Hornby 2018 - the full announcements

[Craigw]

Sorry Ron, packaging and logistics are quite small in comparison to costs of products. More likely this is a mistake .

 

Plus of course you then get the obligatory whinging that "I only want one" There is enough from people wanting a different number, this added whining might be a bridge too far

 

Craig W

[ruggedpeak]

 I offer no comment, but did observe this gem from Mr Blue Box's Barwell event yesterday

It is broken.png

To be fair the general standard of English these days amongst those slightly younger than myself (and I'm not old!) is appalling. Words like break/brake or principal/principle are routinely misapplied/spelt on a regular basis, even in proper publications with proper editors (including some modelling mags!!!). No excuse though...

[Compound2632]

The coupler mounts on the older ones came straight down from just behind the headstocks. I've cut all mine off but the pictures in my 2012 catalogue support that.

 

On the wagons pictured in the "New for 2018" pages (e.g. R.6863), the coupler mounts appear to come out from between the wheels, with daylight under the ends suggesting they are NEM pattern. The 2018 wagons also appear to have metal-headed buffers in place of the former plastic pimples.

 

Wagons from the existing range, illustrated on other pages (e.g. R6817) show the old-style pillars (and buffers) or, in the case of the 7-plank wagons (e.g. R.6811) the Airfix-style mount.

 

The new ones are definitely different, with split axleboxes and brake gear that looks much finer, very like the Oxford Rail wagons

 

John

 

EDIT: Info about buffers added.

 

The 3, 4 and 6 plank wagons, at a scale 15' over headstocks, 9' wheelbase and with wooden frames are the closest thing to pre-RCH 1923 standard wagons available RTR, and hence more appropriate for many PO liveries - the bodies aren't at all bad and the priniting of some of the liveries is superb. The versions available to date have had rather trompe l'oeil brake gear (enabling the underframe to be a one-piece moulding) in addition to the monster old-style coupling. It looks from the photos as though the underframe moulding has been completely replaced, with much more realistic brake gear as well as the more discreet coupling mounting. For myself, I regret that the grease axleboxes of the previous version have been replaced by oil axleboxes. I don't know to what extent or by what date many of these pre-1923 wagons would have been given oil axleboxes - not very early or quickly, I imagine. But for me that's rather academic as I'm working away at either hacking about at or completely replaced the underframes on mine (using the Cambrian Gloucester underframe).

Edited January 9, 2018 by Compound2632

[Fireline]

I don't understand what re-organising a model railway display cabinet has to do with this thread?

 

Back to the topic, full marks to Hornby for announcing the SRPS NB J36 'Maude' in late 70s - mid 80s preserved mainline livery. It worked a summer season on the West Highland Line in this livery and also the Lothians and Fife on railtours, along with being one of the jewels in the SRPS preserved steam locomotive collection. My only question is how can they do it TTS sound when it hasn't had a boiler certificate for a good few years, I'll still buy one though.

 

Brian.

 

They'll go and record the P2 again, surely....

[TFR]

R3514 .. 5 car IEP is £393

R3609 .. 2 car IEP is £269, 3 car add on R4870 £179 = £448

 

Thats £55 more not a £180 premium.

 

Rails have R3514 at a Bargain £295, Hattons @ £319... thats  a £24 difference between the two shops.

 

 

Rails: R3609 £229 + R4870 £137.50 = £366.50 difference of £71.50

Hattons R3609 £239 + R4870 £144 = £383 difference of £64

 

I know what I would do (and have done already).. order a 5 car from Rails quick.

And if you want two.. order 2x 5 car from Rails and renumber it yourself.. save £71.50.

That price difference for the 5 car set between Hornby and Rails is incredible. I preordered from Hornby at £374.99 but I'll probably cancel that and go with Rails.

 

On the 2018 range, was a little surprised they didn't have a Class 800 in the Virgin livery.

[Pint of Adnams]

Nice brace of toads there Hornby. The  toad B's however had wider planks than those in that drawing. Some were also upgraded with steel duckets but no toad E's with the wooden ones.

It shouldn't be hard to add sanding apparatus to a toad B if needed. Most welcome as I'm tired of drilling out dozens of holes in kits for handrails.

 

LMS and LNER mainline coaching stock is also a welcome return. J36 looks like a winner too, I'll add that to my wish list even if it will be out of place on the layout. Next year perhaps a J21 and that N1 body for the N2 chassis. Nudge, nudge. Wink, wink!         

Not all Toad Bs had the wider planks. As a rule of thumb Faverdale builds did but Doncaster builds had the narrower planks. Some later Toad Bs were built with steel end tee supports and steel duckets, other steel duckets were subsequent replacements. Sanding apparatus was removed from Brake Vans from 1935. See the separate thread running here:

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/129879-lner-toad-b-20t-brake-van-announced/

[Derails Models]

forget the rest just put the Maunsell buffets up asap ! 

 

I've fixed that for you now...

Edited January 9, 2018 by Derails Models

[gc4946]

We don't know yet whether there'll be further official announcements throughout the year regarding new products.

 

It could be that Hornby will unveil their versions of Virgin Trains' Azumas once they've entered public service and offer train-set variants simultaneously.

 

Similarly with Bluebell Railway's H class, that could be another surprise announcement.

[frobisher]

Sorry Ron, packaging and logistics are quite small in comparison to costs of products. More likely this is a mistake .

You're forgetting several factors here. The same thing separated into two boxes now takes up a lot more space, so less product can be shipped in the same space, possibly as much as a factor of 50%. So shipping costs could be up to double what they would be straight off. Two separate box sleeves need to be prepared (so that cost could be doubled), two separate boxes need to go through QC etc. That all happens at the factory end, and will multiply up through the various steps. Handling costs all the way through are doubled. It's not like you are pouring what would be a packet of cornflakes into two half sized boxes.

[MGR Hooper!]

Similarly with Bluebell Railway's H class, that could be another surprise announcement.

It's a Collector's Club special....

[brushman47544]

Still, I don't see why it should cost more for the same product with a different number.

 

Presumably the two releases were ordered from the factory at different times, and the factory price has since gone up. So the retail price has to go up too.

[gc4946]

gc4946, on 09 Jan 2018 - 09:19, said:

 

Similarly with Bluebell Railway's H class, that could be another surprise announcement.

 

 

It's a Collector's Club special....

 

 

 

Thanks - I'll have to let my work mate know because he collects Bluebell Railway-based prototypes.

 

I understand why Hornby are offering inducements to join their Collector's Club, but I think this H class should have been a general release with enough produced to ensure the least possible disappointment, unlike Bachmann's Bluebell C class release, which can now be bought only at hugely inflated prices.

Edited January 9, 2018 by gc4946

[Legend]

Has the final Azuma livery been decided yet, especially with VTEC handing back the Franchise in 2020? I think there is only that bland grey and white livery with the Virgin ribbon on the front and rear cars (similar to the new pendolino livery) I don’t think they enter into service till later this year or even 2019. They are probably waiting until the real thing has some exposure. I’ve lost track of what’s going on , but aren’t there IET variants for Transpennine as well, and maybe even Hull Trains? The only ones in service so far and I think where the bulk of deliveries will be this year is GWT

Edited January 9, 2018 by Legend

[Hroth]

To be fair the general standard of English these days amongst those slightly younger than myself (and I'm not old!) is appalling. Words like break/brake or principal/principle are routinely misapplied/spelt on a regular basis, even in proper publications with proper editors (including some modelling mags!!!). No excuse though...

They also get confused about the places trains stop at......

 

I blame the use of americanised predictive text entry systems! 

[Dunsignalling]

gc4946, on 09 Jan 2018 - 09:19, said:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks - I'll have to let my work mate know because he collects Bluebell Railway-based prototypes.

 

I understand why Hornby are offering inducements to join their Collector's Club, but I think this H class should have been a general release with enough produced to ensure the least possible disappointment, unlike Bachmann's Bluebell C class release, which can now be bought only at hugely inflated prices.

Yes, and in Hornby's case, any opportunities for future sales off the back of people seeing/riding behind the prototype will  have been squandered unless it's only the box that's a collectors' item...........

 

Bachmann never described their SECR/Bluebell C class No.592 as special or limited so could produce another batch if they thought fit.

 

John

Edited January 9, 2018 by Dunsignalling

[Coryton]

I haven't really looked at the "where they worked" bit.

 

LMS Corridor Coaches 

 

West Coast

Midlands

 

But why not North England, Wales or Scotland?

 

Some even worked in East Anglia via the M&GNR and into the South West via the S&DJR. That's without thinking about through trains where they got everywhere.

 

For this to be useful there needs to be some judgement...listing everywhere that they might have ended up on through trains doesn't make sense to me.

 

The £399 is an error/typo, I've checked that with Hornby as it seemed somewhat excessive for two cars

 

Come back in a few years and say that... 

 

To be fair the general standard of English these days amongst those slightly younger than myself (and I'm not old!) is appalling. Words like break/brake or principal/principle are routinely misapplied/spelt on a regular basis, even in proper publications with proper editors (including some modelling mags!!!). No excuse though...

 

There does seem to be a reliance on spelling checkers, which are fine for typos and poor spelling but not good at spotting the wrong word.

 

I do find that even though I have absolutely no doubt as to the difference between "they're" and "their", I often find I've typed the wrong one.

 

I'd be interested to know if when people make this sort of error whether they really don't know the difference (which is the impression they give) or whether they just don't read through what they've written, assuming perhaps that a spelling checker makes it unnecessary.

 

Some years ago now, a series of official road signs went up in the East End of London pointing out "Quite" routes for cyclists.

[Mallard60022]

They also get confused about the places trains stop at......

 

I blame the use of americanised predictive text entry systems! 

Careful buddy, I was almost 'dealt with' by daring to mention that topic recently! 

P

[Ron Ron Ron]

....On the 2018 range, was a little surprised they didn't have a Class 800 in the Virgin livery.

 

 

We don't know yet whether there'll be further official announcements throughout the year regarding new products.

 

It could be that Hornby will unveil their versions of Virgin Trains' Azumas once they've entered public service and offer train-set variants simultaneously......

 

 

Has the final Azuma livery been decided yet, especially with VTEC handing back the Franchise in 2020?

I think there is only that bland grey and white livery with the Virgin ribbon on the front and rear cars (similar to the new pendolino livery) I don’t think they enter into service till later this year or even 2019.

They are probably waiting until the real thing has some exposure.......

 

 

The Virgin liveried pre-series Class 800, is supposed to be the "Azuma" launch livery.

It was announced at the time of its unveiling as such, suggesting it was a promotional livery, with the production livery yet to be revealed.

 

I asked one of the Hornby development team about it at Ally Pally last year and he said that VTEC had yet to finalise what the livery would be.

With the Virgin preference for big PR, unveilings and launches, I think it's quite plausible that VTEC might be holding back on things like the livery and saving them for a big PR day.

Even if Hornby have the livery details, they are probably restricted on its use until VTEC say OK.

So we are non the wiser.

 

VTEC Class 800's are due to enter service at the end of this year, followed by the 801's a year later.

Whatever the livery will be, will no doubt be revealed before the trains are in full public view, sometime this summer or autumn.

I'm confident you can almost bank on a VTEC Class 800 featuring in the Hornby 2019 range, provided the franchise issue doesn't lead to another TOC being appointed to replace VTEC.

 

 

.

 

 

.

Edited January 9, 2018 by Ron Ron Ron

[Froxfield2012]

A bit frustrated with Hornby's Southern offerings.  The early crest H is 31265, withdrawn 1960, when they could have done 31543, withdrawn 1963; The early crest LN is Lord Rodney, yet Rodney received the late totem as early as 1957, whilst classmate Martin Frobisher retained the early crest until withdrawal in 1962 - and not only that, Rodney was the only Nelson to retain the Maunsell cylinders, and this begs the question, will the Hornby model have the distinctive 'hump' below the smokebox door?

Add to this the Maunsell dining cars being pre-1956, then none of this helps me modelling the SR in the early 60's, except for Lord Nelson, which looks very nice indeed!

 

Well, since Hornby acknowledge the Bulleid modifications in their description, they have, presumably, tooled for Sir Francis Drake in Maunsell condition.  The bits, therefore, should be available to do Rodney correctly?  Frankly, I find it difficult to tell the difference in the two attached head on shots.  Rodney seen in 1956 and Sir John Hawkins in 1953.  There is just a paler strip below the smokebox to indicate "the hump"?  That hump is, however, more visible in three-quarter shots I have seen elsewhere.

 

 

[45568]

Well, since Hornby acknowledge the Bulleid modifications in their description, they have, presumably, tooled for Sir Francis Drake in Maunsell condition.  The bits, therefore, should be available to do Rodney correctly?  Frankly, I find it difficult to tell the difference in the two attached head on shots.  Rodney seen in 1956 and Sir John Hawkins in 1953.  There is just a paler strip below the smokebox to indicate "the hump"?  That hump is, however, more visible in three-quarter shots I have seen elsewhere.

 

LN 30865 1953_rmweb.jpg

 

30863 21_4_1956_rmweb.jpg

I think I would replace the smoke deflectors with etched brass ones on those two models, plastic always looks too thick!

Cheers from Oz,

Peter C. (who is deciding which BR Nelson variant to order as he does not want TTS!!).

[Mallard60022]

Well, since Hornby acknowledge the Bulleid modifications in their description, they have, presumably, tooled for Sir Francis Drake in Maunsell condition.  The bits, therefore, should be available to do Rodney correctly?  Frankly, I find it difficult to tell the difference in the two attached head on shots.  Rodney seen in 1956 and Sir John Hawkins in 1953.  There is just a paler strip below the smokebox to indicate "the hump"?  That hump is, however, more visible in three-quarter shots I have seen elsewhere.

 

LN 30865 1953_rmweb.jpg

 

30863 21_4_1956_rmweb.jpg

I suspect that a small 3D printed 'facia' would deal with that? Would people really notice the smokebox length at 3'+?

Superb pics by the way and just look at those chimneys. Big enough to climb into.

Phil

[Graham_Muz]

Well, since Hornby acknowledge the Bulleid modifications in their description, they have, presumably, tooled for Sir Francis Drake in Maunsell condition.  The bits, therefore, should be available to do Rodney correctly?  Frankly, I find it difficult to tell the difference in the two attached head on shots.  Rodney seen in 1956 and Sir John Hawkins in 1953.  There is just a paler strip below the smokebox to indicate "the hump"?  That hump is, however, more visible in three-quarter shots I have seen elsewhere.

 

LN 30865 1953_rmweb.jpg

 

30863 21_4_1956_rmweb.jpg

It is certainly my understanding from the discussions and communications that I have had with the head researcher at Hornby last year prior to the announcement being made that they are correctly tooling for these variations.

[Froxfield2012]

It is certainly my understanding from the discussions and communications that I have had with the head researcher at Hornby last year prior to the announcement being made that they are correctly tooling for these variations.

 

Thanks for that, Graham, as I have already pre-ordered Rodney!

[The Stationmaster]

I don’t think we can infer whether the King was a success financially or not. Certainly, it’s possible to pick some up at a massive discount. To state the obvious, we do not know how many were produced or sold or at what price. Presence in bargain bucket does not mean it was not a success for them.

 

On retoolings, Hornby has retooled the king, the duchess and the B12 in recent years. They will know better than anyone how well those have sold and hence how many rebuys there will be. Personally, I’m sceptical that the streamlined duchesses will sell well. I’m even more sceptical whether retooling post 1990 diesels and electrics is profitable. Whilst a diesel fan can “justify” a Duchess/A4 steam hauled special, it’s a lot harder other than pure rule 1 to buy a Class 91 or whatever if you’re a steam fan unless it’s a pure collector’s item.

 

David

 

Nail hit on head I reckon.

 

I seriously wonder what some people actually expect Hornby to be able to do compared with with what it actually does?  Firstly it can't do everything every year - resources are finite and of course the market is also finite although I hope they're taking more care with reissues than used to be the case in the past where a reissue was exactly that with no change of painted number etc.  Also it is to be hoped that they really are getting rid of the  stone round their neck due to Year 2 and Year 3 variants coming into the market so soon after Year 1 - the situation with the Cornation (Duchess) suggests they might actually at last understand that pitfall and the 'King' might well be their final lesson on that one where they have clearly over-played their hand.

 

Which brings us back to the good old, or rather not so old, 'I know what I want and I want it now' syndrome that seems to increasingly pervade the r-t-r marketplace (or at least the online version of it).  Simple fact is, and I shall say this again, they will make what they think is going to produce the best return.  They sunk an awful lot of development time and money into the contemporary scene recently with both the Class 800 and re-tooling of the Class 87 so I think it is highly disingenuous to suggest that they don't care about the modern scene, I bet their development budget over the past 2 or 3 years is likely to say a rather different story.

 

But of course it's very easy in this day and age to moan that something has the 'wrong' running number on it or that the livery you are crying out for hasn't been produced.  I, like many others, have been hoping for some years for a single chimney 'Castle' with a Collett tender with late insignia and while I've said on several occasions what a gap that had been in their suite of 'Castles' (various) over the years I don't think my dummy has gone over the side of the pram and a little bit of adult discussion and research from a couple of us to give Hornby a nudge has produced what we have long been looking for complete with  a very acceptable running number.  The watchwords are I believe patience and gently pushing things along - that will, if successful, hopefully eventually get a result although that won't always happen of course - the good thing is that sometimes it might. Shouting the odds from virtual rooftops definitely won't get anywhere as the  process quickly becomes a big turn off.

 

And of course if you don't see what you want this year there'll be another year along in around 355 days from now.

[farren]

And yet there’s the 87 to come and IEP 800

And Bachmann are updating 3 or 4 DMUS. What is it the Diesel Electric fans want.

1st gen is all but done in models.

Leaving today's rolling stock. What class and livery would sell without being to restrictive to pireod area. Just curious