spares

[mike]

Hi All, can anyone help, I have a Hornby BR Patriot, loco named PLANET R2633x bought last year, unfortunatly due to a mishap the front buffer beam has been broken, the question is can anyone sudgest where a replacement beam or whole body can be found, I have tried the original supplier, a guy in Southampton and also Hornby customer services, no body has replied as yet, it still runs ok, but would be nice to have it repaired. many thanks Mike.

[Flashbang]

Hi Mike,
Sorry to read about the damage.

You could try these two suppliers of spare parts....
East Kent Models (phone contact is best for them)
http://www.eastkentmodels.co.uk/
Or
Abbiegails
http://www.hornbyspares.com/

Good luck with your searches.

[Son of Triangman]

Hi Mike

It's might also be worth trying toy and train fairs. Spare bodies and spares are a real weakness on today's modern superdetail locos, the manufacturers aren't supplying them as a rule. Just before I retired two weeks ago I had a Brand new Hornby 61XX that had broken cylinders from new, I ended up selling it for spares as sending it back to the factory would have cost cash and they didn't have spares for it anyway and that's a brand new loco straight from the factory. You will find a lot of repairable modern superdetail locos dumped in boxes at toy and train fairs simply because of the lack of spare parts.

If I see a spare body on my travels as I am now building up stuff to build a big retro layout with DCC and a mix modern track and old Super 4, I will grab the body for you.

I wish you luck with your searches.

[mike]

Welcome Son of Triangman and thank you both, accidents do happen unfortunatly, I have tried Abigails but they can't help, I will lookout for one, mine is only a home layout in the making so not a major problem for showing. many thanks again. Mike.

[Son of Triangman]

Hi Mike, Thank you it's nice to be here. Going to see an old friend Monday who has a lot of spare loco bodies as he splits locos for spares, so I will ask him if he has a suitable body for you.

[mike]

Hi Son of Triang Man, any luck with the loco body? Mike.

[Son of Triangman]

Hi Mike

I went to see my old friend but not on Monday, I ended up going to see them on friday, sadly no body for your scot alas, he was in the middle of splitting eurostars for spares and bagging them up as spares packs. I will keep looking for you but I don't hold out much hope at present, unless a contact of mine splits a loco for spares.

Spares with Hornby and other makers for super detail locos are a real issue, particularly spare bodies. Hornby's decision to not supply spare loco bodies to the public and to drop the part numbers for them from the service sheets has been a major blunder on their part. It means people have £100+ locos sitting around with broken bodies doing nothing. Spares in fact in general for super detail locos seem to be pretty poor in terms of availability. You can see spares tubs and boxes with brand new super detail locos in them at the toy fairs just wanting that elusive part/s, picked up 12 sueprdetail Hornby spam can chassis before I retired, all had part's that were needed but which aren't available. I split them for spares and sold them on as bags of parts.

Just before I retired I had a brand new 61xx here a few weeks ago, it had broken slide bars straight from the box(the 61xx slide bars are palstic and break all too easily), so I contacted Hornby and they didn't have the part so said send it back as we will exchange the loco for a new one, it was going to cost £7 just for special delivery postage to send it back which was going to have to come out of my pocket, so I ended up splitting the loco for spares and floging it on as spares. Splitting seems to be the way to go with modern models for spare parts. I might come out of retirement the way spare parts are going and split brand new modern locos for spares as a living.

Will keep looking anyway.

[mike]

Many thanks for your time and effort, much appreciated. Mike.