A statement on The Titfield Thunderbolt.

[Not Jeremy]

Another reason to buy the Rapido Titfield set is that they are including the correct brake van, ie AA20 rather than Hornby's AA19ish, unless Hornby are producing the "correct" brake van.

 

Nice as locomotives are, and I think that Rapido are producing a stunner in this case, I have a real "thing" for brake vans.

 

So to help the thread along, here is a gratuitous but very nice picture of an axlebox of an AA21 Toad. Diagram AA21 was the same as AA20 excepting that they were all built with vacuum brake, I think I am right in saying, so this is what we should be getting from Rapido.

 

The image was taken by the late David Hyde, who very kindly left me his photographic collection, one of which this is.

 

 

Note that 17410 has the footboard in the lower position.

 

And of course those utterly splendid fellows at Rapido are producing AA20s with footboards in this and the earlier higher position to match the two different vans used during the filming.

 

Personally, I am very much looking forward to getting a Rapido Titfield set, I think it may have to be the all singing, all dancing sound version too....

 

Roll on my beaut(ies)!

 

Simon

Edited January 18, 2022 by Not Jeremy
Diagram minus one, thank you Miss Prism!

[Miss Prism]

1 hour ago, Not Jeremy said:

Another reason to buy the Rapido Titfield set is that they are including the correct brake van, ie AA21 rather than Hornby's AA15,

 

err, Simon, you meant to say Rapido is doing an AA20. (The Titfield toad was W68740.) Hornby's current graphic shows their ancient 'AA19' (with non-AA19 features).

 

Edited January 18, 2022 by Miss Prism
typo

[Not Jeremy]

Gee shucks, thank you Miss Prism, I will amend the post accordingly.

 

Good job I'm not in charge of anything

 

Simon

[Din]

On 17/01/2022 at 10:31, Dunsignalling said:

The thing with something like the Titfield licence is that once this big anniversary is past, it's not going to have much commercial value until the centenary. By then, almost all of we who fondly remember the film from our younger days will be gone and the typical market reaction will just be "Titfield What?"

 

John

 

 

Some of us might be smart and sensible and show the film to our children, as happened to me.  

 

I assure you, I shall most certainly be around for the 100th where I expect the rights holder to make one with synchronised steam/smoke effect, working cylinder drains and holographic fire projection, thank you very much!

 

Din, Aged 33.

[NHY 581]

I have to agree with Simon. 

 

Brake vans are rather nice, even GWR Toads........

 

But really looking forward to the ex W&U coaches....yum. 

 

Rob

 

[Bucoops]

I have realised there is an important accessory missing - or rather accessories.

 

A huge collection of tin baths, buckets and bedpans.

[NHY 581]

Not to mention a road roller.........

[Andy Hayter]

The thing about collectability (as in things collected to generate money rather than collected per se) is that it tends to encompass those things you might not expect to be collectable.  So from the 60s it tends not to be locomotives or even sets (except perhaps for absolutely mint condition City of Truro, Rocket etc.).  The things that are now collectable with high worth are things like the giraffe car, space rocket and working postal car - all of course complete and in pristine condition.

[adb968008]

7 hours ago, Compound2632 said:

 

The very bread and butter of realistic steam era modelling. If only new ones of these were being produced rather than yet more monster pacifics...

But why arent they selling out ?

 

my inbox is littered with such bargains week after week..

 

There must be a reason I can take my pick of sub £90 little black locos, but big monster pacifics are never in it ?

Edited January 19, 2022 by adb968008

[woodenhead]

5 minutes ago, adb968008 said:

There must be a reason I can take my pick of sub £90 little black locos, but big monster pacifics are never in it ?

Little black locos are not under produced and sent out in poor packaging so breaking off their delicate steps and smoke deflectors

Edited January 19, 2022 by woodenhead

[Adamphillip]

On 12/01/2022 at 08:32, AY Mod said:

 

I asked at the press briefing if it was legitimate to do this as it was public knowledge that Rapido Trains had been given an exclusive licence by Studio Canal to produce and market ‘The Titfield Thunderbolt’, he responded by saying “Well, the point is it’s a touch of semantics, it’s not so much as ‘Exclusive’ but what we have produced is what we call ‘Inspired by’. We are not promoting the film ‘The Titfield Thunderbolt’, we’re not using any of their assets as in packaging and all the rest of it. So, the loco exists, the rolling stock exists and, as I say, the key there is that the packs are inspired by the trains that you see on film.”

 

Simon continued, “I think the key thing is, you know, we’re not using any of the branding from the film and that’s the thing; we are producing a model of items that exist”.

 

Simon was asked if there were likely to be any legal issues in this regard; he responded “No, I doubt that very much. You know, you can start going into registration marks and all the rest of it and what class it is in, remember we are producing Class 28 which is classed as toys”.

As someone who is educated in TV and film (I have a certificate) and one module of my course covered IP and such… SK’s gibberish is just that gibberish it’s like making the Optimus prime and saying “it’s a truck that existed” and then sticking a label of “inspired by the transformers”…. Hasbro would be breathing down your neck

[Adamphillip]

On 12/01/2022 at 13:00, pete_mcfarlane said:

 

The issue here, I would have thought, it that by sailing so close to the wind Hornby are opening themselves up to all sorts of potential risks. They'll probably get stroppy letters and legal threats from the rights holders and so on, and even if this never gets to court it will eat into their management team's time and require an unknown amount of costly legal advice.

 

I can't imagine their profit margins on these sets are amazing to start with (despite what some people think about Hornby prices), so adding a load of 'unknown unknowns' into the mix is probably not a great idea. 

  

 

 

Also this behaviour could scupper Hornby in the future with other licensing deals as companies are less likely to work with those who try to bend around IP law

[Derekstuart]

The words have fallen off this post. Please ignore it. There is nothing to see here.

Edited January 19, 2022 by Derekstuart

[Waverley47708]

On 17/01/2022 at 11:27, Steamport Southport said:

 

 

They just stopped using the character and then killed him off by dropping him down a chimney!

 

Using the phrase "I'll buy you a delicatessen in stainless steel", a common bribe by the mafia was to pay for refurbishments of restaurants that were in their "control". He was just seen as a moneygrabber.

 

 

 

The opening scene of one of my favourite Bond films, let me down Blofeld demands, oh you want to get of Bond replies to the master criminal impaled to the helicopter, I'm sure he also tells him to keep his hair on. Very cruel mocking  a wheelchair bound bald man!

 

Can't think of any trains to be inspired by in that film, but some great 2CV (my first car) action.

[boxbrownie]

13 hours ago, Din said:

 

 

Some of us might be smart and sensible and show the film to our children, as happened to me.  

 

I assure you, I shall most certainly be around for the 100th where I expect the rights holder to make one with synchronised steam/smoke effect, working cylinder drains and holographic fire projection, thank you very much!

 

Din, Aged 33.

I used to watch it with my Son first time when he was probably only about 6, he is now in his mid thirties and cannot wait for my delivery of the both packs (sound) so he can come and play trains, but he did mention last weekend that my layout is missing a river……..I think I did a good job there 

[PaulRhB]

11 hours ago, NHY 581 said:

Not to mention a road roller.........

The Oxford one does nicely if you remove the canopy and repaint the flywheel and treads. 

 

 

Oxford Product Code: 76APR001

Edited January 19, 2022 by PaulRhB

[30801]

1 hour ago, boxbrownie said:

I used to watch it with my Son first time when he was probably only about 6, he is now in his mid thirties and cannot wait for my delivery of the both packs (sound) so he can come and play trains, but he did mention last weekend that my layout is missing a river……..I think I did a good job there 

 

That's a rather nice illustration of who would buy these packs.

[SamThomas]

On 13/01/2022 at 03:47, Mark Saunders said:

Plus Triang released the Hall in red in the 1970’s as Lord Westwood !

Complete with the current period factory phone number on the tender.

[No Decorum]

On 19/01/2022 at 23:33, SamThomas said:

Complete with the current period factory phone number on the tender.

One was presented to the man himself and apparently had an eyepatch over one spectacle window. Lord Westwood wore an eye patch – perhaps that’s why he didn’t notice that little detail!

[Mark Saunders]

2 hours ago, No Decorum said:

One was presented to the man himself and apparently had an eyepatch over one spectacle window. Lord Westwood wore an eye patch – perhaps that’s why he didn’t notice that little detail!

He was a director of Newcastle United and not long before he resigned the chant was Westwood is a Pirate.

[StuAllen]

Anyone else notice the full page Rapido advert for Titfield Thunderbolt in this months Model Rail? Very colourful, styled like a movie poster - not subtle.
 

Also in the news section there’s a couple of lines for the Hornby version but nearly 3/4 page for the Rapido one a couple of pages later.

[The Stationmaster]

15 hours ago, StuAllen said:

Anyone else notice the full page Rapido advert for Titfield Thunderbolt in this months Model Rail? Very colourful, styled like a movie poster - not subtle.
 

Also in the news section there’s a couple of lines for the Hornby version but nearly 3/4 page for the Rapido one a couple of pages later.

Interesting area - if the magazines are aware of what is going on over Titfield (and some of them surely must be?) they could be in an awkward position carrying anything which might be regarded as 'promoting' the existence of the Hornby model if some sort of legal action is taken against Hornby.  Obviously they can, if needs require, subsequently publish something about the impact of any action against Hornby on the availability of its Titfield train pack but there may still be a need for caution when mentioning it until things become much clearer.

[Miss Prism]

I can't imagine there can be any redress against mags who are reporting on what Hornby has announced. The situation might change if  legal action is instigated, in which case the mags would report "hold on readers, the Hornby thing might not happen", but at the moment, Rapido won't even confirm that StudioCanal's lawyers have done anything.

 

 

[Legend]

Rapido and Model Rail have always had a close relationship . Not surprised . 

[Andy Hayter]

1 hour ago, Miss Prism said:

............... at the moment, Rapido won't even confirm that StudioCanal's lawyers have done anything.

 

 

 

Do we really expect this to be played out step by step in public?

Things will happen (probably have already started) in the background and the best we are likely to get are hints when a model is quietly dropped.