R1281M Hornby Red Rover Train Set Review

I’ve wanted to buy this set for a while and when it popped up for just £139.99 I jumped at the chance
It normally retail’s between £158.99 to £190 or there abouts

Come have a look at this set and see what you think

[leokimvideo]

Hornby has been so slow in moving forward into modern trains they now have multiple generations of potential buyers finding a more up to date hobby to play with. I'm not surprised in any way Hornby's share price is going to $0. They seem to be unable to read the marketplace and supply sufficient stock lines. Just incredible the same old rubbish controller is used, very old design rolling stock and a siding that can't even hold the whole train. My God it's not rocket science to make things right.

[azuma]

They should make a cheap Railroad quality Class 800 train set, like the 395 they did.

[James]

I have found a number of diesel locos have unnecessary plastic stops in the bogies that limit rotation. If you want to run them you can remove the stop from either 1 or both bogies and you can run on any track. My class 66 now runs on anything no issues at all.

[eurovnik]

Great video. Converting the loco to to DCC was very easy once I got the body shell off.
Interestingly although the moulding appears to be from the old Lima model, the mechanism has changed. Only one bogie is powered whereas the Lima design has a central motor with flywheel driving both bogies.

[BritishRail]

Nice train set. Its ideal for newcomers as its more robust than the fine scale models. Its more forgiving when being handled.

[toucan]

thanks for this review, its a long time since i had Hornby railway, at least I can see what things might be like for me, if I decide to start going for trains again. As you say there's a lot in the box and nicely packed too 😃😃

[chuckmaddison]

They should give more track . Enough for a twin track loop and sidling or 2.
Update, just had another look seems best option with track pack's
B, C, D comes in at $ 640 for me plus table tennis table another $ 130.
Must ask if you don't mind. I guess you from South Cymru.

[brucejohnston]

Nice one Steve nice looking train set cheers from Bruce.blenheim south island new Zealand

[williamvanalen]

I totally agree about the artwork. I think sometimes the artwork on the box is better than the contents.

[danielpeter]

Thanks for the vid ! This is now on offer for £130 and includes a free anniversary locomotive and real Christmas tree

[Thetrainbloke]

If I see that tanker in any other set (I’ve got like five) my head will self implode

[AgenoriaModelTrains]

Personally I'd like to see a set with a Class 67 and 2 Mk3 coaches in Chiltern Railways Mainline livery. I remember seeing them idling in the sidings at Stourbridge Junction growing up.

I'm glad this set has old school hornby D bar couplings and not those thin NEM couplings which are incompatible with older rolling stock.

[DOCTORDROTT]

Hope the 67 is better than the real one, I worked on the real thing and its rubbish

[Lee.Willcox]

I had a wonderful train set as a kid in the late 70's and very early 80's. Many engines, tack galore with varying radius curves so I could run multiple trains. I would get it all out, put it together on the floor, play with it all for hours and pack it neatly away.

My grandson loves trains so I thought I would buy him a starter set for his birthday. NO WAY ! HOW MUCH ? Hornby, what has happened ? You were the go to for train sets, but now you are completely unaffordable especially when it's a gift for an 8 year old. It is hurting me, I really wanted to get him a train set. The Hornby Web Site is poor too. There is no detailed explanation of what you actually get when you feel like making a bank breaking purchase of a set. Perhaps I am not looking at it very well but I don't see a break down of the components, track, trains, cartridges and the like.

Perhaps someone could help and advise me, I really want to get my little lad a train set. I know how much he would love it.

[theoneishere]

Ive found weighing some of the carriages down that derail helps

[cdyvids]

Thanks for the heads up on daisy, I loved the train set review though, but it shows I'm gonna need to modify daisy to run on them points, speaking of, will you review the uk bachmann edward, nobody I've seen has looked at it, and the uk ones are different

[alexdrennan]

Thank you for the lowdown for review, i am thinking about this set as i am getting back into the hobby, after many years and at the moment looking at getting the rolling stock while its around . would loved to have seen the track mat as they are a good basis for a layout that's what i am looking at as the use of trains and rolling stock that i have kept, yes i have bought new rolling sock but that will enhance the railway. Interesting bits about the rolling stock being light from when i had a triang set back in the early 70s the two container wagons were very light with plastic wheels and the set had three 20ft freightliner containers and yes it was light plastic wheels . on the 67 does the centre light work or not ?, and by the way it looks a great model . The nickel track is loads better than th old steel track but you can use both togeather

[penjjd_]

can you put the AWM or herpa container tank and container van 20 to 40ft on him? thank you

[welshknight]

I've bought this set and noticed that one of the engine bogies is really loose, like it's just hanging on the wires Is this normal

[Ben_Horne]

I only just noticed that the Santa Express set I bought my son didn’t come with the track mat.