Friday, December 23, 2016

Hornby Peckett 0-4-0 R3429

Hornby Peckett

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.

Hornby Peckett

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.

Peckett Chassis 1

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.

Peckett Chassi 2

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:

Geoff said...

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

Mr Taylor Anthony said...

I see you cunningly avoided answering the question some of us are asking, how easy would it be to pop triang Polly body on ?

davee52uk said...

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

James Finister said...

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.

Paul B. said...

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.

Phil Parker said...

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?

James Finster said...

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.

Duncan said...

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.