Hatton's Original Class 66 OO gauge

[centenary]

Apologies if this is in the wrong forum, couldnt find anywhere elese. Mods please move as required if necessary.

What are people's opinions on the Hatton's Original Class 66 in OO gauge? Heard a few stories of the axle boxes falling off but generally, a good buy or goodbye!? Are there any other issues with these? Oh and I see they need a 10 function decoder

[Bigmet]

The most accurate RTR OO model of a class 66 currently available.

The most ambitious feature is the rotating axle ends, and these have caused discontent for some owners. Here's a good explanation of how to improve matters (and much else on this model): https://www.tomstrains.co.uk/2020/fixin ... -class-66/

[Alexander Court]

I opted for the new Hornby 'Freightliner" yellow and green version which I bought from the New Railway Modellers shop site as the Hattons ones were twice the price and looked thrice as fragile. I haven't read much about them but as a person who finds themselves window shopping Hattons several times a day, I have noticed a large number of their own 66s turning up in their preowned section as "used" and most have something wrong with them,be it small detail or otherwise.

Without knowing anything about the model these are the only observations I can give.

Alex

[Paul-H]

The Hattons version makes the better display model being the most visually accurate it also makes the best sound model due to the huge built in Earth Mover Speaker, The Bachmann or Hornby versions make the best running models, with less issues affecting running and less small parts to keep falling off.

Hat Coat Door

[centenary]

Hmmmm, yes, been looking at a Hattons pre owned. You're not paying full whack and for very minor defects which you'd probably find on a Hornby or Bachmann if you look close enough, is it a deal breaker?

But thanks for all the responses.

[Bigmet]

Only you can decide! As Paul-H has suggested it might depend on what you want the model for.

I have a model railway for operation - no models in display cases - bought the Bachmann 66 shortly after release, and it is a good 'layout loco' in common with the rest of their range. All the detail you can see on a loco running past a couple of feet away or more, and a very reliable mechanism that is easy to work on should that ever be necessary, and it will pull a full size train of HTA's loaded with 3kg of real coal. It was very simple to fit a knuckle coupler through the bufferbeam which means the full airdam and pipe fit can be added, and there's the whole train with knuckle couplers throughout, exactly as it should be. (This is my example 'contemporary freight train' - well, it was when I bought it!)

So that's a well proven model for my operating purposes. (The few foibles of the Bachmann centre motor mechanism are understood and easily fixed should that ever be necessary; my oldest of this type is their early class 45 one of which I have deliberately given no service attention, still running as well as ever 28 years later.)

The Hattons model may well be equally reliable mechanically (considered only as a functioning drive and not taking account of readily detached axle end detail) but the evidence simply isn't in yet. What I have seen reported by owners doesn't have much to say about operation, whereas the Bachmann 66 when introduced got a very thorough 'work out' which surfaced its weaknesses - and the solutions - when used for hauling trains. That might of course be good news in respect of the Hattons 66, nothing adverse to report; or it could be that they are nearly all in boxes, display cases or TMD's rather than being regularly put to work...