Next Years Announcements (9th Jan btw)(not wish listing!, well that was the idea, but......)

[Pmorgancym]

So Simon's gone, he always seemed to be the driver behind the big annual announcement format.  So will they continue this tradition?  Inhave thins nightmare idea where they double down with a big media event and have Pete Waterman hosting..

Edited January 2 by Pmorgancym
Events

[AY Mod]

My understanding is that there'll be a January date as usual but with, probably, a different form for the future with a different approach to a catalogue.

[Hroth]

12 minutes ago, AY Mod said:

with a different approach to a catalogue.

 

Oh no, not again....

 

 

[Hilux5972]

5 hours ago, AY Mod said:

a different form for the future with a different approach to a catalogue.

Oh no I really hope they don’t mess with it again. I love collecting them year on year. Have every one since 2000. Even the awful attempt that was rushed out in 2016! 

[The Stationmaster]

From what I have heard there will be a January announcement but it will in future be one of three that will be made over the course of the year.  So not  exactly the previous razzamatazz 'big bang event covering everything we are supposed to expect in the coming year but might not see for much longer.

 

I don't know how the changes to the catalogue will work in detail but from what I was told about what is mind, and assuming it comes off to a really good standard, it sounds as if it will be a good move away from the recent works of semi-fiction and guesstimates.  How it will be updated, if it is updated(?), over the course of the later announcement sessions during the year wasn't clear from what i heard.  If it comes out in the way it was explained to me (and it's to a good standard) I think it could be a big step forward for Hornby as I understand that it will be more than a list of models.

 

The proof of these puddings will be there when we see them - be they to our taste or not.  But having made very clear in the past my adverse views about Hornby's 'back to the 1970s' annual big bang announcement process I think it is good to see these sort of changes to the company's approach to both marketing and selling and I, for one, wish them well with it.

[Flying Pig]

15 hours ago, Pmorgancym said:

...not wish listing!

 

Good luck with that 😁

[spamcan61]

15 hours ago, Hroth said:

 

Oh no, not again....

 

 

I liked the 2016 one! made a change from page after page of digital renders of products that may or may not turn up at some point. I appreciate I have a minority view ;-)

[AY Mod]

3 hours ago, spamcan61 said:

I appreciate I have a minority view ;-)

 

You're not alone; I see little merit in a chargeable catalogue with pages of artists' impressions, occasionally inaccurate descriptions and digital weathering.

[Pint of Adnams]

5 hours ago, AY Mod said:

 

You're not alone; I see little merit in a chargeable catalogue with pages of artists' impressions, occasionally inaccurate descriptions and digital weathering.

And at times questionable 'facts and figures' in the accompanying descriptive texts.

[Covkid]

Whatever is offered can we please not have the ridiculous faux oil lamps on the steam locos.

Steam locos were traditionally supplied with lamp brackets at both ends. ,It was a job of the footplate crew to put oil lamps or discs on the appropriate lamp irons to indicate it's presence.  The lamps were mostly painted black, red or white to stand out from the darkness of the smokebox. 

 

The obsession of adding electronic gizmos to model trains needs curbing in my opinion, particularly touching your models to switch lights on and off, whilst leaving the actual lump of plastic in place.  I suppose Margate will be looking to miniaturing the lamps and making them removable.   

Edited November 19, 2023 by Covkid

[Les1952]

8 hours ago, AY Mod said:

 

You're not alone; I see little merit in a chargeable catalogue with pages of artists' impressions, occasionally inaccurate descriptions and digital weathering.

 

It does seem to have a "collectors item" status by some - though definitely not by me.....

 

Les

 

[it's-er]

On 18/11/2023 at 11:24, The Stationmaster said:

From what I have heard there will be a January announcement but it will in future be one of three that will be made over the course of the year.  So not  exactly the previous razzamatazz 'big bang event 

The Bachmann approach, then!

 

John S

[The Stationmaster]

On 18/11/2023 at 22:22, Les1952 said:

 

It does seem to have a "collectors item" status by some - though definitely not by me.....

 

Les

 

I 'realised' the perceived (by others) value of most of my older ones a good while back.  Some you couldn't give away - except to the recycling bin - but a few made some useful, albeit small, amounts of money.  Since then I haven't bothered with them .  But old comics made far more from collectors than Triang or todays' version of Hornby catalogues.

[Legend]

On 18/11/2023 at 11:24, The Stationmaster said:

From what I have heard there will be a January announcement but it will in future be one of three that will be made over the course of the year.  So not  exactly the previous razzamatazz 'big bang event covering everything we are supposed to expect in the coming year but might not see for much longer.

 

I don't know how the changes to the catalogue will work in detail but from what I was told about what is mind, and assuming it comes off to a really good standard, it sounds as if it will be a good move away from the recent works of semi-fiction and guesstimates.  How it will be updated, if it is updated(?), over the course of the later announcement sessions during the year wasn't clear from what i heard.  If it comes out in the way it was explained to me (and it's to a good standard) I think it could be a big step forward for Hornby as I understand that it will be more than a list of models.

 

The proof of these puddings will be there when we see them - be they to our taste or not.  But having made very clear in the past my adverse views about Hornby's 'back to the 1970s' annual big bang announcement process I think it is good to see these sort of changes to the company's approach to both marketing and selling and I, for one, wish them well with it.

 

Sounds good .  You can see a marketing mans approach to the catalogue . Consistent images through the brand , on the box in the catalogue . Its what floats brand image consultants boats . But the result for the last 10-15 years , with these side on views has been boring .  I do collect the catalogues but I must admit the heyday for me was 65-74 , then again in 1980-81. others just merge into one another and are instantly forgettable , especially recent ones . So I'm glad they will maintain a catalogue but lets have something inspiring and completely different . 

 

I may be confused because I've watched so many videos , Signalbox , Beyond the Buffers etc but wasn't it mentioned somewhere that Hornby will announce something at Warley ? I know they did in the past when they announced 87 and Duchess at Warley .  Might be the well leaked TT120 0-6-0 

Edited November 22, 2023 by Legend

[adb968008]

2 hours ago, Legend said:

 

I may be confused because I've watched so many videos , Signalbox , Beyond the Buffers etc but wasn't it mentioned somewhere that Hornby will announce something at Warley ? I know they did in the past when they announced 87 and Duchess at Warley .  Might be the well leaked TT120 0-6-0 

what was frustrating last year was the announcement of the Coronation as a warley special, but the wifi in the hall being so bad, and no ability to order on the stand meant if you attended Warley it was very hard to get it, as it was sold out by end of day via the Hornby website.

Edited November 22, 2023 by adb968008

[The Stationmaster]

1 hour ago, adb968008 said:

what was frustrating last year was the announcement of the Coronation as a warley special, but the wifi in the hall being so bad, and no ability to order on the stand meant if you attended Warley it was very hard to get it, as it was sold out by end of day via the Hornby website.

One can but hope that Hornby's marketing and selling approach will be much improved this year, even at warley.   And if the new brooms have been doing their jobs properly that could well be the case.

[adb968008]

22 minutes ago, The Stationmaster said:

One can but hope that Hornby's marketing and selling approach will be much improved this year, even at warley.   And if the new brooms have been doing their jobs properly that could well be the case.

Still waiting for the old broom, but its running 5 years late and gone up in price thrice, the one before that only just arrived and they put the head on the wrong end.

Edited November 22, 2023 by adb968008

[PeterStiles]

7 hours ago, Legend said:

But the result for the last 10-15 years , with these side on views has been boring

The problem I have with the catalogue's side-on views is that every single loco picture is scaled so they all look the same size, which can be a little disturbing - you really _can't_ tell the difference between all the GWR 4-6-0s!

[sawyermodels]

Regarding the 2024 catalogue, we were asked on Wednesday to place our orders for it, so, for 2024 at least, there will be a full catalogue as per previous years. What is on the cover or inside it, we'll all find out in January. 

[AY Mod]

52 minutes ago, PeterStiles said:

you really _can't_ tell the difference between all the GWR 4-6-0s

 

There's an answer to, and reason for, that. 😁

[Pmorgancym]

On 22/11/2023 at 20:16, AY Mod said:

 

There's an answer to, and reason for, that. 😁

Lack of appreciation of detailed differences obviously...

[The Stationmaster]

1 hour ago, Pmorgancym said:

Lack of appreciation of detailed differences obviously...

And some far more obvious ones just by looking at them!

[OnTheBranchline]

On 17/11/2023 at 15:53, Hroth said:

 

Oh no, not again....

 

 

 

For the uninitatied, what happened in 2016?

[rovex]

Don't think I can tell the difference between anything that isn't green with a copper capped chimney!

[rovex]

As for 2024 range, thinking back to 2023, I'm thinking something with a very limited build quantity ,that was scrapped or completely rebuilt shortly after construction so has limited livery options and that only operated in a very limited part of the country.

 

Give me time I'll come up with something by the time we open the wishlist!