Hornby Railways Catalogue and Box Art - An Advent Calendar Lookback

[Steamport Southport]

I was too old for the Task Force set.

 

But the one I did want was this regardless of age.

 

 

Very much a toy and probably wouldn't have lasted long. They seem to have released a few of them. Even Rambo which was an adult movie with a 15 or 18 rating at the time.

 

An American viewpoint on them. May be of interest.

 

https://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/32905

[BernardTPM]

The modified Conquoror tank in that 1980s set began life in the 1950s as part of the Minic push-and-go range, but was also used as a wagon load. This set gave it a nerw rocket firing turret. The diesel shunter is the 1977 revised version (note the two horizontal paint guide lines used for the Australian versions - VR & NSWGR) while the helicopter and exploding vans were basically those in the 1960s 'Task Force' (later 'Battle Space') range.

[JaymzHatstand]

Can you imagine what could be done now if it was released as a DCC set? Sound effects are an obvious choice, but the guns could be controllable, maybe even smoke effects!

 

The mind boggles at how far things have come in the last few years (but is it always for the better? That's maybe a discussion for another thread though!)

 

Over and out!

 

Cheers

 

J

[Legend]

10 hours ago, LNWR18901910 said:

Day 4

Call to arms with Task Force Action Set! This is something for all you Action Force/ G.I. Joe, Colditz, Dad's Army and M.A.S.H. fanatics out there! Considering this was released back in the 1980s, this has got to be the manly hardcore train set there ever was! A symbol of anarchic testosterone, you might say and think. For those of you who may or may not have seen the film Major Payne (a remake of The Private War of Major Benson) but this set predates said-film.

 

This is a scene of anarchy here - a tank firing at a rocket car this giving an explosive effect minus the fire, smoke, destruction and carnage! This is family friendly to a how new level! Hornby Railways displayed their logo at the bottom while the font seems to be almost like that from an 80s action film - considering that this  is reminiscent of a movie poster Drew Struzan-style with a hint of comic book effects! It looks as it it's just another typical mission to cross enemy lines in order to deliver supplies, but then, suddenly right out of nowhere - KA-BOOM! BAZAMMO! The enemy ain't havin' jack so they attempt to deprive the enemy of their requirements.

 

One or two other things I just realised; the original film's premise was done twice for TV as Hard Knox and Major Payne by Universal Pictures so I'd say this set would be fitting. This isn't the only time Hornby used such rare pieces of rolling-stock - these are reminiscent of the Tri-ang Battle Space models that was done during the 1960s and most likely re-used from said-range. Task Force - they're the ones to call for Action!

 

N.B: Thanks very much to Graham Heather, Brit70053, railroadbill, Ruffnut Thorston, JaymzHatstand, laurenceb, BernardTPM, 69843, Hroth, Legend and caradoc for liking and reacting to Day 3, much appreciated and to both Brit70053 and Steamport Southport, I totally love and get the jokes and so does everyone! After all, Christmas is a time to make merry and be a comedian (I know I can be, too). And here we are, an actual Advent posted on time just right!  I'll be back again tomorrow with another look into more Catalogue and Box Art, but in the meantime, please share your thoughts on which catalogue covers and train set boxes remind you of happy times and festive memories. Until then, bye for now!

 

I always thought this was from a relatively poor period in the Hornby History . 1980 Catalogue "Welcome to our world" with the APT and 5 new locos had been great . 81 "Ticket to ride" was the Year of the Loco, with lots of introductions , the 4-4-0s , GNR tank, Valanced A4, Class 86 to name a few . Cleverly designed catalogues- exciting . 1982,when this set was introduced .was poor by comparison with only the 110 and Class 58 (pictured in blue in catalogue). The catalogue itself was pretty dark and compared to previous years had a cobbled together look , with sections on "Limited Availability" . The trainsets featured the one pictured and a Class 37 (complete with that hideous slot in the nose at one end) with a large logo but with its grills picked out in white. I think it actually appeared in a greeny blue shade , so it looked pretty toy like .  I think this was Hornby entering the barren years , 1983 was even worse .  it just seemed to me that they were taking a step back and going more toy like again .  DCM had gone bust and there had been a Mgt buy out . I think money was tight , and it was a time when Hornby were after Pound Puppies and Flower Fairies, it seemed model railways were on back foot.  So I actually dont like the artwork on this one , it does look very comic like 

 

Great thread though . I still think this was from Hornbys more modern period ....................it was 38 years ago aaargh!  The catalogue was out before Christmas and I remember the winter 81/82 being a particularly cold one , so sitting next to fire reading the catalogue .  

 

 

Edited December 4, 2020 by Legend

[RyanN91]

6 hours ago, Legend said:

 

I always thought this was from a relatively poor period in the Hornby History . 1980 Catalogue "Welcome to our world" with the APT and 5 new locos had been great . 81 "Ticket to ride" was the Year of the Loco, with lots of introductions , the 4-4-0s , GNR tank, Valanced A4, Class 86 to name a few . Cleverly designed catalogues- exciting . 1982,when this set was introduced .was poor by comparison with only the 110 and Class 58 (pictured in blue in catalogue). The catalogue itself was pretty dark and compared to previous years had a cobbled together look , with sections on "Limited Availability" . The trainsets featured the one pictured and a Class 37 (complete with that hideous slot in the nose at one end) with a large logo but with its grills picked out in white. I think it actually appeared in a greeny blue shade , so it looked pretty toy like .  I think this was Hornby entering the barren years , 1983 was even worse .  it just seemed to me that they were taking a step back and going more toy like again .  DCM had gone bust and there had been a Mgt buy out . I think money was tight , and it was a time when Hornby were after Pound Puppies and Flower Fairies, it seemed model railways were on back foot.  So I actually dont like the artwork on this one , it does look very comic like 

 

Great thread though . I still think this was from Hornbys more modern period ....................it was 38 years ago aaargh!  The catalogue was out before Christmas and I remember the winter 81/82 being a particularly cold one , so sitting next to fire reading the catalogue .  

 

 

Yes especially now each years new range on average around 9 newly tooled models a mixture of locomotives and freight and passenger or even maintenence etc rolling stock are announced. It was interesting and fascinating reading Pat Hammond's 100 years of Hornby, that in 1980 a prototype locomotive of a LNER Class J36 (Although a newer tooled super detailed model of this again finally arrived in the mid 2010's.)  was planned for launch that year but was cancelled in favour of the BR Class 370 APT-P. Throughout the book there are a lot of other locomotives etc with photographs of samples of these were also planned but never materialised into actual products over the years which were also planned and included were a BR Class 23 Baby Deltic which Heljan would later produce this also a BR Class 17 again Heljan also produce. A produced but cancelled GWR 38xx Class locomotive in 1991 which would eventually appear years later as a newly tooled Hornby model and many others across the years which are mentioned with photographs. This had me wondering how many others were planned but undocumented in Pats book or if indeed any of the toolings or the photographed samples for these even the unreleased and planned models actually survived other than the archived photos, before the mass cull, as we now know it's now well documented that a lot of the toolings were disposed I was surprised to hear Simon Kohler confirm that the toolings for the 101 Class survived the cull. So it would be safe to assume that they probably did not also survive the cull.

[Steamport Southport]

Wasn't the mock up of the J36 a GEM kit though? I have a feeling that all the other mock ups were kitbuilt. ISTR the diesels were MTK, proving that some people could actually build them.  

 

Let's face it. Hornby were years (if not decades) behind Mainline at the time. Just compare the J83 to the J72. The Mainline GWR 57XX to the Hornby 8750 and even the 2721 was a dinosaur when it appeared still with a flangeless driving wheel set. Less said about Sir Dinadan and the Ivatt 2MT the better.

 

Unfortunately they were stuck between being a toy manufacturer and a model maker. They virtually lost the higher end of the market. Looking at the models AIrfix and Mainline had planned many of the Hornby models were on the list of targets. Black Five, Jinty, 8F, Hall, Gresley coaches, etc. You also had Lima taking many of the modern models.

 

The fact Hornby survived was probably because they still had the toy and train set market. Which the opposition didn't really have. although they dabbled in it.

 

 

Jason

 

[Legend]

Anyway, that’s not a missile car in the set. This is a real missile car .

 

I got one like this for my birthday back in 1967. From memory it was more khaki than this one which I got from eBay as a reminder . Sadly , unlike most of my models which still run, the missile car never made it . Suspect it met its end at the hands of an Airfix Stuka. 
 

I don’t think they could sell this now . These missiles have a surprising range and launch with some force . 

[Nearholmer]

Very enjoyable thread - I hope there is enough to keep it going for 25 editions.

 

You are educating me with these train-sets post-Triang, which are ‘after my time’ for that sort of thing, although I do hope we get to a 1980s ‘Percy’ set at some point, because that was the one I bought for my eldest daughter, and enjoyed playing with on the kitchen table. It was a sort of harking-back to the last Hornby 0 gauge set, the clockwork plastic ‘Percy’, which my youngest brother had for Christmas in 1966 (I think - I do know it was only issued for one season).

 

Another one I liked was the late-version ‘Nellie’ in blue, with an unfeasibly large dome, plus blue 4W coaches, which I bought for the first of my nephews.

 

 

Edited December 4, 2020 by Nearholmer

[BernardTPM]

16 minutes ago, Legend said:

Anyway, that’s not a missile car in the set. This is a real missile car .

I got one like this for my birthday back in 1967. From memory it was more khaki than this one which I got from eBay as a reminder.

The one you had before was probably the Battle Space version whereas the one you have now is the earlier version with NATO markings.

[Steamport Southport]

The old ARGOS catalogues are a good source for old train sets (and toys).

 

https://retromash.com/argos/

 

As an example this was the choice for 1980. Either Flying Scotsman* or a Lima Deltic.

 

*Even though the box shows a Britannia with Pullmans and a diesel shunter (still no Trade Descriptions Act it seems)

 

[LNWR18901910]

Day 5

Race to the North, anyone? Yes, the eponymous and recognisable steam locomotive (next to Thomas the Tank Engine, mind) gracing the cover in style! On the left is the old two-way sign with London and Edinburgh (I seriously doubt if this still exists today unless they put it on a highway) and on the right is an old LNWR locomotive hauling a passenger train still chugging alongside at a steady pace. The engine driver of the A3 is looking out of the cab as if to say; "See you at the finish line, losers!" This is parallel to modern times when some guy has an old sceond hand car and another guy has a hip and flashy new sports car and while waiting at the traffic light, the latter challenges the former to race.

 

Maybe it's set in 1923 when the Big Four emerged so it's laying the foundation for changing times. It's after WW1 and nobody wants German goods anymore. Still, you gotta love the good old Hornby Railways logo above, that's the brand we all grew up with including me. Getting back to the scene, it's more or less an inverted take on the Aesop fable The Tortoise and the Hare as if it's telling consumers that they either get with the times and win or stand out from the crowd and fail (can't say I blame them, really).

 

N.B: Thanks very much to Graham Heather, Ruffnut Thornston, RyanN91, Legend, JaymzHatstand, laurenceb caradoc for their positive reactions, you chums are amazing! Special thanks goes to Legend for sharing an example of Tri-ang stock (the missile launcher's impressive as I did see one at my local model railway dealer's prior to the lockdown many moons ago) and special thanks to Steamport Southport for sharing a nice scan of an Argos catalogue (those things are like a time capsule themselves as well as the A-Team train set from America)! Here is another post bang on time tonight and I'll be back with another trip down the Hornby achives looking for whatever box and catalogue artwork I can find -be it good, bad or ugly. Until then, I'll see you all tomorrow with more!

[Ruffnut Thorston]

I do believe that the signs are still in place...there is one on each side of the line...

 

The signs may date from 1937...

 

https://www.railwaymagazine.co.uk/2057/in-the-may-2017-issue/

 

 

 

Edited December 4, 2020 by Ruffnut Thorston
Added content..

[BernardTPM]

2 hours ago, Steamport Southport said:

The old ARGOS catalogues are a good source for old train sets (and toys).

https://retromash.com/argos/

Nice!  Just found our coffee table in the 1973 issue. £8.80 in 1973, equivalent to over £110 now.

[Ruffnut Thorston]

I think that the catalogue cover is fictional, in that the LNWR trains did not run on the East Coast route through York?

 

I’ll have to check, but I think there may be a caption to the cover picture inside. It’s another by Cuneo, by the way...

[Nearholmer]

28 minutes ago, LNWR18901910 said:

Maybe it's set in 1923

I think FS was numbered 1472 then, and it wasn’t an A3 until later either.

 

None of which makes the picture any less exciting, of course.

 

Which year is the catalogue from?

[Ruffnut Thorston]

The 39th edition from 1993.

 

The painting is dated December 1970, or 1975...

 

EDIT: Its 1975...

 

And yes, there is a mouse present...

 

 

Edited December 4, 2020 by Ruffnut Thorston
More added

[Nearholmer]

If it’s 1975, the LNWR loco might be Hardwicke, the two locos together referencing the 150th celebrations. I have a vague recollection that the two locos ran to Shildon together, both in steam.

 

 

Edited December 4, 2020 by Nearholmer

[JaymzHatstand]

17 minutes ago, Nearholmer said:

If it’s 1975, the LNWR loco might be Hardwicke, the two locos together referencing the 150th celebrations. I have a vague recollection that the two locos ran to Shildon together, both in steam.

 

There are a number of photos from around then, Scotsman and Hardwicke double heading over the S&C I believe, also Evening Star and Hardwicke doing the same! 

 

There really was some wonderful mainline steam workings back then, that just wouldn't be possible now, manly due to the high cost of fitting modern braking and other associated systems. Shame, but on the flip side, it is a result of a safer railway.

 

Cheers

 

J

[Ruffnut Thorston]

Just found this that I posted back in July 2014...

 

July 21...

 

Some of the Cuneo paintings used on the Catalogues were already in existence.

 

Some were from British Railways Posters, amongst these are the Condor ("Night Freight"), Britannia loco leaving Paddington ("Forging Ahead").

 

There was a B.R Commissioned painting for a Poster celebrating the centenary of the Royal Albert Bridge. This is NOT the Tri-ang Catalogue cover you mention.

 

Some others, including the "Evening Star"  and "Flying Scotsman" at "Halfway" on the ECML were painted as private commissions.

 

It seems that some covers were commissioned by Rovex.

 

1962 Locos at Nine Elms shed.

 

1965 Rocket and Class 31.NOT a Cuneo painting, though in a similar style.

 

1965 AL1 and Jinty (Tri-ang Railways and Hornby Dublo Amalgamation Leaflet used existing artwork for 1966 catalogue)

 

1966 AL1 and Jinty at Crewe

 

1967 M7 Loco at Stratford Shed.

 

More research to do here......

 

 

 

And later...22 June

 

After further research into our book and catalogue collection, including a book by Terrence Cuneo, "The Art of Hornby" by Richard Lines, Pat Hammonds "History of Rovex" books, the following has come to light...

 

Tri-ang and Hornby Catalogues and Terrence Cuneo.

 

Terrence Cuneo, the famous painter, was approached by Rovex to paint the cover of the 1962 Catalogue in November 1960.

The company had been inspired by the covers of the "Hornby Book of Trains" painted by famous artists of the time.

 

1962. Locomotives at Nine Elms Depot. painted November 1960.  Includes Re-built "Merchant Navy" 35026 "Lamport and Holt Line" and BR Standard 73000 "730xx" (Number unreadable.)

Rovex Commission.

 

1963. Royal Albert Bridge, Saltash. Class 40 Diesel and GWR "Grange" 4-6-0 at Saltash Station.

Cuneo also painted a B.R. Poster to celebrate the centenary of the bridge from a different viewpoint. It is possible that earlier studies for the B.R. poster may have been used for the Rovex painting.

Rovex Commission.

 

1964. A painting, artist unknown, of the Tri-ang Railways "Blue Pullman" crossing a Minic Motorways level crossing with a Minic Jaguar in the foreground, and proposed Model Land buildings in the background.

 

1965. A painting, artist unknown, in the style of Cuneo, of the "Rocket" with a Brush Type 2 Diesel on an elevated concrete viaduct.

 

1965 "Amalgamation"  Leaflet. This used the artwork produced for the 1966 Catalogue cover.

 

1966. "Voltage versus Steam". Al1 electric loco alongside "Jinty" 47338. Painted November 1964. The headcode on the electric loco,  1K64 signifies "Express Passenger, Crewe. The 64 is 1964. Sketches taken from an overbridge at the eastern end of the Depot Yard at Crewe.

The catalogue gives the painting title as "Night Scene at Crewe".

Rovex Commission.

 

1967. "Southern Tank". M7 30245 at Stratford Depot, East London, where the loco was stored pending preservation at the Clapham Museum. Sketched in B.R, livery, Cuneo painted the loco in Southern Railway Green Livery as No. 245.

Rovex Commission.

(Also used for an "Arrow" Jig-saw. Another Lines Group Company.)

 

1968 - 1969 Various Covers. Not by Cuneo.

 

1970. "Express Engines at Tysley". LMS "Jubilee" 5993 "Kolhapur" and GWR "Castle" 7025 "Clun Castle" at Tysley Depot (Birmingham Railway Museum).

Possibly commissioned to illustrate the "New Famous Company" Liveries.

Rovex Commission.

 

1971. "Evening Star". Sketched at Southall Depot. Painted October1963.

The painting shows the loco on a goods train working.

Private Commission.

Painting reproduced by Rovex "by permission of Mr. John S. Haworth."

 

1972. "Night Freight". The "Condor" Express Freight train. Taken from a B.R. Poster, by permission of British Rail.

B.R. Commission.

 

1973. "Forging Ahead".BR Standard 7P 6F 70000 "Britannia" leaving Paddington. A BR Blue EX GWR "King" Class 4-6-0 in the background. Taken from a B.R. Poster, by permission of British Rail.

B.R. Commission.

 

1974. "The Lickey Incline". LMS "Jubilee" 5993 "Kolhapur" climbing the Lickey Incline near Bromsgrove. Painted in June 1968.

Possibly a Private Commission.

 

1975-1992 Various Covers. Not by Cuneo.

 

1993. "The Flying Scotsman - Halfway Between Edinburgh and London". LNER A3 4472 "Flying Scotsman" on the East Coast main Line at the "Half Way" marker sign. A LNWR Train is alongside. Painted in December 1975 for Sir William McAlpineBt., the then owner of the locomotive.

Private Commission.

 

 

Edited December 5, 2020 by Ruffnut Thorston
Link added...

[Steamport Southport]

That Jinty and Electric one, I had the jigsaw. I can't recall any mention of Triang on it.

 

http://steamtrainjigsaw.blogspot.com/2013/04/three-from-arrow.html

 

No idea what happened to it though. Probably somewhere in the loft. it was from well before my time as the box was pretty battered and was possibly given to us by someone else or from a jumble sale as things like that would normally be looked after in my family.

 

But it was the type of train that went past mine so whilst most jigsaws are historic events or foreign places, I could have walked a few hundred yards and watched Class 85s.

 

 

Jason

[atom3624]

I loved it when they used the Terence Cuneo art, and of course hunting the mouse ....

 

Al.

[Nearholmer]

Richard Lines wrote a book called "The Art of Hornby", which I've borrowed from a pal in the past and which, IIRC, gives a bit more background about the Triang-commissioned paintings.

[Mike_Walker]

2 hours ago, atom3624 said:

I loved it when they used the Terence Cuneo art, and of course hunting the mouse ....

 

Al.

Am I right in thinking one year they put their logo over the mouse by mistake?

[atom3624]

Don't remember that, but I do remember having to get the new catalogue and first thing I had to do was locate that mouse!!

 

Great thinking there Hornby.

 

Al.

[Steamport Southport]

1 hour ago, Mike_Walker said:

Am I right in thinking one year they put their logo over the mouse by mistake?

 

I think that was the one with the Britannia and blue King on it. 1973?

 

 

Jason