Hornby's 2013 Announcements

[davidw]

There's a pre-prodduction Duke of Gloucester on Hornby's Face book page. To me it looks more passable than I thought.

 

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151201311613207.457639.176420418206&type=1

 

with thanks to SACMartin who posted the linke on the LNER forum. If V2's K1, A2/2 and A2/3 were built to that standard, I'd buy!

[2ManySpams]

Hopefully thats were the 'clever' bit comes in. Some things like roof vents and conduit lends itself to being molded, handrails (which stand clear of the body structure) do not. Again sprung buffers are not that essential for 99% of modelers (providing the molding is correct) but a molded on coupling hook or vac pipes will allways look wrong.

 

Lets wait and see. Certainly were 'clever design' that has been used so far hasn't meant a worse model - though thats no guarantee of the future of course

 

But the cones of the torpedo vents should stand clear of the roof - have a good look at the comparison images in Andy's original post. To me it looks like the design clever approach fills in the gap and takes it back to a Triang type finish. The vents are one of the few features on a roof - such a pity to spoil them.

 

As you say, lets see what comes out of the factory...

[Guest Max Stafford]

Some intelligent design on the P2; I hear the entire front end and leading drive axle can be unscrewed and replaced with a four wheel bogie...

 

D.

[Billystanier]

I'm in agreement with coachmann here. I've always felt the attention to detail on Hornby locos set them above there competitor. To possibly see this disappearing is a shame. Nobody really minded with Tornado. If you wanted super detail on 60163, you bought the Bachmann model. With a P2 or DoG this isn't possible.

 

I can't help but feel the exquisite detail on the likes of the B1 and L1 may become a thing of the past. On the other hand it's easy to forget we are a small section of the hobby that craves these details. It may mean we just have to do a bit of extra bit of modelling, which is what we are isn't it, modellers.

 

It would seem from the front cover of the Catalogue that DoG will have moulded handrails on the smoke deflectors, which will be very much a backward step in my opinion.

 

Perhaps Bachmann have already lined up their own version of Duke of Gloucester and will produce an all-singing, all dancing version.

[rope runner]

A Sentinel!

 

I'll get one for sure!

[switcher 1]

Nice Sentinel shunter, hopefully it will run at a realistic speed, otherwise it will be a disaster & missed opportunity.

 

As commented above, lots of micro industrial layouts next year.

[Fenman]

It does look to me like rather a slim year - although I haven't been able to see the whole range on Hornby's website yet

 

Er... then how do you know if it's a slim or fat year?!

 

Paul

[Anglian]

I agree, having seen these images of DoG I can't understand why moulded handrails are seen as being a good design move. I hated them 35 years ago…

[Coldgunner]

There goes my savings!

 

P2 and 71000 are a cert and that set of 6 A4's would look just lovely!

[black and decker boy]

Well the Judith Edge sentinel I have been furiously avoiding building may well be a cupboard filler forever now, just hope the Hornby one can be stretched out to 18mm to suit next layout project. LMS CCT is a good one though have a few Parkside kits built or nearly complete so will have to see but if its got NEM couplings then I can see us having one or two. A large logo 56 might just be had for bodyswap with my sound fitted 3TG grey version. 2BIL is not my scene but will see what it looks like in Blue in 2014 (not a wish list just logical progression) to go with my 2EPB, MLV and thumper unit.

 

Overall, a good programme of releases in my opinion.

[Multiple identity account 2]

Absolutely happy. Thought I didn't get what I want but there's others to stare at. BTW did the Sentinel shunter only work at quarries or have they ever seen hauling small trains on the mainlines? or even in a TMD? The 2BIL looks stunning - seems better than the Brighton Belle. And finally the Large logo blue Class 56.

[davidw]

I struggle with the A4's prices at £164. Okay I know special edition and all that but that's a bit steep! Even rail road @ £99.00

[Captain Kernow]

That's very decent of you to buy us a 1960s Brighton Belle, Captain!

 

Oh no, you've got that all wrong...

 

It's a well known secret that a P2 was sold to the Southern Railway for use on the Brighton Line and named 'Cock of the South'...

 

I'll take a Star Class please Tim!

 

No problem, Nick. Just send me your credit card details and I'll order one for you...

[LULFAN]

Hi

 

Sad to see nothing for the London Underground 150th anniversary

 

 

On a brighter note the 2BIL looks very nice

[2ManySpams]

Hopefully the very positive response to the Sentinel will help the future cause of the industrial modeller. If the chassis is good and slow running I predict no end of bodyline conversions and narrow gauge creations!

[valeofyork]

Not a lot for those interested in the post-steam era, but the senntinel shunter looks good.

 

There's one very strange decision been made though - they are doing a 67 in Arriva Trains Wales livery, but not the MK3 stock to go with it. However, they are going ahead with that strange collection of debranded Virgin Mk3s which nobody on here could see the point of when they were first annouced - as used by Virgin after debranding (which did happen) they'd have run with a DVT; in charter use it would probably have been a Mk2 BSO. It certainly would never have been an HST TGS as these are not actually brake vehicles at all (they just have a guard's compartment), and they have a different electrical system to the loco-hauled stock so could never run in service together. Still can't see who Hornby think is going to buy these!

[Dan Hill]

Hornby are spoiling us there's so many I want.

 

The 6 A4's

BR Blue Tornado

P2's (it appears my favourite type of P2 for 2001 and 2002 and hopefully one day 2007)

71000

 

And the Star's and Hall's are nice surprises as well. I did have a feeling 71000 could be brought in using the same method as Tornado.

 

Another interesting note is that Hornby are also modelling other A1's. Bon Accord is being produced in The Majestic Train set also in BR Blue

[Michael Delamar]

Not quite, I don't think anyone has announced a 77000 standard 3 2-6-0 yet.

or a standard class 2 2-6-0 or 2-6-2t

[orford]

Some nice stuff there for sure - although sadly still no small up-to-date LNER tank loco (!)....and to answer SImon Kohler's question “........ well if that is the case then let me know what you would like to see or what you feel we should be producing..." well, at least a quarter of the modelling fraternity has been clamouring for a J15 for years !

 

What does concern me is the apparent retrograde step (whatever terms you dress it up in) of going back to moulded-on detail, pipework, etc. Whilst I fully realise and appreciate the reasons for it, this does seem to me to hark back to the dark ages of the 1970's, just after we have all become used to the fantastic detail made possible by fine separate fittings, such as on the recent B1, Sandringham, recent coaches, etc.,, etc.

 

Despite the oft-repeated letters in magazines, a year or so ago I returned to 'OO' standard gauge after 35 years modelling in 'O' (mainly narrow gauge) and the one thing which I still marvel at 12 months on, is just how CHEAP 'OO' is these days, compared to the cost - and more to the point, the average income, 35 years ago. Seriously, considering the vast strides in detail, appearance and performance of RTR models since those days they are now absolutely giving the stuff away! Sorry - but they are. A point I feel many simply fail to appreciate.

 

Personally I would absolutely prefer to keep the current level of outstanding models with fine added-on details ...and to pay more for them accordingly.

 

The Railroad range is there for those who are perhaps less fussy, or maybe more financially restricted - but again, whilst appreciating SImon's comments that this two-tier system will continue, it does nevertheless seem to me very much like a general downgrade of the 'modellers models'. Round pipes are after all, round pipes ...and simply cannot be represented accurately with moulded-on detail.

 

Overall though after a difficult year, it's good to see Hornby still introducing and producing many new items which will for sure be very well received by many modellers.

[Coldgunner]

When they say quarter, do they mean the calender year or financial year?

[Betty's Husband]

It would seem from the front cover of the Catalogue that DoG will have moulded handrails on the smoke deflectors, which will be very much a backward step in my opinion.

 

Perhaps Bachmann have already lined up their own version of Duke of Gloucester and will produce an all-singing, all dancing version.

 

Yeah I saw that too. As Tom said, will be time to do a bit of additional modelling. Should be good news for the likes of Brassmasters if they go ahead with a detail kit for DoG with etched smoke deflectors and handrails. Would probably bring the total spend on the model to 180 quid or thereabouts once finished, which would have been the cost without 'Design Clever'.

 

I really hope that DoG and the P2 are not too compromised that they can't be brought up to the standards we expect with a bit of modelling. Real chance for Bachmann to be top dog for detail now if they maintain their current methods. As folks have said before I would still much rather have fewer beautiful models than more B-listers. But lets not be too hasty to judge.....

[Miss Prism]

The Sentinel apart, which I think will be excellent for a much-needed revamp of the starter sets, the new announcements continue Hornby's strange obsession with large steam locos from a mythical 'golden era', the only nod to the commonplace scene being the very welcome 2-BIL, although quite frankly that should have been announced years ago (and a far better choice than the VEP).

 

I can see a rationale behind some aspects of 'design clever' (MJT will be very busy doing castings for torpedo and shell vents for years to come), but if its only real manifestation loco-wise is a bit of plastiglaze and a set of etched plates and a few buffer beam hoses costing an extra £40 (in the case of the Hall), then I'm not convinced the pricing differential strategy is valid, nor can I see it making much headway against the £108 RRP Bachmann. It will be interesting to see how design-clever is being applied to the BIL underframe, because there's a hell of a lot of bits to be stuck on, and on which one might expect to be stuck on for an £120 RRP. Coaches-wise, the choice of a new range of railroad Mk1s is odd given the market provision, and probably by now near saturation, by Bachmann. The Derby heavyweight suburban DMU dynasty would have been a far better candidate for a design-clever exercise in my view, as Lima proved, albeit in its rather inaccurate way, 30 years ago.

 

There are a number of questions over the Star body (which boiler? which cylinder sets?) but those can wait until later. GWR fan though I am, I'm surprised at seeing the Star so soon after the Castle, and can't help thinking a decent 94xx (call it Railroad if you like) would have been a better return on investment.

[trw1089]

An excellent mix of stock for the steam era modeller and for those of us with a North Eastern bent, it seems we are to be rewarded with more temptations to the wallet. The CCT is a very welcome addition, though from a purely post nationalisation point of view, the pickings, if you are not of GW persuasion are a little slim, with only DoG really being the new kid on the block. Surely it is about time that one of the big guys leapt at the chance to do a Q6. That is one loco just crying out for a RTR model and has a fairly wide area of operation for NER fans. I would also really like to see an upgraded 8F, as the current one seems quite long in the tooth now.

 

Cheers

Tony

[Butler Henderson]

On the clever design issue Hornby are saying the Maunsell push-pull has been produced in that manner and I do not recall seeing people howling over the roof vents being moulded as part of the roof. Provided they use it for parts that are hard up aginst the main body part then its difficult to see how a separately fitted part is better provide the visual detail is the same.

 

Sentinel apart its the typical big loco stuff from the red box firm so it looks like the fields open for the blue box lot to come up with an E4, 700, Q, Dean Goods, Stanier Mogul, K1, K4 etc. Do not understand the Hall as I understand the Bachmann one is not a particularly big seller so no doubt we can expect a flood of them being cleared at low prices in a year or twos time like the Standard 4s - the ony logical reason is a Hogwarts Castle tie in.

[Penrhos1920]

Why has everyone missed the bottom line of the Hornby announcement?

"Hornby is pleased to announce that as of 1^st January 2013 we will be rebranding using our former name. Tri-ang was launched in 1953 and became the first British manufacturer of Ready to Run OO model railways. Over the years Tri-ang has lead and many have tried to copy; Design Clever is the next step which we feel will help modellers get into the spirit of the birth of British RTR model railways. With the 60^th anniversary approaching Hornby feel that it is right to step back 60 years and to celebrate by changing our trading name to Tri-ang-Hornby."