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

[Fair Oak Junction]

Hornby are now getting into "Bachmann in the bad old days" territory with a handful of items.

[Dunsignalling]

20 minutes ago, Fair Oak Junction said:

Hornby are now getting into "Bachmann in the bad old days" territory with a handful of items.

Probably because they are having to bring forward Year 2 batches of things that were woefully under produced due to their inability to accurately predict demand.

 

Every time they reallocate production slots to do that, something else gets kicked further into the long grass.

[rovex]

So just to be clear, when do we start wish listing.

Though to be honest I've rather lost interest in the annual frothfest I do like to see others suggestions.

[Mr chapman]

There are a few items I am amazed Hornby haven't produced.

 

After tooling up a brand new schools class they have never produced an olive version with smoke detectors. Dover in the railroad range has been the only version. Crazy.

 

A golden arrow train pack with either a class 71 or original merchant navy. Both flagship models and a set they like to remake. Although this has coincided with the disappearance of Pullman's in general. I'm convinced it's so they can change the colours to match the TT:120 models and not clash with older stock on shelves. 

 

An olive green Adams radial. Mind boggling. I do not accept it's a duplicate thing with Oxford as they have matched every other livery and produce the matching coaches. They do olive green so we'll and I'm sure it's one of the more popular liveries. 

 

And going back to the schools class, having introduced a lord nelson into the range it's very odd that they wouldn't capitalise on it and release a schools class with a nelson tender. Different enough that if you already had a schools people would buy it. 

[Adi]

Gwr streamlined King and Castle and great bear 

Saint class 

LMS stainer class 2 (0-4-4t)

Lms fury

LNER Retooled j39 

Raven a2

Sr w and z maybe a retool n class and lbscr e2

[phil-b259]

17 hours ago, Mr chapman said:

There are a few items I am amazed Hornby haven't produced.

 

After tooling up a brand new schools class they have never produced an olive version with smoke detectors. Dover in the railroad range has been the only version. Crazy.

 

And going back to the schools class, having introduced a lord nelson into the range it's very odd that they wouldn't capitalise on it and release a schools class with a nelson tender. Different enough that if you already had a schools people would buy it. 

 

To those observations you can add only ever releasing a King Arthur with a Watercart tender as part of the 'Waterman Collection' in BR livery and not doing a Southern / Olive one....

[Dunsignalling]

18 hours ago, Mr chapman said:

There are a few items I am amazed Hornby haven't produced.

 

After tooling up a brand new schools class they have never produced an olive version with smoke detectors. Dover in the railroad range has been the only version. Crazy.

 

A golden arrow train pack with either a class 71 or original merchant navy. Both flagship models and a set they like to remake. Although this has coincided with the disappearance of Pullman's in general. I'm convinced it's so they can change the colours to match the TT:120 models and not clash with older stock on shelves. 

 

An olive green Adams radial. Mind boggling. I do not accept it's a duplicate thing with Oxford as they have matched every other livery and produce the matching coaches. They do olive green so we'll and I'm sure it's one of the more popular liveries. 

 

And going back to the schools class, having introduced a lord nelson into the range it's very odd that they wouldn't capitalise on it and release a schools class with a nelson tender. Different enough that if you already had a schools people would buy it. 

I'd very much buy both possible locos, even though the tender swaps happened quite late in their service. One had the original chimney and the other a Lemaitre.

 

However, there are quite a few other examples of Hornby inexplicably ignoring "easy wins" like that over many years.  Most glaring, perhaps, are all the "uncovered" examples of both original and rebuilt MNs that would become possible for the cost of tooling two or three new tender bodies (they already have the necessary underframes).

 

Neither have they ever done any of the numerous wide-cab (non-rebuilt) Light Pacifics that lost their 5500g tenders to rebuilt locos, gaining cut-down 4500g examples in exchange. They did release 'City of Wells' with the high-sided 4500g one it received early in the rebuilding programme, though that was a far less common combination.   

 

Another omission from Hornby's Adams Radial portfolio is 30584 in her unique early-BR livery of unlined black with a very small BRITISH RAILWAYS on the tank-sides.

 

No doubt there are similar examples of "new" model opportunities, for little or no investment cost, right across the range. 

 

John

 

PS: What Phil said, too!

 

Edited December 19, 2023 by Dunsignalling

[RyanN91]

Oh can we wishlist now? 😅

I have already written down in my option a very interesting wishlist! It is only lenghty because of the lengthy details of each item from wishlist. But I think I'll wait and leave it for now....!

 

We all know Andy doesn't like them until December.

 

We also now know that he also doesn't go too much either on Advent Calendars that just have a picture inside! ( I still cant believe that they were once sold without milk chocolates inside them!) 

 

Well I also think that with the backlog of outstanding releases dating back to 2020. Perhaps there isn't one this year as because we all want this "catch up year" of 2023 sorted first? 

[Hroth]

The Advent Calendar that Hornby wished on us this year has turned out to be a maze of social sites with no linking theme. Following it in previous years was a bit of fun.  Chocolate based calendars seem to be the way to go next year!  And I remember the "guess the picture behind the door" ones too.  Life was simple back then.

 

As for what next year will bring, we've been very good so far in not building up a head of froth. Perhaps we should try to keep a lid on it until at least Boxing Day? 🤣

 

 

[Standards_in_OO]

I’m prepared to hold in what I would like to see/what I think there might be but only for a few more days! 

[Steamport Southport]

55 minutes ago, RyanN91 said:

Oh can we wishlist now? 😅

I have already written down in my option a very interesting wishlist! It is only lenghty because of the lengthy details of each item from wishlist. But I think I'll wait and leave it for now....!

 

We all know Andy doesn't like them until December.

 

We also now know that he also doesn't go too much either on Advent Calendars that just have a picture inside! ( I still cant believe that they were once sold without milk chocolates inside them!) 

 

Well I also think that with the backlog of outstanding releases dating back to 2020. Perhaps there isn't one this year as because we all want this "catch up year" of 2023 sorted first? 

 

I can't think of anything dating back to 2020 that hasn't been released. You must have missed them!

 

 

 

Likewise 2021. All have arrived. The R&H diesels are just hitting the shops and were the last outstanding models AFAIK.

 

https://www.world-of-railways.co.uk/news/Hornby-reveals-new-locomotives-for-2021-range/

 

 

 

Jason

[AY Mod]

1 hour ago, RyanN91 said:

We all know Andy doesn't like them until December.

 

Even then he likes them as much as sardine-flavoured ice cream.

[Fair Oak Junction]

4 minutes ago, Steamport Southport said:

I can't think of anything dating back to 2020 that hasn't been released. You must have missed them!

 

R3862, SR, Lord Nelson Class, 4-6-0, 864 'Sir Martin Frobisher' - Era 3

Estimated release date when announced in 2020: July 2020

Current estimated release date: Apr/May 2024

And it's not like this is a new tooled item, it's just a new livery.

[Dunsignalling]

Not wish-listing, though I would buy at least one if it emerged.

 

IIRC, when Hornby first announced their SR S15, there was a fairly strong hint of an intention to produce both the Maunsell and Urie versions.

 

Now that the unsold "overhang" of the former seems to have cleared (neither Hornby or Hatton's are listing them, at least) I wonder if a Urie S15 might at last be somewhere in the plan.

 

I reckon at least one more air-smoothed MN is likely, but whether any will diverge far enough from the specifications of previous releases to appeal to me, remains to be seen. Drifting (a bit) into wish-listing, 35001, 35011 or 35021 with cut-down tenders (as running from 1956, '57 and '54 respectively, until rebuilding) would be ideal.

 

John

Edited December 19, 2023 by Dunsignalling

[Hroth]

8 minutes ago, AY Mod said:

 

Even then he likes them as much as sardine-flavoured ice cream.

 

Ewwwww....

 

Did you see the prog about the Aldi Xmas preparations last night (I didn't), the trail mentioned "Pigs in Blankets" flavoured ice cream.  Presumably that didn't happen!

 

[DutyDruid]

1 minute ago, Hroth said:

Did you see the prog about the Aldi Xmas preparations last night (I didn't), the trail mentioned "Pigs in Blankets" flavoured ice cream.  Presumably that didn't happen!

That's nothing, until you've tried Christmas Pudding flavoured crisps you haven't lived...

[Legend]

20 hours ago, rovex said:

So just to be clear, when do we start wish listing.

Though to be honest I've rather lost interest in the annual frothfest I do like to see others suggestions.

it’s kind of difficult now . 10-15 years ago there were some mainstream locos that needed a model, but most of these have been done . Really no idea what Hornby will announce . As it’s probably the last year of Simon Kohlers influence , models coming to market originating under his tenure , there may be some big steam engines and very little BR Blue !  Still exciting to see what’s proposed on the day , but find little excitement on the build up 

[Black 5 Bear]

71000 Duke of Gloucester in full fat Hornby Dublo has got to be a serious contender at some stage?

[The Stationmaster]

On 19/12/2023 at 15:31, Legend said:

it’s kind of difficult now . 10-15 years ago there were some mainstream locos that needed a model, but most of these have been done . Really no idea what Hornby will announce . As it’s probably the last year of Simon Kohlers influence , models coming to market originating under his tenure , there may be some big steam engines and very little BR Blue !  Still exciting to see what’s proposed on the day , but find little excitement on the build up 

I doubt if any hi-fi announcements are likely to exceed in number a loco and wagon or two, possibly a coach or two (powered or otherwise?).   Don't forget that we are now looking at a succession of announcement dates over the course of the year.  While that - hopefully - will allow things to reach a more advanced state before announcement it also might mean that things need to be spread out in order to keep some 'excit?ment and anticipation' alive for each date.  Plus, no doubt, some TT120 might now be included in the overall plan?

.

In addition while the new Brand Manager won't have been in post long enough to see much in the way of complex new models appearing in January he will presumably have been there long enough to be able to review various plans made under the old regime and that too might affect what is available to be announced.?  I might be surprised in january but equally I'm definitely not expecting anything like the number of new announcements made in recent years 

[Hroth]

42 minutes ago, Black 5 Bear said:

71000 Duke of Gloucester in full fat Hornby Dublo has got to be a serious contender at some stage?

 

I've got three of the things* (Railroad, TTS and Train pack), I don't need another, not that I would buy an over inflated faux "Hornby Dublo" offering anyway....

 

* I still haven't decided on names for the other two, can't have 3 DoGs running about and bumping into each other!

 

[Hilux5972]

A full fat 71000 would be great to see. 

[ted633]

I'm going with the same prediction as last year, seeing as they still haven't been delivered.

 

VEPs in Connex and NSE livery. 

[AY Mod]

2 hours ago, Hroth said:

* I still haven't decided on names for the other two,

 

Duke of York and Duke of Sussex; they just stay in the shed, don't do any work and moan about the cost of repairs.

[rovex]

2 hours ago, Hroth said:

 

* I still haven't decided on names for the other two, can't have 3 DoGs running about and bumping into each other!

 

Duke of Clarence comes with its own vat of malmsey wine

[Black 5 Bear]

2 hours ago, Hroth said:

 

I've got three of the things* (Railroad, TTS and Train pack), I don't need another, not that I would buy an over inflated faux "Hornby Dublo" offering anyway....

 

* I still haven't decided on names for the other two, can't have 3 DoGs running about and bumping into each other!

 

But can you seriously compare a design clever version with all it's compromises to a retooled HD model?