moan, the smokebox door/handle looks a little flat to me but they weren't exactly bulbous. Whatever, it's certainly more than a match for my kit-built models and will happily sit amongst them. The under-tank pipework is particularly well done, far better than my efforts with bits of wire.
What I do see is flawless paintwork. The decorations is superbly applied and well beyond the ability of the vast majority of model painters. Again, to be pedantic, I wonder if the chimney top and dome should be a better colour match. Both could be replaced with turned brass aftermarket parts if preferred, the paint isn't an especially good representation of unpainted brass. A bit of weathering would fix this and save attacking the model with a saw.
Take the body off, two screws with one hidden under the front coupling, and you see the chassis in all it's glory. The five pole motor drives a compact gear train allowing enough space up front for a DCC chip should you feel the need. A 4-pin in-line socket facilitates this. Finding space for a speaker would be more of a challenge.
On the track, the model runs very, very sweetly straight from the box. How much improvement running in would provide is questionable. I've not built many chassis that could hold a candle to it.
So there it is. Superb. This model should be a cash cow for Hornby if they make it available in 4 or 5 different liveries each year. Purely on cuteness, I'd see many collectors buying one of each. There aren't even any detail bits supplied to confuse anyone.
So, it's a superb model and will doubtless inspire lots of people to have a crack at some minimum space layouts. I've a few ideas in that direction myself.
Let's finish with some numbers:
Length over buffer: 83.5mm
Width over bufferbeams: 32mm
Height to cab roof: 48mm
Wheel diameter: 12.8mm
Wheel width: 2.8mm (measured over tread & flange)
B2B: 14.4mm
Haulage: 0.02kg (0.7oz)
8 comments:
Phil,
Thanks for the timely review of the Hornby Peckett. In it you wrote 'Again, to be pedantic, I wonder if the chimney top and dome should be a better colour match.'
If a loco was provided with these 'shiny bits' then the chimney cap would normally be made of copper whilst dome covers were brass. So different materials = different colours. The two components also look to be nicely weathered e.g. neither has been polished for a few days.
Thanks for your blog - you must be really dedicated to manage 365 posts a year. Best wishes for Christmas and the New Year.
Geoff
I see you cunningly avoided answering the question some of us are asking, how easy would it be to pop triang Polly body on ?
I am kit bashing the dalpol pug kit to a Beckett 0-4-0. You have to change the chassis a bit and cab. It needs a completely new tank and boiler - simples
I was hoping mine would be here by today. Wish I'd got such a good price for my pre-order.
With a post Xmas surplus of biscuit tins who will be first to produce a H & P micro layout in one?
I see Richard Thompson has got his hands on one, i don't know if he will be planning any detailing parts in the RT range.
THe big question is what else (apart from Tony's excellent idea) would fit on that chassis.
I don't do RTR either (the new Minitrains wing tank that the OO9 crowd are cooing over is bloody awfull for example), but this little Peckett is lovely! I want one.
Some good ideas here. I wonder what a Peckett/Polly mash-up would look like. Not sure if I have a Polly to check. I do have that red 70s version though.
At the price, I can see there being lots of conversion potential. It's not so expensive the keen modeller couldn't have a go with some conversion bits. I look forward to seeing what RT Models come up with, although it's not like the thing needs a lot of work.
Now, how big a box do Huntley & Palmers biscuits come in?
Mine finally arrived this afternoon, in the green Dodo livery. And actually I'd got the price mixed up with another loco on order, so I got it for £70 as well.
It would definitely benefit from etched name and work plates but other than I'm really impressed. Now the question is do I do an EM conversion or use it as is for a while on a micro layout. Ian Holmes had a nice little plan for something based on Purfleet Quay in Kings Lynn.
Hey Phil, are you able to measure the wheelbase of this locomotive model?
Unfortunately I can not fid the information anywhere. I am thinking about use this chassis for a industrial locomotive I am trying to scratch build.
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