HonestTom

I'm only speculating here, but I can think of two possibilities. 1. This is not purely a model railway range, and is not aimed purely at railway modellers. To non-modellers, "Hornby" and "model railways" are synonymous - I've even heard "Hornby" used as a generic term for the hobby. Possibly Hornby feel that putting their brand front and centre will put off the wider public, who might automatically think "this isn't for me," because they see it as a train set. 2. Hornby don't want to dilute their main brand. The strength of their core brand is that it's considered, rightly or wrongly, to be a premium model railway range. This steampunk range includes figures, paints and other non-railway items, and in general it's more playful than their model railways, so it's not really a strong fit for the main range (much like Airfix, Humbrol and Corgi - all owned by Hornby, all having some level of compatibility with model railways, all marketed separately).

I recall an O gauge layout many years ago named "Polo Works" (I think?), which was similarly a tiny circle of track with a diesel shunter. With that, the scenic treatment was a factory complex, with the circle passing in and out of buildings. It was quite effective.

It is, although they did get a little bit steampunky in their fantasy range.

Hi Corbs, I think they're the 5mm ones, but I'll check when I get home.

See, I would actually say that visually, these are a pretty decent match for Games Workshop's aesthetic. Certainly the locomotives look quite Warhammer 40K (in my admittedly limited understanding). Based on my conversations with non-modellers, the impression they have is that Hornby is the best, simply because it's the one they've heard of. Obviously we as modellers know they produce a lot of entry-level models that are basically toys, but does your average consumer know that? Could a non-modeller with no knowledge of railways really tell that a Caledonian Pug is a kids' loco? One point about the Bassett Lowke name that no one seems to have brought up so far is that it sounds Victorian.

Time for another video! This one’s on the Minera Lime Company wagon.

I actually think the idea is a sensible one. Much like Harry Potter and Thomas the Tank Engine, it aims at a market that might otherwise have no interest in model railways.

Here's hoping. Last I heard, it was coming out in Summer 2020, although they seem to have moved it forward. When it does show up, I guess I won't have much excuse to put off that Port of London layout I keep talking about. EDIT: Here's a useful resource.

I was in a craft shop at the weekend and I found these: They’re intended for jewellery, but I thought they might make neat spectacle plates for my pseudo-Victorian monstrosities. As it turns out, they’re a near perfect fit. They don’t hold up to close scrutiny, but not much of my modelling does. From normal viewing distance, they liven the engines up. These ring things are also available in a brighter finish, and I did pick up a packet of those. But these particular engines are meant to be grubby old industrials, so the tarnished look suits them better.

With a rake of Hattons Genesis coaches?

Am I right in thinking they modified the mould to produce a 2P?

Having learned the specifications Laurie was working to, I feel that the problem was that Hornby weren't willing to go all-in, and I think they were relying on Laurie to do all the research. The result is something very specifically in his style. I don't know, I dare say a lot of modellers wouldn't consider this a problem, and I'm not going to condemn anyone for liking the range. I must admit that I too am thinking of playing with steampunk - it's not a million miles away from the Victorian freelancing I'm already doing. And I've had this nagging voice in the back of my head since I started posting here saying, "Well, if you know so much about steampunk, why don't you try it?" PS Here's another steampunk layout, again by Chris Walas. It's a Gn15 micro made almost entirely out of paper!

I came across some wooden cobbles in Clapham High Street, on a manhole cover, presumably for weight reasons. In the Ulster Transport Museum, they said that they were also commonplace outside hospitals for reasons of noise, which I guess was the usual reason they showed up.

With me, it varies from project to project. With my Discworld layout, the trains themselves are just an excuse for the crazy city around them. But with my Port of London stuff, the trains and the railway are as important as the scene they run through. I guess what I'm usually trying to do is recreate a picture in my head, which I must admit means that I often compromise on railway realism. For example, there are a lot of elements of the Docklands railways I'd like to include on my layout that would never have been seen together, but I want to create that picture.

What's so wonderful about the War of the Worlds is the realism of it, which is something I don't feel any adaptation has quite captured. All these little details - not just of the railways - that bring it home that these are ordinary people in the real world whose life has been turned completely upside down by this crazy event. A lot of the places Wells describes are still traceable today. The goods yard in Camden mentioned above still partially exists, for instance. And the line through Waterloo must surely be the short-lived line between the SER and LSWR that ran through the concourse, clearly visible in old photos. Speaking of post-apocalyptic London, there's a deleted scene in 28 Days Later where they come across a DLR train that's been turned into an improvised hospital, as well as a bit just before where they follow the tracks to find the protagonists' parents.

I'd say you could get away with a diesel in steampunk, as long as the aesthetic and feel are still suitably steampunk. The term "steampunk" is, I think, slightly misleading. There are a lot of steampunk works that don't necessarily revolve around steam-powered technology. For instance, the Nautilus of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is powered by electricity (nuclear energy in the 1954 film). The technology in the comic Scarlet Traces is an unknown power source derived from the Martians of War of the Worlds, steam having been superseded. "Steampunk" is derived from "cyberpunk." Cyberpunk describes a dystopian future where advanced technology co-exists with criminal anti-heroes and heartless corporations and a grimy noir aesthetic - think Blade Runner or Judge Dredd. "Cyber" represents the advanced technology, "punk" the rebellious low-life aspects. In the 1980s, the term "steampunk" was coined by K W Jeter to describe a small group of Victorian-set sci-fi and fantasy novels. Steam was simply used as it was a technology that revolutionised the 19th century in much the same way that computers would revolutionise the 21st century. As the term has become better known, it's broadened somewhat. But basically this is a longwinded way of saying that it doesn't have to be steam to be steampunk, just to have that Victorian/Edwardian aesthetic. Incidentally, other -punk terms with varying degrees of acceptance in sci-fi fandom are dieselpunk (Art Deco, 20th century aesthetic), clockpunk (Renaissance to pre-Industrial Revolution), sandalpunk (Classical), swordpunk (medieval) and dungeonpunk (classic fantasy).

I blame Back to the Future III, which is generally wheeled out as an example of steampunk that everyone's seen and includes a locomotive that just has stuff stuck all over it. Now, in fairness, there is a legit reason for this in the film, but it's not exactly the Victorian aesthetic. A very well-researched steampunk work is William Gibson and Bruce Sterling's novel The Difference Engine, which imagines that Charles Babbage perfected his Analytical Engine and so brought about a technological revolution. Consequently, the world is a very different place technologically, sociologically and politically

They already have on the A2 thread. I think the discussion is more down to what generates the most interest than what the polls say. The Ivatt 2MT was a no-brainer for someone to produce, and it's an everyday workhorse, so it doesn't generate a huge amount of discussion. The A2s are more glamorous, but nevertheless they're not exactly A-list locomotives. But Rocket is a model that few seriously predicted, that hasn't shown up on any wishlists, from an era that isn't much modelled. It came totally out of left field. The Hush-Hush and the APT are similarly novel. They generate speculation and curiosity. As for Steampunk, well, that's a market that no model railway manufacturer has even tried, based on a concept that has a lot of subjectivity attached. There's a lot to talk about. In general, though, I think polls only really give you a small percentage of what the hobby wants. The impression I get is that there's a huge number of modellers who honestly aren't that bothered about things like modelling a realistic representation of a time and place. They just want models that they like the look of, whether that's a super-detailed Pacific or a colourful Hornby 0-4-0. I'll be really interested to see how the Steampunk range sells, given that it's catering to a totally different market from the one the polls aim for.

I have bought things for resale in the past. For instance, when the Hornby Peckett was first released and sold out immediately, I found a whole lot in a department store that were in the January sale, so I bought one for myself and covered the cost by slinging a second one on Ebay. Of course, now there's no shortage of Pecketts, which leads me to wonder how much the ones I bought will be worth in the future. I think part of the problem with buying for long-term investment is that the market has changed. When the likes of Hornby Dublo and Triang ruled the roost, model railways were aimed primarily at kids. Concepts like limited editions and collectability weren't really a thing. Trains were played with. Now, models are aimed at the adult collector, produced in smaller runs at higher prices and with greater detail. Aside from those who customise their models, I would say that proportionally, a far greater number of models are kept in good condition. I guess it's hard to predict the future, because the era of super-detail is a relatively recent thing. It's hard to say what the market's going to be like down the line.

I think in general, steampunk creators miss out by not knowing how much bizarre steam-powered stuff really existed. Douglas Self's website is an absolute goldmine, and that's just for stuff that's considered weird among rail enthusiasts. If you don't know your trains, concepts like Fairlies, Brunton's steam horse and the NYC Hudson seem pretty out there.

I did come across speculation as to whether they originally produced this engine in LBSC livery as well, as there were wagons for that company. The conclusion was "almost certainly not," but it would be an interesting variant. I have to say, this was the absolute last thing I thought they'd produce. But then, the entire Hornby range this year has a feeling of, "Ha ha, okay, but seriously." Hush-Hush, the APT, Rocket, steampunk, a die-cast Duchess and this.

LNER express locos seem to sell pretty well generally. I reckon there are quite a few people who will buy these to fill in the gaps in their East Coast line-up. I wonder if they'll sell to people who already bought the pre-rebuild Cock O' The North and want to complete the story? Certainly that was my thought when the model was announced.

Personally I'm hoping they produce the variant fitted with Dundonald's rotary engine. To portray this brief period in the locomotive's history accurately, they should of course omit the motor.

Well, now you've got me thinking...

Haven't done a video in a while (at least on modelling), but here's one I just made on dolling up an old Hornby Arnolds Sands wagon.