Hornby's 2013 Announcements

[Oldddudders]

My local model shop has stacks of Bachmann Blue Pullmans sitting on the shelves.

Are they the custard-ended version, by any chance?

[southernelectric]

I didn't start to take and interest in that strange railway South of the Thames until I became a SR commuter into Waterloo in 1972.

 

Surely you mean to say that wonderful railway south of the Thames? Well it was before they did away with all the slam-door stock (IMHO).

 

And 1972 would have been a GREAT time to be commuting into Waterloo on the Southern, all that blue and blue/grey slam-door stock! A little before my time though, sadly.

[southernelectric]

Are they the custard-ended version, by any chance?

 

Didn't notice tbh, I'm due to pop in there before Xmas so I'll take a closer look then.

[NHY 581]

Overall I think Hornby is drawing breath. I am happy with their program for next year. The LSWR M7 is a nice touch as is Braunton

 

Now then, 2014.

 

How about a '700' class 0.6.0 to add to the LSWR locos already in the range. An Adams Radial would be fantastic. An iconic loco.

Both would lend them selves to a variety of liveries and, I would venture, be very popular.

 

How about an up to date GWR Autocoach with a revamped 1400 to go with it or a new pannier, say a 6400?

[Anglian]

Which model is being offered in LSWR livery?

[mow]

Don't forget the GT3 (which always seems to get overlooked in polls) and would I be right in thinking there's an occasional plea for a F*ll from some quarters?

 

What the F....'ell is that?

[Butler Henderson]

Which model is being offered in LSWR livery?

The M7 R3204 through the NRM

 

I had hoped that the inclusion of black T9 R3108 on the June page of the Hornby/BRM calendar indicate that it was at last forthcoming. We shall see....or not.

Pity Hornbys web site does not include it anywhere otherthan on the list of 2012 cancellations.

 

Looking at the catalogue numbers as Hornby allocate each years consectutively so then ignoring reused ones with a suffix letter all of this years new new locos are R3160 upwards. The oddity is 28xx R3106 which is one of last years numbers but never seemed to appear IIRC. Of this years its notable that 3163/4, 3175/6, 3193 and 3213 are missing from all the available listings when you combine them together although R3213 according to the calendar is the old GW 101 Holden in Southern green as 3102 with a brass dome.

[Oldddudders]

Pity Hornbys web site does not include it anywhere otherthan on the list of 2012 cancellations.

Is R3107 of any interest? Try page 10 here http://www.rmweb.co.uk/Hornby2013/Hornby_announcements_2013.pdf

[Forester]

I began the day feeling sad that yet again Hornby had overlooked the Original Merchant Navy in the 2013 range. After due consideration I've changed my mind.

 

Do I want a 3-pole driven, "Design Clever", Railroad-level-detail-plus-bits Merchant Navy? You know, on balance, I really think I'm happy to wait for Bachmann to scale up their N gauge drawings and come up with a fully-detailed state-of-the-art model at some time in the future.

 

I wonder if some of the P2 and DoG fans might end up wishing the same?

[Anglian]

Thanks for info on M7. I have the other LSWR one Hornby made. All these pre-group liveries are so tempting.

[The Stationmaster]

I didn't start to take and interest in that strange railway South of the Thames until I became a SR commuter into Waterloo in 1972.

 

That's the strange railway south of the Thames. The other railway which for much of its course runs south of the Thames had its main works c.11 miles south of the Thames adjacent to an ancient Saxon hilltop settlement which gradually grew to become the place we today know as Swindon.

 

Which brings us back to the Hornby 'Star' which according to some websites is available as either DCC Ready or DCC Fitted in the two versions which Hornby are selling through normal outlets. The Swindon 'Steam' version is definitely DCC Ready (only) and the price - just confirmed with the Museum - is £144.95 plus postage; the extra £10 is for their special box and certificates etc included with the loco and no doubt also helps with the museum's funds. Steam are already taking orders mine being No.15, a few minutes ago, but at present it is 'pay at time of order' although they might change that after 'Western Enterprise' arrives and has been despatched.

[Guest Belgian]

Here is the first picture of a pre-production DoG built using Hornby's wonderful Design Clever principles.

 

 

 

Very nice, my only concern is that they have got the wrong number on it - but I'm sure they will correct that before full production starts. Now, let's hope they do an Original Merchant Navy like that next year. With the new 'Design Clever' approach I'm sure they could use many parts from this beautiful DoG model.

 

JE

 

PS: I think I've seen another Hornby innovation with this model - speed whiskers or stripes behind the engine, so it looks as though it's going very fast even when standing still. Is this a new DCC feature?

[Combe Martin]

Not being an expert, I suspect the model of Braunton is a late addition as it's returning to the main line. Which version of tender does it have now, and is that a version Hornby already do?

 

Good point, and for a moment I thought too that maybe Hornby were producing Braunton in "as preserved" condition. But Braunton currently has a tender borrowed from Merchant Navy 35027 Port Line, which is much longer, and certainly isn't the cut down WC 4500 gallon tender shown on Hornby's web site picture. Also, the Braunton team are building the correct 5250 gallon rebodied tender which it ran with in BR days. (or should this be a 5500 gallon, there seems to be some confusion here).

 

Edit : I've just seen photos of the real Braunton dated November 2012, and it now has the correct rebodied tender.

[Sidecar Racer]

 

 

Which brings us back to the Hornby 'Star' which according to some websites is available as either DCC Ready or DCC Fitted in the two versions which Hornby are selling through normal outlets. The Swindon 'Steam' version is definitely DCC Ready (only) and the price - just confirmed with the Museum - is £144.95 plus postage; the extra £10 is for their special box and certificates etc included with the loco and no doubt also helps with the museum's funds. Steam are already taking orders mine being No.15, a few minutes ago, but at present it is 'pay at time of order' although they might change that after 'Western Enterprise' arrives and has been despatched.

 

 

And here lies the big question , this in the livery I'd prefer , or £108 + p&p from a well know shop for

one in a livery that I'm not quite so keen on ?

 

Brings us right back to how much are we prepared to pay for a model that meets all our needs as opposed to

one that is 'almost ' there .

 

Wheres that brick wall , I need to bang my head .

[45156]

Surely you mean to say that wonderful railway south of the Thames? Well it was before they did away with all the slam-door stock (IMHO).

 

And 1972 would have been a GREAT time to be commuting into Waterloo on the Southern, all that blue and blue/grey slam-door stock! A little before my time though, sadly.

It was indeed - but it was pre Blue and Grey actually - my main chariot to work was for a while the venerable steel blue 4 SUB on the Effingham/Dorking to Waterloo. When I moved to Croydon it was mainly Blue/Grey 4 EPB and 2EPB units. By the time I was showing an interest again in railways, the first generation EMUs (BIL/HAL/NOL/COR/PAN/PUL and Sheba SUB) were on their last legs and the only ones I actually saw were in Micheldever yard, and several other storage for scrapping locations.

 

Mike - the reference to the "strange" railway was what I meant by the SR as that was the one which was 3rd rail electric and therefore less familiar to me than the WR which at least was mainly at that stage loco hauled or "conventional" DMUs

[Combe Martin]

Do I want a 3-pole driven, "Design Clever", Railroad-level-detail-plus-bits Merchant Navy? You know, on balance, I really think I'm happy to wait for Bachmann to scale up their N gauge drawings and come up with a fully-detailed state-of-the-art model at some time in the future.

Well you'll get a 3-pole motor from Bachmann, whereas Hornby are using a flywheel too.

 

And, how many handrails are fitted to an unrebuilt Bullied pacific ?

[Metr0Land]

Has the site slowed down? 90 mins and no foaming on this thread?

[James]

I bet most people, if they weren't told, wouldn't even notice the difference between a modern 3 pole and a modern 5 pole motor in an RTR model.

 

Well you'll get a 3-pole motor from Bachmann, whereas Hornby are using a flywheel too.

 

I bet few people have noticed any lacking in Bachmann locos performance as a result - providing the motor and transmission are properly designed (thinking in terms of appropriate ratios) then it shouldn't really be an issue.

[Obi-Jiff Kenobi]

Has the site slowed down? 90 mins and no foaming on this thread?

I was beginning to wonder the same.

[Ozexpatriate]

Which brings us back to the Hornby 'Star' which according to some websites is available as either DCC Ready or DCC Fitted in the two versions which Hornby are selling through normal outlets. The Swindon 'Steam' version is definitely DCC Ready (only) and the price - just confirmed with the Museum - is £144.95 plus postage; the extra £10 is for their special box and certificates etc included with the loco and no doubt also helps with the museum's funds.

And here lies the big question , this in the livery I'd prefer , or £108 + p&p from a well know shop for

one in a livery that I'm not quite so keen on ?

 

Brings us right back to how much are we prepared to pay for a model that meets all our needs as opposed to

one that is 'almost ' there .

 

Wheres that brick wall , I need to bang my head .

Easy choice for me. I'm delighted to help the museum. I look at the extra cost as a donation to a worthy cause. From Pat Hammond's description on MREmag, it sounds like the Steam Museum had 'dibs' on first choice of livery and they have chosen the livery that I think best suits the Star, (or at least the one I wanted). It seems fair that Hornby did not produce a cheaper early Collett livery that would compete with the museum. Perhaps next year? (Hopefully?)

 

And the needs of BR(W) modellers and those 1930s roundel diehards are met by Hornby.

 

The Swindon 'Steam' version is definitely DCC Ready (only)

Mike, Thanks for that!

[MartinWales]

As a slight diversion to the loco talk, the high points for me was the announcement of the Fish Van and ex LMS CCT.

 

Eagerly awaited in the Wales household!

[ThaneofFife]

Has the site slowed down? 90 mins and no foaming on this thread?

 

why not add your own bit of bubble bath if the 90 minute silence was bothering you so much

 

email sent to SK with some ideas so the reply is awaited as he seems to have replied to many here which I didnt expect he'd have time for.

['CHARD]

As a slight diversion to the loco talk, the high points for me was the announcement of the Fish Van and ex LMS CCT.

 

Eagerly awaited in the Wales household!

 

Hear! Hear! The stand-outs here too. Modest and unremarkable, but required in some numbers, and I'm confident the rendition of these will be impressive. Great news!

[rovex]

I do hope Hornby haven't abandoned the idea of producing suburban stock for the LMS and GWR (which I know presupposes that they ever had the intention). All the reports are that the various LNER coaches flew off the shelves.

 

Even "design clever" versions would be better than the current 1970's airfix originals that Western and Midland fans have available to us.

[Rugd1022]

Difficult to keep up with this thread but some interesting views and coments from all corners, the more the merrier ;-)

 

I emailed SK yesterday (''GW Toplights and / or Collett stock please guvnor...'' ) and received a very nice reply at half past six this morning, so he was obviously up with the lark and getting to grips with various brickbats from this part of the ether - thankyou Simon, you are a gent!