4:36: in the French instructions, for 2 point the 10 flech is correct Before cleaning the transformer with a cotton and alcohol, is much be disconnected
@@SamsTrains It would actually say: Warning In the French user manual in 2. point, the 10 dash is correct. Before cleaning the transformer with cotton and alcohol, it must be unplugged. ( I actually understand French so that is as accurate as you can get )
I really enjoyed this review. I actually bought the regular TGV set after seeing your review on the Cargo Train set and I have to say, it seems pretty decent for the money. Mine started fine but it did require a few minutes of break in to get it running smooth without wobbling at higher speeds. I did have some derailing issues with mine too however it's only a problem in one direction so it may be just problems with my track. I may buy another someday in a different paint scheme.
Ahh fantastic - glad to hear you're pleased with yours - yes they do seem to be quite poor out of the box, but they get much better! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Ouigo is a French open access rail brand , tickets purchased online only and single class service . Operate some cross country routes on low frequencies yet frequently couple up with the regular SNCF TGV services.
I have used them to Reims; just okay to be honest . French rails reputation is hyped somewhat . As regular user of the Transilien services they are dirty crowded slow and almost always graffiti encrusted . A pacer might actually be better ! Sam SNCF TGV network is left hand running (same as us) . Right hand in Netherlands and Switzerland on recent journeys
Paul Coale the set you got was one of the older "hobby line" mehano TGVs. As implied, the Hobby Line's quality and detail is WAAY better. I honestly don't get why Mehano stopped making higher end models like Hornby does.
I rode this last year, top deck - (essentially the ryanair of railway services in france - but actually comfortable - TGV inOui being the higher end service) and the speed they get up to is incredible.. it felt like we were flying along, and the way it took curves was fantastic!
Sam's Trains Yes, please do a review on the Hornby Eurostar e300 starter set. I was planning to buy it as it is my favourite train. Unfortunately, there are no proper reviews on TH-cam, so I would love to see your opinion when compared to the Ouigo. Also I have the Renfe Ave S100 by Mehano from 2008 and funnily enough it has lights, an interior on both coaches (sadly still no interior cabs), I never had any derailment or performance issues with the central coaches, and it definitely did not need cleaning. It was 80 euros only the train, but still amazing value. I guess over time the company may have been struggling financially, and had to cut corners. A bit sad, but still looks great! Anyway, thanks sooo much for you amazing videos. Big fan of your work, and thanks for making the lockdown easier to manage. Take care. 🙂
This looks good, the livery is amazing and is well applied. The only thing I’d say for the price it is a bit cheap for what you get to be honest, you can probably get a cheap hornby railroad loco for the same price. But this does look appealing to starting modellers. Another brilliant review from you Sam! Ned
Thanks a lot Ned - yeah overall I was very impressive - and compared with the likes of Hornby, the price is actually really good! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)
I remember the Thalys I got as a kid for christmas. Still have it somewhere in a box. The locos are built exactly the same with the metal frame and all-wheel drive, but the coaches are the single level ones. And actually it even has proper LED lights which switch with the direction.
I'm from France, thank from the review, i'm buying this one month ago, it's perfect for the price, there's no probleme on my train, it's just a good pleasure for the price ! Thank you
I bought mine about two years ago and didn't have any problem with it. I was amazed about the value for money. Nice to see you have tested it now and think the same about it. Pity they didn't make more coaches for it. Please more video's with cheap trains (sets). Or coaches/ wagons.
Hi Sam! Mine ran fine out of the box after a 40 minute run in. It does need large radius curves. The prototype doesn't take tight curves in day-to-day operation, so I didn't worry too much. Sometimes I buy a locomotive and I feel fleeced. I didn't care with this set, the imperfections were nowhere as bad as glue marks on a £200 locomotive. I just enjoy it.
Great to hear that mate - yes that's very true of all model trains in real life - they should be able to handle 3rd radius though, at least in model form!! ;D Thanks for watching - Sam :)
2:57 Boom clap The sound of the tender The beat goes on and on and on and Boom clap The sound of the coal Go in the fire go in the fire That’s what I was thinking of when it said “boom tender” at the end of crane car, LOL! 😂
A guy from Canada who has TH-cam train channel brought the same train had same issues. He took it to the work bench found nothing wrong except lack of oil. After he put some lubricant it ran fine.
Really love your videos on the cheaper train sets! I got the Hornby Eurostar set last Christmas and I think overall it is better than the TGV. The detail is not amazing but definitely better than the TGV and the performance, mechanism and quality is at the usual Hornby standard. The shared bogie for the passenger cars works really well and looks realistic and it looks really elegant when running. I’d probably give it around an 8/10 but I would love to see what you think. Of course the value might not be quite as good but the track, trackmat and controller are quite useful. If you do decide to do a review of the Eurostar I would love to see in your opinion how it stacks up against the TGV! Thanks Sam!
Hi Sam I have bought a intermediate coach pack for the original silver and blue TGV. All wheelsets were tight and I had to remove each one and open out the plastic bearings in the bogies! The entire train now runs smoothly!
It's a good model, I saw that it has excellent details in relation to the cost, Sam, you did well to review it. A good start for those who start this passion, but it can be interesting for even the most experienced!
The coach articulation using a shared bogie goes back a long way. Gresley first introduced articulation in passenger stock in 1907 using converted vehicles, but in 1911 he produced some articulated suburban stock for the GNR. These were articulated pairs and were later rebuilt as four-coach ('Quadart') units. From 1921-9 further 'Quadart' compartment stock was built with an eventual total of 97 GNR and LNER sets. Two 'Quadarts' formed an eight-coach train. Because of their high seating capacity they were popular with the operators and some continued in traffic until April 1966. One set is preserved by the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway Society at the North Norfolk Railway. Gresley's first major job was on coaching matters. This design means more seats in a given length. Less space wasted between coaches.
Another comment from France . The contents list on the box is for another train set entirely , the one mentioned on the box comes with a diesel loco a recovery crane and a wagon . Love the reviews Sam .
They have done all manner of TGV for years now, with some of the more "Premium" ones available with DCC even. In Germany many years ago there was even an offer by ALDI, with various Mehano trainsets, including an AGV and TGV. They weren't amazing, but they are pretty good starting material for when your kid is interested but you want to see what becomes of the product in the hands of them.
@@SamsTrains Well don't expect miracles. The "premium" aspect was just DCC ready and DCC fitted options. They did have things like an American steamer with DCC sound and smoke though. The electronics retailer "Conrad Electronics" in Germany used to offer a lot of Mehano stuff.
Bought the Thalys version years ago for my son. Got a whole layout along with it with paper skyscapers. It ran perfectly straight out of the box. I remember the paintjob to be better than this Ouigo though.
This looks like it can be a great set for someone who comes from another dynamic model hobby and so already has the skills to look at eventual faults, but also doesn't want to spend too much to "have a look" at running model trains. Shame for the track, a simple circle is barely enough to have a look at the model running and it being steel track means that you're better off simply making a new layout from scratch rather than upgrade. All in all, I believe that with a replacement motor and a bit of paint touch up on the bogies, pantographs and corridors it can become a pretty nice model. Some clear smoke acrylic paint on the windows will also help hide the lack of an interior for those who aren't interested into making the interior from scratch, without completely blocking up the windows.
Hello Sam, just got one of these sets off Amazon £38.00 !! thats why i bought it! i have a few brit models (a J52 is on route!) but mainly model North American. I have given the power unit a quick run but it is very noisy! sounds very dry so we shall see, for the money its worth messing about with,
After 30 years finally bought two new Mehano sets. Than it was a dometic product now it is a neighboring state product made in China. Good quality for money but also had to grind corners on coach to runn smoth on 457mm radius.
I just bought a Tri ang M7 in br lined black for 25 pounds! Love the little features of the smoke box door and the lit up fire inside ,thanks for showing me some more bargains! ☺
I find myself very intrigued by the trains in the background when you do the ratings. The one in the top dies not seem to have a loco in there. Just a point of observation... Great channel Sam. Keep up the good work mate.
I did look at this and a few other sets from the continent, some of the reviews on Amazon put me off and I decided to leave them all. Clearly some people just can’t be pleased and am glad to see you did a review, a proper review. Cheers!
I have MEHANO (Yugoslavia/Slovenia) sets from 1980 to current. All work just fine even from 40 years ago (then they had better quality, now they are made in China) :) The transmission systems I have never greased or opened in any use case, so I can say all are very rigid and problem free...
French here. Fun to see something as modern as the OuiGo on this channel (that I'm following to learn more about UK steam-era rail stuff). Let's be honest. Mediocre quality, doesn't runs well, pretty messy paint job, had to be maintained ... well.... it's 100% SNCF prototypical! To be more realistic, the video should have been halved in length because of a surprise strike commanded by your worker union.... By the way, in France trains runs on the left so you are completely realistic.
Sam it would say: Warning In the French user manual in 2. point, the 10 dash is correct. Before cleaning the transformer with cotton and alcohol, it must be unplugged.
Here in Canada Mehano partnered up with a grocery store chain and they made Canadian train sets every christmas,most of them are steam engines and they are pretty good
Not sure if you reply to old videos, but try a modern Jouef TGV set. Not the Junior, but try the DC or DCC/Sound set. It is expensive, but you should check out the drivetrain. Fair warning, they are not easy to open up, so open up the motor car, and dummy loco, with care.
Note: the trains in most parts of France are left-hand running because the first French railways were built by British engineers. In Alsace and Lorraine, however, they're right-hand running because most of the railways in that part of the country were built by the Germans when they administered that region from 1870 to 1918.
Very modern of you, Sam. Good to have a mix of Engines old and new and a great deal. The name “Ouigo” sounds like the word “Ouija, or Ouiji”. Luckily this set is not cursed. Otherwise, you might summon the ghosts of the long lost engine classes that were entirely scrapped long ago, seeking revenge on the cutter who possesses the torch.
The connections between the two cars is actually pretty normal for some hst’s. I was kind of surprised to see that. As for the interior it looks like it would make for a good project. That’s just my opinion really. As always , awesome job Sam.
10:38 the small signs below the 764 (train number) are "Rame grande vitesse entretenue par les technicentres SNCF" --->"High speed train maintained by SNCF technicentres" 10:51 390t weight of the trainset (10 cars) the symbol above the wheel is the location of the fulcrum to lift the motor with the maintenance equipment (we call this chandelles/candles in French) 11:03: train manufacturer registration number
@@SamsTrains Thks ...it's easy for me..i'm french ^^ and i took TGV duplex (normal not ouigo)last Thursday between Paris and Lyon. I talked with the driver before departure about symbols on the train.I imagine you already took the real TGV ?? I prefer to take N scale for tgv with Kato .....they sell TGV duplex (two colors) ,tgv lyria ,tgv reseau duplex ,and thalys (2 scheme color)
19:00 Nope France unusually runs them on the left like the UK. Been on a few Ouigos in real life and they aren’t bad, and the real ones have interiors. Would have travelled on one at the end of this month but that’s all been cancelled now.
In most of France the trains run on the left. The exception is the Alsace-Moselle region where they run on the right (as they do in Germany). The trains change sides as they enter Alsace-Moselle
As someone that owns the Eurostar class 373 and I have owned it for about 6 years now both sets do have they defense. I don't own a TGV but the Eurostar has got no problems running, Eurostar VS TGV Speed: Eurostar: reason I can't even run mine full speed before it fly's of the track it's rapid Detail: Eurostar: reason It has seats and tables on the inside and the Eurostar does have a bit more roof detail Lowest Derailment Chance: Eurostar: reason unless you run the Eurostar very fast over points or around a bent is will be fine and will run great. Price: TGV : reason the TGV is cheaper but doesn't mean better. Easier to find and buy: TGV : reason you can't buy the Eurostar straight from Hornby anymore but you can buy the TGV right off amazon. Track that comes with set: Eurostar: reason the Eurostar came with straights, points and bends Vale: Draw : reason both get what you paid for. for example you buy another £50 you get sets, more track, more detail for the Eurostar but the TGV also gives good vale Winner: Eurostar Class 373/ 4 TGV/ 3
I too have a TGV train set from Mehano. Its the Mehano TGV Thalys set with in total 4 coaches.Its funny that your TGV needed an wheel cleanup and pickups cleanup whilst mine is just fine. I have never done an cleanup on wheels or anything like that! I even never oiled her since I got it! But I think soon I will oil her because the sound is now getting a bit loud. I never had to file anything or so and never had any technical problems. It is btw dissapointing that Mehano never made an sort of expansion pack with more coaches. because I would have liked to get more than 4 coaches because 4 coaches is totally not realistic in comparison with the real Thalys. They ride quite good but still have a few issues. The Mehano TGV loco's are really bad when doing cold start or start riding after long time. An issue too is that I think they can't hadle sharp corners that great. Every time, when I ride with my Thalys over my 36 degrees corner. They start to rattle a bit and then make quite some noise. Its is a bit ennoying but I still love the train and the technique they use in their trains! One more complain: Its is big issue too that they don't build lights in the motor coach. I have done it myself in a DIY way and it now works but its really sad that Mehano never decided to put any lights in their TGV lineup (as far as I know)...
Glad to hear yours was okay mate - it was very strange that mine didn't work properly - I still don't 100% know why it was! Yes mine had issues on curves too! Thanks for watching - Sam :)
4:45 to english is in the French manual, at the 2 point the 10 dash is correct before cleaning the transformer with cotton and alcohol, it must be unplugged
Hi Sam, I operate 3 full length (10 parts) tgv trains of Mehano on my club layout. The layout is about 80 meter long. All of them are running over 5 years now without any derailment or fault. However they are made digital, have full interior and have weights in them. They are the professional versions offered be Mehano before they went out of business and restarted more as a toy train company instead of pro series. A shame as the pro versions are fantastic runners. Keep up de the good work.
Hi Sam, that connection between the carriages is called a Jacobs Bogie, they're very common with certain manufacturers and a lot of light rail. They have some big advantages but obviously they're only useful if your train is always going to be the same length!
Great and interesting review Sam, at 2:55 it says 'includes diesel loco', but yet the loco is clearly electric as they have pantographs. Really confusing!
Still a solid train set. I feel these European companies can learn a lot from North American starter sets, some of which (like Athearn, Atlas, and Walthers) tend to have dual flywheels and 5-pole motors. They’re often DCC ready which makes it easier to upgrade it if you go up to DCC and/or want to run it at the club
For those on a budget this set would be ideal, It's a damn sight cheaper than Hornby's APT set, which you wouldn't get much change from £500. This set could be ideal for modders, fitting of lights, interiors etc shouldn't be that difficult, even smoothing out the edges of the printed logo wouldn't be too difficult either. From the money you save by buying this set compared to others you could spend a bit more and have a great looking and performing train. Another good and as always honest review, Sam! :)
I honestly wish I could send him a lionel train, one of the higher models that has insane detail, weighs a dumb amount but looks absolutely amazing and runs even better, I feel like he'd be amazed by it
I do like French trains and the TGV Duplex is lovely looking unit. Shame you had such a faff with this one Sam but it certainly runs well now. Many thanks.
Kind of intrigued by duplex coaches (I've probably been on one myself for a couple trips to Chicago); with my G16 and Y10 Thomas OCs, I've been considering the family who owns them reside in a renovated duplex coach (or two) kept with the engines in their shed.
I had to use the German Amazon (bc I live in Germamy) and there was only a Thalys and a TGV duplex in Original Liveries, then a AVE (white TGV like Train), the Original TGV (like the Second Link here) A TGV Tricourant (White TGV with Black Red Stripes as it Liveries) and a Full set of a German ICE 3.
I have the eurostar and it is Ok-ish a interior (i think),and i think its decently fast for me. It is still a Nice model. It comes with track pack A With the extended track. Its a 4 coach set with a new controller with plug. the loco is a bit heavy but im no expert. It has the coach couplings like the TGV, Inside the coach coupling it a area to push the coach into the carriage gangway where it clips in and won’t move unless you pull it out.
Had the normal TGV Duplex from Mehano when I was in childhood. Liked it. Sad that i was not able to find some more coaches to make the train longer, Hope that Mehano will produce them for this one, it will be great to have it on its original length.
Should be mentioned that Mehano sells several different TGV sets and an ICE 3 set for the same price as this, so if you don't like this livery there are a few other options and one is a more traditional TGV look.
I have the Mehano Thalys high speed train pack that has directional lights in both loco and dummy car. Detail & quality a little better than the one you just reviewed, mechanically is the same with exception of traction tyres which I know you dislike Sam! I think my model was produced in the early 2000’s & I picked it up off eBay for a reasonable price
I must say I am impressed by the metal chassis, all wheel pick ups, & central motor. On the other hand, weathering bogies wld make it look better. Lack of interior details & poggy paint work bit of a let down. I do have Hornby Eurostar. I had to resolder thicker wires to get train's durability & performance. Soldering failed within a couple of days of light use. No lights but bogies much better that Mehanos.. The soldering issues sadly were also experienced by some of my friends with Class 92 & Eurostar. So there were some QC lapses. But the Hornbys flimsy costs you know it.
Me too Nix - for the money, that aspect was pretty impressive! Overall not bad at all, but you're right in those criticisms! Thanks for watching - Sam :)
One of my first Train Sets from Mehano was the TGV Duplex,pretty fimiliar to the Ouigo Set. It was pretty cheap around christmastime available at Aldi. No kidding! What the hell could go wrong for 39€? So I've bought one and I was amazingly suprised about it. The loco didn't have the connection problems like the one from Sam, but I've got the same problem with the boogie. Curves in the R1/R2 were a little bit problematic, but with the same solution as Sam did, it worked pretty well.
In would love it if you would review the class 55 again and you should get the green version love watching your videos -Aaron edit: Also can you do a welsh loco pls
Hey Sam, I had a Mehano TGV Tricourant which is a single deck version of the Ouigo in a different livery. For me, it ran straight out of the box but slow speed was non existent! I think for the price they are a great set. Thanks for the good review!
I have the spanish AVE, very similar to this one. runs pretty well, and it has white lights on the front and red ones on the rear as well, which change when you change the direction
My TGV duplex and yes I am the same person that told you about my TGV I set it up a couple days ago and it runs pretty fast and smooth I’m going to my grandpas house today to see if I can get his tunnel because I have always wanted one Oh and I’m half French
I would buy one but im more of a steam engine fan and it would not look good on my layout but for the money i think its worth it because i payed almost 20 pounds more for my Hornby Henry model and it broke 2 weeks later and i had to repair it it works fine now but ill have to get a new valve gear
The worm drive in the bogie reminds me of the old Gützold models from East Germany. Especially their diesel locos such as the East German class 118. Those models were pretty much indestructable. I have one that I bought second hand. The cast metal lower chassis also looks somewhat similar to your TGV, so maybe there is a common ancestry of some sort there?
well, the Ouigo is a cheap-fare train so it makes sense it was turned into an inexpensive model train set! 2:57 that description is from the other Mehano diesel train, which came with a crane car 16:00 I have two worm-drive steam locomotives and they tend to jam up. Although one I was able to fix so that it doesn't jam up anymore In France, the trains run on the left-hand track like the British, but the roadways are set up to be driven on the right side, so running it like that on the middle line was correct. You should do that more often
Hi Sam. Although I have yet to test it out, I now have the Jouef version of this train. As Jouef is owned and distributed by Hornby, it is basically a Hornby train set under the name of Jouef. I think it will be a superior version to the Mehano set: nickel silver track, red rerailer, power track piece, owners manual and track mat. The controller is the usual bog standard Hornby one and the adapter is 2 pin. I think only the rear bogies on the power car pick up, unlike the Mehano one, in which both bogies pick up. Maybe get it and review it? I did have to clean the pickup wheels as, like the Mehano ones, they were filthy. By the way, I am running in the power car now. At the time of writing it's still only £70.72 from Amazon. Pete.
Thanks a lot for sharing Pete - do let me know whether or not there are any major differences! I'd be very interested to try one myself! :D Thanks for watching, Sam :)
@@SamsTrains Hi again Sam. The major difference is that the power car is far smoother and much less noisy than the Mehano one, as well as all the extras I mentioned earlier. I don't know why, but the Mehano coach needs a big power surge from the controller to get it running and it shakes if turning the wheels using power leads manually, unlike needing just a slow, gentle increase in power from the controller. I would appreciate knowing why this might be and how to disassemble the mechanism and try and see where and what the problem is. Incidentally, if you were to get a set from a UK retailer, (I bought a similar set from Gaugemaster recently) the power adaptor would have a 3 pin plug. Looking forward to hearing from you, Pete.
At 15:38 you have seen something a bit like this with a worm drive to each axle. Standard on most Tri-ang designed motor bogies from the first around 1955 to the 1980s change to Ringfield and spur gears. Eg your circa 1958 R.253 Tri-ang Dock shunter. Although Tri-ang had the armature centred on the worm shaft, without extra jointed shafts to a central motor. Still prefer a good all wheel drive design with a good central motor, but the Tri-ang design gave such good service over the years. Especially those with ball bearings held by a self aligning bronze bearing at each end as in the earlier four wheel designs like the Dock shunter bogie.
I'd really do some work on this one, replace the motor with a proper 5 pole one, paint the moulded plastic details, because the finish on them is terrible, touch up some of the finer detail, perhaps replace pantographs etc.
HI Sam, First off thank you for covering the newer Train Sets. I used to have the 2005 Mehano "RENFE" Spanish TGV that was known as the AVE S-100 and that pack was much better because it has interiors in the carriages and the power unit had a better motor (mine was a "Mashima" type which was very smooth) and the power unit had a DCC board for 8 pin as well. It was one of the Made in Slovenia sets and it was a smooth runner. The packs from 2005 come in blue boxes and I would recommend trying them if you get one Sam. They are lot better than the train sets in my opinion which to be honest. They look very cheap and nasty compared to the older models. Mehano is now owned by Lemke as I have four of their Blue Tiger models. The newer ones are very nice models and match the quality of the older ones. If the Blue Tiger model should interest you Sam. I have done a review of one of mine that is the older Made in Slovenia model and I will be posting a video of one of my newer "Made in China models that will be the first video to come in August mate. I just thought I would mention those as I now cover European HO scale model trains from various makes. If you decide to get one of the Blue Tiger models Sam, please be careful to not buy the 3 rail AC version because it will short out the 2 rail system. I learned this the hard way recently which tripped out my controller. I am glad to be back as TH-cam thought it was a good idea to unsub me :(. All the best mate and please keep up the great videos. Ash.
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I love TH-camrs like you who take their time to respond to any comments asking questions
Thanks so much - I do my best! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
@@SamsTrains shinkansen tgv
新幹線 TGV ( シンカリオン )
When i saw “ultra cheap” i was disappointed not to see El chipo 😂
haha I know - he'll be taking videos like this from now on! ;D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
4:36: in the French instructions, for 2 point the 10 flech is correct
Before cleaning the transformer with a cotton and alcohol, is much be disconnected
Ahh fair enough - how strange!! :O
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Yes, I didn't have time to read it all but "avertissement" means "warning", nothing to do with advertising, but averting danger.
@@SamsTrains It would actually say: Warning
In the French user manual in 2. point, the 10 dash is correct.
Before cleaning the transformer with cotton and alcohol, it must be unplugged.
( I actually understand French so that is as accurate as you can get )
There are some serious logo simularityes
@@lachlancurry8425 Actually yes, for my part I tried to translate it in english but...I'm not a pro 😂
I really enjoyed this review. I actually bought the regular TGV set after seeing your review on the Cargo Train set and I have to say, it seems pretty decent for the money. Mine started fine but it did require a few minutes of break in to get it running smooth without wobbling at higher speeds. I did have some derailing issues with mine too however it's only a problem in one direction so it may be just problems with my track. I may buy another someday in a different paint scheme.
Ahh fantastic - glad to hear you're pleased with yours - yes they do seem to be quite poor out of the box, but they get much better! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
*ouigo*
translate:
yes go.
this raises some questions
here we go
haha! ;D
Ouigo is a French open access rail brand , tickets purchased online only and single class service . Operate some cross country routes on low frequencies yet frequently couple up with the regular SNCF TGV services.
@@keithdoherty8809 yes i understand that but i was making a joke
I have used them to Reims; just okay to be honest . French rails reputation is hyped somewhat . As regular user of the Transilien services they are dirty crowded slow and almost always graffiti encrusted . A pacer might actually be better !
Sam SNCF TGV network is left hand running (same as us) . Right hand in Netherlands and Switzerland on recent journeys
I’ve got their Thalys set plus the additional coaches to make the full length set. All coaches have interiors and runs perfectly.
Ahh fantastic - that sounds much better then!! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Paul Coale the set you got was one of the older "hobby line" mehano TGVs. As implied, the Hobby Line's quality and detail is WAAY better. I honestly don't get why Mehano stopped making higher end models like Hornby does.
I rode this last year, top deck - (essentially the ryanair of railway services in france - but actually comfortable - TGV inOui being the higher end service) and the speed they get up to is incredible.. it felt like we were flying along, and the way it took curves was fantastic!
me: mom can you buy me a tgv
mom: we already a tgv at home
tgv at home:
haha!! ;D
Would definitely be interested in a review of the Eurostar and thanks for yet another great video.
Thanks Jason - I'd love that for sure! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Sam'sTrains definitly make a review on that😁
Sam's Trains Yes, please do a review on the Hornby Eurostar e300 starter set. I was planning to buy it as it is my favourite train. Unfortunately, there are no proper reviews on TH-cam, so I would love to see your opinion when compared to the Ouigo.
Also I have the Renfe Ave S100 by Mehano from 2008 and funnily enough it has lights, an interior on both coaches (sadly still no interior cabs), I never had any derailment or performance issues with the central coaches, and it definitely did not need cleaning. It was 80 euros only the train, but still amazing value. I guess over time the company may have been struggling financially, and had to cut corners. A bit sad, but still looks great!
Anyway, thanks sooo much for you amazing videos. Big fan of your work, and thanks for making the lockdown easier to manage. Take care. 🙂
@@SamsTrains are you still going to review the Eurostar
This looks good, the livery is amazing and is well applied. The only thing I’d say for the price it is a bit cheap for what you get to be honest, you can probably get a cheap hornby railroad loco for the same price. But this does look appealing to starting modellers.
Another brilliant review from you Sam!
Ned
Thanks a lot Ned - yeah overall I was very impressive - and compared with the likes of Hornby, the price is actually really good! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
I remember the Thalys I got as a kid for christmas. Still have it somewhere in a box. The locos are built exactly the same with the metal frame and all-wheel drive, but the coaches are the single level ones. And actually it even has proper LED lights which switch with the direction.
Ooh awesome - that sounds really lovely actually! :O
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
I'm from France, thank from the review, i'm buying this one month ago, it's perfect for the price, there's no probleme on my train, it's just a good pleasure for the price ! Thank you
The shade of blue for this TGV locomotive matches the shade of blue on your shirt! :P
haha that's true actually, awesome! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Getting my first Ho scale Train set in August I'm so excited!!!
Amazing!! Really hope you enjoy it! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
I bought mine about two years ago and didn't have any problem with it. I was amazed about the value for money. Nice to see you have tested it now and think the same about it. Pity they didn't make more coaches for it. Please more video's with cheap trains (sets). Or coaches/ wagons.
Great to hear yours was okay - yes the value for money is excellent! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Hi Sam!
Mine ran fine out of the box after a 40 minute run in. It does need large radius curves. The prototype doesn't take tight curves in day-to-day operation, so I didn't worry too much.
Sometimes I buy a locomotive and I feel fleeced. I didn't care with this set, the imperfections were nowhere as bad as glue marks on a £200 locomotive.
I just enjoy it.
Great to hear that mate - yes that's very true of all model trains in real life - they should be able to handle 3rd radius though, at least in model form!! ;D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
When I see the bogie detail I'm thinking 'Gummy Bears' :-)
Yeah the material does look strange doesn't it?!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Always a pleasure watching your reviews. Many thanks :-)
2:57 Boom clap
The sound of the tender
The beat goes on and on and on and
Boom clap
The sound of the coal
Go in the fire go in the fire
That’s what I was thinking of when it said “boom tender” at the end of crane car, LOL! 😂
haha awesome!! :D
A guy from Canada who has TH-cam train channel brought the same train had same issues. He took it to the work bench found nothing wrong except lack of oil. After he put some lubricant it ran fine.
My friend just started model trains and i recommend ur beginner vid now he is a daily watcher
That's awesome - thanks so much for recommending me! :D
Really love your videos on the cheaper train sets! I got the Hornby Eurostar set last Christmas and I think overall it is better than the TGV. The detail is not amazing but definitely better than the TGV and the performance, mechanism and quality is at the usual Hornby standard. The shared bogie for the passenger cars works really well and looks realistic and it looks really elegant when running. I’d probably give it around an 8/10 but I would love to see what you think. Of course the value might not be quite as good but the track, trackmat and controller are quite useful. If you do decide to do a review of the Eurostar I would love to see in your opinion how it stacks up against the TGV!
Thanks Sam!
Thanks very much for that Harry - glad to hear that, I must try the Hornby Eurostar! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Mehano also makes a TGV. Also i Need this set! Anyways great video! :D
Northern Virginia Railfan they make the TGV Inoui, just looked at it in the shop yesterday, about 100 euros.
Yes they do - there are a few different versions of these! 100 euros sounds pretty decent! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Hi Sam I have bought a intermediate coach pack for the original silver and blue TGV. All wheelsets were tight and I had to remove each one and open out the plastic bearings in the bogies! The entire train now runs smoothly!
Uh oh - sorry you had to do that Nigel, glad you were able to fix it though!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
This looks like a nice train! I may buy one!
Speed train
Hmm yes the floor here is made out of floor
haha!! ;D
It's a good model, I saw that it has excellent details in relation to the cost, Sam, you did well to review it. A good start for those who start this passion, but it can be interesting for even the most experienced!
Thanks Jena - yeah I agree, overall really pleased with this one! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
The coach articulation using a shared bogie goes back a long way.
Gresley first introduced articulation in passenger stock in 1907 using converted vehicles, but in 1911 he produced some articulated suburban stock for the GNR. These were articulated pairs and were later rebuilt as four-coach ('Quadart') units. From 1921-9 further 'Quadart' compartment stock was built with an eventual total of 97 GNR and LNER sets.
Two 'Quadarts' formed an eight-coach train. Because of their high seating capacity they were popular with the operators and some continued in traffic until April 1966. One set is preserved by the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway Society at the North Norfolk Railway.
Gresley's first major job was on coaching matters. This design means more seats in a given length. Less space wasted between coaches.
Thanks a lot for the info John - very interesting stuff!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
There is also a Company owned by Hornby called Jouef also makes Tgvs.
Hey Sam I have a question? Does the ouigo TGV can go on OO gauge track?
Another comment from France . The contents list on the box is for another train set entirely , the one mentioned on the box comes with a diesel loco a recovery crane and a wagon . Love the reviews Sam .
haha that's very interesting - a bit lazy of them not to update the text then! ;D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
@@SamsTrains Probably a translation issue at the manufacturing plant 😄😉
They have done all manner of TGV for years now, with some of the more "Premium" ones available with DCC even. In Germany many years ago there was even an offer by ALDI, with various Mehano trainsets, including an AGV and TGV. They weren't amazing, but they are pretty good starting material for when your kid is interested but you want to see what becomes of the product in the hands of them.
Ahh fantastic - I'd love to see some of the more premium ones!! :O
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
@@SamsTrains Well don't expect miracles. The "premium" aspect was just DCC ready and DCC fitted options. They did have things like an American steamer with DCC sound and smoke though. The electronics retailer "Conrad Electronics" in Germany used to offer a lot of Mehano stuff.
Bought the Thalys version years ago for my son. Got a whole layout along with it with paper skyscapers. It ran perfectly straight out of the box. I remember the paintjob to be better than this Ouigo though.
Great to hear that!! You were much luckier than I was!! ;D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
This looks like it can be a great set for someone who comes from another dynamic model hobby and so already has the skills to look at eventual faults, but also doesn't want to spend too much to "have a look" at running model trains. Shame for the track, a simple circle is barely enough to have a look at the model running and it being steel track means that you're better off simply making a new layout from scratch rather than upgrade.
All in all, I believe that with a replacement motor and a bit of paint touch up on the bogies, pantographs and corridors it can become a pretty nice model. Some clear smoke acrylic paint on the windows will also help hide the lack of an interior for those who aren't interested into making the interior from scratch, without completely blocking up the windows.
Yes I agree with you there mate - thanks a lot for sharing! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Hello Sam, just got one of these sets off Amazon £38.00 !! thats why i bought it! i have a few brit models (a J52 is on route!) but mainly model North American.
I have given the power unit a quick run but it is very noisy! sounds very dry so we shall see, for the money its worth messing about with,
After 30 years finally bought two new Mehano sets. Than it was a dometic product now it is a neighboring state product made in China. Good quality for money but also had to grind corners on coach to runn smoth on 457mm radius.
That's fantastic - yes good value, but there are issues as you described! Hope you enjoy though,
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
I like the TGV Liverly the normal one with white paint with blue stripes.
Me too - it does look really smart! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
I just bought a Tri ang M7 in br lined black for 25 pounds! Love the little features of the smoke box door and the lit up fire inside ,thanks for showing me some more bargains! ☺
Ahh fantastic price - yeah I love those models too! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
i like the fact that the box calls the TGV a Diesel Locomotive
haha yeah - and a crane - definitely a misprint! ;D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
I find myself very intrigued by the trains in the background when you do the ratings. The one in the top dies not seem to have a loco in there.
Just a point of observation...
Great channel Sam. Keep up the good work mate.
haha yes - just a camera trick I'm afraid! ;D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
When I noticed it's just repeating all the time it drove me insane
lol....Doing my head in....
I did look at this and a few other sets from the continent, some of the reviews on Amazon put me off and I decided to leave them all. Clearly some people just can’t be pleased and am glad to see you did a review, a proper review. Cheers!
haha thanks Stephen - they're certainly not perfect, but easily worth the asking price! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
I have MEHANO (Yugoslavia/Slovenia) sets from 1980 to current. All work just fine even from 40 years ago (then they had better quality, now they are made in China) :)
The transmission systems I have never greased or opened in any use case, so I can say all are very rigid and problem free...
Very interesting mate - thanks a lot for sharing! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
French here.
Fun to see something as modern as the OuiGo on this channel (that I'm following to learn more about UK steam-era rail stuff).
Let's be honest. Mediocre quality, doesn't runs well, pretty messy paint job, had to be maintained ... well.... it's 100% SNCF prototypical! To be more realistic, the video should have been halved in length because of a surprise strike commanded by your worker union....
By the way, in France trains runs on the left so you are completely realistic.
haha is that true for the SNCF?!? lol!! ;D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Sam it would say: Warning
In the French user manual in 2. point, the 10 dash is correct.
Before cleaning the transformer with cotton and alcohol, it must be unplugged.
Thanks a lot for this Lachlan - appreciate it! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Here in Canada Mehano partnered up with a grocery store chain and they made Canadian train sets every christmas,most of them are steam engines and they are pretty good
Yeah I've heard about that - it's super cool! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Not sure if you reply to old videos, but try a modern Jouef TGV set. Not the Junior, but try the DC or DCC/Sound set. It is expensive, but you should check out the drivetrain. Fair warning, they are not easy to open up, so open up the motor car, and dummy loco, with care.
Note: the trains in most parts of France are left-hand running because the first French railways were built by British engineers. In Alsace and Lorraine, however, they're right-hand running because most of the railways in that part of the country were built by the Germans when they administered that region from 1870 to 1918.
Ahh okay, thanks a lot for this info Luke! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Thus a beautiful tgv with ouigo livery
Thanks mate! :D
I really enjoy this cheap train reviews. Thanks one more time, Sam!
Thank you Hector!! :D
Very modern of you, Sam. Good to have a mix of Engines old and new and a great deal. The name “Ouigo” sounds like the word “Ouija, or Ouiji”. Luckily this set is not cursed.
Otherwise, you might summon the ghosts of the long lost engine classes that were entirely scrapped long ago, seeking revenge on the cutter who possesses the torch.
haha thanks mate - yes I do my best to mix it up!! haha that's true actually - oh ear!! ;D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Sam is that one guy that no matter how popular he gets he will always reply to every comment.
Unless it's inappropriate
haha I do my best Craig - thanks mate! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
The connections between the two cars is actually pretty normal for some hst’s.
I was kind of surprised to see that.
As for the interior it looks like it would make for a good project. That’s just my opinion really. As always , awesome job Sam.
Awesome - I've never had a train with that before!! Absolutely - it would make a great project! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
10:38 the small signs below the 764 (train number) are "Rame grande vitesse entretenue par les technicentres SNCF" --->"High speed train maintained by SNCF technicentres"
10:51 390t weight of the trainset (10 cars)
the symbol above the wheel is the location of the fulcrum to lift the motor with the maintenance equipment (we call this chandelles/candles in French)
11:03: train manufacturer registration number
Many thanks for this - duly noted! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
@@SamsTrains Thks ...it's easy for me..i'm french ^^ and i took TGV duplex (normal not ouigo)last Thursday between Paris and Lyon.
I talked with the driver before departure about symbols on the train.I imagine you already took the real TGV ??
I prefer to take N scale for tgv with Kato .....they sell TGV duplex (two colors) ,tgv lyria ,tgv reseau duplex ,and thalys (2 scheme color)
19:00 Nope France unusually runs them on the left like the UK. Been on a few Ouigos in real life and they aren’t bad, and the real ones have interiors. Would have travelled on one at the end of this month but that’s all been cancelled now.
Ahh okay - at least I know now!!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
It’s weird but I guess it’s more familiar for us. Good review as always
In most of France the trains run on the left. The exception is the Alsace-Moselle region where they run on the right (as they do in Germany). The trains change sides as they enter Alsace-Moselle
As someone that owns the Eurostar class 373 and I have owned it for about 6 years now both sets do have they defense. I don't own a TGV but the Eurostar has got no problems running,
Eurostar VS TGV
Speed: Eurostar: reason I can't even run mine full speed before it fly's of the track it's rapid
Detail: Eurostar: reason It has seats and tables on the inside and the Eurostar does have a bit more roof detail
Lowest Derailment Chance: Eurostar: reason unless you run the Eurostar very fast over points or around a bent is will be fine and will run great.
Price: TGV : reason the TGV is cheaper but doesn't mean better.
Easier to find and buy: TGV : reason you can't buy the Eurostar straight from Hornby anymore but you can buy the TGV right off amazon.
Track that comes with set: Eurostar: reason the Eurostar came with straights, points and bends
Vale: Draw : reason both get what you paid for. for example you buy another £50 you get sets, more track, more detail for the Eurostar but the TGV also gives good vale
Winner: Eurostar Class 373/ 4 TGV/ 3
I too have a TGV train set from Mehano. Its the Mehano TGV Thalys set with in total 4 coaches.Its funny that your TGV needed an wheel cleanup and pickups cleanup whilst mine is just fine. I have never done an cleanup on wheels or anything like that! I even never oiled her since I got it! But I think soon I will oil her because the sound is now getting a bit loud. I never had to file anything or so and never had any technical problems. It is btw dissapointing that Mehano never made an sort of expansion pack with more coaches. because I would have liked to get more than 4 coaches because 4 coaches is totally not realistic in comparison with the real Thalys. They ride quite good but still have a few issues. The Mehano TGV loco's are really bad when doing cold start or start riding after long time. An issue too is that I think they can't hadle sharp corners that great. Every time, when I ride with my Thalys over my 36 degrees corner. They start to rattle a bit and then make quite some noise. Its is a bit ennoying but I still love the train and the technique they use in their trains! One more complain: Its is big issue too that they don't build lights in the motor coach. I have done it myself in a DIY way and it now works but its really sad that Mehano never decided to put any lights in their TGV lineup (as far as I know)...
Glad to hear yours was okay mate - it was very strange that mine didn't work properly - I still don't 100% know why it was! Yes mine had issues on curves too!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
4:45 to english is
in the French manual, at the 2 point the 10 dash is correct before cleaning the transformer with cotton and alcohol, it must be unplugged
Hi Sam,
I operate 3 full length (10 parts) tgv trains of Mehano on my club layout. The layout is about 80 meter long. All of them are running over 5 years now without any derailment or fault. However they are made digital, have full interior and have weights in them. They are the professional versions offered be Mehano before they went out of business and restarted more as a toy train company instead of pro series. A shame as the pro versions are fantastic runners.
Keep up de the good work.
Wow! That sounds superb - I didn't know there was a 'pro' version!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Hi Sam, that connection between the carriages is called a Jacobs Bogie, they're very common with certain manufacturers and a lot of light rail. They have some big advantages but obviously they're only useful if your train is always going to be the same length!
Duly noted - many thanks for the info on this! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
I was about to say the same thing- yep Jacobs bogies, the Eurostar has them too!
Great and interesting review Sam, at 2:55 it says 'includes diesel loco', but yet the loco is clearly electric as they have pantographs. Really confusing!
haha yeah - I think that was a misprint, lol! ;D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Still a solid train set. I feel these European companies can learn a lot from North American starter sets, some of which (like Athearn, Atlas, and Walthers) tend to have dual flywheels and 5-pole motors. They’re often DCC ready which makes it easier to upgrade it if you go up to DCC and/or want to run it at the club
Thanks mate! Ahh are those decent then? I'll have to check those out! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Sam'sTrains Yes. Bachmann USA engines aren’t too bad either, motor but with no flywheels like that TGV power car, but good slow speed performance
For those on a budget this set would be ideal, It's a damn sight cheaper than Hornby's APT set, which you wouldn't get much change from £500. This set could be ideal for modders, fitting of lights, interiors etc shouldn't be that difficult, even smoothing out the edges of the printed logo wouldn't be too difficult either. From the money you save by buying this set compared to others you could spend a bit more and have a great looking and performing train. Another good and as always honest review, Sam! :)
Absolutely - even though it'll be no comparison to the APT, no doubt the value for money here will be much better!!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
I honestly wish I could send him a lionel train, one of the higher models that has insane detail, weighs a dumb amount but looks absolutely amazing and runs even better, I feel like he'd be amazed by it
That's very kind of you, but I'll try to get some myself if they're good - they do sound it!! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
I do like French trains and the TGV Duplex is lovely looking unit. Shame you had such a faff with this one Sam but it certainly runs well now. Many thanks.
Me too Mike - yes it was a faff, but quite happy with it now! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Kind of intrigued by duplex coaches (I've probably been on one myself for a couple trips to Chicago); with my G16 and Y10 Thomas OCs, I've been considering the family who owns them reside in a renovated duplex coach (or two) kept with the engines in their shed.
Yeah me too - safe to say I've never seen a real one!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
I had to use the German Amazon (bc I live in Germamy) and there was only a Thalys and a TGV duplex in Original Liveries, then a AVE (white TGV like Train), the Original TGV (like the Second Link here)
A TGV Tricourant (White TGV with Black Red Stripes as it Liveries) and a Full set of a German ICE 3.
Ahh nice - thanks a lot for letting me know!! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
I have the eurostar and it is Ok-ish a interior (i think),and i think its decently fast for me. It is still a Nice model. It comes with track pack A With the extended track. Its a 4 coach set with a new controller with plug. the loco is a bit heavy but im no expert.
It has the coach couplings like the TGV, Inside the coach coupling it a area to push the coach into the carriage gangway where it clips in and won’t move unless you pull it out.
Thanks a lot for letting me know - I would be very interested to try it! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Had the normal TGV Duplex from Mehano when I was in childhood. Liked it. Sad that i was not able to find some more coaches to make the train longer, Hope that Mehano will produce them for this one, it will be great to have it on its original length.
Ahh great to hear that - I wish I could find more coaches too, that is a shame :(
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Should be mentioned that Mehano sells several different TGV sets and an ICE 3 set for the same price as this, so if you don't like this livery there are a few other options and one is a more traditional TGV look.
Yes very true - well worth having a look!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
I have the Mehano Thalys high speed train pack that has directional lights in both loco and dummy car. Detail & quality a little better than the one you just reviewed, mechanically is the same with exception of traction tyres which I know you dislike Sam! I think my model was produced in the early 2000’s & I picked it up off eBay for a reasonable price
Oh wow - I've never seen Mehano with directional lights before, fantastic!!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
I must say I am impressed by the metal chassis, all wheel pick ups, & central motor.
On the other hand, weathering bogies wld make it look better.
Lack of interior details & poggy paint work bit of a let down.
I do have Hornby Eurostar. I had to resolder thicker wires to get train's durability & performance. Soldering failed within a couple of days of light use. No lights but bogies much better that Mehanos.. The soldering issues sadly were also experienced by some of my friends with Class 92 & Eurostar. So there were some QC lapses. But the Hornbys flimsy costs you know it.
Me too Nix - for the money, that aspect was pretty impressive! Overall not bad at all, but you're right in those criticisms!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
One of my first Train Sets from Mehano was the TGV Duplex,pretty fimiliar to the Ouigo Set. It was pretty cheap around christmastime available at Aldi. No kidding! What the hell could go wrong for 39€? So I've bought one and I was amazingly suprised about it. The loco didn't have the connection problems like the one from Sam, but I've got the same problem with the boogie. Curves in the R1/R2 were a little bit problematic, but with the same solution as Sam did, it worked pretty well.
Ahh very nice - yes I think I've seen those too - they look awesome!! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
I can never hear you say "train set" now without thinking of last year's April Fools video and that segment where you kept going "TRAIN SET!!!!!!".
haha sorry about that - I've tainted train sets forever then?! ;D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
In would love it if you would review the class 55 again and you should get the green version love watching your videos -Aaron edit: Also can you do a welsh loco pls
Yeah I'd love that - hopefully I can pick up a more modern one?? :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Great vid. I wish all train sets were that cheap I would buy this set
Yeah me too - for sure!! :D
Hey Sam,
I had a Mehano TGV Tricourant which is a single deck version of the Ouigo in a different livery. For me, it ran straight out of the box but slow speed was non existent! I think for the price they are a great set. Thanks for the good review!
Ahh fantastic - yeah I've seen those! Yes sadly the slow speed isn't very good :(
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
I have the spanish AVE, very similar to this one. runs pretty well, and it has white lights on the front and red ones on the rear as well, which change when you change the direction
Ahh fantastic to hear that - the lights make it even better!! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Worm gears are pretty normal in N Scale locos, it's a reliable way to reduce speed from the motor to the drive wheels :-)
Yeah they're normal in OO too, but not one per axle - there's usually just one per bogie!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Sams Trains Blue TGV POS train.
I like it! ❤️👍🏻
Also this set is really a bang, and its made a refreshing new art in your fleet.
haha thank you - yeah definitely, it sure stands out! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
I hope u review Jouef tgvs (a company hornby owns) as I’m not sure if the value for money is good for their sets.
thats a really good price for a 4 car train and its detail is good too! loved the video
-ollie
Thanks Ollie - I thought it was too!! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Hornby Dublo used to include track clips in their older sets like my A4 Golden Fleece set with tinplate coaches
My TGV duplex and yes I am the same person that told you about my TGV I set it up a couple days ago and it runs pretty fast and smooth I’m going to my grandpas house today to see if I can get his tunnel because I have always wanted one
Oh and I’m half French
Ahh fantastic to hear that - they are nice and smooth! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
I would buy one but im more of a steam engine fan and it would not look good on my layout but for the money i think its worth it because i payed almost 20 pounds more for my Hornby Henry model and it broke 2 weeks later and i had to repair it it works fine now but ill have to get a new valve gear
That's fair enough - certainly not ideal for a steam fan, lol! ;D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
This was quite interesting, thanks Sam
Thank you! :D
Such a beautiful set Sam! Lucky you got it for such a cheap price!
Thanks a lot Ryno - yes it was very lucky! :D
The worm drive in the bogie reminds me of the old Gützold models from East Germany. Especially their diesel locos such as the East German class 118. Those models were pretty much indestructable. I have one that I bought second hand. The cast metal lower chassis also looks somewhat similar to your TGV, so maybe there is a common ancestry of some sort there?
Ahh those were the same were they?? Thanks for sharing - I'll have to try one!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
well, the Ouigo is a cheap-fare train so it makes sense it was turned into an inexpensive model train set!
2:57 that description is from the other Mehano diesel train, which came with a crane car
16:00 I have two worm-drive steam locomotives and they tend to jam up. Although one I was able to fix so that it doesn't jam up anymore
In France, the trains run on the left-hand track like the British, but the roadways are set up to be driven on the right side, so running it like that on the middle line was correct. You should do that more often
Yeah exactly - it makes the perfect budget model!! Yeah you're right - a bit of a cock up wasn't it?! ;D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
I think Sam should have more subscribers This is great content 😃
You're very kind, thank you so much! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
The Bachmann Big Haulers sets also come with track clips, but those are g-scale
Ahh interesting - I didn't know that! :O
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
I'll wait day and night for you to make another Thomas video with LBSC Thomas ,Red Rosie ,Busy bee James ,Angry Diesel and Paxton
haha good idea - that would be nice!! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Hi Sam. Although I have yet to test it out, I now have the Jouef version of this train. As Jouef is owned and distributed by Hornby, it is basically a Hornby train set under the name of Jouef. I think it will be a superior version to the Mehano set: nickel silver track, red rerailer, power track piece, owners manual and track mat. The controller is the usual bog standard Hornby one and the adapter is 2 pin.
I think only the rear bogies on the power car pick up, unlike the Mehano one, in which both bogies pick up. Maybe get it and review it? I did have to clean the pickup wheels as, like the Mehano ones, they were filthy. By the way, I am running in the power car now. At the time of writing it's still only £70.72 from Amazon. Pete.
Thanks a lot for sharing Pete - do let me know whether or not there are any major differences! I'd be very interested to try one myself! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
@@SamsTrains Hi again Sam. The major difference is that the power car is far smoother and much less noisy than the Mehano one, as well as all the extras I mentioned earlier. I don't know why, but the Mehano coach needs a big power surge from the controller to get it running and it shakes if turning the wheels using power leads manually, unlike needing just a slow, gentle increase in power from the controller. I would appreciate knowing why this might be and how to disassemble the mechanism and try and see where and what the problem is.
Incidentally, if you were to get a set from a UK retailer, (I bought a similar set from Gaugemaster recently) the power adaptor would have a 3 pin plug. Looking forward to hearing from you, Pete.
For my birthday on the 18th I'm getting both the Eurostar and the hst gwr train set
Ooh amazing - really hope you enjoy those mate! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
wow, I love it, your video made me buy it and I just ordered one !! thank you :)
At 15:38 you have seen something a bit like this with a worm drive to each axle.
Standard on most Tri-ang designed motor bogies from the first around 1955 to the 1980s change to Ringfield and spur gears. Eg your circa 1958 R.253 Tri-ang Dock shunter. Although Tri-ang had the armature centred on the worm shaft, without extra jointed shafts to a central motor.
Still prefer a good all wheel drive design with a good central motor, but the Tri-ang design gave such good service over the years. Especially those with ball bearings held by a self aligning bronze bearing at each end as in the earlier four wheel designs like the Dock shunter bogie.
Yes actually that's very true John - good point!! Though usually those stopped at 2 worms, this had 4!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
I just noticed towards the end of the video the Loco was vibrating noticeably as it was running. 23:54. The rolling stock was fine.
Yeah that's right - it does have a bit of a wobble!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
My cheap Piko duplex from the 90s had an interior
16:24 quote of the century is "it's literally just the glow-co" -sams trains
haha! ;D
I'd really do some work on this one, replace the motor with a proper 5 pole one, paint the moulded plastic details, because the finish on them is terrible, touch up some of the finer detail, perhaps replace pantographs etc.
HI Sam, First off thank you for covering the newer Train Sets. I used to have the 2005 Mehano "RENFE" Spanish TGV that was known as the AVE S-100 and that pack was much better because it has interiors in the carriages and the power unit had a better motor (mine was a "Mashima" type which was very smooth) and the power unit had a DCC board for 8 pin as well. It was one of the Made in Slovenia sets and it was a smooth runner. The packs from 2005 come in blue boxes and I would recommend trying them if you get one Sam. They are lot better than the train sets in my opinion which to be honest. They look very cheap and nasty compared to the older models. Mehano is now owned by Lemke as I have four of their Blue Tiger models. The newer ones are very nice models and match the quality of the older ones. If the Blue Tiger model should interest you Sam. I have done a review of one of mine that is the older Made in Slovenia model and I will be posting a video of one of my newer "Made in China models that will be the first video to come in August mate. I just thought I would mention those as I now cover European HO scale model trains from various makes. If you decide to get one of the Blue Tiger models Sam, please be careful to not buy the 3 rail AC version because it will short out the 2 rail system. I learned this the hard way recently which tripped out my controller. I am glad to be back as TH-cam thought it was a good idea to unsub me :(.
All the best mate and please keep up the great videos.
Ash.
No problem Ash, glad you liked seeing these! Thanks for sharing this info too - appreciate that!! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Cool set...well worth the money....the tgv is my fave...
Thanks mate - I love it too! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)