Have Hornby hit an Iceberg?

[7013]

I don't mean with their finances but have they missed a trick with the 100th anniversary of the Titanic disaster. I must confess I have found it interesting how the event has been covered, and have seen various 'commemorative' items on sale. Usually I am not for gratuitous cashing in on disasters like this but there is an opportunity to mark the event with a purpose.

So the question is, have Hornby missed out on an event that is getting so much coverage? Well I believe they have as they have virtually everything in place to make a nice commemorative package.

Firstly, 35004 'Cunard White Star Line'. With an interchangeable fictitious nameplate 'White Star Line' plus three Pullman coaches fictitiously named 'Titanic' 'Brittanic' and 'Olympic'.

Next. A set of three extra Pullman coaches named 'Lusitania' 'Mauretania' and 'Carmania' for those who wish to run the 'Cunard' version.

Add to that an Airfix model of the Titanic and you have a nice package.

To top it off a decent hefty donation on every sale to the Maritime Disaster Fund, and make that the purpose of the commemoration.

So come on Hornby its not too late.

[Colin_McLeod]

[rodshaw]

That model is nearly small enough for T gauge!

[coachmann]

The real tragedy has been lost and It's just another spiv-fest to fill the plebs minds so that they'll buy the tat.

 

'Titanic', the ultimate movie-by-numbers has been given another number.....It's now 3-D.

[Barry Ten]

The real tragedy has been lost and It's just another spiv-fest to fill the plebs minds so that they'll buy the tat.

 

 

What are you on about? I've no idea.

[The Stationmaster]

What are you on about? I've no idea.

I'm afraid he's right. The 'commemorative' voyage by the 'Balnmoral' seems to be exactly that - I don't think the 'titanic' had hot tubs on the upper deck or loads of 'souvenirs' on sale. And it has become a major 'media event' in not necessarily poor taste but certainly one where - despite claims to the contrary - accuracy again seems to be taking a poor place behind hype and hyperbole.

 

Even t'The Radio Times' has come up trumps describing the 'Titanic' as 'a cruise liner' (which in itself is an oxymoron although nowadays a common usage).

[Edwin_m]

It's a bit late now - they would have had to make the decision a year or so back in order to produce the necessary models in time for the annversary this week. They probably decided the 2012 market for collectable limited editions / overpriced tat (delete according to prejudice) was saturated.

[Brinkly]

I remember building that model when I was about 10!

[Flood]

It's a bit like having a commemorative model of 46202 Princess Anne being released in 2052 (plus a railtour to Harrow).

[micklner]

It would go nicely with the horrendous Olympic junk in the same bin.

[DLT]

It's a bit like having a commemorative model of Princess Anne being released in 2052 (plus a railtour to Harrow).

But the real Princess Anne is still with us, regularly doing the rounds of opening hospitals, supporting charities etc. I wish she would do something with her hair though.......

[Horsetan]

But the real Princess Anne is still with us, regularly doing the rounds of opening hospitals, supporting charities etc. I wish she would do something with her hair though.......

 

"Naff off!"

[Colin_McLeod]

At least a Princess Anne (the locomotive) has some connection with the Harrow Accident. I don't see the link between trains and the Titanic sinking.

 

Unlike the 2012 Olympics that Hornby are cashing in on, Titanic is not a cause for celebration - more of a commemeration or rememberance.

 

Though perhaps a model ship called Olympic (White Star Line) would cover both occassions.

[micklner]

 

 

Though perhaps a model ship called Olympic (White Star Line) would cover both occassions.

 

 

Well at least the original one never sunk unlike Titanic and Britannic her sister ships .

[Ozexpatriate]

"Celebrating" the centenary of the Titanic sinking is morbid and ghoulish. No doubt it must have been a galvanizing event. Contemporaries probably remembered where they were and what they were doing when they heard the news. This event clearly had a much more lasting impression than many other tragic shipwrecks.

 

Having said all that, the latest CGI film reconstuction of the sinking is interesting.

 

I think Hornby PLC has taken a reasonable tone. The Airfix kit is vague about what anniversary it commemorates. Commemorating the maiden voyage (as opposed to the sinking) is less tacky.

 

There is no need for Hornby to offer a commemorative train and I'm glad they resisted any temptation to do so.

[bigd]

My mother called the little train that ran on the line past her local station, Great Houghton 'Titanic'. i suspect ironically.

I suspect that they were Hughes Steam Railmotors, which were introducted onto the Dearne Valley Line in 1912 (That year sounds familiar).

Perhaps Hornby are producing a RTR Hughes Steam Railmotor. Then I will not have to wait for the Falcon kit to be reintroduced!

[rodshaw]

I've never seen the attraction of commemorative editions of anything, I'd much rather have run-of-the-mill workaday trains.

[Bernard Lamb]

Somewhere near the North Pole a mummy iceberg is tucking her little ones into bed for the night, and telling them a story about their grandfather, who was a big brave iceberg who sank the biggest ship in the world.

 

Bernard

[Lady_Ava_Hay]

It is entirely possible that a goodly number of the passengers arrived in Southampton by rail. Perhaps some sort of research about that might be appropriate for us.

[DLT]

There is an article about boat-trains for the Titanic in the current "South Western Circular", the quarterley journal of the South Western Circle.

http://www.lswr.org/

Dave.

[Ron Ron Ron]

It is entirely possible that a goodly number of the passengers arrived in Southampton by rail. Perhaps some sort of research about that might be appropriate for us.

 

It was common practice for passengers to arrive at Southampton docks by train from London.

In the first of the 5 part BBC Radio 4 series "Ship of Dreams", direct reference is made to the boat trains arriving for the Titanic's maiden voyage.

2nd & 3rd class passengers arrived at Terminus at 9.30 am

1st class passengers arriving separately at 11.30 am.

[Lady_Ava_Hay]

It was common practice for passengers to arrive at Southampton docks by train from London.

In the first of the 5 part BBC Radio 4 series "Ship of Dreams", direct reference is made to the boat trains arriving for the Titanic's maiden voyage.

2nd & 3rd class passengers arrived at Terminus at 9.30 am

1st class passengers arriving separately at 11.30 am.

 

Thanks Ron.

 

i assume that the terminus was the one on the Eastern side of the docks close to what is now the marina. I believe that the single track which still crosses the road close to the marina was the approach line to this terminus. It is disused I think as it is entirely ungated or guarded from the road by lights or other signalling. Always spooky though as the rails remain shiny and the road is not that busy particularly at night.

 

Still some cobbles here if you look for them.

 

I wonder if any record exists of the loco and rolling stock that would have been used. It must have been quite a sight as upwards of a thousand souls were using this method perhaps?

[petethemole]

The line across Canute Road is still in use for trains of cars, imports and exports. No doubt someone on here knows what and when the movements are, I rarely see them despite working not far away. I'm not sure how often specials still run to connect with cruise ships in the Old Docks. It is protected by lights. If the tracks you refer to are in the marina area they are long disused however.

Pete

[Ron Ron Ron]

I assume that the terminus was the one on the Eastern side of the docks close to what is now the marina.

 

"Southampton Terminus" was the name of the former mainline station terminus, situated just across the road from the Eastern Docks; although to be more precise, at the time of the Titanic sailing it was known as "Southampton Town and Docks".

I'm not aware if the boat trains crossed into the docks at that time (before WW1), or terminated in the main station, but as there were many passenger liners sailing every week, most passengers arrived at the main station, often on regular services.

Passenger Boat trains running into the docks seems to have commonplace later on in the 1930's onwards, but I don't know about earlier times.

 

 

I believe that the single track which still crosses the road close to the marina was the approach line to this terminus. It is disused I think as it is entirely ungated or guarded from the road by lights or other signalling. Always spooky though as the rails remain shiny and the road is not that busy particularly at night.

 

Still some cobbles here if you look for them.

 

I wonder if any record exists of the loco and rolling stock that would have been used. It must have been quite a sight as upwards of a thousand souls were using this method perhaps?

 

As Pete says, the Canute Road crossing is still in use, but only a few times a week. Mostly the traffic is WIA car carriers (I've seen up to 45 car long WIA movements here - 9 sets of 5), but occasional boat train charters or steam excursions are run.

There are lights, but they also have at least one person stopping the traffic and giving the all clear to the loco driver.

 

The single track crossing is the last remnant of the various crossings along this short stretch of road.

Although layouts varied over time, there were 4 or 5 lines crossing the road in the past.

[petethemole]

I've just looked in Moody (Southampton's Railways) and apparently some boat trains were already operating into the docks before 1900 to connect with American Line sailings. Tickets were collected at Northam for the 2nd class train and at Waterloo for the 1st class train, which suggests that they by-passed the Town (Terminus) station and ran straight to the ships. Further research gives the Arrival time for the 1st class boat train for the Titanic as 11.30am for a 12 noon sailing. This must be dockside as there wouldn't be time to get passengers and luggage from the station to the ship.

Pete