Thanks for the video Jenny. It really reinforces the narrative of how many parts are involved and how difficult it is to produce the locomotive what ever it is.
Absolutely all credit to you for tackling this, and quite honestly great work, and probably better than I could do. That said, if we had to rely on a line of Jenny Kirks to assemble our models, they would cost 1000s rather than 100s.
There is a spare screw in the detailing bag for fitting the NEM coupling pocket. Perhaps that is the one? Well done for having a go at this. It has been a great insight to the build. As I have shortened the existing coupling, fitted bespoke sound, and modified the lighting and firebox flicker, I recognised all of the comments about the complexity you highlighted. The design by Phil is excellent. As a retired mechanical engineer, I appreciated the task he had getting a design into a workable manufacturing and assembly process. A design modification on future models for the coupling and the lamps would make this the 'ultimate' model of the Black 5.
Well then, fair play for taking this one. When dad used to build loco kits it would take weeks to finish, ok that included painting. Imagine if there was no DCC how much simpler would that make assembly?
A Very good insight into what goes into building modern detailed locomotives. A few left over bits are a must. Otherwise How will anyone ever build up their spares collection. Well done.😊
Brilliant video and very interesting, and I used to have a relative who worked at hornby back in the 70s and it's harder to make models than people realise as you have found out ,and a very skilled job too.but enjoyed this.
Fascinating angle on model construction. Do the Chinese manufacturers use an assembly line approach or do single workers take each model all the way through the process?
Jenny, congratulations on your success on assembling the Black 5. This video is an excellent example about why our model trains are assembled in China instead of Great Britan or the United States. As I type this I am converting an HO scale Southern Pacific GS-4 4-8-4 from the original DCC system to another brand of decoder. I some ways this is more difficult than installing one into a non-DCC locomotive because I have to work around the original manufacture's wiring system, while doing this in a mostly assembled model.
Certainly interesting to watch you put this train together if it had been me it would have been a flying Black 5 across the room with frustration session. I suspect in China one worker will do one part another worker will assemble another part as it moves along the production line rather than one person does all which would slow production right down. The thing to remember about China is its no longer the bargain basement it once was the Chinese worker is now rightly starting to get a fair wage not the appalling sweat shop wages. China's economic model is more targeted to global free market rather than strict communist one so prices will be affected. The argument about cost of production is cheaper in China has one major flaw - shipping which is not cheap then there is the environmental one is it greener to produce in the UK will production prices remain low enough in China to manufacture there? Dapol have moved some of it Chinese production to Wales and people assemble wagons here some people might be prepared to have a go on more complex models. The demand for ever more detail will in the end send prices skyrocketing and become impossible to do no matter how skilled someone is.
Did you get to keep this loco after you built it or are Hornby taking it to shows to highlight that its the first model built at Margate since they closed production lines down? I bet the first models the factory workers make in their career are the the 0-4-0's and railroad models and then advance to these more complex models.
Hi Jenny, Would you (or anyone in the comments) know how I could connect a BDL 168 (or similar block detector), to detect a OO gauge loco on one of many blocks within a reversing loop. Will a block detector work if the current is reversed ? Many thanks, Regards Alan
I think you will find the answer you are looking for on one of Chadwick's videos (as I have found recently). The direction does not matter as current flow is still present.
