Hornby 2019 Speculation

[Robin Brasher]

I would like to see Hornby issuing a rake of West Coast Mainline coaches which could run on a modern image or preserved layout.

 

They could also make a train pack with 'Union of South Africa' and three West Coast Mainline coaches.

[TravisM]

I would like to see Hornby issuing a rake of West Coast Mainline coaches which could run on a modern image or preserved layout.They could also make a train pack with 'Union of South Africa' and three West Coast Mainline coaches.

Too late as I’ve created my version using Bachmann Mk I’s. Just need “Union of South Africa” lol.

[Rhys Underwood]

A DB red 60 would do me nicely, would like to see the full fat powercars in FGW Barbie or Fag Packet as well.

[rovex]

Looks like the froth has run out of steam. No posts for over twelve hours. What we gonna do for the next two weeks!

[tractionman]

Looks like the froth has run out of steam. No posts for over twelve hours. What we gonna do for the next two weeks!

 

open our (railway-related) presents and enjoy their contents?!

 

cheers,

 

Keith

[phil gollin]

Looks like the froth has run out of steam. No posts for over twelve hours. What we gonna do for the next two weeks!

.

 

Drink the booze and watch the countdown clock on the pop-up ads !

 

BLISS !             

 

 

 

( That icon is meant to indicate "senile"  -  but that can't be right because it isn't playing with a model train ! )

 

 

.

Edited December 23, 2018 by phil gollin

[The Stationmaster]

I was told by a person with considerable practical knowledge of model railway manufacturing.  Total Production runs of 55,000 units or greater including variations (current or future releases) is a parameter for the viability of a new model by Hornby.  Accepting this as a fact must constrain the agenda for viable models from Hornby

 

On past form then they have made some atrocious decisions.  For example according to one of their reps (quite a well informed one as it happens) the first run of 2 BILs was fewer than 1,000 in total and how many of later runs still remain on retailers' shelves?  If .you go way back into Hornby details recorded in a certain annually republished book of such data you won't find many older models that have got anywhere near 55,000 units and I would be surprised if many of the more recent items have ever topped 10,000.  Bluntly if they aren't covering their investment and making a gross profit on something like 2,500 - 5,000 they are going to end up making substantial overall losses especially if they have high overheads.

 

Hmm, now what did I just say in that final sentence?

[John M Upton]

A revisit to address the issues of the 4-VEP and some new releases (original light blue NSE livery would be nice) would be welcome but I fear Hornby have quietly dropped the VEP down the back of the proverbial sofa never to appear again.

[Steamport Southport]

.

 

Drink the booze and watch the countdown clock on the pop-up ads !

 

BLISS !             

 

 

 

( That icon is meant to indicate "senile"  -  but that can't be right because it isn't playing with a model train ! )

 

 

.

 

I don't use that icon as senility. I use it to mean "I'm off to play with my toys". 

 

 

 

Jason

[locoholic]

I would buy an LNER P2 with the A4-style streamlined front end, and also a de-Crosti'ed 9F.

 

I would also buy LNER articulated express stock such as the Coronation and Silver Jubilee trains used.

[Robin Brasher]

Commemorative editions of 46232 'Duchess of Montrose' in a reproduction Hornby Dublo blue box and 46245 'City of London' in a red box, both with 'Royal Scot' headboards to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the introduction of 2-rail for Hornby Dublo.

 

R1 0-6-0T 31337 in BR black with the late crest in a red Hornby-Dublo box also to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the introduction of the 2-rail system

[tetsudofan]

Bullied 4 Sub....and 4DD

 

Gerry

 

…..updated your posting

 

Keith

[drt7uk]

The Surprising Thing

 

- Hornby enters 009 market. The market for RTR 009 has been shown to be more viable than was first believed and is one of the few areas where genuine growth can be found. My guess is that Hornby would follow it's MO of making well known 'high profile' locos, which I believe would mean locos from the Ffestiniog (most likely the Double Fairlies, despite their myriad detail differences) along with one or two wagons/coaches for them to pull.

 

That would be amazing. Would definitely buy a Ffestiniog double Fairlies, and imagine a WHR Garratt!

[Hroth]

Commemorative editions of 46232 'Duchess of Montrose' in a reproduction Hornby Dublo blue box and 46245 'City of London' in a red box, both with 'Royal Scot' headboards to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the introduction of 2-rail for Hornby Dublo.

 

R1 0-6-0T 31337 in BR black with the late crest in a red Hornby-Dublo box also to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the introduction of the 2-rail system

 

A blue box?  They're going to reintroduce three-rail? 

[Coach bogie]

Looks like the froth has run out of steam. No posts for over twelve hours. What we gonna do for the next two weeks!

Personally, I am enjoying the time off running what I already have rather than reading through 18 pages of what I might of might not be able to buy in the future.Back to the train room! Christmas parcels specials to signal through.

 

Mike Wiltshire

[tomparryharry]

Mike, don't despair. The world is alive with possibilities!

 

Working water troughs.

 

An A4, with real aniseed aroma, so you can witness a molten inside bearing first hand.

 

For the over-18's a TTs sound, with real cussing & swearing as the loco rolls along.

 

Fag ends being ejected from 3rd class.

 

Hanson cabs, with real horse dung*

 

*also available for brewery drays, bakers vans, milk floats, & dustcarts.

[paulbb]

What about an RTR operational catenary system, for these class 85,87,soon 86 and 90s in 4MM ?

After all back in 1960 we had 2 such systems- Triang and Trix; maybe later go the whole hog with wireless control so we can dispense with all these 'standard' DCC chips?

[The Johnster]

Mike, don't despair. The world is alive with possibilities!

 

Working water troughs.

 

An A4, with real aniseed aroma, so you can witness a molten inside bearing first hand.

 

For the over-18's a TTs sound, with real cussing & swearing as the loco rolls along.

 

Fag ends being ejected from 3rd class.

 

Hanson cabs, with real horse dung*

 

*also available for brewery drays, bakers vans, milk floats, & dustcarts.

 

'Fag ends being ejected from 3rd class'.  And presumably cigar stubs from 1st.  

[Hroth]

'Fag ends being ejected from 3rd class'.  And presumably cigar stubs from 1st.  

 

Only Two More Weeks!

 

shudder

[Pint of Adnams]

Over 200 NER carriages were sent to the GE Section and GCR carriages were also common, so these would also be welcome to balance the Gresley/Thompson/BR Mk 1 carriage stock seen on most East Anglian based layout (including my Colchester layout!).

 

Paul

But not at the expense of 'native' GE coaching stock - which did last longer in any event, with some forming diesel-hauled workings.

[2750Papyrus]

In view of the delay in release of the updated Bachmann V2, I would love Hornby to produce such a model to modern standards.

 

I believe it was considered back in HD days, so this might fit the 60 year commemorative theme suggested above.

[Neil]

Holding the facetiousness in check for a minute I wonder if the prototype HST might appear. Hornby already have the mechanism from their production version of the HST, have suitable coaches and may well have tuned into the interest shown in the APT and the other (stalled ?) proposals for the model. It's not a model that I would want, but I could see it garnering a good level of interest.

 

I also wonder if something industrial this way comes. I imagine that good sales have resulted from both versions of the Sentinel and from the Peckett. Perhaps there's not as much profit per item to be had, but I reckon that there would be profit and locos under a hundred quid generate interest and sales which may not otherwise have been there.

 

Nothing else I can think of has the same degree of obvious logic. I know that those whose collections lack a particular model would say that the missing piece of their particular puzzle would be an obvious choice but often the logic, beyond 'well I would buy one' just isn't there.

[Francis deWeck]

What about an RTR operational catenary system, for these class 85,87,soon 86 and 90s in 4MM ?

After all back in 1960 we had 2 such systems- Triang and Trix; maybe later go the whole hog with wireless control so we can dispense with all these 'standard' DCC chips?

What a thought; my EM1/2s, or ALs run under Viessmann wires, which of course can be powered although mine are not, for obvious reasons. I put the thought of a new catenary system to an operative at the Bachmann Members Area at Warley with the response that there was no, repeat no, chance of Bachmann producing catenary systems. Leave it to the others said this fellow!

[Caledonian]

On past form then they have made some atrocious decisions.  For example according to one of their reps (quite a well informed one as it happens) the first run of 2 BILs was fewer than 1,000 in total and how many of later runs still remain on retailers' shelves?  If .you go way back into Hornby details recorded in a certain annually republished book of such data you won't find many older models that have got anywhere near 55,000 units and I would be surprised if many of the more recent items have ever topped 10,000.  Bluntly if they aren't covering their investment and making a gross profit on something like 2,500 - 5,000 they are going to end up making substantial overall losses especially if they have high overheads.

 

Hmm, now what did I just say in that final sentence?

 

Perhaps the real problem, which Hornby may be on the verge of tackling, if the last hint in the OP is as radical as it might be, is a lack of imagination, allied to an undue reliance on wish-list polls.

 

Where is the real excitement in the announcements these days?

 

The Peckett has so far been stunningly successful. Astonishingly popular on first release and still packing them in now its back on stream. One of the interesting things about it is apparent number of people who bought one without having any need for one. What's also significant is that its "a really useful engine" both in itself and with a near infinite variety of liveries. Funnily enough 10 years ago and back it used to be received wisdom that a viable model should be one with a wide service appeal both in terms of geography and liveries. 

 

Doesn't sound like rocket science, yet how often have we been served up with a diet of black locomotives not looking terribly different from each other. Yet another Pannier variant or filling that last gap in the Standards,may well gladden the enthusiast,  but do sales in the wider world match that specialist clamour?

.

There's talk above of this or that Great Eastern loco, but is it being offered in blue or is it just another black loco? The J36 is to be applauded, but more so surely is the Caledonian blue 812 coming from Rails.

 

The argument against pre-grouping locos in the past has always been that they are too limited in their market, but so too are all-too many other recent releases of locomotives which worked on only a few lines in one small corner of the country. 

[Legend]

Sorry but no, definitely not flanged, what you see there is the rust on the tyre from the rusty siding its sitting on.

 

One of my photos (cropped) of the Jones Goods which shows there is plenty of room for even model flanges but maybe not two Romford flanges of old and with the centre wheel on 103 being flangeless there shouldn't be a problem anyway, I have built a DJH one in the past, a poor kit.

 

Jones Goods - 25.JPG

 

As you can see 103 is now repainted into a much better colour and apparently more accurate, not the sunshine yellow it had been when running in the 50/60s.

In 2006 I was employed by the Museum of Transport as an engineer to write the condition reports on the big items in the museum before they were transfered to the new museum and was privy to info on the locos etc. The four Scottish locos were 'loaned' to the museum and came straight from service into the museum without any heavy work being done. In fact on 103 the ash from the last fire was still in the ashpan and smokebox until after I wrote up the reports and for 'enviromental reasons' at least four barrow loads were then taken away....  Incidently the loco is knackered, I climbed all over the five locos and 103 was by far the most worn out with the valve motion eccentrics being so worn that one could push the eccentric straps off the journal and down onto the axle....

 

Dave Franks.

Just seen her appear as a French Train in These magnificent men in their flying machines .Lovely looking loco .