Hornby 2020 range "reveal date" = 6th Jan

[MGR Hooper!]

13 hours ago, Islesy said:

Time to put this one to bed I think; we wanted to feature a painting of the the Lord Nelson class that year, as that was a headline new tooling and having found that particular painting, set at Folkestone Warren (just down the road from me), there was no question that it would make for an attractive cover image. The fact that the Nelson was hauling Wagon-Lits was entirely without consequence and entirely incidental - the Nelson was the focus, not the coaches...

 

Best wishes,

Paul

Thank you!!! About time someone stated the obvious... Glad we got it from the source!

[Hroth]

18 hours ago, 7013 said:

Why put a product that you do not or have no intention of making on your catalogue?

 

Hornby have done just that in the past, the 1972 issue with the Metrovic CO-BO, the 1974 issue with a Jubilee and the 1975 issue with Gladstone, Jenny Lind and City of Truro spring to mind. However to be fair, most of the Triang, Triang-Hornby and Hornby catalogues have images of models to be imminently produced, or are actually available on the front cover as the key item. 

 

21 hours ago, phil gollin said:

... However, my favourite set would be the "Trans-Pennine" sets, which had the most stylish fronts of any DMUs  (I have an ancient Trix off-scale set which is lovely).

 

A modern "Trans-Pennine" set would be interesting...

[Denbridge]

On 12/11/2019 at 23:21, jools1959 said:

 

As pointed out on numerous threads and Simon Kohler has stated, the original APT tooling (as well as loads of others) was destroyed by the previous management when they moved from Margate

I suspect, that like the APT,  other old favourites, like the L1, Nellie, AL1 etc have not seen the light of day again is because the old tooling no longer exists. Though wasnt the L1 modified to produce a loco from the Thomas stories?

[MrTea]

I think 2020 is a big opportunity for Hornby and they’ve already hinted that they have suitably big plans to celebrate the birthday. 
 

I don’t think anyone’s suggested bringing back 3-rail yet?

 

I would imagine that the team at Hornby do have plans to tap into the nostalgia around the brand across the years. One obvious way of doing that would be to offer 2020 versions of models that we remember from our first Hornby set or loco either that’s from 1955 or 2005. On that basis I think we could see ‘hifi’ versions of the following classics:

 

Duchess of Montrose or Silver King in BR green

A Princess in Black

A lined black Jinty as 47606

A red Hall as ‘Lord Westwood’

Sir Dinadan

Evening Star

A remotored class 58?

The class 91 back in Intercity swallow livery

 

These kind of new issues, suitably marketed, might encourage people back into the hobby or to make a purchase just for nostalgia’s sake. 

 

It’s important not to forget that Hornby’s market and brand recognition extends well outside the RMWeb demographic and for the company to survive it also needs to look to the future. With that in mind how about items to tie up with the recent second series of GMRC? I’d love to see a mass market version of Team Grantham’s Knight delivery system from the semi-finals!

 

We don’t have too long to wait!

Edited November 17, 2019 by MrTea
Typos

[Denbridge]

On 13/11/2019 at 11:48, jixer said:

I think the most significant announcement they could make, leveraging their 100 year anniversary, would be a commitment to bring their manufacturing back to the UK. It wouldn't be easy, it wouldn't be quick and it wouldn't be cheap. But, sooner or later, they are going to have to tackle the root cause of their endless delays and quality issues. And it would surely help them, at least in the long run, get a far better grip on their business. Perhaps look to Roco and what they've done in Eastern Europe, as a possible example.

Great idea. We all want the prices for our models to double-at least.

[truffy]

12 minutes ago, MrTea said:

One obvious way of doing that would be to offer 2020 versions of models that we remember from our first Hornby set or loco ether that’s from 1955 or 2005.

Too many variations there, methinks. For me, it would be a Class 37, but I’m hoping that the likes of Accurascale might improve on currently available models. 
 

Other than that, and if Red are going to play the nostalgia card, might I suggest an updated giraffe car? I think its time has come!

[Hroth]

4 hours ago, Denbridge said:

Though wasnt the L1 modified to produce a loco from the Thomas stories?

 

Thomas was created from the tooling for the Hornby LBSC E2 model.

The L1 tool was modified to produce the LMS 2P.

 

[eldomtom2]

5 hours ago, Denbridge said:

Though wasnt the L1 modified to produce a loco from the Thomas stories? 

That was the D49, and a very shabby Edward it made indeed.

[The Johnster]

6 hours ago, truffy said:

Too many variations there, methinks. For me, it would be a Class 37, but I’m hoping that the likes of Accurascale might improve on currently available models. 
 

Other than that, and if Red are going to play the nostalgia card, might I suggest an updated giraffe car? I think its time has come!

With of course an updated giraffe.

[GWR8700]

Predicting that

Hornby will make an LSWR T3,

Stephenson's Rocket and matching coaches,

a new buffet/restaurant coach from one of the big 4,

GWR Iron mink

 

Some other new products but those are my guesses

[Calidore]

Suppose it’s too much to ask that the Urie familiarity from the N15 and S15 might inspire an H16 tank — a numerically small class, but probably just as ‘interesting’ and versatile for those modelling the SR as the 72xx was for those on the Western.

 

I’m also a bit surprised Hornby have never gone for the streamlined B17. Ticks the glamour box but is also sufficiently run-of-the-mill to satisfy those who want to avoid every engine being a huge pacific. Not my cup of tea but worth a thought!

[Hroth]

3 hours ago, eldomtom2 said:

That was the D49, and a very shabby Edward it made indeed.

I'd forgotten Edward, with the huge gap underneath where the D49 cylinder block used to be...

 

18 minutes ago, GWR8700 said:

Predicting that

Hornby will make an LSWR T3,

Stephenson's Rocket and matching coaches,

a new buffet/restaurant coach from one of the big 4,

GWR Iron mink

 

Some other new products but those are my guesses

 

A Rocket set would be nice, but it'd be an all-new tooling and pretty pricey.

 

How about a TTS Iron Mink with some pre-grouping sounds inside it?

 

 

8 minutes ago, Calidore said:

I’m also a bit surprised Hornby have never gone for the streamlined B17. Ticks the glamour box but is also sufficiently run-of-the-mill to satisfy those who want to avoid every engine being a huge pacific. Not my cup of tea but worth a thought!

 

It would work quite well, they've the most recent Railroad B17 chassis, and there must be a duplicate Railroad A4 tool knocking about to carve up.  It would test the waters and see if a Full Fat version might be profitable.

[Steamport Southport]

A modern version of a D49 would be one I expect at some point. 

 

Named, a useful size, preserved example and also ticks the box of Scottish/NE engines.

 

 

 

As for the Streamlined B17/5, can't see it happening. Short lived and restricted to virtually one train, which would need East Anglian carriages. If Coronation and Silver Jubilee stock aren't seen as viable then I doubt the East Anglian would be either.

 

 

 

Jason

[Paul.Uni]

I'm hoping for at least one of the following:

• Metropolitan Railway E class
• USATC S160 and/or WD 2-10-0 in Longmoor Military Railway blue
• Ffestiniog Railway's Linda & Blanche
• Rolling stock to go with the above

I'm expecting none of the above

[raetiamann]

Is there not room for new tooling to produce a steam, a diesel and an electric to please everyone? Unlikely I know as their modern offering is non-existent to poor, so I'd expect it to be primarily steam.

 

Through this thread there have been quite a few contrary arguments, so I'd ask the question should manufacturers announce when they will make announcements?

[Steamport Southport]

46 minutes ago, Paul.Uni said:

I'm hoping for at least one of the following:

• Metropolitan Railway E class
• USATC S160 and/or WD 2-10-0 in Longmoor Military Railway blue
• Ffestiniog Railway's Linda & Blanche
• Rolling stock to go with the above

I'm expecting none of the above

 

I would expect those from Peco/Kato rather than anyone else. They are already doing the Fairlies and Englands, and Peco have also released rolling stock.

 

 

 

Jason

[truffy]

24 minutes ago, raetiamann said:

should manufacturers announce when they will make announcements?

I don't think they should.

 

They do it to attract attention, build excitement, and ensure an audience for when it happens. But all it does is lead to rampant speculation, and the inevitable disappointment when said speculation doesn't come about.

 

IMO, spontaneous (or unannounced) announcements are better, because they're a surprise and, even if it's not to your taste, it doesn't come as a crashing disappointment.

[NXEA!]

No idea what Hornby will announce, but I think both a re-tooled Black 5 and 8F make enormous commercial and modelling sense and would get lots of cash through the door. An SECR L1 is also a good shout, along with CIWL stock perhaps?  

 

I say this every year in every manufacturers' topic, but the one model I would love to get my hands on is an LNER E4. 

[Steamport Southport]

7 minutes ago, truffy said:

I don't think they should.

 

They do it to attract attention, build excitement, and ensure an audience for when it happens. But all it does is lead to rampant speculation, and the inevitable disappointment when said speculation doesn't come about.

 

IMO, spontaneous (or unannounced) announcements are better, because they're a surprise and, even if it's not to your taste, it doesn't come as a crashing disappointment.

 

Spontaneous announcements are fine if you are a smaller company.

 

If you are a major who releases catalogues which will be available in retailers (including supermarkets such as Tesco and Sainsbury's) or people being part of a club that sends the catalogues out as part of your membership, then you need an announcement date.

 

 

 

Jason

[mdvle]

49 minutes ago, raetiamann said:

Is there not room for new tooling to produce a steam, a diesel and an electric to please everyone? Unlikely I know as their modern offering is non-existent to poor, so I'd expect it to be primarily steam.

 

There is certainly room, albeit a small one if talking locos, for diesel and electric.  Which is why I wondered about a class 37 given that it offers lots of opportunity for multiple releases for at least the next 5 years.

 

If you are talking anything other than locos then there are still a lot of opportunities in the multiple unit area, though whether they would provide a lot of sales would depend on choice and other factors.

 

49 minutes ago, raetiamann said:

Through this thread there have been quite a few contrary arguments, so I'd ask the question should manufacturers announce when they will make announcements?

 

Hornby really have no choice since they have returned to the one big announcement program - even if we didn't know the exact date we would know the approximate time.

 

But at the end of the day the biggest problem manufacturers today have is getting out the information that they are releasing a model, so the generation of a bit of hype is a necessary part of the process in order to get noticed.  It is, in a way, the flip side to the benefit of having so many new models announced each year.  If you back 30 years and you might get 1 or 2 new models a year (and they would be in stock for 5 years) you didn't need to struggle so much to get your promotion done.

[truffy]

10 minutes ago, Steamport Southport said:

If you are a major who releases catalogues which will be available in retailers (including supermarkets such as Tesco and Sainsbury's) or people being part of a club that sends the catalogues out as part of your membership, then you need an announcement date.

I don't think that you do need an announcement date two months in advance. You release the catalogue, with a press release/event to your whim and fancy. But a "reveal date"? Come on!

[Steamport Southport]

But you've got to consider the fact they need to cater for the retailers, press, shareholders, etc. You as a purchaser is well down the pecking order I'm afraid.

 

The days of releasing a vague press statement to be published in the back of Railway Modeller and MRC, months after being at the Toy Fair are well gone.

 

 

 

Jason

[GWR8700]

4 hours ago, Hroth said:

A Rocket set would be nice, but it'd be an all-new tooling and pretty pricey.

 

How about a TTS Iron Mink with some pre-grouping sounds inside it?

 

What would pre-grouping sounds be?

[truffy]

8 hours ago, Steamport Southport said:

The days of releasing a vague press statement to be published in the back of Railway Modeller and MRC, months after being at the Toy Fair are well gone.

Fair enough. I’d settle for the option to be able to truly ignore speculative threads such as this then. But, even though I have it on ignore, it still shows the Hornby thread as unread. 

[Hilux5972]

1 hour ago, truffy said:

Fair enough. I’d settle for the option to be able to truly ignore speculative threads such as this then. But, even though I have it on ignore, it still shows the Hornby thread as unread. 

You can easily. Don’t visit the site until January!