Very interesting to see the differences between Rails/Dapol & Hornby there. I was thinking about getting a second Terrier and going for the Rails/Dapol one this time but actually I think I'll save a bit of cash and get a second Hornby one if I do. Thanks for such a thorough review Sam! 👍

Hi Sam, Nice review, it's like my mother in law, looks ok but goes off the rails quite often, All the Best Brian 🤗

I think that warped plate alone would warrant a return for replacement or refund and the gauging issue puts it beyond question.

Lol I love it how you are pleasantly surprised that the locomotive actually couples up to the coaches properly! You would think that having couplings at the correct height and that actually work would be a given for any model. :p. Great review as always.

This has to be the most detailed loco i had ever seen!

I'll stick to my old Dapol Terrier, for now at least. There's no excuse for this kind of shoddy build quality. :(

Refreshing indeed to watch an unbiassed review from someone so passionate about the hobby and who has massive experience of model locos including their mechanisms and who knows how to fully evaluate each model from considerable experience in repairing likely many 100s of models from the mainstream manufacturers. I always check Sams reviews before considering a purchase and especially these days when my finances are squeezed and models seem to be increasing in price way above annual inflation for some strange reason. Thanks Sam for taking the time and effort and investing your cash to assist the average enthusiast in making informed buying decisions. Your recommendations have paid dividends in my recent purchases of the Hornby J15 and J50 - both superb models and good value as pointed out in your reviews!

Hi Sam congratulations on 90k subscribers! I can't believe how quickly you have grown this year! I subscribed earlier this year when you were in between 60-70k subs and have loved every video since! Looking forward to 100k subscribers...you certainly deserve it!

Sam I sincerely hope you send this engine back, the issues with the running plate and gauge are completely unacceptable from a modern model

hi sam great video bad loco so happy to have an honest model railway reviewer everyone else on youtube would say its perfect lol but u tell the truth and same some people a lot of money ur channel really is the only place for honest reviews thanks sam

I had to relegate the re-tooled Hornby Terrier to the scrap line, joining my S15, M7 and Adams Radial failures. No matter what I did I couldn't get the Terrier to run properly; I checked the back-to-back with a gauge, lubricated wherever I could, checked the pickups were all in contact where they should be, but still it couldn't do a circuit without jerking, slowing, speeding and cutting out. I had a small collection of the original and ancient Hornby/Dapol models and, despite them being lacking in the finer details, they all ran perfectly. I won't be getting the Rails version either! Another excellent, cautionary and comprehensive review Sam. Thank you. PS, not one of my Bachmann steam locos has failed, ever, despite the motors frequently being noisier.

Hi Sam , my Boxhill came on Monday and I pleased to say that mine has a straight running plate and the detailing is absolutely perfect on mine . I also have the Southern olive green version which came a month earlier which also had a perfect body but was very noisy , I removed the body a and found there was no lubrication I could see , once the gears were greased and tiny amount of oil to the motor there was a big improvement . As far as pulling power is concerned the real loco only had a tractive effort of 7600LB which is probably only fit for hauling two coaches or a light pickup freight ..David

Great review Sam as always I think Hornby just takes the win with this one as the performance from Dapol left to be more desired fantastic as always 🙂🙂

That warped plate alone would be a dealbreaker for me, no need for that, especially for a model thats been recalled so many times, looks good from a distance tho ;)

The detail and paintwork looks amazing!

Yes Sam I've been waiting for this review by you for ages 😊

Hi Sam, Love the Engine Green T-shirt. Regards, Jim

Hey Sam you should look at the Terrier Stepney 55 loco, I think you would be inprested

Hi Sam, Thanks for another great review. I've got one of the LBSC Umber terrier that Rails released in May. The livery looks beautiful until you get close as there is a scratch on the cab roof. Also that gap between the two bits of the cab looks horrendous on mine as it is a white roof. Finally it is a poor runner and the motor is very loud. At least there is no bent running plate! I have six new Hornby terriers and I have never had any issue so when I got my £110 Rails terrier I was quite disappointed. Thanks again for the review, Thomas

Once again a great and entertaining review from 'the boy who plays on the carpet'. I like the objectivity, formula and breakdown of your reviews. Always very informative and never a dull moment. What is also a positive note in my book: you bought yours, so it is in a state we could expect it to arrive if we bought it. Not checked and tested samples send out for good publicity. One minor notch, please put something in front of your heater when you do the slow crawling test please. Maybe just a billboard with your logo or so 😋. Great review, looking forward to the next!

This is the first time I watched this video first!!!!!!!😂😂

Last time I was this early to a vid it hadn't been uploaded. (It was a premier thing)

I've got a Bachmann 57xx (L92) , which has a central sprung axle. I think it helps over points as it stops the see-saw moment over the points, which alot of small wheelbase 0-6-0's struggle with. Excellent video, really enjoyed it.

Very nice review Sam. I have 3 Dapol items and have had quality issues on all of them. The first was the LSWR B4 ‘Caen’ where the axle assembly became loose and the loco stopped working after hardly any use. I should have returned it at the time but due to various outside reasons I never did. The second was the SE&CR Terrier where a buffer was loose in the box and the cab wasn’t sitting quite right on the chassis but was better when pushed back into place. The last one was the Tiphook Telescopic Hood Wagon where the movable hoods came away in my hand. It was with some difficulty that I was able to accurately glue them back in place. I kept the ‘steel coil’ loads for use in other wagons or sitting in the factory area. It’s just my bad luck but I shall be avoiding Dapol in the future. Three out of three is not a good average in my book. I will say they are all nice looking models though.

Stepney’s back! :P

legend says that Sam'sTrains never replies to comments

I recently purchased a Hornby 'Brighton' Terrier with the exact same livery and I love it to bits! I will fit it with DCC and would like to have sound on it too. I have finally been able to relocate my hobby workshop, so I will be able to lay some track before Yuletide. Thank you for the review, Sam! I think I made the right choice in purchasing a Hornby Terrier. Stay well and keep on chooching!

I am super excited to get my hands on the Terriers! I am waiting for my DCC Fitted GWR Livery Terrier to come in and just have to wait for the DCC Fitting for the Brighton Terrier to become available! Amazing review as always and keep on modelling!

Sam, This is the bent, ill-fitting model Dapol/Rails send out to be reviewed? That’s crazy. Suicidal. How do they expect to sell these if they produce warped models and send them out for review? I won’t be buying one now, and I was seriously considering buying one before this video. Jim

what if they let hornby build the model and let dapol paint it it would be the best of both worlds

I love your videos!!! Keep making them because they’re really good!!!

Great review as always Sam. I've got an old dapol terrier and a new Hornby terrier and was really hoping the rails was a good loco. However the bent running plate and poor fitting parts are unforgivable! Great comparison between all the different variants, very interesting to see.

I do hope you sent that back. The bent plate is unforgivable along with the gaps in the panels. To my mind as it is it is unsalable. Throughly disgusted that it was put on sale in that condition.

Hey @Sam’s Trains I think you may be colorblind because your shirt is blue not green 😓 sorry mate.

Having watched quite a few of your reviews over the past year, at first I wondered why, when a loco was very poor from the start, you continued with the test and review. Now, I appreciate that you do continue, because it highlights both the bad and the good points of each loco, allowing the viewer to apply their own values. (Mine pretty well match yours). I wonder if the derailing problem might be from an over-sprung mid-wheel? It seems to lift the lead or trailing axle at that curve.

I think you were very kind and generous towards this model. I do appreciate that Hornby did do the dirty on Rails and I was really rooting for them to do well with their terrier. But if I had a bent footplate and constant derailing, it would be straight back for a refund.

Thanks Sam. You just saved me a hundred quid. Brilliant and very thorough review as always though. Lousy model. Assembly should have been 100 times better than that. I noticed the bend in the solebar, and the distinct droop in the smokebox, as soon as you took it out of the box. I had high expectations on this one. Ah well !!

Great review Sam it looks very nice in that improved engine green colour

When I started watching the video I thought that either Sam was using a fisheye lens or I needed a trip to Specsavers. Never thought it would actually be the loco that was so bent.

Loving the videos keep it up stay safe 👍

I bought a model of Boxhill at the National Railway Museum last Tuesday, lots of stunning locomotives down there

Nice video got to say you were lucky mine was really noisy in reverse and not very smooth at low speeds I took it back and the staff in the shop said that it was one of the better ones still it did look great and the customer service at rails was brilliant as always Keep up the great work.

Excellent video! I have three Dapol Terriers, all purchased new 20+ years ago. (Boxhill, Stepney and Brighton) Beautiful models, and smooth runners too. Good to see them again here, in terms of new releases but, given the video, it does appear the Hornby offering may have been a bit 'rushed'.

Hi Sam great video again of a lovely model personally I prefer the Hornby one also I think the reason I doesn't have coal is because when I went to the NRM the real locomotive didn't have coal also keep up the good work

That part during the 0-6-0 montage when the Green J50 rammed into the back of the J94 I thought was pretty funny. Great review, For the price I did think it would be better than the Hornby one but I wasn’t expecting anything like a wonky running plate.

Hi Sam A great review 3 weeks ago I purchased the Hornby Terrier 3848x DCC fitted for £103.48. It ran perfectly from the box and has wonderful paintwork. The rails of Sheffield DCC fitted Terrier would have cost me £140 ,that's over £36 pound more so I'm pleased I made the right choice.

LOVE how you're taking the piss with that ímproved green' XDXD nice vid as usual Sam, thanks once more! Personally i like the detailling on this one, it comes a little bit closer to my Fleischmann and Trix locomotives in 1/87 EDIT: as i keep watching, i have to come back on that... at first glance it looked good, but with the warping and all the parts not fitted properly, i'd be disappointed if i got a loco in this state after paying more than 30 euros for it... this doesn't affect the vid however, so still kudos on you mate :D

I had the opposite experience. My Hornby Terrier went back and the Dapol one runs perfectly, to the extent I have since fitted it with sound.

The Locomotives HISTORY sections are so important to all serious modelers. THANK YOU SAM!

Very nice review Sam. Now Christmas is coming sort of soonish and I'm no completely serious model railroaded but I think I can recommend the Lionel Polar Express I would very much like to see a review on it, but if you can't I completely understand. All the best Rilian.

Ive just now placed an order for the sound fitted Brighton terrier in this Livery, will be interesting to see how they are 2 years on!

Great Video Sam And That Engine Looks Like Stepney From Thomas And Friends

I think I’m perfectly happy with my Hornby one. XD Great review!

I was waiting for this for a while

Nice review on the Dapol/Rails Terrier! This locomotive looks pretty nice in its livery along with the amount of detail this thing has! It’s unfortunate to see that the quality is not that good and same with the price. But overall, this is not that bad of a model. At least the performance and mechanism is good. Overall, I’m giving this locomotive a C+. Good review you made today Sam! 👍

Great review, but how do you go about changing the back to back distance of the wheels to 14.4mm?

Excellent review of the Dapol LBSCR A1 Class Terrier aka Boxhill Sam 👍👍 I’m impressed & disappointed with good & bad issues of the Dapol, and those good points about the model are metal boiler, copper chimney & five pole motor, but the bad points are the gaps between the smoke box & side tanks, however the main down point was the model keeps on derailed as well slowing down. I think the Depol version is excellent, but with those gaps as well the continuous derailment, I don’t think it a #100 as perfect. I’m going to think about buying one of these and see what I think. Have you seen on Rails of Sheffield has a picture of the Bachmann Caledonian Railway 812 Class in CR blue livery?

Thanks very much for this fantastic, balanced and honest review Sam. I've been undecided about whether to go for a Hornby or Rails/Dapol Terrier so really appreciate seeing you review this and it is disappointing to see your model has exactly the same running plate issues as I have seen elsewhere. Ignore the naysayers who go on about your layout being on carpet etc...I thought the section where you showed every 0-6-0 loco' you have going over that curve perfectly but this Terrier derailing every time was thoroughly scientific and revealing to say the least. It is a shame to see but much appreciated.

Hi Sam, I have a BR version and it stalls on an eight foot rad curve! plus live points!! Going back to rails next week.

Good job sam this is right when my break started

I have one with factory fitted sound. Its a lovely looking model but is an appalling runner stalling frequently not just on points but on plain track too. This is the second example I've had from Rails, the first one I sent back with the same issue so there seems to be a general problem with the model. However, the running plate issue highlighted in the video isn't apparent on my model

The Terriers look amazing!

I must be the lucky one, my base is straight, although it looks to have a very slight bow, but I measured it with a steel rule and it is straight. Has the slight gap at the rear of the roof like yours. Back to back measurement measured to be correct. I surprised you had to take the tape off the speaker, mine fell out when I took it apart to fit the DCC. It then took me a while to figure where it fitted. Must admit nice model.

A great review (as normal) a loco of contradictions I fear. My default track is to my embarrassment is badly laid 1st radius and I have a kennel of Terriers, Dapol, Hornby, and a new Hornby Terrier. All tackle my below-average track nicely, strange thing is "Piccadilly" one of the old Hornby models runs the smoothest, go figure! It also runs nicely on my micro layouts of sub 1st radius curves. On balance I think I'll not invest in one of these models (though the temptation is a strong thing to ignore). Sam keep up these reviews as an informative view is one to appreciate.

I wonder if they will replace these with the bent running plate

When I previously visited at the NRM can’t remember when. I haven’t seen boxhill anywhere. She’s not in the main hall nor the other area unless she’s kept hidden somewhere 23:20 did I saw 2 tank engines at the same time

Great video as always. Think I might stick to getting a Hornby one after this one. Mind you I have a W1 and a a2/2 on pre order so may save my money.

Hi Sam, thanks for your review, I wont be buying either the Dapol nor the Hornby so you saved me some money!, but you cost me on the Hornby 0-6-0 Pecket where your review made me have to have one. On the video you can see the Dapol Terrier rear driven wheel turning 20 degrees before the other wheels start (from reverse to forwards). If I had received such a bent loco it would be returned. Best regards Andrew

I was thinking about getting one of these for xmas but now I'll ask for th hornby standard 2

Cheers, Sam. Your standing in this hobby should merit a reply from Rails.

Lovely engine! Just had a thought while browsing Hattons earlier, Dapol is releasing new versions of their O gauge Jinties, including one in UTA (Ulster Transport Authority) lined black. Could be your first Irish loco since folks keep asking for one ;D

Hi Sam, love the look of this Terrier, nice and a different colour to most others. Seems a shame that it has a few issues on track running. I'm running with 1st radius track and my Harry Potter 4-6-0 runs well and my 4-4-0 does too. I have a few 0-4-0s but I really fancy a 0-6-0, preferably with tender, (but NOT black). Have you any recommendations of a value for money model as I'm pretty skint financially. Kindest regards, Rick the Bulldog

Hi sam I prefer the dapol one I like the livery of it. Which one do u prefer?

The point you made about the metalled paintwork reminds me of a problem I had a few years ago painting my tank collection. The paint I was using was very lumpy and I then realised that the tin was actually a few years old and had been already opened for use on an earlier project. Didn't they check the dates on the paint tins/bottles because the paint is not as smooth as it should be, metal finish or not?

Just the other day I bought a Hornby version of the Terrier (which arrived today, but I don't have access to track to run it on until the weekend), ironically from Rails. After seeing how the "Pedigree" version performs, I'm honestly glad I decided to save that extra thirty quid, as this isn't worth the price it is.

Maybe that bent running board is causing the derailments. If the mounts on the chassis/ running boards are just a couple millimeters off spec, that could be what's bending the running boards. If that's the case, the running boards might be also be acting like a spring and exerting force on the chassis, causing the chassis to bend or twist slightly. Did you remove the running board to see if flattens out once it's separated from the chassis?

Sam I have this one along with Bluebell and Stepney. I have a specific layout for them of one of the bluebell railway stations. Sheffield park I think me and my dad made. All the best. -Oliver-

I have just taken a second look at this model. As you may know, Jenny Kirk had aTerrier fest on her Monday Club and none of these problems were mentioned. You also said that someone at Rails had removed it from the box and so-called tested it. That handrail on the left side of the boiler looks like it has moved backwards as the paint that is missing is right next to the retainers. Rails should take this one back and send a replacement. Do it Sam! Martin. (Thailand)

Hi, Sam. I'm a bit late coming in on this one, but I may have an answer to your question "Why are [Hornby and Rails/Dapol] flooding the market with Terriers?" AFAIK, it's a combination of coincidence and rapacious competition. There was a TV series about Hornby a couple of years ago which featured this very question. Rails of Sheffield were planning and publicising their new range of Terriers and Hornby heard about it. According to the show, Hornby considered the Terrier to be "theirs" -- that is, a loco that was associated with them because they had sold a lot of them in the past -- and they were also planning to release new toolings of the engine in the near future. Hornby decided to rush out their Terriers in order to steal Rails' thunder (and market). The Rails people, with whom Hornby do a lot of business, were understandably annoyed with this, but metaphorically ground their teeth in front of the cameras and declared that they would produce a higher-quality model for specialist hobbyists like you) rather than the mass market to which Hornby catered. This may explain the "pedigree" comments, though they don't seem to have achieved their aim from what you say. Still, an interesting insight into the business.

I never had really been interested in purchasing a Terrier model. If I ever decide to get one, the Hornby version is what I will definitely go for. I will still roll the dice on the Dapol Manor Class 4-6-0 once they come out. Other than that, I will pretty much stick to Hornby, Bachmann and Oxford Rail.

I picked up W9 Fishbourne. It has many of the quality issues you highlight: the edges of the running plate also look quite rough, there is dust trapped in the paintwork, random tiny spots of white paint, and scraped paint on the wheels. Paint finish on the body seems quite orange peely compared with Hornby’s Bembridge and Cowes. Plus the fitted speaker wasn’t fitted but loose in the box with the DCC blanking plate. The join on the cab roof and rough finish on fitted parts stop it from being a display model; gauging issues stop it from being a running model. It’ll probably be my first and last Dapol model that I’ll order in advance of production.

I'm planning to get a LBSCR A1X Terrier, name it Gerald (My Grandpa's Middle Name), give it a cow catcher/plow, give it knuckle couplers, and gift it to him. He has an American 1950s layout, and I want to thank him for helping me into the hobby! How does this sound? Any tips?

I remember one Terrier locomotive you’ve owned that either blown up or smoked while you ran it.

Hi Sam being new to this hobby is there anything I could do if a loco has the same issues with gauging. Is it just bad luck on that individual loco or do you think the whole batch be the same? Thanks for the video, great stuff. all the best.

Hi Sam, great review. I saw the warp in the running plate as soon as you got it out of the box, and I was waiting for you to say something! I also noticed the boiler seems warped too.... At least watching on my iPhone! I wonder if the warped running plate is part of the derailment issues along with the wheels being out of gauge? Those 2 factors might be causing the sprung centre axle to jump & pull the wheels off the track. For £130, the build quality needs to be much higher than Hornby’s, and it looks like Dapol missed it this time....

This is just what I needed to keep me going.

Did you inspect the main chassis for cracked paint around the position of the footplate warping? Having warped body parts is a bad omen for catastrophic chassis degradation. Did the manual state a minimum radius? I know my largest locomotive (a large wheeled 2-8-2) can do a 2nd radius curve, but it certainly isn't happy with it.

Coming from Surrey, I love this amber (green)! livery and the Terriers. I just wish someone would make a good one. I cannot see past that banana running plate, now you've mentioned it. You praise the brass chimney but it's not even fitted! A half assed attempt to get it on there has failed. As for the mysterious derailing on a piece of track that your other models can cope with, makes this another no no for me. I'm a year late due to illness, but I am next going to watch your Hornby version. Will this be the one? Great review Sam, please keep up the great service that you provide.

if you check jenny kirk's comparision of the hornby and the rails terrier, she basicly says that the rails terrier is betto(she says the preformances is better( i need to go back and chek if im right) but she dose run it on DCC. what do you think of her comparision?

I just took delivery of one of these little gems, Southern 2644. Either they have improved their quality checks, or I got lucky as mine has a straight running board. The Dapol DCC decoder is a little bit of bother when it comes to programming. I use JMRI to program, and a decoder definition has not yet been made for the Dapol decoders.

I really respect your reviews, your track-work is perfect for showing up potential problems, and which of us has perfect track-work? As I am building a loft layout, the temptation to indulge in loco's and rolling stock has to be justified against essentials in my build. This was a loco I was looking forwards to, however I have to watch the pennies for essentials, so the terrier will have to be a waiting game, after all things may improve? So my mind is made up on buying the P-class, on the strength of your review it appears to be the Dogs *******'*. Cheers!

Sam, I did notice that there is a slight twist to the track where the terrier derailed so the gauge could well be the problem. The Hornby terrier visibly twisted in it's travel on that piece of track.

What would you say is better? The hattons p class or this terrier considering my layout is all first radius curves loved the video -Ollie

Does the Terrier have NEM couplings, I want to have a Terrier that can pull my American rolling stock

90k subs? I see 100k happening before the end of they year!

Here’s an idea I have, Go to your spare oo scale locomotive parts box and look for oo scale locomotive shells or parts that are too damaged to be useful, repaint them to look like scrap engines, and then make a little scrap yard for the layout .

I live abroad and had my Terrier sent to a uk address. After the epic delay in production I finally managed to brave quarantine and picked up mine. Base plate curved as well . Have asked Rails for a refund/espacement by the Hornby ‘Brighton’ . Will keep you posted. Seeing what has happened here and looking at reviews of e.g. Hattons 66 I will certainly avoid spécial éditons from now. Only exception maybe Kernow. Have a 4TC which is ‘tip top’ as they say here in the alps.

Which one would you go for than Sam? The Hornby terrier or the rails of Sheffield terrier?

Hi Sam. Great review matey and the level of livery detail is incredible. However, I have a few points you skipped or didn't notice. When you removed the body, I could see the 5-pole rotor (armature) of the motor was clearly skew wound, which you didn't mention. As I've mentioned before, this advanced winding design will aid slow running, so strange Hornby didn't also use the same. The derailing issue. The out of gauge certainly won't help but I have two further probabilities which come to mind from personal experience : 1, are Dapol's wheel flange height less than Hornby's. I know that ultra scale wheel profiles are rubbish at negotiating anything other than perfectly laid curved track and will ride up. I noticed your track at the derailment point had a slight dip. Please compair the flange heights as I suspect Hornby's are larger. 2, the centre wheels are slightly compensated, but you didn't do a side to side float demonstration. If those centre wheels can't move over a tad to allow for the curve, it will derail. Again, compair with Hornby's float. Lack of torque (pulling power). With that motor technology, this should not be the case. When you said the loco was slowing down through lack of torque, I'd say no. I could distinctly see the wheels slipping. Does the wheels tyre finish look different between the two manufacturers. Different materials have different coefficient of friction values, plus the effect of fineness of surface finish. A smooth finish has better grip metal on metal than does a rough finish. Think slick car tyres give better traction in the dry than do treaded tyres, due to the greater surface contact area. Get the magnifying glass out and check please. The warped chassis is very worrying. Again, two reasons come to mind : 1, the Mazak alloy problem experienced by Hornby a few years ago may be repeating itself. There are many grades of the alloy. Some are more suitable to thin section models than others. Dapol may have chosen the wrong grade or worse, their sub-contract manufacturer chose it based upon price, not suitability. 2, the Dapol chassis designer is inexperienced in casting design and has placed thin section detail right next to a thick section in an attempt to add the weight needed. Unfortunately, this sudden change in casting cross section causes uneven cooling of the molten metal which in turn causes warpage. Remember you mentioned Hornby had modelled the air gap under the running plate and Dapol hadn't, well that could be significant to the problem ! I call all this engineering detective work.

Looks nice sam! I thought you classed 'improved engine green' as brown though? Thanks for the video - Loco!