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Hornby announcement 8th May


Paul.Uni
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So we have green trains I currently drive and another green train I will be driving soon, sounds good to me although my wallet isnt very happy, now where is that Rest Day available form!  :D

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So, some reintroductions, some new liveries, and about 200 people opining that Hornby have lost their minds and will surely be bankrupt within a week oh if only they'd listen to me...

I'm just glad that there's nothing there that makes me want to go and pre-order, though I might have another go at the 14xx.

 

The PLA Peckett could be useful and I'm strangely attracted to the Electric Blue liveried Princess Coronation (whaddya mean, its Express Blue?) but I think I'll just let things settle down for now.

 

The rest? Meh.

 

And who would use R909 nowadays?

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Well folks it could have been much worse - a CLOSING DOWN CLEARANCE sale !!

 

A colliery Peckett and a Railroad 0-4-2 for me - 2 locos I rather like. I missed out on the earlier Peckets and ain't paying daft prices on Ebay.

 

Well done & thanks Hornby.

 

Brit15

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I'd like to thank Hornby for their excellent press strategy and the way it handled this announcement. It has helped no end in preparing me for Saturday night's annual disappointment, albeit expected, when the UK fails to make it to the left hand side of the Eurovision Song Contest score board.

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I don't understand the negativity.

 

More Duchesses and Pecketts as well as plenty of "modern" stuff for those that reckon Hornby don't make anything made after 1968. Or is it just the "wrong type" of modern.....

 

 

 

 

Jason

Basically, despite the hype, there's nothing there that wouldn't have been an odd-on bet for the 2019 catalogue anyway.

 

Just six months early. Using productions slots freed up by binning Thomas the Tank Engine, I wonder?

 

Duchesses aren't my thing, and my "need" for another industrial saddle tank has been filled by a Hatton's Barclay.

 

I got rid of nearly all my "modern" stuff six years ago when I decided to focus on my real interests in retirement.

 

The bright side is that I now know I'll have the cash available for a second 1950s SR diesel from Kernow Models. 

 

John

Edited by Dunsignalling
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Agreeing on some of the prices that are being put forwards.

​First thing I noticed £290 for the HST and £205 for the Duchess. But these are high spec models, with details and parts fitted, so production and price rises will follow. I think Bachmann too will be forging ahead with price rises still, even with their profit announcements made.

 

However, prices like this have been rising for some time, and Hornby are doing releases of models that have obviously sold well and want to capitalise on demand. The first Duchesses were good sellers and the Peckett's. Who can blame Hornby for making more of what people apparently want and thus wanting to get income to help the balance sheet given the recent history. As a result these models could well help Hornbys place and future, which is no bad thing.

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I don't understand the negativity.

 

More Duchesses and Pecketts as well as plenty of "modern" stuff for those that reckon Hornby don't make anything made after 1968. Or is it just the "wrong type" of modern.....

 

 

 

 

Jason

 

Exactly

 

While it has been amusing reading folks suggestions, it seems that most have forgotten how precarious Hornbys financial position is. Designing fresh tooling is an expensive business these days and not something to be rushed into.

 

The other factor to consider here is the way the model industry structure is organised - manufacturing outsourced to Chinese factories on a 'batch production' basis. In such an environment then if a 'production slot' becomes available due to say, a cancellation of something else (which may be nothing to do with model railways) the factory was due to make, it could be that Hornby gets offered a good deal price wise if it can step in and provide work for the factory at short notice. Some plastic accessories dating back decades may be ideal for this sort of opportunity - although re-runs of existing models are also an option if everything works out.

 

Of course some of the announcements may have been planned anyway - but I would suggest these are likely to be the more complex / finely decorated models which consume more factory time and thus are more likely to have needed to have their slots booked up some way in advance.

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I see Hornby is dumbing down its use of English, too.

 

"We have no less than 29 new items to add to the Hornby 2018 range in our special mid-year reveal."

 

Reveal? That's a verb not a noun! Revelation is the word they might want, but as it's multi-syllabic I suppose it's a bit long.....

 

Au contraire ... :-)

 

Reveal

noun
4. 
the act of exposing something that has been concealed, esp as the climax of a theatrical performance or magic trick
5. architecture
the vertical side of an opening in a wall, esp the side of a window or door between the frame and the front of the wall
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
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There probably ARE new models in development. At least Hornby generally make those announcements when development is well underway. Unlike Bachmann where 5 years or more is a regular event before announced models hit the shelves

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Buyers should check their "new" 14XX sits squarely on the rails seeing as last years releases had one traction-tyre wheel not touching the rails. Also some pipework on the body had been glued to the chassis and it had to be cut in order to remove the chassis.  Not DCC Ready as far as I can recall.

Edited by coachmann
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All that froth and the result, actually next to nothing. Perhaps Hornby could have made a rubber Simon Kohler temper toy! No strategy, lack of direction and now quite out of touch with their bread and butter. It is only my opinion, but it seems to be incapable of understanding the market in which it exists. Astronomical prices for what are 50 year old molds is highway robbery. No doubt the tame press will jump vigorously to their defence. It’s a pity really with more imagative management Hornby could do far better.

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....................... it'd probably improve the beanz on toast too !

Wouldn't it then be

 

"Legumes served on a lightly toasted bread with a tomato jus"

Edited by rovex
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The new Duchesses are £205. Ok... The age of the £200+ RTR steam loco is here!

 

Retailers talked of the '£100' psychological barrier for RTR locos, but what of the £200 barrier? Hornby must be hurtling toward the door marked 'low volume, high margin', and if they ain't, well I don't see much hope for them. If the room behind the door turns out to be the room of low volume, low margin, then that does not a business make.  

 

£205!

 

CoY

Edited by County of Yorkshire
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Au contraire ... :-)

 

Reveal

noun
4. 
the act of exposing something that has been concealed, esp as the climax of a theatrical performance or magic trick
5. architecture
the vertical side of an opening in a wall, esp the side of a window or door between the frame and the front of the wall
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers

 

Au contraire yourself - it's the unremitting adoption of the US English use of a noun as a verb... much liked by those who so despise what parts of the US stand for.

 

P D Ant

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