I still have my original HST Sets bought in the 80s, Im now getting close to 60 yrs old. My sets were Lima and the coaches were the correct (Full Length) size, in both BR Blue/Grey and Executive livery. And yes I still run them, my grandson loves them.
I absolutely love mine matt. The hornby HST was introduced in 1977 I think The HST went into service in 1975 and its top speed was 148 miles an hour. I've had my original executive livery model since 1986 and will never part with it ,it still runs like new now.
Hi Matt, I love your down to earth videos. For reference - the HST speed record is 148Mph set on the 1st Nov 1987 powered by 43102 and 43159 Hornby shortened th coaches to get round their 1st radius curves. (2 versions exist 7 window and 8 window versions).
I've never owned a Hornby one Matt. I have an 8 coach set of Lima ones and I powered both ends. It runs very fast and smooth with both ends powered. I would be open to buying a second hand Hornby one and the Intercity Swallow livery would be great. I think it was 43011 that was involved in the tragic Ladbrooke accident and it was written off.
Great video , and yes , these locos are still worth buying ! When you look at the price of locos and rolling stock in the digital era , it is almost like the hobby has come full circle since 1964 , when Hornby Dublo priced itself out of existence , There is absolutely nothing wrong with the analogue alternative , which at least is more likely to ensure that younger people take up the hobby on the basis of affordability . These analogue HST's can be upgraded , particularly with regard to the headlights .
Great video Matt, I have three sets of the HST and all date back to the 78 and 80s. Ringfield motors, easy to service and do keep going. You can look to modernising them with replacement motors and led lights even go as far with dcc chips and TTS sound x5 for those more adventurous. I’ve began the steps of upgrading and they still look the part. These type of videos will be great, nearly new or second hand models are a possible way of extending the rolling stock on a layout and increase the enjoyment. EspecIally when you are extending their lives and fun. Cheers and all best Marc
I like the older models. In many ways I prefer the ring field motor as it can be fixed. I agree model railways should be fun without the fear of bits dropping off. I might look out for an older Inter City 125. Thanks for showing. Regards Paul.
Great video Matt. I’m absolutely with you. I would much rather own and run more rolling stock that is less detailed but cheaper. I model in n gauge and I’m frankly really frustrated at the prices. I accept £40 a coach and £140-150 for a loco is fine if you want the detail but that’s £500 for a train. I’d rather have the 90s level of detail and features but half the price.
Bloody awesome trains no matter what year and what livery. We also have to remeber that these older trains for the age are really awesome and we do have to remember that they are not the real thing so whoever made these models had to make the tooling the thinking process and planning for us still to be enjoy and appreciate well there job is done in my eyes. I have around 5 sets of these and all were bought for less than 200 aud less than 100 pounds in your currency. The xpts here in oz on the other hand (same as the hst but bigger headlights on the tops and different gearing to handle our mountanous terrain) are more than double to triple the price of new back in the 1980's. Cheers from John in Australia.
The smaller coaches were so the could be packed in sets with 1st radius curves, but to be fair they don't look as bad as some people make out and there are plenty of light mods etc about to make these look better!
My first train for Christmas in 1980, I’ve still got it and it still gets me all dewey eyed and nostalgic. I love it and I still think it’s a lovely model. Fitted LED ligjting kit, cd drive motor. I like the shortened mk3 coaches as I’ve got a small layout with tightet curves. I’ve got a new Hornby Inter7City Scotrail rake which I also love, but that really pushec my price boundary to the limit. Current prices are nuts. Good video Matt and thanks for uploading.
Hi Im a big deltic fan too... And get what you're saying.. I was watching a railway programme recently and was quite surprised how light the real hsts were to the older diesel locos such as class, 40s 55s etc... Hence the faster speeds... Obviously 2 power cars helped considerably but when you think about it.. The deltics must have weighed quite a bit with the 2 napier engines inside them too. Still can't believe some hst sets are still going today... Great British workhorses
1977 to recent is when they were made, I got my blue/yellow in 1988 and my swallow intercity one in 1991. The short coaches were made for the 1st radius curves. My two sets sat in a box for over a decade until recently when I restored the swallow livery set with two power cars (one from each set with the body exchanged) I sold off the shorty coaches and upgraded to secondhand Lima mk3's. I've now added dcc sound and upgraded the lights and I'm delighted with the rake although they do look out of place among my Irish stock
I have my dad's old HST set (same model as the one you have there I believe) that's a bit battered and has seen better days for sure, but getting it up and running again along with another loco he had was a joy to me. I've said this elsewhere I think, people are focusing on the prices of new models (myself included), but people have been running fantastic model railways for decades and there's nothing wrong with the models of those days. Boys and toys will always tend towards needing the latest and supposedly greatest, but it doesn't mean older models are obsolete
I owned the original from new as a kid, these came out mid 70s. I had the original set with cardboard tunnel and the floppy record with a recording of how to look after your train set by Bernard Cribbins lol
I like these videos Matt. In truth. I do like the older model trains from Hornby and Lima as they can be run on our layouts and we can have fun. Don't get me wrong, I like the newer stuff too and I have a few, but I have recently come back into OO gauge and in July, I will reviewing a 1996 train set that was a hot seller back in that year. I also plan to review a train set per month from the past 30 years. Nothing present day but anything released from the 1980's to 2002. Peter.
Matt, I rescued a old Hornby HST which was running poorly, for a few quid I replaced the Ringfield motor with a CD type , it runs great now with 4 coaches and the trailer, hopefully for another 40 years.
Great video Matt,yes please do more videos like this,im not knocking those of you who can spend thousands on this hobby in anyway,but there are many of us who cant or won't.I have a fair few Lima locos i bloody love em! as i know i can service them and keep them going,i also have a couple of Hornby Locos with the Ringfield motor nothing wrong with them either,as long as you keep them clean and serviced.Yes again please do more videos like this,thanks Matt.
The short mk3's were a bizarre design decision, however it wasn't so much the tight radius curves and small layouts but the trackside accessories Hornby made designed to clip into the track which correct scale length 75ft coaches would foul as they swung out further on the centre of the coach and over the buffers.
My first train set as a child was an Intercity 125 in swift livery in the 1980s. I've only recently got it back out again. It ran well after a good clean and lubrication. I've just finished replacing the motor and upgrading it with LED lighting. Still using it with DC but for less than £40 you can completely overhaul the older models to enhance them; but you don't have to. I've also seen videos where they converted them to DCC so there's definitely life left in them.
I have one. Its in Br blue and grey but not the greatest cosmetic condition but runs amazingly. Still has working rear lights on the dummy aswell although i know many others are in better condition.
It shows how good the old model is as Hornby still have this as their HST trainset model and they have it in the Railroad range with upgraded motors. I have one of the old HST sets and I also need to service it as it hasn't been run in ages.
I have an old hst along with other engines that have the ringfield motor. They are easily and cheaply serviced, and the motors still run just fine. If you want you can also upgrade to a cam motor. The lights can also be upgraded very cheaply to give you red at the rear and as you say easily chipped for dcc running.
Some very well made observations here. The manufacturers have become slaves to the rivet counters and it's being reflected in the pricing of models. To be clear, I don't have a problem with how anyone chooses to indulge in this hobby and if someone wants to go for maximum fidelity to the original, that's fine. But there are an awful lot of us who just want to watch our favourite trains go round - to us, if it looks about right, it's OK. I still have my Triang Blue Pullman from the 1960s - upgraded with DCC and a few coaches added from eBay but it continues to give me the pleasure it did when I was a five year old. But the big problem with today's models is, as I think you said, their fragility. I just took delivery of a rake of Accurascale bogie wagons - they're amazing models and, compared to the other manufacturers, reasonably priced. But when, after spending a few minutes admiring them, I put them back in their boxes, I found an errant piece lying on the table. Heaven knows which of the six wagons it came from and where it actually belongs on that wagon and that's the paradox - in the pursuit of maximum realism, parts are not able to withstand the rigours of even careful handling. And now that a part has fallen off it, the wagon is no longer the faithful reproduction of the prototype it set out to be!
I had the Swallow livery hst when was about 12. It got sold and missed it ever since. Now 45 I've got right into model railways and managed to buy the exact version I had then, in the original box, and i absolutely love it.
Yeah, if you want one, no if you don't. Pretty subjective question with no clear answer other than the personal thoughts of the buyer. The older ones are still nice, one of the few models of that era that can stand up next to the latest and really not look bad at all. The roof detail was always a little clunky and and bogie detail the same but long as its zipping past and not being examined to closely it isn't bad at all. However the modern one is a bit of alright for detail... Detail can be fun, if I spend the time to build a layout, thousands of hours, where the scenery is amazing, the buildings are amazing, the trackwork is amazing, well it would be a bit of a let down to just have an old 1970s hornby loco to put on it. It would look out of place, it would detract from the fun of running it on that nice looking layout. Equally, detailing up old models into something that looks good next to good scenic work is fun. Fun is a very broad church and I don't think we should discount detail as the domain of stuffy people who don't like fun. Just means their fun is a bit more complex than the fun of someone who likes to smash the controller to 11 and watch smokey joe break the speed of light... which is fun! But then so is all that scratch building houses and shops and making finescale trackwork with all the details and making an environment that looks stunning in which you can watch your sound fitted detailed train chuff out your lovely looking station. We all need to stop bashing each other's fun and just get on with out own. Your fun is this matt, and I enjoy seeing you enjoy it, my fun right now is an etched brass 16ton mineral wagon kit that is so insanely complicated it has working leaf springs, the things a work of art and while you might not find fun in doing that yourself I'm sure youd have fun watching me burn my fingers and swear my way through building it from the many many hundreds of tiny parts that need cut from the etch cleaned up bent and assembled to create it. It's all just fun.
Great video, please do keep on the older stuff!, I have a Hornby set and two Lima sets (one set is mid repaint in to LSL midland Pullman) IC Swallow is my favourite too. Lima moulding for the bogies and headlights is far better than Hornby, but the motor on Lima is much noisier. However if you remove the traction tyres on Lima you can get it to sound prototypical, revving up (wheel slipping) to haul the train. I actually like the Lima motor sound on diesels it does sound a bit like a real Diesel engine. The GWR train set Hornby make is an upgraded chassis on lima body tooling and is a very nice modern day budget option (I’d quite like one) but only comes with one coach.
I think the HSTs will always have a place with a large group of UK modelers. Much like certain steamers hold sway with an earlier generation, the HST captured the hearts of many folks over there. I think they are sharp looking in all liveries and certainly worth buying and remembering, retooling if needed.
I think there is a lot of nostalgia for the HST and the older HST train sets. Heritage railways have bought entire HST train sets so I think this nostalgia will only continue
A great video, thanks for sharing. I agree with you that the older locomotives for me still very much have a place on my layout. I simply cannot afford to pay the eye watering amounts for some of the new releases .
Oh I have one of those old ones (swallow livery). Have to say I'm actually really impressed how well the old model holds up. The new one might have it on performance and new features but it doesn't outshine it a great deal in terms of detail especially when one could actually do a few things to an old power car to spruce it up. I also have a Virgin Trains 125 set (2004 or 2005). In that set I noticed the Mk3's are definitely longer than the Mk3's I got with my 90s Intercity 125 Set though the power cars are still the same tooling. How well the old HST power car holds up certainly is a world apart from Hornby's original Class 91 vs the current one especially the underframe etc
I bought the swallow livery train pack a few years ago which contains full scale length coaches but still retains the Springfield motor which is very good, extras coaches being no problem!
FYI the model on the left in swallow livery is a Lima class 43, and also these models are no way built as early as the 60s considering the actual production hsts didn't come till 1976! Lol
More videos on second hand models would be great as there is very little on RU-vid. I personally have gone from buying a new loco every month to buying one every 3 months or so due to the prices of new stuff. I have just returned to the hobby after 40years so I don't really know what is a good second hand loco and what is not worth buying. Excellent video.
Great commentary Matt. My consideration is a solid, reliable runner then I will super detail to my hearts content. Same goes for all my rolling stock. Yes, I enjoy these videos, just make sure you include some trains running on Jubilee Road.😊👍🇨🇦 Cheers, Andrew
I was after a full GNER set once, I was gonna go for the newer ones, but then I saw the price hornby were trying to scam us for and I decided to buy a bachmann Hall instead
Lima have been the best as the hornby hst set the coaches were shorter and the hst powercar wasnt model well it was a bog standard it looks like it. The lima was top and coaches right
Good video yes good comparison. As with all the ringfield motors, they suffer from the dreaded traction tyres. I had a lot of issues with mine slipping because of the rear bogie tending to lift to lift the front and not getting enough traction. I replaced my original motor with one out of a later "Virgin Trains" one which had a five pole motor which means you can use the TTS decoder as the current is lower. I eventually bought the latest type and yes it is much better but at a huge price difference. I also added DCC and lights to my original version, there is a firm on EBay that does lights that fit really easily.
I fitted one I bought off ebay with a cd motor conversion from Strathpepper. So power cars both ends. Runs great but i need to get round to fitting a new motor to the original power car so the performance is closer.
Have several sets, the blue yellow 5 car set , the swallow livery 5 car set, and added passengers, have a red silver one, east coast think it is, wouldn't run them with digital ones tho, i have a separate track for old loco's
Just two days before you up loaded yhis video I picked up on from the bay at just £36 inc postage Power car, Dummy and single couch in the same paint job has yours. It was all the APT videos coming out that made me think that a HST for that money is a steel. Not got it in my hands yet so don't yet know if it's been a good buy.
Hornby are having a laugh with their later Class 43 packs. I bought them when them when they first came out around 2012 around £100-110 DCC Fitted! The price now at £230-280 for a small upgrade on those models is such a rip-off. I Bought the original yellow Intercity pair like yours from Rails back in 2000 for £30 in vgc and plan to install the motor upgrade, and lighting kit. I also have a full rake of correct length Lima Blue/ Greys to run with them. Good to know they do the 2012 models in Railroad range, wonder what motor is fitted?
Hi Matt I've got few of these just put a new motor in mine watched Charlie from Chadwick tmd runs sweet with lights and all coaches saves spending ££££ on new ones costs me just under £30 and it good parked up at the station at the moment cheers Paul
The straights on my railway are sadly not long enough to accommodate Mr. BR Blue & Grey HST, but I have an affectionate soft spot for him. The classic screaming sound he made in real life is sorely missed by me, although I hardly ever go near the main line spots where he was once seen at present. Trust me, your BR Blue & Grey HST shouldn't just bring back memories. He should be telling you that he's missing his old haunt near Dawlish Warren, his home for a number of years. He once flourished there, and I think it's most unfair that he was taken from that spot. He should still be there, as he's just as useful as the machine that came before him: the steam engine. You should be heartbroken that all you've got left are memories of riding the rails in this wonderful classic train. Apart from the model, which Hornby are unfairly about to get rid of. It's shameful. Those guys don't realise they're getting rid of a fantastic piece of historic machinery, which could have graced Dawlish metals far longer than we will ever live.😢
Still running my old Hornby blue/grey 125 from around 1980 with a rake of full length mk3s. Ok had to strip down and clean the motor a couple of times in the last thirty odd years and she still runs really well. Yes there is a difference between this set and a much newer GWR. Green but the old one stands up, looks the parts and runs very well. Am I going to pay £000s for a modern upgrade - No!
Matthew I always love the icon hst as I even had one as a kid. The two you have 43010 and 43011 were originally 253010 and 253011 tho 43011 was withdrawn after an accident at Ufton Nervet with a car on a level crossing. JJ
Great video Matt the old hornby HSTs are quite good a d they make very good candidates for projects as right now I’m making a prototype HST set with an old hornby HST and the short mk3 coaches, when it comes to stock models I have a blue and grey one and a swallow version and they are nice models, with hornby now doing the ex Lima HSTs I would say that they are probably a bit better and the Lima HST is regarded as better, when it comes to the new HSTs they are nice and I would buy a new HST but the one that I would buy is the buffered version in swallow livery because I like the buffered HSTs.
Matt.. The shorter Hornby coaches were made back in the day to accommodate smaller layouts with tighter curves.. Long before the day's of dcc and flexi track... Just didn't look right to me but I suppose a kid who had the train set wouldn't mind. I have the newer version with tts sound... But I still have my late dad's birthday old hst in blue yellow livery
I have a few hornby hst.The early versions had 3 pole motors and not as powerful as the later produced ones which had a 5 pole motor. The model in the current railroad range is the ex lima version which has a better detailed body than the hornby version and has the better motor that is used in all the ex lima locos in the railroad range.
The Hornby one certainly was good for its time . I got mine when it was brand new in 1977 . We knew the Hornby Mk3s were too short so we used the better full length Joueff Mk3s . Then Lima brought out their HST and it was better . Their Mk3s were better too . I still run old Hornby blue /yellow, Lima Swallow snd have a new Hornby blue/yellow one snd Scotrail one . I love these trains but to be honest I use them indiscriminately . The new Hornby HST at £320 + is way over priced .
I'd rather have the older one than the new one plus Hornby railways was around in the late 1970s as it's predecessors Hornby dublo, Tri-ang and Tri-ang Hornby
I had one when they came out and it had a lot of use going round and round my train set. Now I’ve aged and the train set has transformed into a model railway I’d say no I’m afraid
Hi there. Well I am now to your channel but YES I am liking them a lot. But ok hear is my problem lol. I had a lay out back in the 80's. And I am now back in to it . But for me in the 80's I grew up with Ho set. And now my Wife got me the Beatles train and it is oo lol . Ok yes I am in the US and it is hard to get the oo trains . Unless I go on Ebay and get one but no it is to $$$$ wow!!! But I do enjoy your channel and I do learn a lot about them . I recently got a Great Western Coach . And wow it dose run well on the track!!!!!! :))) And no I cant run my other Ho trains on the oo track bummer :(. So I don't know were to get good Hornby or trains in the US can you help me on this one :). O and yes do more video like this and WOW I sure do like your English lay out to!!!! All the best you cheers mate from the US!!!!
The coaches are missing a window there should 8 and also no TGS, I prefer the Lima HST and coaches, they just seem a notch up in my opinion and the coaches are the correct length.
Personally I LOVE the older Ringfield based HST's. They and tneir coaches cost BUGGER ALL and with a wee service run fine, body detail is (for me at least) more than acceptable and they feel bomb proof in the hand, nothing to fall off. Never brought a modern HST and although I'm convibced I'd prefer them the prices scare tbe shit out of me, in short....not interested, gimmi the old shit lol. (Isn't shit at all, just dated, fine by me)
