Hornby 2018 - the full announcements

[PeckettChap]

Has anyone else noticed that the Hornby photos of the chassis of their 2018 four-wheeled wagons appear to show that these are newly tooled ??

 

Apart from the NEM coupler mounts, there are metal buffer heads and seemingly separate brake lever handles. If so, this would put these wagons' underpinnings on a par with those of the competition. If they were to make the chassis moulding available as spares, there could be quite a take-up.

 

That said, the lack of BR steam era vans is disappointing.

[Dunsignalling]

Has anyone else noticed that the Hornby photos of the chassis of their 2018 four-wheeled wagons appear to show that these are newly tooled ??

 

Apart from the NEM coupler mounts, there are metal buffer heads and seemingly separate brake lever handles. If so, this would put these wagons' underpinnings on a par with those of the competition. If they were to make the chassis moulding available as spares, there could be quite a take-up.

 

That said, the lack of BR steam era vans is disappointing.

Various posts dotted about between #333 and #406 when MGR Hooper! of this parish pointed it out and I started "digging". The new brake gear has a decidedly "Oxford" look about it, I think.

 

BR steam era vans are something I generally expect, and buy, from Bachmann tbh.

 

John

Edited January 11, 2018 by Dunsignalling

[Compound2632]

Various posts dotted about between #333 and #406 when MGR Hooper! of this parish pointed it out and I started "digging". The new brake gear has a decidedly "Oxford" look about it, I think.

 

There's also a suggestion that a bit of digital manipulation has taken place.

[PeckettChap]

Various posts dotted about between #333 and #406 when MGR Hooper! of this parish pointed it out and I started "digging". The new brake gear has a decidedly "Oxford" look about it, I think.

 

BR steam era vans are something I generally expect, and buy, from Bachmann tbh.

 

John

 

Thanks, I had missed the previous comments.

I don't own any Oxford wagons, but when these models are released, perhaps some physical comparisons will be instructive.

 

As for Bachmann vans, I do own some of these, but have always felt the chassis mouldings seemed to be a bit flimsy by comparison to Hornby's in general.

[Captain Kernow]

Catalogue in Smiths this morning. £8.99, or £3.50 off if you buy Hornby Magazine as well.

On the basis of the information on this thread, I had a look in our local Tesco this afternoon, not a chance, of course.

 

I remember really looking forward to the new Triang or Triang-Hornby catalogues in the late 1960s/early 1970s. It was a world of wonder and excitement to me, and no doubt to many others as well. I thought it would be rather nice to buy a copy of the latest one, but I'll have to wait until I'm in a suitable place.

[Mel_H]

I understand this, but the railroad range contains so many lemons, buying that cheap recycled limbs stuff would send me straight out to get an Xbox. Far better to save up for a colas 60 or whatever but something to 2018 standards

 

It is interesting that according to Hattons' 'top-sellers' list at Christmas, No.1 was the 06 diesel shunter (cheap and an old model), followed by other similarly cheap products. It's a rough guide I know, but would suggest that, at least at that time of year, for that retailer, the 'train set' market is still alive? Or maybe there's lots of modellers doing Cl 06 rebuilds!

[Mel_H]

I feel like that is exactly what Hornby has tried to do with the GWR franchise, but from the tone of comments here they don't seem to have gotten any credit for doing this.

 

Shame it's not doing the local lines livery. Yes, it's very complex, but it's also clever; I'd buy one. But you can't base a production run on one sale!

[Mel_H]

 

Hi.

 

This morning (Wednesday 10th Jan) I saw both the 2018 Hornby Catalaogue and Hornby Mag, February Issue, in Tescos,

 

There was no signage about a deal (As there wasn't last year in WHS Chester).

 

 

So, I enquired, and tested the deal by self-scanning....(At last a good use fir the self check out! )

 

Result, a £3.50 saving.

 

Both were loose...no bag was required!

 

That is both the Feb Hornby Mag and 2018 Catalogue for £9.99, and Clubcard points too!

 

 

 

I have had a look on the Key Hornby Mag site...

 

I tried putting the two items in the basket, but no discount applied!

 

I could not find a bundle offer...but looked harder...

 

Seached Key for "Bundle", and on page 3 of the results (The last page...) ...

 

 

 

 This is a link....

 

http://shop.keypublishing.com/product/View/productCode/HM18BUNDLE/Hornby%202018%20Catalogue%20BUNDLE

 

Total price £9.99 (2nd Class P&P should be free...)

 

This for subscribers on the Hornby 2018 Catalogue page on Key...

 

All very interesting, as is the catalogue's cover. If Hornby is tempting us with Wagon Lits cars, then I've been hooked. Put me down for a full rake!

[dibber25]

Shame it's not doing the local lines livery. Yes, it's very complex, but it's also clever; I'd buy one. But you can't base a production run on one sale!

 

There would be two sales! I was told by someone who shall remain nameless that the later FGW liveries, particularly the Local Lines livery, were impossible to do in 'OO'. That has been proved wrong by Realtrack/Rapido with the Class 143. I've no doubt it's expensive to do but maybe the licence fee would at least be reduced now that it's no longer current. (CJL)

[newbryford]

I understand this, but the railroad range contains so many lemons, buying that cheap recycled limbs stuff would send me straight out to get an Xbox. Far better to save up for a colas 60 or whatever but something to 2018 standards

 

Interesting to note that the Hornby Class 60 has been in production for going on 13 years..... and it still measures up to 2018 standards.

 

Cheers,

Mick

[classy52]

Interesting to note that the Hornby Class 60 has been in production for going on 13 years..... and it still measures up to 2018 standards.

 

Cheers,

Mick

 

But has it been updated in any way during that 13 year period or in the last few years to bring it up to current standards?

[newbryford]

But has it been updated in any way during that 13 year period or in the last few years to bring it up to current standards?

 

Nope - they have played around with the wiring inside, for 8 and 21 pin versions and had a play at using a plug/socket instead of the spring tabs to connect up the cab lights, but otherwise nothing done to the tooling as far as I can tell.

 

I would quite happily buy a 2005 produced model as well as a 2018 version if I had to.

 

My current running fleet of one Colas, three red DB and Drax 60 are all repaints.

 

Although this is still my favourite and now retired from active duty

 

 

 

Cheers,

Mick

Edited January 11, 2018 by newbryford

[classy52]

Nope - they have played around with the wiring inside, for 8 and 21 pin versions and had a play at using a plug/socket instead of the spring tabs to connect up the cab lights, but otherwise nothing done to the tooling as far as I can tell.

 

I would quite happily buy a 2005 produced model as well as a 2018 version if I had to.

 

My current running fleet of one Colas, three red DB and Drax 60 are all repaints.

 

Although this is still my favourite and now retired from active duty

60044.jpg

 

 

 

Cheers,

Mick

 

Wow didn't know that, that's really impressive from Hornby and must admit they do great models as in the Class 56/60/67 & HST which I own but too be honest can't comment on their Class 31 or 50 as I don't own any of those examples due to Era.

I do love weathered loco's like your 60, just wish Hornby did another DB Red 60 this year.

Edited January 11, 2018 by classy52

[Oakydoke]

Interesting to note that the Hornby Class 60 has been in production for going on 13 years..... and it still measures up to 2018 standards.

Released around the same time, over just a couple of years, when they also released the Class 08/09, 31 and 56.

IIRC the 60 was released the same year as the 08/09, or was it one of the others?

Hornby's first D&E models built to modern standards were received with deserved high praise and the company declared their commitment to doing modern prototypes, saying they'd be releasing similarly high quality new D&E models, every year from that point on.

That didn't last long.

[Dunsignalling]

There would be two sales! I was told by someone who shall remain nameless that the later FGW liveries, particularly the Local Lines livery, were impossible to do in 'OO'. That has been proved wrong by Realtrack/Rapido with the Class 143. I've no doubt it's expensive to do but maybe the licence fee would at least be reduced now that it's no longer current. (CJL)

But would its appeal be similarly reduced now that it's no longer current, making it harder to recoup the additional costs of production?

 

John

[Dunsignalling]

There's also a suggestion that a bit of digital manipulation has taken place.

That's something I always assume has taken place with Hornby catalogue shots. How much, we can only guess at.

 

John

Edited January 12, 2018 by Dunsignalling

[Robin Brasher]

Not in Smiths in Chichester today. Only discounted if you buy them together in a sealed bag - which they don't have and don't when they will receive them either.

Not in W H Smith in Swanage. No 2018 catalogues there and staff unaware of offer. I am getting mine from Key Publishing.

[Legend]

I posted over on Hornby Mag thread but just in case anyone is only looking here. My local WHS in Paisley had both catalogue and mag on different shelves, not packaged together, no mention of special deal.  However when you took both to auto check out it did give you £3.50 discount , meaning £9.99 for both . So even though not mentioned and staff probably don't know , I suspect the data is keyed centrally and you will get discount.

 

Interestingly there is a bit more reading in the catalogue . They seem to be giving depot allocations in the description of model.

 

The trainset header refers to a Hall trainset with TTS and Pullmans , but there is no trace of it in catalogue . Looks like it was pulled.

 

We only looked at 2018 announcements but when you see the catalogue it contains models either held over from 2017 or presumably still in stock when the catalogue was put together . So there are no less than 4 S15s, 6 Kings  and 5 J15s. In diesel and electrics 3 Class 50s 3 Class 67s and 5 Class 71s.   Quite a selection .

 

Limited skaledale as well

 

No buffer stops! I must admit I was alerted to this by a shop owner as we were discussing Hornby before Christmas  . He used to sell lots as people expanded their trainset .  A moulding of soft plastic , probably costs buttons to mould and sold for £2, yet discontinued as they try to reduce range. He also pointed out their fencing as being a good seller, also gone . He was questioning whether they had got their priorities right.

 

Edit: Actually just checked catalogue , the buffer stop is there , so maybe he just couldn't restock at the time.

Edited January 12, 2018 by Legend

[Coryton]

There would be two sales! I was told by someone who shall remain nameless that the later FGW liveries, particularly the Local Lines livery, were impossible to do in 'OO'. That has been proved wrong by Realtrack/Rapido with the Class 143. I've no doubt it's expensive to do but maybe the licence fee would at least be reduced now that it's no longer current. (CJL)

 

I don't think the Realtrack Pacers had any connection with Rapido. Or if they did, it was kept very quiet at the time.

 

Either way, I don't think they have their own factory so if they can find someone who can produce the local lines livery, the big players ought to be able to as well.

 

No buffer stops! I must admit I was alerted to this by a shop owner as we were discussing Hornby before Christmas  . He used to sell lots as people expanded their trainset .  A moulding of soft plastic , probably costs buttons to mould and sold for £2, yet discontinued as they try to reduce range. He also pointed out their fencing as being a good seller, also gone . He was questioning whether they had got their priorities right.

 

That does seem a strange decision.

 

But maybe they've run out of them and have lost the moulds to make more?

[Legend]

I don't think the Realtrack Pacers had any connection with Rapido. Or if they did, it was kept very quiet at the time.

 

 

 I think its mentioned more by Rapido rather than Realtrack, but I don't think its a secret. The pacers were made by Rapido, so it looks like  they certainly captured the local lines livery very well.  The only thing I've seen more intricate is the Compass on the Dapol 68 which really is a work of art.

[PenrithBeacon]

...

 

I am surprised at the number of 10 to 14 year olds doing BR Blue era ...

Perhaps they're mostly boys and they prefer blue

[Scottish-Exile]

There would be two sales! I was told by someone who shall remain nameless that the later FGW liveries, particularly the Local Lines livery, were impossible to do in 'OO'. That has been proved wrong by Realtrack/Rapido with the Class 143. I've no doubt it's expensive to do but maybe the licence fee would at least be reduced now that it's no longer current. (CJL)

 

Forget which, but I was talking to either Red or Blue team at Warley, and they advised that the issues they were finding, were that the TOC's were keen to licence their current liveries, but were not happy to sanction the immediate past liveries. Kind of goes against the grain of their (expensive) re-branding exercises.

 

Therefore you will see current (e.g. GWR green) and distant past (Loadhaul Class 60) but you don't see much EWS being released as it's been surpassed by DBC Red. I guess it may be true of the FGW Purple local lines, in that it is too 'recent' to be licenced when GWR are forging ahead with their rebranding.

 

Our company went through a rebranding last year, and the number of emails that fly about from management when someone uses the 'old' letterhead or logo etc. Pretty much all the old stuff had to be dumped, as everything now has to have the new logo.

[Coryton]

Forget which, but I was talking to either Red or Blue team at Warley, and they advised that the issues they were finding, were that the TOC's were keen to licence their current liveries, but were not happy to sanction the immediate past liveries. Kind of goes against the grain of their (expensive) re-branding exercises.

 

 

That seems a little unfortunate.

 

And of course for DB it wasn't a re-branding exercise as such anyway. Given how much EWS was (and in terms of the livery, still is) a part of the railway scene for a long time, not being able to buy new models in the livery would be a bit of a shame.

[159220]

There would be two sales! I was told by someone who shall remain nameless that the later FGW liveries, particularly the Local Lines livery, were impossible to do in 'OO'. That has been proved wrong by Realtrack/Rapido with the Class 143. I've no doubt it's expensive to do but maybe the licence fee would at least be reduced now that it's no longer current. (CJL)

 

I too have used the line of argument that Realtrack via Rapido got the FGW 'local lines' done right on the class 143. But, no doubt when you are, as I have been told, it is impossible on other models. There is a reasonable point that due to the far higher surface area the fade from dark blue to light blue would cover on a 153, 150/2 or 158 (well excluded the 158 as it has not been under production for most the time of local lines) would produce too many errors and thus the rate of rejects would be too high. Thus an uneconomical model to produce. Saying that though, good old Tampo printing has 'many' degrees of dot fading, see Dapol's class 68 in DRS. It works on the 143 where it does not else where, simply because the 143 is small and areas of fade tiny. But...one cannot help wonder, now Hornby have this 'water slide' technology (sounds awfully like a decal), could they water slide the 'local lines' onto a class 153? Though I am sure technically possible, one glaring issue is all the rivots on the class 153 body! 

 

 

Forget which, but I was talking to either Red or Blue team at Warley, and they advised that the issues they were finding, were that the TOC's were keen to licence their current liveries, but were not happy to sanction the immediate past liveries. Kind of goes against the grain of their (expensive) re-branding exercises.

 

Therefore you will see current (e.g. GWR green) and distant past (Loadhaul Class 60) but you don't see much EWS being released as it's been surpassed by DBC Red. I guess it may be true of the FGW Purple local lines, in that it is too 'recent' to be licenced when GWR are forging ahead with their rebranding.

 

Our company went through a rebranding last year, and the number of emails that fly about from management when someone uses the 'old' letterhead or logo etc. Pretty much all the old stuff had to be dumped, as everything now has to have the new logo.

 

 

Hmm one cannot help wonder are they just talking to the wrong people! My experience of both First and DB is, they are full of passionate modellers. 

 

I think the reason as why we are not seeing much EWS liveries this year from both Hornby and Bachmann is, they have a lot still in stock or due from last years catalogue. Plus, surely, the demand for EWS must be shrinking every year as more and more get use to DB Red. As for FGW Local Lines, now gone from the 153s and 150/2s, only on a few 158s. It is a distinct livery and I suspect something - IF technically possible (see comments above) - to a limited edition with a premium price as the manufacturer would have to use their latest tricks of ink jet printing or water labelling. 

Edited January 12, 2018 by 159220

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

...Hornby's first D&E models built to modern standards were received with deserved high praise and the company declared their commitment to doing modern prototypes, saying they'd be releasing similarly high quality new D&E models, every year from that point on. That didn't last long.

 While that is naturally disappointing to those wanting such items, the commercial reality for Hornby has to be part of the equation. Whatever the intention, if two rising to three competitors over that period are also going after the same fairly small pool of subjects, then quickly enough there will be no viable choices for a business requiring Hornby's scale of sales. I think it is safe to assume that having been beaten to the punch on such popular subjects as the 20, 24, 25, 26, 27, 33, 35, 37, 47, 52, 55, 66, they were effectively shut out of many of the potentially suitable higher volume sales in diesel traction.

 

And is it so poor since that first flush of 08/30/31/43/50/56/60? There's been MU's various steadily since, but since they aren't my thing I haven't kept count. My perception would be they are close to averaging one per year in D+E introductions. Keep in mind that D+E includes items like the Belle, it doesn't mean introduced to traffic within the last twenty years.