Trains&armour Posted October 26, 2016 Share Posted October 26, 2016 Email from Hornby. Top five sellers last month: 5) r9816 Wateringbury Signal box 4) r1180 postal express train set - discount pen to 89.99 from 119.99 3) r9283 Thomas train set - 64.99 2) r1185 Santa express Christmas train set - 54.99 1) r3284tts a1 Flying Scotsman (railroad) Conspicuous lack of enthusiast type models in the top 5 sellers.... David Not true... (My italics). I know an enthusiast who bought number five, Wateringbury Signal box. He happens to be building a layout based on Wateringbury.... Or is one enthusiast perhaps not a statistical relevant sample? 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold JohnR Posted October 27, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 27, 2016 Is it a surprise that a train set with a bit of action (postal pick-up) is sellign well in the run up to christmas? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold ruggedpeak Posted October 27, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 27, 2016 How would they know how many DCC fitted ones you wanted if they didn't? Yeah, but you'll properly confuse them when you ask for sound with your chips! 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozexpatriate Posted October 27, 2016 Share Posted October 27, 2016 (edited) Email from Hornby. Top five sellers last month: 5) r9816 Wateringbury Signal box 4) r1180 postal express train set - discount pen to 89.99 from 119.99 3) r9283 Thomas train set - 64.99 2) r1185 Santa express Christmas train set - 54.99 1) r3284tts a1 Flying Scotsman (railroad) So one random item, three 'starter' (and not cheap for the contents) train sets and a railroad item of the most famous loco going with sound... I'll confess I brought one of the latter (via Cornwall) - Junior thinks it's great Conspicuous lack of enthusiast type models in the top 5 sellers.... Was there a new release last month? My guess is that their sales are very 'lumpy'. Sales to enthusiasts certainly will be based on release dates. Edited October 27, 2016 by Ozexpatriate Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clearwater Posted October 27, 2016 Share Posted October 27, 2016 Was there a new release last month? My guess is that their sales are very 'lumpy'. Sales to enthusiasts certainly will be based on release dates. I agree - I suspect that lumpiness is one of their key working capital challenges and given they'll be paying tovthe factory before they sell to us, judging the size of those runs critical. I also suspect these are off their website sales and relatively low volumes. Be interesting to see how the data changes when the B12 arrives. The MN though will sell very well judging by its position in the presale charts David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PM47079 Posted October 27, 2016 Share Posted October 27, 2016 (edited) Hawkins bazaar are selling the Christmas train set at a reasonable 39.99 Edited October 27, 2016 by PM47079 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black 5 Bear Posted October 27, 2016 Share Posted October 27, 2016 (edited) Although it looks superb, it will be interesting to see post release, whether Clan Line will be as popular as the other variants, bearing in mind that we already have this particular loco in rebuilt form. Edited October 27, 2016 by Black 5 Bear Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hroth Posted October 27, 2016 Share Posted October 27, 2016 (edited) Hawkins bazaar are selling the Christmas train set at a reasonable 39.99 Not bad, but close to the price being charged by Hattons. Hattons are currently flogging 4 Hornby train sets all powered by the same 0-4-0 chassis, but to be fair one of them has the Caledonian Pug body instead of old 101. The most risible is the Postal Express set where the poor thing has to lug not only an operating postal van but a dodgy old ex-triang clerestory brake too! Hattons prices for comparison: R1151 Caledonian Belle £35.00 R1185 Santa Express £44.00 R1188 Country Flyer £57.00 R1180 Postal Express £70.00 At least the Santa Express has the most reasonable excuse for its fictitious livery, but it should also include a figure pack of Santa, a reindeer and some elves too...... edit because I forgot some punctuation, etc. Edited October 27, 2016 by Hroth Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BG John Posted October 27, 2016 Share Posted October 27, 2016 The most risible is the Postal Express set where the poor thing has to lug not only an operating postal van but a dodgy old ex-triang clerestory brake too! I'd be happy if anyone who finds the clerestory unsatisfactory sends it in my direction. I've got a list of cut and shut jobs that could make use of a good number of them . Hornby could do quite well flogging them cheap to RTR bashers! 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hroth Posted October 28, 2016 Share Posted October 28, 2016 I'd be happy if anyone who finds the clerestory unsatisfactory sends it in my direction. I've got a list of cut and shut jobs that could make use of a good number of them . Hornby could do quite well flogging them cheap to RTR bashers! Its a pity they don't! The one in the set doesn't have an interior and apparently doesn't have any glazing either. Priced at the level of the Lima Junior basic coaches http://www.Hornby.com/uk-en/shop/brands/lima-h0-1-87/lima-junior-h0-1-87-second-class-carriage-xmpr.html they would probably be snapped up, especially if both the composite and brake versions were available. (just thinking - how "appropriate" would be a sliced up clerestory on the chassis of the forthcoming Oxford 6-wheeled Toad?) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Dunsignalling Posted October 28, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 28, 2016 I'd be happy if anyone who finds the clerestory unsatisfactory sends it in my direction. I've got a list of cut and shut jobs that could make use of a good number of them . Hornby could do quite well flogging them cheap to RTR bashers! If nothing else, the appearance of the coach in this set confirms that the moulds still exist, which is no bad thing. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Coryton Posted October 28, 2016 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 28, 2016 Hasn't it also been used recently in the Thomss range? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigherb Posted October 28, 2016 Share Posted October 28, 2016 The one in the set doesn't have an interior Has it ever had an interior? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BG John Posted October 28, 2016 Share Posted October 28, 2016 Its a pity they don't! The one in the set doesn't have an interior and apparently doesn't have any glazing either. Priced at the level of the Lima Junior basic coaches http://www.Hornby.com/uk-en/shop/brands/lima-h0-1-87/lima-junior-h0-1-87-second-class-carriage-xmpr.html they would probably be snapped up, especially if both the composite and brake versions were available. (just thinking - how "appropriate" would be a sliced up clerestory on the chassis of the forthcoming Oxford 6-wheeled Toad?) I'd buy them at £8.99. The brake is the most useful, as most people seem to think the composite isn't right for anything much, but one of my plans for a broad gauge convertible uses it. Perhaps it should have been on the Wish List. The Oxford Toad is far too short to be any use for any convincing coaches, especially 6-wheelers. I suppose it could be cut into three parts and the solebars and footboards extended! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hroth Posted October 28, 2016 Share Posted October 28, 2016 Has it ever had an interior? I suspect not - I only mentioned the fact to highlight the extremely basic nature of the coach, and any "glazing" would consist of a couple of strips of transparent plastic material glued inside the body. As for the Toad undercart, I was thinking along the lines that ANYTHING would be better than the overpriced Hornby 4 wheelers..... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewartingram Posted October 28, 2016 Share Posted October 28, 2016 My memory of the coach was that it had no interior. The window strips were a single piece each side, not sure what material but cut/stamped from a "flat" sheet. In practice, the flat sheet was curled in both directions (N/S, E/W). I'm sure the strip dropped down behind pegs, so it was straight-ish lengthwise, but in the vertical plane was stll curled, so the glazing was not flush with the body at all? Stewart Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BG John Posted October 28, 2016 Share Posted October 28, 2016 I'd be happy if it came without bogies too! I haven't thought of a use for file piles of BR ones yet, and the options for rebuilding them must have limits! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retro_man Posted October 28, 2016 Share Posted October 28, 2016 As for the Toad undercart, I was thinking along the lines that ANYTHING would be better than the overpriced Hornby 4 wheelers..... Have you seen Bachmann's Emily coaches? Steve Model Railway Imports Canada 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozexpatriate Posted October 28, 2016 Share Posted October 28, 2016 Have you seen Bachmann's Emily coaches? I bought some precisely for that purpose. of course I haven't done anything with them yet. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
autocoach Posted October 28, 2016 Share Posted October 28, 2016 I bought some precisely for that purpose. of course I haven't done anything with them yet. I bought 3 of the Emily six wheelers as well several year ago. I don't think they have ever been available directly to the UK market as they are part of the North American Thomas range and cannot be sold in the UK due to license restrictions. I also have not done anything with my set. They were purchased when I was still into GWR and my Brixham layout. I have since "gone southern" to Padstow and they have no relevance to any current modeling. But this is US Bachmann and nothing to do with the profitability of Hornby. My longstanding opinion/wish has been that Hornby North America would become as serious model source and concentrate on more western US prototypes as a balance to Bachmann USA's eastern US prototype fixation. HO Harriman coaches and smaller locomotives for the UP-SP-IC would very welcome. Note that other than a smattering of offerings from Horizon/Athearn (SP MT-4) there are no US manufacturers offering anything prototype correctly detailed RTR in western steam other than the obligatory SP cab forward. Everyone else is strictly diesel. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lofty1966 Posted October 29, 2016 Share Posted October 29, 2016 My memory of the coach was that it had no interior. The window strips were a single piece each side, not sure what material but cut/stamped from a "flat" sheet. In practice, the flat sheet was curled in both directions (N/S, E/W). I'm sure the strip dropped down behind pegs, so it was straight-ish lengthwise, but in the vertical plane was stll curled, so the glazing was not flush with the body at all? Stewart The original glazing was a 'u' shaped piece that slid down into body. Have just been repainting some and (hopefully) improving them with flush glazing . Pic of one 12 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin Brasher Posted October 29, 2016 Share Posted October 29, 2016 (edited) Email from Hornby. Top five sellers last month: 5) r9816 Wateringbury Signal box 4) r1180 postal express train set - discount pen to 89.99 from 119.99 3) r9283 Thomas train set - 64.99 2) r1185 Santa express Christmas train set - 54.99 1) r3284tts a1 Flying Scotsman (railroad) So one random item, three 'starter' (and not cheap for the contents) train sets and a railroad item of the most famous loco going with sound... I'll confess I brought one of the latter (via Cornwall) - Junior thinks it's great Conspicuous lack of enthusiast type models in the top 5 sellers.... David Bearing in mind the popularity of Flying Scotsman I am surprised that only Trix produced an 00 gauge model before 1968 and that Hornby did not produce a realistic model of it in 0 gauge. Edited October 29, 2016 by Robin Brasher Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bernard Lamb Posted October 29, 2016 Share Posted October 29, 2016 Bearing in mind the popularity of Flying Scotsman I am surprised that only Trix produced an 00 gauge model before 1968 and that Hornby did not produce a realistic model of it in 0 gauge.Seeing as that before the mid 1860s it was just one of a class, rather than the iconic machine it later became I am not surprised. HD had a Duchess and an A4. Why would they have wanted to produce a model of an inferior machine? Bernard Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyram Posted October 29, 2016 Share Posted October 29, 2016 Is it a surprise that a train set with a bit of action (postal pick-up) is sellign well in the run up to christmas? No surprise at all. Proves what I was saying earlier in the thread. Hornby need to develop train sets with play value. The old car loading ramps or stone loader could also be incorporated into a similar type of set. Interesting how these sets all feature the 0-4-0 though. It was only a few years ago that the postal set featured the Railroad Jinty. As regards the clerestory coaches. I don't think they ever had an interior. I remember them being dreadfully light. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Colin Posted October 29, 2016 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 29, 2016 You're right there - they were the most basic of models, but a useful basis for detailing & conversion to other types. Terry Gough's SR articles in the mid-sixties "Modeller" still get read from time to time! I just wish I'd kept a few of those coaches now.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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