Article in BRM Magazine

Hi Maurice, I agree with you.

Funnily enough, I haven’t visited any other trade stand at any model rail show and heard them making negative and disparaging remarks about any company who are behind the reason they are there. If they have any negative feelings they keep this to themselves because it’s the courteous and decent thing to do! They certainly don’t want to bite the hand that feeds! Oh well.....keep banging heads lads!

I don't recall ever speaking to anyone who mentioned that they read the instruction book and couldn't get their loco to work. It was only ever Adrian who brought up the subject and it seems the damage is already done, judging by the the BRM article.

It is more than likely that Hornby have heard his negative criticisms too, and perhaps the reason why we struggle to have any meaningful communication with them.

Too late maybe but yes! let's forgo the use of the instruction book and teach people how to drive these engines the way we know how.

Hi Adrian,

Are you agreeing with my post as well as Chris's, or just Chris's?

Good luck with getting the information, I can't get most committee members to respond about attendance at Ally Pally in three weeks.

How do you plan to get the information, will you put up a post on the Club website?

I'd be interested to know, should you get some meaningful information, what from a practical point of view you plan to do with it?

I agree with you entirely Chris.

There are many who have successfully succeeded in running locos without ever reading the handbooks, me included.

The fact remains though that most people who fired their locos up did not have a fun time and gave up, maybe after just one run. Sales on ebay mostly say "run once" or something similar.

It would be illuminating to attempt a census of surviving locos. maybe we should try it. They will be categorised as follows:

1. a% owned by our members in varying degrees of sevicibility

2. b% by people who run them successfully like us but not members

3. c% brand new never run

4. d% used once or twice and put away by owner who was not motivated enough to continue but aiming to have a go "one day"

5. e% used once or twice and put away by disappointed owner in 'as new' condition

I personally think the vast majority are in categories 4 and 5 ie run once or twice and still owned by either a disappointed or unmotivated owner and the big challenge is finding them and getting them to have another go.

The biggest challenge (and virtually a lost one) would be if most owners were outside the population of exhibition goers, magazine buyers, model shop visitors and youtube model railway clip .viewers

I too have some concerns that this article will not help our cause with Hornby. For quite a while, on and off I have been talking to Simon about publishing the original manuals along with Adrian's addendum (correcting the errors) in the Getting Started section of the site and he seemed to be reasonably amenable to the idea but I don't believe constantly reminding Hornby, especially in print, will serve any purpose in furthering our chances of co-operation with them.

I don't think any of us disagree the the handbook had errors in it and back in the day it may have put off some people. However, there are many who have successfully succeeded in running locos without ever reading the handbooks and in this day and age there is plenty of how to do it information readily available from other sources.

I agree entirely. Keep the manual in the relevant box and only mention its ambiguity when absolutely needed.