Hornby Prototypes/Unproduced Models

[Trainmaster64]

Hello all,

 

While at a book sale a short while ago, I came across an interesting book - "The Hornby Book of Trains 1954-1979," edited by S.W. Stevens-Stratten and published by Rovex Limited. This book essentially covers some of the history of Hornby's then 25 years, as well as a look at the future for them from that timeframe, and is quite a good read and a nice look into the past for Hornby fans.

 

However, near the end of the book there were a few things I saw that really surprised me - cancelled, prototype locomotives and rolling stock that never made it into full production. For instance, part of a carriage had been built with opening doors, which would open at stations and close when the train started to move. Also included were the Canadian National 'Turbotrain,' a TEE Diesel locomotive, and a very interesting looking mountain engine and carriage that appear to be directly based off of that found at the Snowdon Mountain Railway.

 

Because I am unsure if I would be breaking copyright laws if I were to post said images here, I won't do so for the moment - however, I am curious if anyone else knows about some other cancelled projects that Hornby had done in the past (the page stating that these were merely some examples of discarded projects). Anyone have any thoughts on this?

[Legend]

Pat Hammonds books also show some prototypes including J36 0-6-0, V2, Prairie Tank and I think an N7

[Butler Henderson]

There was to have been a City of Truro in the 1979 range (R700) but postponed before the catalogue was released - the year never came for it. The J36 was to be R558, a proposed release for 1980 and the 45xx R355 for 1981 as well as a Dean Goods.(R354) They also thought about a Park Royal railbus, a Ivatt 2 2-6-2T, Class 07, Class 17, V2 2-6-2, V1 2-6-2T and 56xx 0-6-2T. Given Hornbys habit for producing regionally very limited locos then maybe an 07 might just appear.

[Electrostar]

Some really interesting stuff there. I had no idea about those. It's not quite the same but I do remember the catalogie promising the very white class 91 in Electra livery. The real thing never wore it so neither did the Hornby model but I guess there's a prototype in the archive cupboard somewhere.

[Fat Controller]

Not a loco, but one of the more curious 'might-have-beens' was the 21t vac-fitted mineral (not the resprayed 'Pole' one). The chassis was made, and very fine it was too, with brake-shoes in line with the wheels, reasonable Oleo buffers and roller-bearing axle-boxes, but the body never saw the light of day. The underframe was eventually used to make what was branded as a 'Conflat B', issued with a Freightliner container as a load.

[Adam1701D]

Hornby were developing their 91 prior to the real thing appearing, so early demo models did represent the pre-Swallow "Electra" BR model which lacked the yellow ends.

[Allegheny1600]

Anyone remember the BR "large Logo" blue class 58, again developed before the real thing emerged from Doncaster paint shop?

Cheers,

John E.

[bennyboy]

Anyone remember the BR "large Logo" blue class 58, again developed before the real thing emerged from Doncaster paint shop?

Cheers,

John E.

 

Yep, isn't that also the reason why the Hornby model doesn't have plating over the conduit on the solebar?

Edited May 18, 2012 by bennyboy

[D6775]

Yep, isn't that also the reason why the Hornby model doesn't have plating over the conduit on the solebar?

 

Or Exhaust ports................................

[andyman7]

Or Exhaust ports................................

...and appeared in the 1982 catalogue sporting large logo blue livery!

[Pixie]

Not a loco, but one of the more curious 'might-have-beens' was the 21t vac-fitted mineral (not the resprayed 'Pole' one). The chassis was made, and very fine it was too, with brake-shoes in line with the wheels, reasonable Oleo buffers and roller-bearing axle-boxes, but the body never saw the light of day. The underframe was eventually used to make what was branded as a 'Conflat B', issued with a Freightliner container as a load.

 

Well I never, you learn something new everyday! Cheers for the heads up Brian!

 

Pix

[NickL2008]

Yep, isn't that also the reason why the Hornby model doesn't have plating over the conduit on the solebar?

 

Hi- at the time Hornby produced the model, the real class 58 was being built, so the resultant Hornby model was alot of guess work as to how the real one would turn out

 

NL

[Dogmatix]

Slightly off-topic but on the same theme: Fleischmann planned at one point to produce a Merchant Navy or Battle of Britain in H0 to keep their Warship and Bulleids company. It never came to pass, of course - but I heard that a prototype does exist, and is owned by someone in the UK.

[Electrostar]

Today while going through some old boxes I came across a Lima catalogue from 1989 and seeing as many years later Hornby bought the company I feel I can post this here. It had completely slipped my memory that back then they planned to release a class 90 and class 91. As I recall nothing came of these models but this was around the time Lima had hugely expanded their range taking on Hornby with new models (such as the 40, 45, 46) and models which directly competed with mainstays of the Hornby range such as the 37 and 47. Quite why Lima decided against the 90 and 91 I don't know. They certainly weren't afraid to bash out other models and liveries, as the rear cover adverts of Rail Magazine testified every fortnight. Back then as a pre-teenager it was as much a surprise seeing what Lima would do next as what would be the cover story at the front of the mag!

Edited June 17, 2012 by Electrostar

[Horsetan]

...... Lima had hugely expanded their range taking on Hornby with new models (such as the 40, 45, 46).....

 

Only the 40 ever saw the light of day.

 

Back in 1980, the Lima catalogue showed a pre-production (actually kit-built) Gresley V2. This model never came to pass either, but the LMS Crab did.

[Electrostar]

You're right. I guess old age tricked me into thinking they produced the 45 and 46.

 

I recall steam being a much smaller part of the Lima range, certainly from 1989 onwards. The GWR tank engines and King classes always made an appearance but modern image became their forte.

[Colin]

I remember seeing a Lima catalogue in the (IIRC) mid-80s which included classes 25(both main body variants) and 45/46 from memory. The catalogue pictures were photos of real locos, not even mock-ups or kits. On the steam front, they had looked at producing a Princess Royal as well - presumably before Hornby came up with their new model.

[JohnMartin90125]

Not a loco, but one of the more curious 'might-have-beens' was the 21t vac-fitted mineral (not the resprayed 'Pole' one). The chassis was made, and very fine it was too, with brake-shoes in line with the wheels, reasonable Oleo buffers and roller-bearing axle-boxes, but the body never saw the light of day. The underframe was eventually used to make what was branded as a 'Conflat B', issued with a Freightliner container as a load.

 

I wonder why there was only ever one issue of this Conflat, I have one of these and thought it was rather good. Maybe I'm missing something but with all the Intermodal stuff that has been put out over recent years, why have the main brands not put anything with Freightliner on them? There were quite a few liveries.

 

Anyone remember the BR "large Logo" blue class 58, again developed before the real thing emerged from Doncaster paint shop?

Cheers,

John E.

 

I think I got one of these with the first pound coin I had. Pictures didn't quite look like the real thing and that motor wasn't very good to say the least. Cheap and very, very nasty. Wish I never bought the damned thing.

[Fat Controller]

I wonder why there was only ever one issue of this Conflat, I have one of these and thought it was rather good. Maybe I'm missing something but with all the Intermodal stuff that has been put out over recent years, why have the main brands not put anything with Freightliner on them? There were quite a few liveries.

 

 

 

It's possibly because none of the Intermodal wagons released in recent years (FEA, KFA, IKA, KTA) were built when Freightliner's own-liveried boxes were around, with the exception of the 30' flat containers that worked out of Lochaber, carried on KFAs. Hornby did do several different Freightliner liveries ('Freightliner' and 'Freightliner Limited' in red and grey, and 'Freightliner' in red and yellow), all based on the original-style pre-ISO box.

[cheesysmith]

Didn't Hornby propose a intermediate coach for the apt they made? Pity that never went ahead, would have made life easier for those of us with a tilting habit.

[andyman7]

Didn't Hornby propose a intermediate coach for the apt they made? Pity that never went ahead, would have made life easier for those of us with a tilting habit.

The APT Intermediate Coach would have been a likely introduction had the real thing made it into regular service and the model therefore had more success. It didn't progress beyond the idea stage.

[hallmodelspares]

When model rail did an article a few years ago they showed a mockup by Hornby of the clayton engine

with a bodyshell made and using the parts from a class 25 including the sideframes

it said the picture was from a private collectors collection

 

Also of mention was the unreleased version of the triang/Hornby class 37 in br green still but with

fuller yellow ends. a few examples exist with this from the factory including the primitive mask line

put on mold used for the released class 37 in blue. Why did Hornby do a lime green large logo class 37 in the 1980's?

[robmcg]

here's one Hornby haven't done, to my knowledge

 

please note this is a EM brass model purchased on Ebay 10 days ago, and the pic has been modified. Mostly I altered the body slightly here and there to be like the earlier streamlined or air-smoothed engines 21C3-10.

 

Wish someone would make a state-of-the-art RTR version though, the early Merchant Navy engines had a distinctive look...

 

With current market and Hornby troubles I'm not holding my breath... is not Bachmann doing an N gauge version?

 

 

Cheers,

 

Rob

Edited August 18, 2014 by robmcg

[Ian Hargrave]

Yes they are and it really is superb,if the sample I got my hands on a couple of months ago is anything to go by. Yes,Rob I wish too.If only...

[Tarnish1]

I came across this - the "original" Hornby Dublo Duchess of Atholl from 1938 (see single chimney). I hear that this model still survives but the chassis suffered badly from "zinc rot".

 

An old thread but very interesting.