Hornby Railways Catalogue and Box Art - An Advent Calendar Lookback

[Joseph_Pestell]

Afaik all the front covers of that era were paintings by Terence Cuneo.

 

I will search for the mouse.

[Ruffnut Thorston]

I am pretty certain that the 1965 cover isn’t a Cuneo.

 

My research says not...the same for 1964...

 

 

Edited December 7, 2020 by Ruffnut Thorston
Added reference to 1964

[Ruffnut Thorston]

On 01/12/2020 at 00:44, LNWR18901910 said:

Day 1

 Saddle up, partners! The Davy Crockett comes from the Tri-ang catalogue from 1962 (the year Sean Connery blasted onto cinema screens as 007, a certain father and son rag-and-bone men made TV audiences laugh and your friendly neighbourhood titular and eponymous webhead swung into comics)!

 

What strikes me about this artwork is the locomotive moving forward along with a passenger train. At first glance, you may think that the model's wheels are black but on the official release of the model, they're yellow. The steam coming out of the smokestack gives an effect reminiscent of railway posters, picture-postcards and illustrations from books. The orange-red sky contrasted by the orange-yellow Western American frontier gives a sort of hint to Westerns of the Golden Age (Westerns were big at the time) so this model fits right into that environment respectively.

 

The wording 'TRI-ANG RAILWAYS GO WEST!' gives a sort of indication like in Western film trailers and novels. The look of it gives it the kind of cinematic poster feel and from a certain perpsective, you are standing on the ground looking up at this beast of a locomotive passing by. An impressive piece of art showing consumers what to expect in a product.

 

Back to page one for this one...Davy Crockett...

 

[stewartingram]

For many years I had an idea to get one of those, and a coach, to convert into the Blackpool illuminated tram....

 

Stewart

[Legend]

1 hour ago, Ruffnut Thorston said:

Especially for Legend.... The first of the Freightmaster sets, from 1964 on...

 

 Thanks Ruffnut . Yep I got mine Christmas 1965 exactly as above . Over the years the loco got painted BR Blue and then Railfreight Red Stripe . She still works but is seldom used .  I did get a replacement green one from a swap meet 30 years ago and just in the last few years got some wagons to recreate my first trainset . If I got this right she should be pictured below 

[Legend]

Duplicate

Edited December 7, 2020 by Legend
Sorry duplicare post

[Legend]

4 hours ago, BernardTPM said:

Star Trek didn't arrive on TV here until 1969 but there was the appearance of Patrick Troughton as the second Doctor Who so the first time we saw the regeneration of a Time Lord.

Ironically both locos on the cover (Jinty & AL5) have been made by Bachmann, though of course an AL5 is basically an updated AL1 so pretty close to what Tr-ang and Hornby Dublo could provide.

The last of the Gemini missions was in November '66 so that might be the rocket launch, though if you had one of the new Battle Space models there might have been lots of rockets going off over Christmas.

I had completely missed that was a class 85 !

I have a feeling of being duped ! Probably my parents told me to look out the window for a rocket going past as a way of keeping me quiet!

[BernardTPM]

5 hours ago, Ruffnut Thorston said:

I am pretty certain that the 1965 cover isn’t a Cuneo.

My research says not...the same for 1964...

Though the '64 cover is nothing like a Cuneo, while '65 looks like it was deliberately done in the Cuneo style.

[LNWR18901910]

Day 8

GWR...we've never been that far...at least, not until this new Millennium where they dropped the word 'The' at the beginning after replacing it with 'First'. How cocky can you be calling it First Great Western when it started in 1835 right up until 1948? Anyway, onto the main content.

 

What can I say about this catalogue cover but...splendid? This is a GWR 6000 King Class (King George V) thundering down the mainine without her iconic bell from her visit to the States but with the most unusual headboard on the front. Strange, is it not? Notice the insane high speed she's travelling at with smoke billowing out her chimney, the shiny finish on her Brunswick Great Western Green livery, it's rejoice for people living in the West of England as the railway has come to their region! Why should all those Northerners build all the railways?

 

The border is stylised like that of a GWR locomotive cabside and the rivets have been picked out as if the catalogue was made out of heavy steel...nah, I'm just being daft and just making that up, that would be ridiculous. Also, in the bottom-left corner, is the debut of a certain second-famous locomotive from a series of books created by a religious railway enthusiast. You know who I'm talking about...

 

N.B: Special thanks to Ramblin Rich, BernardTPM, Ruffnut Thornston, Islesy, JaymzHatstand, Legend and acg5324 for your reactions on the last post, glad you enjoyed it. Thanks to Legend for sharing his memories here and to thanks to Mike_Walker and Ruffnut Thornston, I will be analysing that box art on that train set as well as that catalogue image in the next posts so thanks for providing an image or two for me to work with, it's just what I needed. I'll be back with another in-depth analysis into the catalogue and artwork, so stay safe and healthy and Merry Christmas! See you all again!

[Ruffnut Thorston]

This catalogue was of an unusual format.

 

Landscape, but with the spine on the top long side, like a flip chart.

 

From memory, there were two Hornby Railways catalogues in this format?

 

Our collection is not available right now.
 

The style of locomotive is reminiscent of the famous “Speed to The West” poster issued by the original GWR...A King Class with Centenary Stock  coaches. Possibly the Cornish Rivera Limited Express.

 

 

As displayed on the poster board at Ffrwd Locks station...

 

Edited December 8, 2020 by Ruffnut Thorston
Changed photo..

[Steamport Southport]

40 minutes ago, LNWR18901910 said:

Day 8

GWR...we've never been that far...at least, not until this new Millennium where they dropped the word 'The' at the beginning after replacing it with 'First'. How cocky can you be calling it First Great Western when it started in 1835 right up until 1948? Anyway, onto the main content.

 

What can I say about this catalogue cover but...splendid? This is a GWR 6000 King Class (King George V) thundering down the mainine without her iconic bell from her visit to the States but with the most unusual headboard on the front. Strange, is it not? Notice the insane high speed she's travelling at with smoke billowing out her chimney, the shiny finish on her Brunswick Great Western Green livery, it's rejoice for people living in the West of England as the railway has come to their region! Why should all those Northerners build all the railways?

 

The border is stylised like that of a GWR locomotive cabside and the rivets have been picked out as if the catalogue was made out of heavy steel...nah, I'm just being daft and just making that up, that would be ridiculous. Also, in the bottom-left corner, is the debut of a certain second-famous locomotive from a series of books created by a religious railway enthusiast. You know who I'm talking about...

 

N.B: Special thanks to Ramblin Rich, BernardTPM, Ruffnut Thornston, Islesy, JaymzHatstand, Legend and acg5324 for your reactions on the last post, glad you enjoyed it. Thanks to Legend for sharing his memories here and to thanks to Mike_Walker and Ruffnut Thornston, I will be analysing that box art on that train set as well as that catalogue image in the next posts so thanks for providing an image or two for me to work with, it's just what I needed. I'll be back with another in-depth analysis into the catalogue and artwork, so stay safe and healthy and Merry Christmas! See you all again!

 

The headboard was for the GWR 150th anniversary in 1985. That was the official logo.

 

It was supposed to be a year of celebration like Rocket 150, but was ruined by an industrial dispute, with the unions going on strike due to Swindon closing.

 

They ran a few specials but that was all. Best thing was the special livery diesels - Mark One coaches and DMUs in Chocolate and Cream, and a Class 50 and Class 47s in GWR Green.

 

And the freight train. Couldn't do this now.

 

 

 

 

Jason

[Mountain Goat]

2 hours ago, LNWR18901910 said:

Day 8

GWR...we've never been that far...at least, not until this new Millennium where they dropped the word 'The' at the beginning after replacing it with 'First'. How cocky can you be calling it First Great Western when it started in 1835 right up until 1948? Anyway, onto the main content.

 

What can I say about this catalogue cover but...splendid? This is a GWR 6000 King Class (King George V) thundering down the mainine without her iconic bell from her visit to the States but with the most unusual headboard on the front. Strange, is it not? Notice the insane high speed she's travelling at with smoke billowing out her chimney, the shiny finish on her Brunswick Great Western Green livery, it's rejoice for people living in the West of England as the railway has come to their region! Why should all those Northerners build all the railways?

 

The border is stylised like that of a GWR locomotive cabside and the rivets have been picked out as if the catalogue was made out of heavy steel...nah, I'm just being daft and just making that up, that would be ridiculous. Also, in the bottom-left corner, is the debut of a certain second-famous locomotive from a series of books created by a religious railway enthusiast. You know who I'm talking about...

 

N.B: Special thanks to Ramblin Rich, BernardTPM, Ruffnut Thornston, Islesy, JaymzHatstand, Legend and acg5324 for your reactions on the last post, glad you enjoyed it. Thanks to Legend for sharing his memories here and to thanks to Mike_Walker and Ruffnut Thornston, I will be analysing that box art on that train set as well as that catalogue image in the next posts so thanks for providing an image or two for me to work with, it's just what I needed. I'll be back with another in-depth analysis into the catalogue and artwork, so stay safe and healthy and Merry Christmas! See you all again!

 

I remember the GWR 150 celebrations and we saw both a hall and a castle class pass down where we live, and I took a few photos. I also have a badge somewhere and a set of 4 postcards of local scenes to celebrate the event. I did not know they ran the goods train but that did not pass near here. 

[Nearholmer]

I certainly recall one day from GWR150, when a special hauled by, IIRC, a Castle, ran from Paddington. 
 

Took the morning off work to take some snaps from the line side at Westbourne Park, not entirely successfully, because an HST got in the way at a crucial moment. There was a steam loco ‘on the stops’ at Paddington too - was it a 45xx?

 

That catalogue picture is good, but does anyone else wonder whether or not the artist has got the proportions of the loco quite right?

 

Did Hornby issue any suitable models for the anniversary? And, is this the year that ‘Percy’ emerged?

[Legend]

1 minute ago, Nearholmer said:

I certainly recall one day from GWR150, when a special hauled by, IIRC, a Castle, ran from Paddington. 
 

Took the morning off work to take some snaps from the line side at Westbourne Park, not entirely successfully, because an HST got in the way at a crucial moment. There was a steam loco ‘on the stops’ at Paddington too - was it a 45xx?

 

That catalogue picture is good, but does anyone else wonder whether or not the artist has got the proportions of the loco quite right?

 

Did Hornby issue any suitable models for the anniversary? And, is this the year that ‘Percy’ emerged?

From memory , it was a bit of a disappointment . I think the catalogue itself was late appearing and was basically the previous years catalogue which had that odd Landscape format with locos covering both pages , so you had to read it sort of like you would open a calendar .  This years catalogue simply contained some additional pages front and back . The back covered Thomas the Tank Engine , the front was GWR celebrations and perhaps more trainsets .  There was a King but I’m not sure if it was new as that version of the model had been around since 1980 . The GWR celebration model was ...........you guessed it , the Holden 0-4-0  with a GWR 150 logo . 
 

i don’t think there were any new introductions in the year , presumably the budget went on Thomas and the wider Hornby company was in its toy stage . Pound puppies etc 

[BernardTPM]

Possibly the most underwhelming Hornby catalogue ever. Inside it even has notes like "Summer '84  NEW" as the whole middle section is still the 30th edition 1984 catalogue.

The King had first come out in 1978 at the same time as the Lima 00 King but was panned in the Constructor for the deep skirt between boiler and footplate. It was retooled without that by 1980, making fairly presentable for the time, though hardly state of the art.

[RyanN91]

23 hours ago, LNWR18901910 said:

Day 8

GWR...we've never been that far...at least, not until this new Millennium where they dropped the word 'The' at the beginning after replacing it with 'First'. How cocky can you be calling it First Great Western when it started in 1835 right up until 1948? Anyway, onto the main content.

 

What can I say about this catalogue cover but...splendid? This is a GWR 6000 King Class (King George V) thundering down the mainine without her iconic bell from her visit to the States but with the most unusual headboard on the front. Strange, is it not? Notice the insane high speed she's travelling at with smoke billowing out her chimney, the shiny finish on her Brunswick Great Western Green livery, it's rejoice for people living in the West of England as the railway has come to their region! Why should all those Northerners build all the railways?

 

The border is stylised like that of a GWR locomotive cabside and the rivets have been picked out as if the catalogue was made out of heavy steel...nah, I'm just being daft and just making that up, that would be ridiculous. Also, in the bottom-left corner, is the debut of a certain second-famous locomotive from a series of books created by a religious railway enthusiast. You know who I'm talking about...

 

N.B: Special thanks to Ramblin Rich, BernardTPM, Ruffnut Thornston, Islesy, JaymzHatstand, Legend and acg5324 for your reactions on the last post, glad you enjoyed it. Thanks to Legend for sharing his memories here and to thanks to Mike_Walker and Ruffnut Thornston, I will be analysing that box art on that train set as well as that catalogue image in the next posts so thanks for providing an image or two for me to work with, it's just what I needed. I'll be back with another in-depth analysis into the catalogue and artwork, so stay safe and healthy and Merry Christmas! See you all again!

Ah the 1985 Hornby catalogue from the top of my memory this is... last time the Zero one was featured am I correct? The year they introduced the  marvellous Thomas and Friends range, The GWR 150th Anniversary and what appeared at the time to be the last time that  the APT-P (non  actually produced that year) would be listed although fast forward 35 years (  WOW! my jaw is still on the floor form this being retooled along with the Rocket!) ah the final time the 1978. 1979, 1984, 1985 Hornby Railways logo would appear on a catalogue!  1980, 1981 (differs  slightly with the  blue belt logo)  was used before off topic I love the 1982 1983 logo as well although my favourites are the current 1997 logo and the 1978 one! before  being rebranded with a slightly different font typeface and border in 1986. They missed a trick on the Centenary 1983 Smokey Joe they've used the 1986 logo on the box edges although nothing major . However the centenary wagon has the 1978 logo on the actual product but the press release photo has the 1986 variation. The logos and re branded evolution logos of Tri ang Hornby, etc  have me wondering if they will ever change the current Hornby1997 logo which I hope not as I believe this one has been designed to never age which is very similar to the current BBC 1997 blocks logo that was also designed to never look dated as well.

[LNWR18901910]

Day 9

The Freightmaster - sounds like a rewarding promotion or job title you could earn, right? Well, so you would be if you were working in a certain department like Postmaster, Harbourmaster, Headmaster, Quartermaster or Jedi Master. I suppose it could be some sort of job title or maybe, if it was passed to a woman, it would be Freightmistress, maybe? We do have Postmistress as well as Headmistress, don't we? So why not Freightmistress?

 

Depicted here as an English Electric diesel hauling a freight train through what might be the Alps (it's supposed to be British, but it looks almost like Switzerland or maybe Scotland or Wales, I don't know). The mountains represent the many challenges we have faced at some point in our lives and we are that train itself chugging along until we reach that destination that is our goals and achievements! That's what it could be! The United Dairies tank wagon represents calcium, the livestock wagon represents protein and at the very back is the brake van that represents support and encouragement as well as discouragement judging by the signals in the distance.

 

This is something that's obviously meant to be taken as realistic as possible but judging by the gaint D tension lock coupling, it's like the entire model was suddenly hit by a powerful ray gun and made life-size! Remember the scene from that Ant-Man film where Thomas the Tank Engine turns gigiantic and destroys a house? This box-art pre-dates that cinematic moment! However, as with most train sets, you still have to get your own darn platforms, signals and spare track. Quite the challenge, huh?

 

N.B: Special thanks to Brit70053, RyanN91, Ruffnut Thornston, caradoc, BernardTPM, railroadbill, Steamport Southport and Legend for your reactions to the last post, glad you guys enjoy it! Special thanks goes out to Ruffnut Thornston for providing an image of the Freightmaster set for me to analyise and metaphorically define and again, thanks goes out to Ruffnut Thornston, BernardTPM, Steamport Southport, Nearholmer and Mountain Goat for the additional information which I enjoyed and was fascinated by same as everyone! Thanks for your memories as well, Legend!

 

Well, I honestly can hardly believe another advent post bang on time! However, one thing I should point out is that this thread may be gone by January 6th of this year but seeing as we have so much to talk about in terms of historic nostalgia, might as well leave it up here though I might have to change the title of it and such. Anyway, with all said and done, I hope you guys enjoyed this post and I'll be back with another one tomorrow and I might throw another one in for a bonus (a two for one thing, maybe). See you all next time and please leave your thoughts and memories here and I hope to include my own Hornby memories in the next post. See you tomorrow!

Edited December 9, 2020 by LNWR18901910

[Islesy]

*Warning! Contents may differ from those illustrated.

 

[Legend]

7 hours ago, LNWR18901910 said:

Day 9

The Freightmaster - sounds like a rewarding promotion or job title you could earn, right? Well, so you would be if you were working in a certain department like Postmaster, Harbourmaster, Headmaster, Quartermaster or Jedi Master. I suppose it could be some sort of job title or maybe, if it was passed to a woman, it would be Freightmistress, maybe? We do have Postmistress as well as Headmistress, don't we? So why not Freightmistress?

 

Depicted here as an English Electric diesel hauling a freight train through what might be the Alps (it's supposed to be British, but it looks almost like Switzerland or maybe Scotland or Wales, I don't know). The mountains represent the many challenges we have faced at some point in our lives and we are that train itself chugging along until we reach that destination that is our goals and achievements! That's what it could be! The United Dairies tank wagon represents calcium, the livestock wagon represents protein and at the very back is the brake van that represents support and encouragement as well as discouragement judging by the signals in the distance.

 

This is something that's obviously meant to be taken as realistic as possible but judging by the gaint D tension lock coupling, it's like the entire model was suddenly hit by a powerful ray gun and made life-size! Remember the scene from that Ant-Man film where Thomas the Tank Engine turns gigiantic and destroys a house? This box-art pre-dates that cinematic moment! However, as with most train sets, you still have to get your own darn platforms, signals and spare track. Quite the challenge, huh?

 

N.B: Special thanks to Brit70053, RyanN91, Ruffnut Thornston, caradoc, BernardTPM, railroadbill, Steamport Southport and Legend for your reactions to the last post, glad you guys enjoy it! Special thanks goes out to Ruffnut Thornston for providing an image of the Freightmaster set for me to analyise and metaphorically define and again, thanks goes out to Ruffnut Thornston, BernardTPM, Steamport Southport, Nearholmer and Mountain Goat for the additional information which I enjoyed and was fascinated by same as everyone! Thanks for your memories as well, Legend!

 

Well, I honestly can hardly believe another advent post bang on time! However, one thing I should point out is that this thread may be gone by January 6th of this year but seeing as we have so much to talk about in terms of historic nostalgia, might as well leave it up here though I might have to change the title of it and such. Anyway, with all said and done, I hope you guys enjoyed this post and I'll be back with another one tomorrow and I might throw another one in for a bonus (a two for one thing, maybe). See you all next time and please leave your thoughts and memories here and I hope to include my own Hornby memories in the next post. See you tomorrow!

Good one . As previously mentioned , my first trainset .  1965  . Imagine going down the stairs in your dressing gown ( a funny place to have stairs - a Ken Dodd joke probably also circa 1965)  to see if Santa had been - and wow he had!  Freightmaster set up on dining room table . It certainly had an additional point as I remember I had an engine shed and siding too . Transformer , in these days not supplied with set . All set up ready to go.  Santa must have had a track plans book. Pure Magic !

 

I do remember the box as it was rich red and yellow, actually Christmas colours  and for years , probably even now , associated Tri-ang Hornby with Christmas . I did have diversions to Minic motorways and Lego (battery railway set of course)  , but really Tri-ang Hornby was Christmas in my mind . 
 

As Isley obviously knows with his background latterly the “Brush Type 2” was supplied in the set in BR Blue but the box didn’t change . Yes never noticed the hills in the background , not exactly the fens is it . 
 

Thanks for the posting LNWR18901910 and indulging an old fool and his reminiscences 

Edited December 9, 2020 by Legend

[BernardTPM]

The Freightmaster was a stalwart of the trainset range though it would have really benefitted from having a siding included. A couple of catalogue shots from 1965 and 1971:

 

 

That boxed set is missing the two cable reels. A the time the set came out the Brush Type 2 would have the original Mirrlees engine, so no English Electric, I'm afraid. The roof is correctly modelled for the original engines. From 1968 the class was re-engined using downrated English Electric 12SVT diesel engines, changing from Class 30 to Class 31 in the process. All were rebuilt before the TOPS numbers were applied so you'd never have seen a 30 xxx number. The Tri-ang Hornby blue livery is the 1967 version, full yellow ends but still with a 'D' prefix, two double arrows on the cabs and numbers inboard of the cab doors, in real life quite a short-lived version.

[Nearholmer]

One observation about these sets is that they include horse-boxes and milk tankers, neither of which are really "freight" vehicles, they are NPCS (leaving aside that 4W milk tanks died-out by about 1940!), so typically didn't appear in goods trains unless on their way somewhere for repair, or perhaps empty to a loaded point.

 

However, 4W milk tanks have a long history in the Hornby and Triang worlds, going back to the very good tinplate 0 gauge ones, and its nice to see a tribute to that in one of the 2020 anniversary 00 sets.

 

Old  https://www.brightontoymuseum.co.uk/index/File:Hornby_Milk_Tank_Wagon,_United_Dairies_(HBoT_1930).jpg

 

New  https://www.Hornby.com/uk-en/Hornby-retro-wagons-three-pack-united-dairies-tanker-jacob-s-biscuits-palethorpes.html

 

The Type 2 loco model was a good 'un IMO - pretty accurate, and pretty robust as a runner.

 

 

Edited December 9, 2020 by Nearholmer

[Legend]

26 minutes ago, BernardTPM said:

The Freightmaster was a stalwart of the trainset range though it would have really benefitted from having a siding included. A couple of catalogue shots from 1965 and 1971:

 

 

That boxed set is missing the two cable reels. A the time the set came out the Brush Type 2 would have the original Mirrlees engine, so no English Electric, I'm afraid. The roof is correctly modelled for the original engines. From 1968 the class was re-engined using downrated English Electric 12SVT diesel engines, changing from Class 30 to Class 31 in the process. All were rebuilt before the TOPS numbers were applied so you'd never have seen a 30 xxx number. The Tri-ang Hornby blue livery is the 1967 version, full yellow ends but still with a 'D' prefix, two double arrows on the cabs and numbers inboard of the cab doors, in real life quite a short-lived version.

 

I think the Freightmaster must have sold 10s of thousands over the years  and probably been the introduction to model railways for many .  The Brush Type 2 I think was introduced in 1962 and also sported a very attractive but non authentic electric blue with white stripes version . Although there were experimental liveries and a Class 31 did get experimental blue it was without white stripes . I think Lima actually got it correct on one of their versions . Still the Triang one looked  good . 

 

It is interesting that the artwork correctly shows no center wheels on the front bogie, these being immitations on the model .

 

And in another bit of sentimental unrelated nostalgia , I vaguely remember my Dad having to work on Christmas morning . Christmas day not being a statutory holiday in Scotland at the time . New Years day was , which was just as well as half of Scotland was usually comatose after previous nights celebrations .  Christmas 1965 The Beetles were no1 with Day Tripper/ Ticket to ride - which when I hear it now reminds me of Brush Type 2s .  

Edited December 9, 2020 by Legend

[BernardTPM]

I had one of the 1966 blue/white striped versions, bought second hand around 1970.

In real life the golden ochre version had white stripes, but the blue version didn't. The 1962 Tri-ang version was almost right except they put light blue round the cab windows.

 

[BernardTPM]

2 hours ago, Nearholmer said:

One observation about these sets is that they include horse-boxes and milk tankers, neither of which are really "freight" vehicles, they are NPCS (leaving aside that 4W milk tanks died-out by about 1940!), so typically didn't appear in goods trains unless on their way somewhere for repair, or perhaps empty to a loaded point.

Perhaps a good excuse for only having one of each in a train - they're off for repair. The horsebox was chosen to be the passenger train 'converter' vehicle when the Tri-ang Railways and Hornby Dublo ranges were combined.

[caradoc]

5 hours ago, Islesy said:

*Warning! Contents may differ from those illustrated.

 

 

Two brake vans in the set - Must be the 'Preserved Railway Demonstration Freight' edition ! I longed for a Freightmaster set but never got one, but I do admit, when I'm sometimes playing trains instead of modelling, to making up an similar consist using today's closest equivalent wagons.