I work for Hobbyco, the Australian retailer that was shown at the start of the video, so I thought I’d give a quick rundown on what it’s like to live with these guys. We’ve had the 3803s discounted at $249.99 (£132.75) for a good long while now, which based on your British standards is still too much. With our unfortunate Aussie price/quality ratio, as you’ve heard from a few people now, $250-300 is roundabout right for us. For comparison we’re currently retailing the Hornby Railroad P2 Cock O’ The North (R3171) at $264.99 (£140.70), which I’d say is more of an equivalent comparison to the 38 (flat finish, no sprung buffers, lack of cab detail, no tender pickups, etc.). We retail the A1 Doncaster loco shown in the running session at $424.99 (£225.99). If we had the 38 at that price they’d most likely be thrown back through our windows like bricks, and rightly so. In terms of customer reaction we’ve had to the ARM range, I’d say it’s improved over the span of the last 3 or so years since we first started getting them in. The first 3 ARM locos, 3806, 3803 and especially 3820 had big quality control problems. Most of the separately fitted parts were extremely delicate, and having to handle them to put them out on display was a nightmare. Good number of instances where they’ve been damaged on arrival to our shop/the customers home inside the styrofoam packaging, meaning we’ve subsequently had to refund/replace the model. Their newer 38s, 3801 and 3830, have fared far better quality wise, I’ve personally not had one brought back in a similar manner. I have a few regulars who have bought the ARM range and quality/performance wise I’ve not heard many complaints if any, but that could potentially be them being polite/starved of better quality models for comparison. The lack of lights and the fixed tender bogeys remain a contentious issue, turning a good amount of people away from them. ARMs most recent model, the D55, does fix a few of the things wrong with the 38, mainly the finish is much nicer and they’ve added swivelling bogies on the tender (still no pickups). Unsurprisingly it doesn’t include the headlamp that most D55 locomotives had in their working lives, which is most likely ARMs way of dodging the noise caused by lack of lighting. It’s certainly a step in the right direction for sure, but still not a big enough step to justify the price just yet, given it retails the same as the 38s at $299.99. Overall my summation would be that this is our equivalent of a Hornby Railroad model, and I’ll only ever describe it as such to any customers enquiring about it. For our Aussie standards we’ve just about priced it like one but in the UK it’s enormously overpriced, that Hattons price is absolutely ludicrous. Ideally I’d love to have them at that £100-110 range, since I’d probably mark this model close to most Railroad models such as the P2 in terms of features/quality (although I’ve not lived with the P2, just went back to your videos about it, the Railways vs Railroad range video and the more recent New Build P2 review), but sadly that’s just not the situation here. We do fiercely love the real C38 locomotives in Australia, particularly here in New South Wales, so it’s a bit gutting to see you tear our poor child to shreds, but completely justified at your price point. Love your reviews, and Merry Christmas/Happy New Year 👍

Pretty much everyone here in AU was mad when we learned ARM has refused every time our request for an led. For $300aud, it's ridiculous to not even get that vs all the other shortcomings. Also we are kinda out of luck for loco's. $500+ is the norm, so anything 'budget' is rare.

Hey Sam. I actually work for an Australian model train retailer (Branchline, based in Victoria. We are a family owned business) so I feel I can offer a little perspective on a couple of things. Regarding price, this has often been a sticking point of our industry. We simply have a much smaller population and market than the UK, and as such production runs are much smaller. Since working at our shop I think the prices have tended to average around 1.5-2x that of the equivelant UK models (which sells just about as well as our Australian ranges). Covid has done a lot to equalize things, but who knows how long that will last. Not saying that makes it ok, just providing context. If you'd like to investigate any more Australian locos in the future, I can certainly recommend the models produced by Auscision. While every brand produces the odd lemon, I quite like them from an overall quality and detail standpoint, especially their deisels. While I don't tear down trains and analyse them to the extent you do, simply based on the breif testing we do in store and rate of returns I can give these a thumbs up. Sorry to see your first forray into Aussie models was a bit of a dud. But there's some good stuff out there if you do a bit of digging around. As always, great video. :)

Sam, this model came out some time ago in Australia. I think the appeal of this model in Australia was that the 3801 version of this real locomotive is an Icon of steam in Australia, similar to the Flying Scotsman in the UK. There has always been a call for a model of this Locomotive. Still, until now, the 38 Class has attracted a price of $1000 from other model manufacturers, so I think that Lima\Hornby (ARM} saw a potential income stream from this Australian Model train. We all know here in Western Australia that Horny manufactured its companion coaches (These are now as scarce as Rocking Horse Poo), but I managed to get four at a discount price of $35 each secondhand at our annual Train Show in June. Most Australians run HO, not OO. However, I did purchase the 3801 version of this Locomotive when it first came out, but it was a similar experience to yours. Still, I persevered with it-fitting a 3mm LED in the headlight and fibre optic light to the marker lights at the front of the Loco along with pickups in the tender and fixing the tender permanently to the Loco. Then, I fitted an ESU sound Chip in the Locomotive body (This was a Blo***!! Pain), but it sounds OK now. All that was left was the Coal in the tender that appeared like Black Vomit. So, this was changed for real coal. Unfortunately, this added $238 to the price of the already expensive Loco, but it's still cheaper than the $1000 required from other Australian manufacturers. Best Regards, Bill from W/Australia. All the Best for Christmas and the New Year.

I agree with everything you’ve pointed out however in Australia this is considered a budget model, I know people who’ve owned them and been quite happy with it seeing as though any other really nice high quality Aussie steam loco models are upwards of $600aud. I also agree compared to UK models of the same price it seems like a rip off but for us in Australia it’s quite revolutionary to have a new release steam loco this cheap.

Some Australian context is probably required here. The ARM C38’s (there’s a few now in different numbers and liveries) is meant to bridge the gap between 1970’s Lima C38’s selling for $300AUD+ on eBay and the Eureka Models C38’s ($640AUD+). Prior to the ARM release in 2020, if you wanted to model the NSWGR, you had two options: very old second-hand models selling ABOVE their new prices, or dropping almost 700$ for a Eureka C38. The ARM release did two things: it dropped the price of Lima C38’s down on eBay, and provided an option that wasn’t the better part of a thousand dollars for a loco. That being said, it has the flaws Sam highlighted here, and it’s still pricey for what you get. But it has made an impact on the Australian modelling landscape, and provided modellers with something they didn’t have before: an option. I’ll also add the 1990’s C38 you mention are extremely rare, and can only really be found on eBay or the secondhand market. You could spend all year waiting for an update Streamlined Lima C38 and you might end up paying the same as the brand new ARM (~$299AUD).

Because the Australian market is quite small, manufacturers tend to charge way more for each model as they have to recover tooling costs from smaller volumes. This particular model would compare to a Hornby Railroad class model, although it's basically very old tooling. The C38 sells for about A$290 here. More detailed locos can range around A$400-650. I'm trying to get an Ixion J515 J class loco which costs A$599.99 maybe you should get one 😊 Nice to see an Aussie loco running around your track regardless.

The state of HO/OO gauge model locos is apalling lately. this model has quality and designs on par with what hornby produced nearly 20 years ago but for double the price. even a "budget" range model like Hornby Railroad will set you back at least £110 for a Loco and Tender. Shocking. (great review though, I envy your patience and self control sam xD)

The reason it looks small is that it is HO not 00 If you see 3801 next to Flying Scotsman when it was in Aud in the 1980s you realise howx big C38s are due to the bigger loading gauge One of the problems I feel regarding price and quality is the extremely small market that Australian models have compared to Hornby.

The chassis in this loco is made by Mehano, used to be made in Slovenia, been around for many years, it's actually not too bad a runner if you convert the tender base with a pick up kit available online. This is essential if fitting DCC and especially sound. Unfortunately here in Aus this is the cheapest loco available, on a par with the Hornby railroad Flying Scotsman.....

Sam, thanks for taking the hard knocks. What you do is truly indispensable in the hobby. 👍

Hey Sam. Thanks for the review. I was debating splashing out for this as an absolute treat but after this I think I can hold off. My great great grandfather used to drive these trains, may have even driven this very one so it’s nice to see you review it regardless. A few months ago I got to sit inside the cab of its sister 3801 at Sydney Central Station, an experience which was so wonderful after its many years of absence since I last saw it when I was a child in 2007. Hopefully we get some more cheaper Australian trains soon. Merry Christmas and a happy new year from Sydney!

Sam, a few points. This loco is HO and was for the Aussie market and, at $299, comes in at well less than half the cost of its nearest competitor. Eureka models will have a rerun of their 38 class, and it will be 3 times the price. I have added DCC to mine, and it runs well even at low speed. Yes, it could be better, but it's built to a price we have not seen locally for many years. I have 12 38 class locos ranging from this one to brass PSM models worth $3,000. It's not too bad for what it is. With some detailing and a bogie kit (S55) from Ctrlp models, it's pretty good.

Great review Sam, just to mention only 4 are left in preservation, that being: 3801- Operational at the NSW Transport Museum 3813- In pieces Dorrigo NSW 3820- Static Display NSW Transport Museum 3830- Owned by the Powerhouse Musuem but static display at the NSW Transport Museum

Interesting video Sam; ARM are a subsidiary of Southern Model Supplies who import Hornby products into Australia, (no relation to Lima),so presumably they use the same Chinese factory as Hornby. The lack of features were to keep the price down to A$300 which is a "budget" price for a steam outline model loco in Australia.

These 38 class models are quite popular over here in Australia and sell out fast due to being cheap and affordable, $300 being one of the cheapest new Australian models you can buy at all and atleast half the price of the next steam locomotive model. For example, a D50 class model produced by Eureka Models costs $680. Lots of people at my local train club bought these and repainted them, renumbered them etc as at this price they make a good base for building off. This is essentially the Hornby Flying Scotsman of Australian models. Need to keep in mind that not every country has the population and market scale of the UK / US, Hornby would have sold more models of 1 varient of the Hush Hush than most Australian models sell in all their varients, thus the price represents this. All of that said, 200 GBP was slapping additional costs to it, converting from AUD to GBP it should have costed approx 150 GBP.

Had you noticed the cylinder bock on the fireman's side is cantited to an angle. Appears to me different from the other side of the loco. You should have mentioned more on the fact that the tender bogies are fixed and not independent. Keep Adventuring.

Maybe it was not the best bargain, but who knows? Maybe next will be cheaper yet better quality. Thanks for another video. One of a few things that makes me smile, even with the fact that I have serious depression. I really appriciate that. I love the format od your video's and I'm trying to look at every part ss if I had to do it myself and that makes me admire your patience and the effort you put into it. Just wow. Have a great day Sam and keep up the amazing work!! 😊

Remember the Australian market is nothing like the UK one. This thing might be cheap, but it's also half the price we pay for any other steam locomotive.

Regarding the no headlight, at the time, a lot of NSW locos didn't use headlights in the daytime. That information is from another person that reviewed this locomotive. As with all models, there are pros and cons and compromises. Not sure if I like the look how the coal looks though.

I’m Australian so I’ve always wanted to see you review an Australian loco Sam. Could you do a Victorian Railways locomotive next time?

Hornby locos are what counts for budget here in AUS. Our homegrown manufacturers have been trying to make cool stuff. But it costs a lot to get them shipped back from the factories in China and tool them in the first place. SDS models and Auscision models are two of the biggest and I recommend some of their diesels over this, but you still won't like the price.

Yessss !!! My favourite, The Hornby Merchants Navy Class makes a return !!! Sad that didtnt get to see enough of it in this video. I want to see more of the Merchants Navy Class !!! Also great video Sam. Not so great model though 😅

it certainly was a surprise to see a review from you of a model from my home country! I work for a retailer in Australia that sells these models, but have never bought one because I mainly buy British stuff. It was interesting to see this model reviewed under your criteria, and the price you paid is certainly more than I'd be willing to spend. It's hard to believe that shipping and import costs can accrue such a price disparity but I suppose this does give you a taste of what buying British models in Australia can be like!

How did this get reviewed but not the Coca Cola tram? Will we be seeing that this year? I'm waiting patiently for it. :)

It's currently on the Game website described as a' Lima ARM' product at £105.98, 'was £132.98'...

Hey Sam This is 1 of 4 models i own and i absolutely LOVE THIS MODEL! Don't go on hating it! I love this model and i stand my grounds! /also, I accidently dropped this model early in its life and it survived a 1 metre fall without taking damage! this model is legendary! its so cheap for its quality $300 Aud is so good!

$300 AUD is quite normal for Australian DC locomotives heck some locomotives are even $335 AUD nowadays so it is understandable why it could be expensive.

You present some great content about model trains, which I am somewhat interested in, but it's great stuff. Thanks.

There’s an American influence in the streamlined appearance. It looks to be based on the New Haven I5 class 4-6-4 passenger locomotives. Those engines were built in 1937 and only 10 were ever made. All were retired by 1951 and scrapped though. But thankfully the streamlined appearance lives on in the form of the c38, and to a lesser extent the New Zealand j class.

Hey Sam, I actually bought a similar model but it was 3801 number and different Very livery. It did not have any of the floors that this had and was over all an amazing model. Keep in mind this was bought from the model railway shop down the road.

Got one of these myself at the beginning of the year (tho it’s the 3801 version), can’t say I’ve experienced any of these issues myself, crawls fine, no problems with glue marks, runs great, paint is fine, yeah the lamp doesn’t work, though some people like to point out that nswgr locomotives rarely ran with their lamps on as a justification, though it’s probably because this is a budget model.

Merry Christmas Sam hope you are having a great day today.

Hi Sam I don’t model NSW railways, but model Queensland Railways in HOn3-6 on 12mm gauge track. Which most RTR models are produced by Wuiske Models or Southern Rail in both HO or Hon3-5. Southern Rail also model other Australian Railways. As with most of our hobbies here in Australia we generally have to pay more due to import costs, but then hobbies are worth it. That particular model C38 seems rather outdated.

Hello Sam, I agree with you about this model, however it is the cheapest steam H0 locomotive in Australia by a large amount. It is not the old Lima body tooling. The Lima body tooling was more accurate and has sharper detail. The rest of the old Lima model was bits from European models made by Lima. Eureka Models will be producing a rerun of their NSW 38 soon and it will cost more and will have a working headlight and a DCC sound option.

I was there when the 3801 was in steam after she finished her overhaul (mind you, i kind broke lockdown rule's too - but i had to do shopping) at Sydney's Central train station...."Henry" green on the 3801 or the 3803's black, if you ask me i like the green more.

ARM are apart of southern model supplies, which is the Australian distributor for Hornby. I believe they got Hornby to tool it for them . They also work with Hornby/Scalextric to bring Australian car into the Scalextric range.

Hi Sam, great review and a shame to see that you got such a poor model. I have 3 of these (3801, 3803 and 3806) and they are all decent for the price I paid. However as others have said, these are very cheap compared to other Aussie Steam prototypes, so perhaps I'm too easy on them haha. ARM have certainly incorporated some of the constructive criticism on their most recent release, i.e. proper bogies on the tender, however still have a number of design issues the modeller is required to fix. Will jump on the bandwagon and suggest Auscision, Casula Hobbies (Z-19 or Z-12 class steam) or SDS are worth a look. Mike

Sam you need to check out Argyle locomotives in g gauge thats something totally different c38,puffing Billy expensive but lovely 😂😂, cheers lad,enjoy the rest of your year,merry Xmas

Hi Sam, I purchased the "non-streamlined" ARM 38 class and had DCC sound fitted, as well as an LED headlight, by the retailer. With DCC it crawls very well. There is a company called CTL-P who make a swivelling bogie conversion as well as some other bits to make this a better model, but of course this all adds to the cost. I bought 3801, the streamlined class-leader and am yet to convert it. Cheers!

Looks cool. But it does have so defects. But I really do like this train. I might get one soon when I get more money. Looks lovely. Keep being awesome my friend. Ur the best. U never disappoint

Sam. If you are able to get an Auscision Victorian Railways B class then it may be interesting to compare it with your Triang Railways blue and gold R.159 doubled ended diesel to show how much progress in acurracy and quality has been made. Even though the Triang model was released in 1958, it had working headlights and lit cabs at both ends. Pat Hamminds books records only a handful of locomotives outsold it. Americans are amazed to see a double ended F7 running on six wheel all powered bogies. A class introduced in 1953 and a few still running on mainlines. Are there any mainline diesels that can match that?

This model should be in the 52 spot because it had a score of 4.89 and the Bachmann model had a score of 4.93

I see this on the shelf at the hobby shop and it looks cheap, even from a distance. That's a pity because there are some absolutely lovely Australian steam models around now - The Phoenix D3 class and Ixion J Class. Not cheap, but very nice.

Here in Australia they cost about the same as a hornby railroad tender loco, in my opinion they're worth it. I've had no problems with mine apart from the damage it got from the post. Another thing, yes they are retooled lima's

Decent review overall Sam, only seen one other review of one of these C38 locomotives but it was the green one that you had cancelled, very interesting being able to get it from Game but nowadays they do seem to do a variety of things other than video games now.

hey sam what were the red mk1 looking coaches in the siding at 24:34?

Hi Sam merry Christmas and another fantastic review as always. The ironic thing is straight after watching this I saw this exact model in my local game for £106 reduced which seams more reasonable.

The valve gear looks great on this loco. This would be a neat budget engine if it were priced a lot lower. Only thing that really bothers me is the fixed tender trucks, which is an odd unnatural feature. Great review as always!

I checked on the latest update on that package I sent you, and it's at the collection point for pick up

I'd love to see you do a review on 3801 done by a reputable company. You could even run it beside the Scotsman as they did during Scotsmans visit to Australia

Yep exactly how I felt when I bought mine when arm first released the c38 in 2020 in standard unstreamlined guise and it was an absolute nightmare. When it arrived it had busted details, no couplers fitted at all, no led light, a very poor running motor, poor running due to dodgy pick ups and no tender pick ups and fixed tender bogies that had been cast wrong as it was derailing the tender on straight pieces of track. Arm never got back to me regarding the warranty so I rebuilt it to a standard I'd expect for the $300aud I paid. At least you got a coupler lol. There's an 8 pin socket that was also faulty on mine so I had to delete that and hard wire the loco dc. In future I shall keep away from any and all arm products. Also sometimes the pilot bogie on the loco will jump the rails on occasion causing nasty derailments at speed.

The quality of mine is amazing it was my first model and as a 10 year old back then it went through hell, i remember dropping it and it's still fine, still my best performing loco and my favourite other then the R,O,D 2-8-0.

Thanks for replying Sam , I watch all your reviews and enjoy them very much, I have not got into the hobby because of the high prices in Aus Peter

Another great review Sam i have an auscition models A71 diesel and that is good quality maybe you could try one of those some and they do a large range of different locos coaches and wagons

I love all steam streamliners, so would like this, even with imperfections.

Special edition of salvage or scrap? Modify for tender pickups and lamps

This locomotive is ARMs first attempt at a locomotive, there second locomotive the K class has released now. Many companies have released the 38 in Australia in kit form and RTR and most cost $600-$1000 now. If you want to try a very Australian diesel try auscision as well as SDS models (have there 81 class and it’s amazing). Could also try idr models there x200 is good. If you want aus steam there is the wombat models 30 class

Well roasted Sam very appropriate for a Christmas turkey! Keep the humour coming please😂

Excellent review Sam and certainly a model I would not pay 229 pounds for but certainly is an attractive looking locomotive and with some very minor upgrades like tender pickups and DCC sockets and working headlight would make it worth a higher price

Love your video's, but do you have any recommendations for videos on US locos?

When it comes to Aussie stuff, I'm aware Auscision tends to be the gold standard, even if their stuff runs upwards of $300 (US). Needless to say, Australian model trains aren't cheap, and that's before import duties. A shame, really. I might primarily collect Conrail, but I wouldn't mind having an NR Class or two in either original or Pacific National livery.

To be fair Australian prototypes are freaking expensive and made more so by our small population and even smaller modeling group , The ARM was actually a fair crack at giving beginners here a fair chance to own a model that was an Australian model and didn't break the bank and was better then the Lima one. Compared to what you are used to this is garbage but for some of us on the other side of the world this was well needed!!! the more expensive Australian models are top notch and freaking kill it most of the time but not everyone has $600+ dollars for a steam loco so good on ARM for doing this ... yes the tender bogies are a let down bet beggars cant be choosers. be happy your UK market is not as wreaked as our AU market is for model trains.

When you say it fits in with Hornby's range are you referring to warped running plates and glue marks?😂😂 great video!

ARM (aka Southern Model Supplies) seem to have had exclusive distribution rights for Hornby in their territory so it’s perhaps not surprising that Hornby were interested to a reciprocal arrangement

You should try Auscision Models, they seem to make some great Australian models, much better than Hornby, oops I mean Australian Railway Models. This thing is made in the same factory as Hornby stuff in case you are wondering. 🤣

I have the Lima 3801 that was released in the 90's and i couldn't help but notice the immense similarity of that model to the ARM one you reviewed. I must try and get it out of storage and look at it a little more closely.

Have you thought of reviewing anything from Kato in Japan? Would really enjoy seeing a starter set review. Thanks, and Happy Holidays.

AFAIK, Australian Railway Models is a partnership between Hornby and Southern Models Supplies, who are the Australian distributor of Hornby. Hence the very Hornby look & feel. Despite this being an all new model, the lack of lighting, fixed tender bogies & the expansion link being pivoted in the wrong spot (amongst other issues) are baffling. This loco is a budget model in Australian steam terms, most of the premium steam locos are AU$600+. Thankfully diesels are about AU$335. If you want to try more Australian Models, I would recommend trying either an Auscision or SDS Diesel. If I had to pick one, the Auscision NR is the one I would recommend but there is a fair bit of choice. A note on pricing: Australian models tend to be more expensive compared to US or UK models, as less of each version is made (as few as 50 sometimes). Hence models are more expensive as the tooling costs remain the same.

Hi Same, an honest review, I agree with a lot of what you said as well as some of the peoples comments - suffice ARM locos here in Australia are 'Hornby Railroad' both roughly similar price and quality to buy here. If you want premium Australian locos there are several brands that we pay $350 to $500 (200-300 pounds) for 21 pin dcc ready etc. Auscision, Powerline, SDS railways and IDR to name a few.

If I ever find one of these Sam, I might pick one up. Although I really wouldn't pay alot for it. Merry Christmas from Jasper & Willow

I've got one of these, and in my opinion it looks alright, but it should not be $300 for a basic locomotive. Though I hope it doesn't leave a bad taste in your mouth for Australian models, because from what I've seen in reviews, the quality is top notch and many come DCC fitted with sound. And something that might shock you, $300 is cheap for ready to run steam locomotives in Australia, it's actually the cheapest on the market. Though if you can get your hands on one of the more quality models, I'm sure you'll be happy with it, and about the fixed bogies, there is a 3D Printed kit available by CRTL P models where you can get swiveling bogies on it and a proper Kade coupling which is something I've put on my model. Great review, I think this model would definitely have scored higher if it was at a much more reasonable price.

If I ever were to get an aussie steamer, it would be the SAR 520. Although I have no clue if a model of it exists

I'm pretty sure it wouldn't do for an "outstanding" video, but can you check out the Del Prado N scale models? They are pretty well detailed, and from what i've seen pretty cheap. Also i heard they can be converted to be motorized.

Fantastic review, a shame about the poor loco, surprised they did this tbh! But doesn't surprise me since Hornby was involved!

You were correct when you thought this was a re-use of the old Lima tooling. I think the connection to Hornby is that they own the tooling. Personally I think it’s decent for the price. It’s by far the cheapest Australian steam loco on the market (most others being $600 plus). I personally own a brass 38 which I paid over AUD1000 for, and love to bits. It is a beautiful model full of detail

Hi Sam, When you talk about the engines size do not forget that it H0 and not 00.

I got that model but I might tell you that the bogies on the tender don't turn they're stuck on leaving the wheels to have little movement. There's one green one of 3803 that's a LIMA brand which has better momentum than the Australian Railway Models.

Nice Aussie train review, would you be able to review b61 or 44 class

I have to add the C38 class locomotive, whether Lima or ARM to the list of locos that are way out of my price range, and I would really love to own one. I have very fond memories of taking my small son down to the level crossing at Acacia Ridge back in the 1980's to see the two most memorable train visits to Brisbane, the LNER 4472 Flying Scotsman and preserved NSWGR C38 class 3801 as they steamed into town.

Fun fact: the C38’s design was heavily influenced by the Pennsylvania Railroad’s K4 pacific locomotive, and the C38 was essentially a scaled-down k4. The k4 had 80 inch driving wheels, while the C38 had 69 inch driving wheels. Many elements were copied over from the k4, including the belpaire firebox, boiler design, and cylinder assembly.

Love those colors!!!

In my hometown of Brisbane Australia the average price of the model is about $300 Australian

Fair review, Sam. I'm a great fan of the C38s, having had the thrill of travelling behind one. But I didn't buy AMR's model because I doubted its quality. (No review in Australia's leading model railway magazine, and AMR's ads lacked essential information about its mechanism, pick-up, etc.). It seems I was right. I have the 1996 Lima, but that was nowhere near the best contemporary standard. Another Australian manufacturer recently reissued their C38 which looks to be much better quality, but unfortunately the price was over Au$700!

Despite its flaws in detail, there are many, I love to run the pair I own, especially the non streamlined one which looks great head on. By the way ARM’s next model, a vintage goods engine is believed to be of much better detail and design, fingers crossed.

A good review,. At the prices you mention, I would not go there, in a month of Australian Sundays, but oh dear, Sam, when I saw a couple of comments below, that Game is now selling them for £105.98, I succumbed, despite the model's frailties. I thought to myself that even with its many flaws I'd probably never get another opportunity to buy an Aussie locomotive at price that was so heavily discounted. I hope I'm not disappointed lol. Sorry that you could have saved yourself a whopping further £59.00. Just shows it was never ever worth £200 plus.

Be interesting to compare an Aucision XPT against a modern British HST (and even the old Hornby export XPT!) but 1400AUD for the 7 car XPT set might blow the whole 2024 budget.....

I bought the Lima version of this in the 90s. 3802 is the number. I got it for £20.

i got a 3820 and it was pretty good and detailed

It's interesting with your review and perspective. Here in Australia a top quality steam locomotives is usually $600 to $800 in the Australian prototype. This is due to small production runs for the Australian market. So with this model being $300 (half the price of other steam models), comparatively its a bargain and an introductory model. It's interesting to hear you say you expected lighting and tender pick ups, I was expecting pretty much what it is and I forked out $300 happily. Again our pricing is reflective of our market which is essentially a small, boutique market of models that slots in between large production slots.

3801 is actually in mainline condition after a 12 year restoration and regularly does excursions across the network

Hi Sam Yeah I bought the original release when these came out Via Hornby a couple of years ago and the first thing I thought was its a Hornby Railroad loco, quite disgraceful for 160 quid at the time. I've seen the black one at Game now for £105 if they had been this price to begin with I wouldnt have a reason to say anything bad about it. Just seen seen the score you gave it doesnt it mean its the worst loco of the year?? as it seems to have a lower score than that railbus thing you reviewed. anyway thanks again for the review :)

Awesome video today Sam such a shame about the locomotive it looks really nice

BLIMEY, WHAT A SPECTACULARLY DECENTLY WONDERFULLY WONDERFUL REVIEW DESPITE MULTIPLE ISSUES THAT YOU'VE SERIOUSLY POINTED OUT FOR SURE!!!

Hi Sam, thank you for the interesting review. Somewhere early in the review, you did a remark about size, you said "this is a remarkably small loco..." According to 25:40, this is a H0 scale model, there is quite a bit different between H0 and 00, so you should expect t to be smaller. In the ending part of the review, you show this loco pulling a set of brittish 00 coaches, for my eyes, the loco is too low compared to the coaches. Again, that is to be expected, because the difference between H0 and 00.

Good video Sam, please review the O gauge Lionel the polar express lion chief set. I know you did the HO gauge one and you didn’t like it but I think you will like the gauge one a lot better.

I actually like some of my old Lima models a lot! Some were terrible and cheap, but others were, despite not having a lot of glued on details, excellent representations of their originals, and are very good looking models. I added extra pickups to mine, for much improved reliability, and the ultimate thing would be a tiny really-many-pole brushless motor with a custom control circuit to go where the ringfield one is. They would be worth it.

This seems interesting… I’ve heard Aucision is good. I’ll get the CAD and some photos to you sometime soon.

Everyone and their mother is pointing out that railway models are expensive in Australia and rightly so, but it also goes the other way too, in Japan. They do N-scale instead, but for example the Kato C62 (large, late era, steam express loco) costs the equivalent of just 60 GBP. If you buy from a local retailer outside of Japan however this will likely more than double, and you're experiencing a similar issue of buying foreign models here with the C38.

This model is literally the worst Australian model released in the past 15 years. Typical Australian model trains are literally the exact opposite of this model. Hornby and ARM have really let Australian manufacturers down, as there were high hopes this would mean Australian models would make it into the UK and Europe. Please don’t take this model as a representative of Australia- the online store Australian Modeller offers international shipping and sometimes has sales.