BR, Merchant Navy Class, 4-6-2, 35024 ‘East Asiatic Company’ - Era 4

This is a long overdue decent proprietary model of the original Southern Region (SR) Bulleid MN class, with it's distinctive air-smoothed (not streamlined) casing and the then newly-designed Bulleid Firth-Brown driving wheels.It's one of the best ever Hornby models with many differently detailed versions, as well as a myriad of different liveries and numbers. There are, or have been, amongst others, original versions without smoke deflectors in SR Malachite green and war-time black plus versions with various smoke deflectors in British Railways (BR) blue (this model) and BR green. There are also front-end, chimney, cab and tender variations on different models and some with Twin Track Sound (TTS) fitted.Whilst the body detail is excellent, with many separately added parts as usual, the detail inside the cab is exquisite, with all pipework picked out in copper or brass colours with white dials for boiler pressure etc. It's one of the most highly detailed cab interiors I've ever seen. There are also cab doors to partially hide the gap between engine and tender and movable cab roof vents for a bit of light and fresh air.For the first time that I know of, on the MN models the brake rigging is already attached, rather than coming in the detail pack for the buyer to attach. Also, from the detail pack, the cylinder drain cock pipes fit easily into the holes provided.Something else new is that the last few Hornby models that I have bought, the model, in its box and outer sleeve with engine picture and information on it, is enclosed in a substantial, plain brown, cardboard box with the model's catalogue number white-stickered on one face. They add more protection and I'm currently undecided as to whether to keep them or not. Though it makes for marginally more storage room and less easy identification from a shelf, box or rack, it may be a good idea to do so (but you would need to transfer the sticker and/or put some sort of identification on one end of the box).All in all, an excellent model for the discerning railway modeller or collector. The only downside is that all manufacturers models, being manufactured in China, have vastly increased in price in the last few years. With Hornby's rather devious and questionable policy of limiting the discount that model suppliers can give to customers, the best price that you can hope for at this time is about £180, as currently charged here by Amazon, which is only likely to rise, not fall, in the future.The MN models have been about for two or three years now and some of the earlier ones are already commanding second hand prices well over the recommended retail price, so possibly a good investment too if the model is chosen wisely.

The loco runs smoothly fast and crawl speeds. Nice looking colour too !!. Moulding of the shell is fantastic. One thing to look out is the price. I paid £154 late April 2021 sold by Amazon, then now is sold by some model shop and they want £182. Difference of £28 !!!! Somebody is making more profits out of this loco.

excellent loved it. but this is second locomotive out of four that the dcc decoder has not worked and have had to re-wire.

Visually stunning and the mechanism is amazing runs super smooth however the tender squeals a tad which is rather annoying

The train failed to operate. Absutely dead.