The Hornby 61xx

[footplate1947]

The Hornby 61xx loco.............I bought one of these about 7 years ago and it has been used a few times and it is still working fine. But recently I purchased another one on the bay which looked fine and happy with it when it arrived but after a short run the guide rails snapped off the back of the cylinder. I tried to buy spare set of cylinders but to my surprise they do not seem to be available anywhere. So I bought another complete chassis which looked unused but the same thing happened to that after only a short run on test. Have come to conclusion that this loco is best tossed in the bin if it goes faulty as Hornby and nobody else seems to have any spares. So it has been put into the old spares box now. You live and learn. And £60s wasted.. John

[Mike Parkes]

Dangers of second hand purchasers - as you say you have had one for years without problem but two used ones have quickly gone faulty which could simply due to the wrong lubricant having been used on them previously (WD40 for example). Lack of spares is down to batch production that exists these days; once another batch is produced spares will become available either as a result of specifically being supplied or as a result of faulty models being broken down for their okay components.

[footplate1947]

Yes your right Mike I will keep it in my box and hope some new cylinders appear one day. One thing I have learnt over the years. If you wait long enough things always come along in the end.

[Mountain Goat]

Are they made to the same tooling as thw Airfix and Mainline examples? Could these be made to fit? Ah. I think you have explored that avenue. Just seen the other post.
If it otherwize works you could use the chassis for another project?

[Mike Parkes]

The Airfix/Mainline/Dapol/Hornby 61xx's are all largely the same tooling;
1977 - Airfix 54150 Great Western No.6110 & 54151 BR lined black - early emblem No.6167 (these had unflanged centre drivers)
1984 - Mainline 937083 GWR No.6169 and 937086 BR lined green late crest No.6167
Extant stocks of the four above models were sold by Dapol from 1985 as their D21-D24 (they did not actually make any)
1999 onwards various models sold by Hornby with a different motor to previously. DCC socket fitted from 2010, and some changes made from 2012 including sprung buffers and fixed pony truck (Source:Ramsay's British Model Trains Catalogue 9th edition)

[footplate1947]

Yes quite right MG the Later versions made by Hornby were up dated with rivet detail and steam pipes done better that the older Airfix ones but the two cylinder parts were exactly the same in every other was and are interchangeable. But there are none to be found anywhere Airfix or Hornby types. So will just have to wait until one comes along. I now am the owner of 2 chassis, One with slide bars broken off the right side and the other broken off the left. So what I am going to do as a temporary bodge fix until I can find the part I need is to cut the two I have in half and rejoin them so the loco I have can at least be used. ........John

[footplate1947]

Sorry Mike when I was writing this last post your one was not there........John

[Mountain Goat]

It has been years since I had an Airfix example, but something on my mind regarding basic scratchbuilding techniques where a pair of pins were used as slide rods in the way that locos like the Triang Hall class had. Could a similar thing be made to get your loco back on the track? (I mean the loco that you will take thw other bits off to get one loco going... The other loco could be done up the old scratchbuilders way? It is just an idea).

[footplate1947]

Yes that is one idea. MG. I had idea of using slide bars from one of the other similar locos from past Hornby. I have in my odd and sods box quite few different types I have collected over the years. But I am going ahead with cutting and shutting the pair I have then I am hoping soon to pick up the correct one from somewhere.........John