New Junction - Hornby Class 91 Under Closer Inspection 

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Great to have a review which is open and honest, whilst awake to the pressures on manufacturers due to the world situation. Too many reviews on other channels swing from brilliant to rubbish and slag the manufacturers off too quickly. Thanks as ever Richard, keep the videos coming

Nice review Richard. I recon Hornby have come a long way with the class 91. I remember when they announced that they were going to retool the class 91 everyone was very excited about it. A very nice model by Hornby for sure. - Nicholas.

The details on this loco are stunning! Can't wait for you to run it on your layout when complete! Great work mate!

thank you for another wonderful video New Junction

Recommended price of £218 on Hornby's web site. Just no way is it worth that. Hornby are leading the charge for our hobby to be entirely elitist. Fueled by Lidl shopping pensioners who have nothing better to throw their money at, this is Kohler's targeted market. It will all end in tears..........

Very good review Richard. I watched them being built as well as the 90s. 33 years older. A nice model. Thank you

My favourite train. I love it’s sound and the model

Great video Richard got the 91 great model it will be very pleasing to see it passing the new 800 at 100mph

I bought the "For The Fallen" version Richard. It is fabulous, I have no complaints so far. It looks great with the original "Swallow" liveried coaches. I have even run it blunt end forward already. I have seen quite a few real life ones blunt end forward and I think they look great that way.

Great review Richard. I went for the GNER one. Got the Flying Albaman on pre order CANT wait for this one…..

Late to the party on this one but I took a break from modelling for two years and I come back to it realising there’s a new class 91 😂

Great Stuff Richard

Great video, nice to see a review. The light clusters do come down yes, I was fortunate enough to go to Neville Hill depot and saw 91110 with the blunt end light cluster box open.

Got mine today and the first thing I noticed is the correct shade of red as on my older Virgin Class 91s and LNER HSTs the red is darker.

I got 91118 for Christmas. Its a lovely loco, looks the part, got the speed, just need the coaches.

LNER and GNER has been well produced. We won’t mention to swallow one (cough!). For the decoder I would recommend the dapol imperium 6 function decoder. That allows full lighting control and F3 for the cab light. A Bachmann 21 pin also works, F5 cab light. Avoid zimo unless you want Tom have to change Cv’s. Of course a Hornby 21 pin would probably be the ideal choice..but hold on…it’s not out yet! 🙄 😆

Pays your money - takes your choice . £220 for this or £35 for the old one , some craft blades , milliput , plastic card , ph designs etch brass frets , fuse wire , dummy buckeyes , saw up the chassis to reposition the motor where it should be & you will get a great looking model. What is noticeable is that on the original model is that the brake shoes are in line with the wheels etc are all on the bogie moulding whereas the new one hasn’t With the original model it was made when Hornby where fiscally on the brink. The 1988 cat mock up promising a great looking model. The model delayed by a year due to funding issues ( company kept afloat by sales of flower fairies / scalextric ) & so they just didn’t have the money to make it as intended . The fact it got made at all is a miracle & all credit to Hornby for sticking to their guns at that time. I always find it odd with reviews of 91’s / as getting the coaches the right way round seems totally lost on many.

Great review richard got the to the fallen 91 well impressed payed £196.00 as soon as I clapped eyes on it had to have one 🚂🚂🚂

Great review Richard, even though a I see the real thing every day

Good review there Richard I like the look of the intercity 1

I also found the blunt end intimidating when I was a smaller child at newcastle central and I can't see them as much now

Nice review Richard, and that is a great looking model. I'm a modeller of limited means so these new locomotives are a thing of dreams, £200 + is way out of my league. I'm not jealous of modellers who can afford them. I work to my limits and am happy with that. But it seems to me that manufacturers like Hornby. Bachmann, Dapol, will charge a premium price for models that have maybe faults or are flimsy and often with no backup, you can't get spares, I see Bachmann are now operating a spares service so let's hope that live up to a promising start. I relie on Peter's spares and lendons of Cardiff and good old Ebay for my older models. Anyway enough moaning, one little question are you still continuing with your garden railway? I enjoyed following your adventures around the garden with the help of your lovely dog. Take care for now looking forward to seeing progress on new New Junction Eddy xx

good vid thanks lee

Thanks for the review. I may have missed it, but guessing at the weight mentioned, can we assume it has all wheel drive and pickup ? Important info to know about on track performance and is not actually documented anywhere.

We both like the East Coast Main Line, but I am more old school. The 91 is a nice model, but it still looks like a Virgin Loco. I do wish when LNER came back they would have made their own livery, (Green) Martin. (Thailand)

I follow your videos with great enjoyment, but when I saw that you were reviewing a Hornby product, I thought, "hello, how is this going to work, he's an employee of Hornby". My fears, however, proved groundless as you seemed pretty unbiased and fair to me. Well done, I think that you seem to be a decent friendly chap, I believe now, that I can add "honest" to that label as well. Keep up the good work.

Great overview of the hornby class 91 there Richard, in my opinion I think it is a decent model but could do with some improvements, my main one is the pantograph which I would want to be metal personally mainly because my experience with plastic pantographs has ended up with them becoming broken, I will definitely be picking up the loco and DVT in swallow livery but it will only be the loco and DVT because I already have eight of the original mk4 coaches and from what I have been told the new hornby 91 and the old mk4 coaches the colours do match each other quite well.

if i got to pay a normal price maybe i would consider getting one, sadly that aint the case anymore

It's a beautiful model but completely out of my price range- even the Railroad prices are way outside my budget. A second hand intercity class 91 can be found for £20-£30. Although there is criticism of the pantograph, it is happily available as a spare and I am using one to upgrade the one piece trainset pantograph on my old class 91 model which makes a massive improvement.

I have a GNER example and it is miles better than the original (really should have been re-tooled years ago!). Looks good and runs well although a bit clunky over some points and that isn’t always consistent. Many people are throwing their toys out of the pram about the pantograph but it doesn’t bother me- it’s much better than the over scale version of old. I’m pleased that Hornby updated the electrical spec for the lighting and a 21 pin socket but would have liked a more detailed cab and blanking piece for the front end. 8/10 for me, considering the RRP. Bought mine reduced which I feel is a more appropriate price for the model. Thanks for the fair review and I feel the praise and reservations were valid and correct. Looking forward to the mk4s. Interzuma 225 livery next year? 😉

Looks great and definitely captures the feel of the 91. I keep being tempted by a GNER version, but this sits firmly in the shadows of Bachmann's 90 and likely Accurascale's 92 at the same price point

hate the raised strip under the windows, its flush on the real locos, and the three black dots? .....

Hi Richard nice review. I've got the "for the fallen" version. Mine does pull from the lower level to the upper level with no problems at all. However I've had problems with derailing and it's not a back to back problem. It just hates certain points and the transitions from the different levels. Still work in progress as none of my other locos have ever had a problem. Atb Andy

I have 2 - the intercity and LNER. The model is fine. In line with other manufacturers - just. Price a little steep but enought said about that. My gripe is the decoder. Hornby release a model for which the decoder did not exist. Had to find an alternative which works. Not sure of the situation now - but its too late for me - already bought

I have the ‘For The Fallen’ version which is a nice model but fully agree with your review. I hope Hornby take on board customers comments and upgrade the model in future. I’m awaiting the LNER DVT and the new MK4 coaches. I’ve seen mixed reviews/comments about them. Too many factory paint issues, chips, scuffs etc. So awaiting delivery with some trepidation.

What’s the tbing above the new junction sign and will you be running the loco in reveres ether correct end or pulling dvt end(can it connect to DVT

The biggest issue this model has is that for the money, other companies are making better models of AC electric locos, Bachmann's class 90 immediately springs to mind. Not to mention if the accurscale class 92 turns out okay then that is not only cheaper but more technologically advanced.

It's a fantastic looking loco (a classic) and in a great livery. That said, I have no dog in the hunt regarding Hornby, Bachmann, etc., but for the price these are now going for, there is no excuse for cheap plastic and molding errors in such models. As the prices are reaching what I pay for quality German locos with much more metal, such errors should not be passed by QC or others. It is sharp looking, and if it runs well, all the better, but these little issues, whether it is in design or in material used, should not be there.

Hold up, what sorry? Watching them come through Newcastle Central???? I didn't pick you as a Geordie?

Great video. We have ‘For The Fallen’ and a full rake of the new Hornby GNER MK4’s + DVT and 91. Our layout has two not exactly flat sections where the old Hornby 91’s used to struggle massively pulling a train up hill but now the new 91 does it with massive ease at a constant speed, no hesitation. We maybe lucky with that or not, I don’t know. For the decoder for the new 91’s, we used a Bachmann 21 pin decoder which uses the same functions ect as said on the paper given in the box, no need to change CV’s thankfully. I’d still rather have a Cavalex 225 set though haha.

When you put the LNER transfers on the HST and 91 are they removable

New to the hobby last couple of years. Seriously the pricing is insane. Hope the plastic packaging is recyclable too. Just keep seeing what could be a great hobby being limited to a few and being bad for the environment with over package prducts.

If it had the spec my Bachmann class 90 has then nice ,this argument isn’t going away regarding value ,anyway layout is coming along no more hot box loft mate Cheers Mark 😃😃

Hi richard, can i ask have u had issues with mk4 DVTs, I have 3x TfW & 1xLNER, have fitted 21pin 6 function decoders ( from rails) but can't get cab lights to operate on any. circuit are linked through board at both ends & illuminates with meters but not using f1-30, have u had any issues, rang Hornby & no luck

Nice review . I just got one here in the states for $165.00. Great price .

What do you reckon the chances are of Hornby doing a standard VTEC red and white 91 and DVT in the future? Or do you think they've 'ticked that box' by doing 91111 (which is an excellent choice of livery, but plenty of others to choose from too)

I’ve got the “fallen” version and overall it’s a good model although it came broken out of the box with the bogie retaining lug snapped off so it just fell out hanging by the pick up wires when I took it out. I chose to fix it rather than send it back from the states, it runs well but it’s clunky over certain points but no derailments so far. I lightly weathered the bogies and side valences to get rid of the plastic look; I also fitted a Bachmann snowplow 🤦‍♂️ which although is not photo typical improves the look with the nem pocket.

Also, a plastic pantograph doesn't work to well if you power your electric locos from the catenary.

I was considering getting a GNER one even though its slightly out of my region. Unfortunately for the price, the cost cut pantograph and front coupler will mean I won't get it. If Bachmann had made it instead of Hornby I'm sure I would've bought one as the class 90 has a strong pantograph and metal shoe as well as blanking plates for the coupling holes. Not to mention a working pantograph and the fact that you can get them cheaper. Thanks for the great video you've saved my bank account for another day!

Had a 91 002 in intercity livery. Been looking forward to this for a long time, but I'm bitterly disappointed. On opening the box the pantograph fell off. On the track, it derailed on points, even express points. On checking, the back to back gauge was out. With the intercity model, the cab detail is wrong, I believe these locos didn't have dash cameras. From a DC use point of view, the lights can't be switched off at the blunt end, no good with a train of mark 4 coaches. So, after all this wait for a new class 91, I sent it back to the retailer for my money back. Very poor value for money and poor quality control. I'll just have to remain in the deltic era with the wonderful Accurascale models. Disappointing because I've used the intercity 225 for many years and still do, much better ride than the azumas for all their age.

I think it could of benefited from new wheels as I think it has old steam roller wheels and has problems with points and slips

I can't believe how expensive this is. In my dreams I would like to build a complete railway set for £220. That I know is unrealistic. A whole train for £220? That sounds fair. Just one loco? I am thinking of that 'Drake meme' for some reason.

Glass half full or half empty depending on you take on what you expect from anew model for me Hornby have again dropped the ball big time so plastic pantograph when on the Bachmann 90 a fully working one, so have running issues big point as Richard says lower skirt looks at best half a job for the price just mould a fully filled in one that you can change over by removing the screws ( simple and easy to do) and a best of both. Does it give value for money then from me a big not a chance so none for me and now looking at the issues with the new MK 4 coaches and DVT’s grrrrrrr .I seriously think if Cavalex had done the project like they were going to then we would have great models that the 91 and MK 4 fleet deserved.

*** Clonking over points and derailments fix **** The bogies sit too high, up near the frame/body, almost touching so there's no tolerance gap for movement over any slight variations in the track. The bogie locating pin knocks where it meets the chassis housing as the materials are very hard. THE FIX: Slip in a thin spacer, a nylon or plastic washer between the bogie mounting point and chassis to give the extra tolerance for bogie movement to prevent derailments and it also quietens the clonking over points! Ta-dah! Check all the back to backs as some are slightly narrow. I made a washer by drilling a hole through a thin plastic sheet (a Peco point sleeve) and cutting around the hole to make a small washer with scissors. It worked to some degree but a proper nylon washer would be better.

I got mine recently and I've gotta say I love the model so much but for the price I'm really disappointed by a few shortcomings I think for a £200+ model you have to have a painted cab when not so long ago you could pick up DVTs with detailed cabs for less than £50 I also have to say the pantograph is quite flimsy ? Perhaps that's just an issue with mine (one I don't care much for as I don't normally have them raised anyway) I just think it's a bit crazy that a £200 model can have these issues Let's hope the DVT and coaches are of good quality!

I don’t get why people would put this on a layout without catenary.

It's not a big enough improvement for me to want to replace the original, which incidentally has a metal pantograph (albeit purchased separately).

I also have this and just received the DVT which I am extremely disappointed with in terms of the quality and its Lima-esque feel in terms of its quality and finish and just feel the DVT really let's a rake down somewhat. Shame

Hi Richard….. I agree that this model is a big improvement on the old version, but Hornby have priced this version in the high quality and detailed segment of the market. However they have let themselves and us customers down by skimping on some of the details expected at this price point. The main let down is the pantograph, what are they playing at? 😡 They are taking us for granted and it won’t help their reputation and status in the marketplace. Sadly. Regards…… Steve L.

Hi Richard. Sorry to say but isn't there a conflict of interest as you are a member of hornby.? I'm very honest with my reviews The last 2 hornby I got was just worthless. I'm not raging on hornby but last few years I feel they have lost there way last few years mainly with there QC.. Poor paint work ...light bleeds cracked body's etc. I have just gone back on my word after the class 92 which again had terrible plastic paragraphs and electricity bits above ..honestly I was fuming with it looked nothing more than a toy and after a hour running it stopped.... I have no issue paying for a nice loco but ...really sorry to say hornby isn't producing it last few years...again I'm not a hornby hater.. Just think issues as I've mentioned should off been seen in QC stage of the finish... Even hard-core hornby fans I think would agree. I hope hornby can sort there QC so people can be happier with there purchase. Not a rant Richard just my 2 pence worth 😉 Cheers Mark

Mediocre model for a premium price.

see the thing is hornby their already in financial dire strates so what do they do they raise the prices. And it will bite them in the rear end and also ruin the second hand market because people will go there which i am seeing going up already.

Not worth the money

It is altogether rather plasticky. Whether that is the case off camera. But then again the real things are made of plastic I guess.