Where to start?

Dark Red Cape.

There is an online searchable database. The linked page opens on the Locomotive search [look to the left hand vertical column to focus search for coaches or wagons]. You can select a Hornby filter to only search on Hornby R coded products. The link for this website is published in my "Useful Links" sticky post. Scroll down to the "Online Calculator & Database" section, it is currently the last entry in that section.

A forum member (name escapes me at present) often replies to these type of queries with a link to his spreadsheet where he has documented every Hornby release going back to the year dot. If he sees this post and recognises the description, he may post a current working link again.

Ramsay's "British Model Trains" catalogue is a mine of information for all British manufacturers giving product catalogue numbers, a brief description (for Hornby, usually noting if the item is from the Railroad range), dates produced and values of almost all locomotives, units and rolling stock issued.

However, it has not been published since April 2016 and, for the two volumes costs over £30. There are evidently no plans for it to be updated because of the sheer magnitude of the task, the Rovex/Tri-ang/Hornby section alone taking up well over 100 pages.

Others may well be able to advise re online databases.

Hi DRC, for a hard copy the Ramsey guide is the best by far.As GS says the only problem is that the latest edition is quite out of date.The latest edition of that book is edition 9, comes in 2 volumes.

on line the best site is Hornbyguide, unfortunately once again not a full list of all Hornby products,in my opinion not as good as Ramsey guide.

The other member who Chris refered too is a member called Anglia, something or other.Not sure but think he only has catalogued Locomotives.

It is Anglia998

Thanks to New Lad for the memory jog.

I recently had to make a small repair on one of my locos and very quickly I’ve realised that to work on these things, it really helps to have something to cradle them in.

I’ve had a good look around it seems that most people use a U shaped piece of semi rigid foam. I’ve no problem with a method like this if this is what works, but are there any dedicated tools or stations for this?

Peco servicing cradle.

HI DRC

Just read you post at the bottom of page 10.

The small problem with what you are doing is a lot of the moulds may have been made years before the release date of the item

Take the series 2 Pullman coaches which was used in the R3093 Tornado Pullman set made in 2011 the moulds used date back to 1975, The current Railroad Pullman Coaches made today are from the same 1975 moulds.

You need either several Hornby catalogues spread over several years and or a copy of the Ramsey Guide, to use as a guide as to what you wish to buy, as it is a bit of a jungle with production moulds used over decades or the same R number used for completely different item. Duplication is not so bad today with the 4X numbers system only today there is Rxxxx a b c or d to think about.

Hi DRC. All good advice here, but also check out if you have a local model railway club, words are fine but can be misinterpreted, seeing a physical example or demonstration along with the words can give additional clarity. I have Oliver too (the original version from the early 1970's) and it is still an awesome puller (20+ Mk1's), currently in pieces and being super detailed to more modern standards. Then I have another 6 of the same class as I like them so much. Custard and cream or all maroon Mk1's are fine, even a mixture is prototypical. Enjoy.

Rog - I had a good look around and ended up going for the ESU servicing cradle. It’s expensive, but I figure I’m going to use it a lot, and the slanted side of it was a big selling point for me. I’m sure I could have made something myself for cheaper, so maybe I will next time.

Tony57 - I have to admit that the coaches seem to be my biggest concern obstacle right now. Trying to figure out when they were made can be difficult, then trying to find them in stock is another matter. Maybe I’m too much of a perfectionist for this hobby.

null_null98 - There is a model shop not too far from me that I have been popping into when around that way. He doesn’t have any active trains or a layout due to his shop being so cramped, but it was helpful to see coaches and wagons close up to gauge their size and gauge how long X amount would be. I also found it very helpful to see all the skaledale items, it really helped with planning a layout. M

A big thank you to everyone who continues to frequent my thread and answer my rookie questions.

Have a lovely Christmas everyone.

For locomotives and rolling stock, a very broad-brush approach, because there are exceptions, is that almost everything with a 3-digit R-number dates from before 2000 when Hornby introduced R1xxx for sets, R2xxx for locomotives, R4xxx for coaches and some NPCCS (non passenger-carrying coaching stock) and R6xxx for vans and wagons. Prior to 1998, all production was at Margate and it was only with the transfer to China that both mechanisms and detailing were improved towards what you see today. Although produced in China, most Railroad-series rolling stock items are based upon superannuated Margate tooling. Another (very generalised) clue is the style of coupling fitted: the traditional Margete wide-bar coupling gradually gave way to couplings with narrower plug-in heads and eventually NEM style.