Hornby's 2013 Announcements

[Andy Y]

 

The full list of products for 2013 is listed on the MRL website https://www.model-railways-live.co.uk/ but this topic aims to digest some of the story behind this year's announcements and to enable comment and debate of the news.

 

Once again a full and varied range of new announcements are made but there's more to it than just headlines of new locos and rolling stock but we'll get that out of the way first of all.

 

 

• 4 New Steam locomotives - GWR Star, GWR Hall, LNER P2 and Standard Class 8 'Duke of Gloucester'

• 2 New MI Locomotive/EMU - 2-BIL and 4wDM Sentinel Shunter

• 3 New wagons - BR 12T fish wagon, LMS CCT and GWR Shunters' Truck

• New Railroad Mk1 coaches

• New DCC peripherals and applications

 

 

The supply chain

 

Whilst many are aware of the supply chain issues that Hornby has been having which has meant unfortunate delays to some of their previously announced releases they haven't continued to suffer compounding delays as new production facilities have been sought and development has been underway for a while on new products in parallel with continuing to progress those previously announced items. Evidence of this comes in the form of the 2-BIL headlined above which is ready to go on sale imminently! The business continues to develop the relationships with new manufacturing facilities which means some products may appear from new factories before products arrive from existing suppliers.

 

 

The second batch of Bi-Lavatory semi-fast units which the model depicts were introduced in 1936 by the Southern for the Waterloo to Portsmouth and Alton services becoming more widespread in their use to secondary routes as more modern units were introcuced lasting through to the early 1970s and the blue corporate image era. Unit 2080 is preserved and is currently in the care of Locomotion at Shildon and this will be the subject of an NRM Special Edition.

 

 

Southern Railway livery

 

 

 

•Code: R3161/X

•RRP £123.99 DCC Ready: £141.99 DCC Fitted

•Availability: First Quarter

 

BR(S) livery

 

 

•Code: R3162/X

•RRP £123.99 DCC Ready

•Availability: First Quarter

 

 

NRM Special Edition

 

 

R3177, Price & Availability TBC

 

Testing of the final pre-production model showed it to the same high standard of the recent Maunsell pull-push set with excellent slow-speed performance from its weighty drive unit, this unit is manufactured to Hornby's new 'design clever' principles covered below.

 

Design clever & competitive pricing

 

Hornby has over the last decade or so established a reputation for a number of highly detailed products at the top end of its range. Many of these details have been separately tooled, manufactured and assembled components which have added appreciably to the cost of producing such detailed items. There is a recognition that costs and selling prices would further rise as costs in China increase at ever greater rates and a way to minimise the impacts of these costs has been sought. Advances in tooling and manufacture now allow a factory to produce more detail as part of the basic model rather than being fitted afterwards. Hornby have recently used this approach in their Maunsell pull-push sets and are extending its usage to the new releases. It wouldn't be economical to re-tool existing releases so we will have a period of time where newer releases appear to be better value for money than some of the existing separately detailed lines which may give rise to questions until buyers understand that the range changed a little from this point in time.

 

To illustrate this the following images show separately fitted detail on Maunsell coaches compared to the moulded-on detail of the forthcoming 2-BIL.

 

 

This is particularly important in the case of the amount of external detail fitted to the Britannia compared to the moulded-on detail of the forthcoming Duke of Gloucester.

 

 

This approach allows Hornby to adopt a two-tier approach to the models and the detail. Using the Duke of Gloucester as an example there will be a Railroad product and a main range product. The Railroad product will have cut-down livery detail and no separate parts supplied with an RRP of £82.99 (R3168) whereas the main range product will have fitted glazing, etched nameplates and an additional detail pack with an RRP of £119.99 (R3191). This approach should satisfy the spectrum of modellers from those who want robust value and those who want finer detail at a slightly higher price. It also allows Hornby to satisfy distinctly different market sectors with fundamentally the same product; an approach which successfully began with their Tornado model.

 

 

Similarly the other steam locos anounced will all come with 3-pole motors with a flywheel but a similar distinction between the Railroad and main range models.

 

LNER “Cock O’the North”, Class P2

 

 

Main range

•Code: R3207

•RRP £122.99

•Availability: Fourth Quarter

 

Railroad

•Code: R3171

•RRP £82.99

•Availability: Fourth Quarter

 

 

GW Hall Class

 

 

Main range

•BR “Rood Ashton Hall” Hall Class

•Code: R3206

•RRP £122.99

•Availability: Fourth Quarter

 

Railroad models

GWR Adderley Hall

•Code: R3170

•RRP £82.99

•Availability: Fourth Quarter

 

•GWR “Olton Hall” Hall aka “Hogwarts Castle”

•Code: R3169

•RRP £82.99

•Availability: Fourth Quarter

 

GW Star Class

 

The exception at present to the two-tier level of detailing is the newly announced GWR Star Class which will sit in the main range rather than both.

 

GWR “Knight of the Grand Cross” 4000 (Star) Class - DCC Fitted - 3500 gallon tender

 

Code: R3166/X

RRP £134.99

Availability: Second Quarter

 

BR “Glastonbury Abbey” 4000 (Star) Class - DCC Fitted - 4000 gallon Collett tender

 

Code: R3167/X

RRP £134.99

Availability: Second Quarter

 

GWR “Lode Star” 4000 (Star) Class - Steam Museum Swindon Exclusive Edition - DCC Fitted - 3500 gallon tender

 

Code: R3165

RRP £134.99

Availability: Second Quarter

 

 

4wDM Sentinel Industrial shunter

 

Hornby have a good stronghold in the big green named engine department so it's a pleasing surprise, for me, to see something far removed from this in the form of the 4wDM Sentinel industrial shunter manufactured from 1963 onwards in private-owner liveries and priced at an RRP of £55.99 with availability in the second quarter of 2013.

 

 

 

Railroad no longer seems to be just about old models.

 

 

Aside from the two-tier approach on the models covered above it's interesting to note that there is a new tooling for BR Mark 1 coaches to produce models for the Railroad range. To quote Hornby's own briefing:

 

 

The Hornby RailRoad Mk1 coaches are totally new tooling employing the “design clever” technique which makes full use of ease of assembly and production, thus providing a well designed coach competitively priced. Hornby’s original Mk1 coaches were first tooled in the early 60s. These new derivatives open up new opportunities for the future.

The existing Mark 1 coaches directly trace their heritage back 50 years so it will be interested to see what levels of detail and decoration are included upon the new coaches which are priced at an RRP of £19.99 and available in the 3rd quarter of 2013. The three coaches will be Composite – CK, Brake Second – BSK, Corridor 2nd Class - SK in BR maroon and BR(W) Chocolate and Cream.

 

 

New wagons

 

Hornby continues to develop new detailed wagons for the main range with introductions in 2013 for the following

 

GWR/BR Shunter's Truck

 

 

 

GWR Shunters Truck (2 variants) Acton & Gloucester

BR Shunters Truck (2 variants) Reading Central & Park Royal

 

 

Code: GWR: R6642/A; BR R6643/A

RRP £13.49

Availability: Third Quarter

 

 

New Tooling: The Hornby model is that of a type 4 truck as seen in the Steam Museum at Swindon.

 

 

 

 

BR 12 Ton Fish Van (Blue Spot)

 

 

 

BR 12 Ton Fish Van (2 variants)

BR 12 Ton Fish Van (Triple Pack)

BR 12 Ton Parcels Van SPV

 

 

Code: Comp: R6638/A; 3 Pack R6624; Parcels van R6639

RRP Solo: £16.49; 3 Pack £48.49, Parcels van £16.49

Availability: Third Quarter

 

 

 

New Tooling: The Hornby model will be produced as two solo units as well as a three pack. The BR 12 Ton SPV Parcels Van will also be available as a solo item only.

 

 

LMS/BR Parcels Van CCT

 

 

 

LMS Parcels Van (2 variants)

BR Parcels Van (2 variants) Maroon

 

New Tooling: The Hornby model is of a 4 wheel CCT van. Ideal for any LMS layout as well as BR steam and early diesel.

 

Code: LMS: R6640/A; BR R6641/A

RRP £18.99

Availability: Fourth Quarter

 

Special editions

 

Great Gathering

 

Hornby regularly identify anniversaries that are likely to stimulate interest in products and 2013 is no different. The major event of the summer will be the gathering of all six preserved A4s at the National Railway Museum. In recognition of this fact Hornby are producing a limited edition of 500 of each loco.

 

 

 

LNER “Mallard”, A4 Class (NRM) - R3197

 

BR “Dominion of Canada” A4 Class (As Preserved at the Canadian Railway Museum) - R3198

 

BR “Union of South Africa” A4 Class (As Preserved. Privately owned) - R3199

 

LNER “Bittern” A4 Class (As Preserved currently. Privately owned) - R3200

 

BR “Dwight D. Eisenhower” A4 Class (As Preserved at the National Railroad Museum, USA) - R3201

 

LNER “Sir Nigel Gresley” A4 Class (As Preserved by the Sir Nigel Gresley Preservation Society) - R3202

 

All locos will be priced at £169.99, each loco will include a 'Display case Voucher' and if all six are collected the owner can redeem the voucher for a wooden glazed display case.

 

 

 

 

BR “Tornado” Peppercorn Class A1 (Circa 2013)Special Edition

 

 

To mark Tornado's new experimental blue livery there will a Special Edition with full decoration.

 

 

3 pole motor with fly wheel. Etched nameplates plus extensive livery enhancements. DCC Ready.

 

Code: R3206

RRP £122.99

Availability: Second Quarter

 

 

Flying Scotsman - 50 years in preservation

 

 

 

BR “Flying Scotsman” Class A3 (Circa 1963)Special Edition

 

Locomotive DCC Ready . 5 pole skew wound motor. Extensive exterior and cab detail. Sprung buffers. Special Edition NRM packaging format. Pack celebrating 50 years of Private Ownership. Locomotive heavily weathered.

 

Code: R3202

RRP £154.99

Availability: Third Quarter

 

 

 

LNER “Mallard” 75th Anniversary of World Speed Record Limited Edition

 

 

Exclusive to concessions e.g. Modelzone, Hamleys etc

 

Locomotive in LNER Garter Blue as preserved. Model includes Limited Edition certificate. 1000 produced. 5 pole motor, sprung buffers.

 

Code: R3173

RRP £99.99

Availability: Third Quarter

 

 

 

The Titfield Thunderbolt - 60th Anniversary

 

 

Pack contains: BR Cl. 14xx 0-4-2 loco, Lowmac with carriage body, “Toad” Brake Van, Poster, DVD of “The Titfield Thunderbolt.”. LE Certificate 1000

 

Code: R3186

RRP £123.99

Availability: Third Quarter

 

 

Popular liveries

 

Amongst the new livery options for locos there are some which I think will please specific sectors of the modelling community following repeated calls to produce significant liveries associated with a type.

 

Class 31 with headcode box - BR green with small yellow panel

 

 

Class 56 in BR blue large logo

 

 

Brighton Belle in 1960s guise with small yellow warning panel

 

 

 

 

Hornby looks at the way we communicate and the tools we now have at our disposal.

 

 

Hornby's Railmaster has been their computer control system which works through an Elite Controller to the layout but new functionality will be made available to use smart phones and tablets to control your railway if the computer is connected to a router with wi-fi capabilities.

 

 

 

 

A beta version of the app is now available for free download via the Hornby website, the final version should be completed in January.

 

Additionally they will be producing a headset for voice-controlling the railway for the operation of locos and accessories.

 

 

 

 

e-link

 

A significant development is the introduction of e-link

 

 

To use Railmaster it was previously necessary to have a Hornby Elite controller sitting between the computer and the railway, the e-Link will remove that necessity and acts as a 'router' between the Railmaster software and the layout.

 

Features:

 

Connects between PC & layout

Internet activation required, does not require internet access therafter

Capable of allocating 9999 locomotives

Controls in excess of 2000 points / accessories

Read and write CVs on Programming Track

Harnesses all the benefits of RailMaster control

Voice control & Smart ‘enabled.

 

 

Pack will include RailMaster and 1amp transformer. Includes e-Link, RailMaster , 1amp transformer

 

Code: R8312

RRP £84.99

Availability: First Quarter

 

Add the e-Link and the smartphone app together with Railmaster and a sensibly priced 21st century control system is now possible for users.

 

Opinion

 

2013 appears to be a year of significant transformation where their recognition of supply chain issues and increasing costs is evident through the manufacturing choices being made. Continued intent to increase the range remains intact and there's also demonstration that both the 'toy' and 'modeller' ends of the spectrum are of importance and that investment in both is evident in conjunction with embracing technology and use of communication tools to stimulate interest in hi-tech approaches. For me it's a watershed moment in very much the same vein as the announcement of the Merchant Navy, manufactured in China, heralded an era of improved standards. It seems intelligent maximisation of investment in the future; 2013 will still be a difficult year in the supply chain as partnerships develop but there is light at the other end of the R576.

 

Hornby's presentation ends with these words which show an intent for how things will be: "making the right product at the right time at the right price!"

 

Thank you to Simon Kohler and the Hornby team for their help in providing the information ahead of the time of the announcement so it could be digested to produce the above and I'd like to end the post with some words from Simon himself:

 

 

 

 

Dear RMweb Members,

 

By now you will have seen what new models and hopefully delights Hornby will be producing during 2013. There are some obvious favourites and some that may cause you to scratch your head and ask why? If that is the case please do not sit and wonder, ask the question and I will do my best to answer you. One thing I would like to stress is that there will be some who no doubt will say, “There is nothing there for me!”, well if that is the case then let me know what you would like to see or what you feel we should be producing. Those of you I have met at the various shows know that I am always keen to listen to ideas and suggestions so please do not be shy, let me know. As I have said on more than one occasion, we do not decide what is in the Hornby range, the modeller does so please here is your chance. Over the next few weeks I shall be finalising the 2014 Hornby range so please do not delay.

 

2012 has been quite a challenging one for all of us but I have every faith that 2013 will be a great year for the model railways of Hornby and I would like to thank all who have supported me during the year with their words of encouragement and advice. It is much appreciated.

 

Finally, may I wish each and every one of you a truly wonderful Christmas and a joyous New Year.

A pdf copy (11Mb) of the product slides in the presentation showing all items including wagon liveries, Skaledale, train sets etc can be found here - http://www.rmweb.co....ements_2013.pdf

[Andy Y]

Please note irrelevant 'nothing in there for me' type posts will just get deleted in due course.

[Andy Y]

Bump as the announcements are now out on Hornby's own site.

[will5210]

A P2!!!

 

Delighted doesn't even begin to cover it

[cromptonnut]

Interesting move for the little industrial shunter - be interesting to see how that is received.

[steveb860]

Finally, a large logo Class 56. Nice one Hornby. Sure this will sell well.

[Simon Moore]

I think Hornby have done a great range there i am so happy about the Duke of Gloucester which is my favourite loco & this is something i will be buying along with some of the preserved A4's

 

I think the email to Rmweb member is a nice touch to & shows they listen to what we say & that we get an input into what is made. The southern 2 bil is a beautiful looking model & if i was a southern region modeller i would feel very happy with yet another great addition.

 

Simon

[tetsudofan]

"Gobsmacked" is the only word I can think of at the moment.....

 

The pension fund will certainly be raided next year. Where's the number of my wealth advisor?

 

Mr. Kohler must have a big smile on his face today. Fantastic list of new announcements.

 

Keith

[Fat Controller]

Glad to see the Insulfish seems to be of the BR design, and not the LNER one covered by Parkside and Hornby/Wrenn. The Sentinel looks nice as well. The Reverend will like the 2-BIL, though quite how he'll justify it running to Twll-du, I don't know...

[trisonic]

After all the HooHa it looks like there is something for most tastes. Nice spread.

 

I love the P2 - I can't use one but it would look beautiful in my Studio alongside Dwight D. Eisenhower (for the US connection).

 

Thanks, Mr. Kohler - as you asked, more 0-6-0's please! A J15 would be nice........

 

Best, Pete.

[James]

The highlight for me is definately the Sentinal diesel! Fantastic to see an accurate and non-mainline industrial being produced!

['CHARD]

LMS/ BR CCT - fantastic!

12T Blue Spot fish van - fantastic!

 

MkI Coaches using Design-Clever - very interesting. Titfield, lovely idea.

 

 

DoG and P2 at the very least must reassure the sceptics about the Red Team's long trem commitment to this market. Excellent news all round. Chuffed to bits!

[wrex]

Fantastic list, 2-bil and P2 for sure, maybe railroad on the latter as the Tornado was impressive.

[Godders]

This is certainly a very pleasant surprise(s).

10/10 for effort and innovation, they deserve to do well

 

All the best

 

Godders

[phil gollin]

.

 

I think it was very "naughty" of you to break the embargo by releasing the info "early"

 

First, I REALLY hope that Hornby make money on ALL these items

 

Second, the 2-BIL is looks lovely and will be my choice (the CCT a runner up).

 

Third, the P2 and Duke of Gloucester are "brave" choices.

 

Fourth - good luck to the rest.

 

Fifth, and last, can anyone explain what we are to expect from the Railroad Mark 1's ?????????????

 

--------------------

 

P.S. HOORAY a beautiful looking 2-BIL !!!

 

.

[Obi-Jiff Kenobi]

My shopping list grows exponentially! Put me down for a BR 2-BIL, 1960s Brighton Belle, shirtbutton Star, Cock o' the North, Dominion of Canada, Bittern, GWR shunters' truck, some fish vans, and maybe some Mk1 coaches. Now to put in for some overtime!

[coachmann]

'Cock 'O The North', and about tme too. Okay, so its a short-lived loco in its original form (before getting and A4 style front end), but its the loco everyone recognises. Whether it will fill Hornby's pockets or not, we will have to see. I'd have gone for the Thompson version but there we are.....A lot of other locos are selling well that are not what one saw in ones back garden.

 

Star........Good-ho, one I guessed correctly.

 

LMS CCT ....great news. The kits will stay in the drawer now!

 

With rumours of a high wage hike imminent in China,I wonder how many of these new releases will hit their projected price target. Many of us were hoping for small black run-of-the-mill 0-6-0s....Maybe their day will come if manufacturers are forced into making smaller locos to fit prices customers are prepared to pay.

[RedgateModels]

Be interesting to see if they do all three tender variants for the Duke, firebox pipework looks good so far, they've got the extra pipe for the coal pusher there for a start

 

So, Mr Chetter, get thee forth with thy recorder

[2ManySpams]

Hopefully this little lot will keep the NE brigade happy and perhaps they might even admit they have done rather well (again)!

 

Very pleased to see the delayed T9 30313 appear - it's the last one for the NCR collection.

 

Love the BIL - will be tough not accidentally getting one of those.

 

Pity some folk felt the need to break the embargo and publish information just to satisfy their own egos....

[Andy Y]

Fifth, and last, can anyone explain what we are to expect from the Railroad Mark 1's ?????????????

 

No; no-one will have seen anything yet so anything would be supposition. We'll have to wait and see but it could be very interesting.

 

Please note before anyone accuses me of publishing anything early it had already gone out from Hornby.

[Ian J.]

Can someone explain to me how Design Clever (with its moulded on pipework and vents) differs from the way Triang and Lima used to design models in the 60s, 70s and 80s?

[DavidR]

A 'Star' : fantastic!

[CullingworthGNR]

The split between Railroad and more detailed models is a real winner as far as I'm concerned - I couldn't believe some of those RRPs when I saw them. The small number of reliveries should at least allow them to catch up on the 2012 programme.

 

The industrial shunter is of particular interest to me, and I might also indulge in a Duke as well. Thanks Simon for a great 2013 range.

[Piemanlarger]

Sentinel shunter, as a small boy used to ride home (even drive) from school on this so 100% this will be my no1 purchase of any 2013 range, its like Xmas!

[The Stationmaster]

Well I knew they'd do a 2BIL one day - what can I speculate for next year?

 

Overall the steam loco choices seem to be very 'poll result' led and it will be interesting to see how some of them fare commercially, especially the P2 and the 'Hall' with the latter being directly up against the Bachmann example (and this being something of a puzzle as far as I'm concerned although Hornby did one, badly, years ago of course).

 

Best for me (if I'm allowed to say so) are the GW Shunter's truck (as long as it is as good as the pics promise) and the LMS CCT. And no doubt I shall be buying the 'Steam' version of the 'Star' although the boiler looks a little big in the pics above - best way to tell is with a head-on view.