Clearwater Posted November 29, 2015 Share Posted November 29, 2015 On the glossy blue 70th anniversary Thomas, my son commented "why is Thomas a funny colour?" I did ask about TTS for the range. Translating what Hornby said "it's too expensive for the licence" David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MGR Hooper! Posted November 29, 2015 Share Posted November 29, 2015 Faces look the same as ever to me. image.jpg Quite agree...Only thing from what I saw before and what I see now, the faces seems a bit more realistic (I think earlier ones were glossy and these have the proper matte finish) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Fatadder Posted November 29, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 29, 2015 Just spoke to Hornby. Locos are still tender drive but powered by 5 pole skew wound motor not ringfield. There is also a DCC socket in the tender they said. 0-6-0 and 0-4-0 not dcc ready. Ok so if I'm reading this correctly, the 060 and 040 models are unchanged. Feels very short sighted to me making half the range DCC ready and not the rest... Think I will stick to the 2nd hand market for Thomas & Percy and look at the new range to tender engines. My 2 year old is able to use a 511 already, so will definitely end up giving her a DCC ready Thomas layout... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sawyermodels Posted November 29, 2015 Share Posted November 29, 2015 Just held Gordon in my hand, advantage of being a retailer, and examined the tender. Motor is definitely in there driving two axles with traction tyres diagonally opposite each other. There is an 8 pin socket in there to. Loco remains unchanged. I asked why they didn't use railroad loco chassis for the Thomas Gordon as it is the same as the flying scotsman. This question was met with silence and topic moved back onto new tender motor. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Synch Posted November 29, 2015 Share Posted November 29, 2015 Just held Gordon in my hand, advantage of being a retailer, and examined the tender. Motor is definitely in there driving two axles with traction tyres diagonally opposite each other. There is an 8 pin socket in there to. Loco remains unchanged. I asked why they didn't use railroad loco chassis for the Thomas Gordon as it is the same as the flying scotsman. This question was met with silence and topic moved back onto new tender motor. I am safe to assume this is the cherry on the cake then? Absolutely ridiculous, it feels like so many corners have been cut just so they can keep the licence! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyram Posted November 29, 2015 Share Posted November 29, 2015 Basically, from what I can see, Hornby have just re-released the old models possibly with new motors. Definitely seems a missed opportunity. Then again these models have served Hornby very well for many years so perhaps they see no point in making major changes. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Hilux5972 Posted November 30, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted November 30, 2015 This was on a video on Facebook of this years Warley show. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rexeljet Posted December 2, 2015 Share Posted December 2, 2015 Since we know basically everything about the new range, I may as well post my thoughts. I'm glad they went through the trouble of touching the models up. They could have kept Thomas and Percy's unpainted footplates, Edward's angry eyebrows and Gordon's thousand-yard stare, but the fact that they updated them at all shows at least some signs of progress. Even changes as minuscule as the exact shade of green or the font of Gordon's number I was happy to see. A lot of my posts on here have made it look like I'm heavily biased towards Bachmann. In attempt to counter this, I will say that Bachmann's earliest models are in need of similar aesthetic updates as well. Thomas, Percy and Henry could all do with new faces, and James could do with being retooled entirely- as well as his face and paint application being off, his cab is literally a block that houses the motor- the Hornby James is definitely the better looking of the two. I would be lying if I said I wasn't happy with the visual changes the range has got, though at the same time, I'd also be lying if I said it wouldn't have been nice to see a little more. I'm glad that the faces have been toned down to look more friendly than they used to, but one of the things that Hornby's Thomas line was always praised for in the past, was their expertly-sculpted faces (especially in comparison to the early Bachmann stuff). So it's a shame they haven't exhibited their expert sculpting by making new faces to match the characters from the CGI series. Remember when Hornby made a limited edition Thomas model with a unique surprised face sculpt? I can't see that happening now. And since I am pleased by little nuances, I shall also be critical of little nuances. The unpainted axleboxes on Gordon and Henry's tenders make the whole tender body look like a solid lump of cheap plastic. Considering Gordon's tender has a plastic bodyshell and metal axleboxes, I don't even see why the axleboxes were blue in the first place! The paint application actually manages to make Gordon's tender look more plasticky than it actually is! All in all, Hornby's "new" range looks good from an aesthetic standpoint. A few things could have been done to make it look great, but all in all, a good offering. The biggest disappointment with the "new" Thomas range would have to be the decision to retain the tender-drive motors. Standardisation is the key reason for the Hornby Thomas range's discrepancies from the source material. Standard chassis types and body toolings are used so Hornby don't have to make unique designs for the Thomas range. So why, the one time where standardisation can be used to make the Thomas range better, do Hornby suddenly have a change of heart? It feels like a lose-lose situation. Hornby are having to manufacture a motor/chassis unique to the Thomas range, even though customers would prefer standard motors from the Railroad range. Also, the way that Hornby approached Sawyermodels' question about Railroad motors comes across as a little unprofessional. Of course they're not going to reply with "we're lazy" or "we forgot", but you'd expect them to have had some kind of stock excuse for a question like that. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MGR Hooper! Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 The second set is also out now - R9285 Thomas Passenger and Goods Train Set. http://www.Hornby.com/uk-en/thomas-friendstm-thomas-passenger-and-goods-train-set.html Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarrytheYoung Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 Hey all, Just been browsing through the new Hornby handbook and I've noted a listing under the Thomas and Friends section called 'Edward's Day Out' (product code R9286), haven't heard anything about this one and there is nothing on the website. Would seem like a set, Edward and a couple of coaches? Anyone have an idea? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Hilux5972 Posted December 4, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 4, 2015 Seems there are still a few surprises then. It follows the other sets in code so most likely. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sawyermodels Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 It's not on the 2016 order form so could be a website exclusive just like every other model Hornby is doing is, tongue in cheek.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flyingscotsmanfan Posted December 10, 2015 Share Posted December 10, 2015 Browsing the modelling mags this morning I noticed a couple with Hornby's "new" range advert... where they use exactly the same promotional pics as the "old" range. To really sell the range you would have thought that Hornby would have pulled out the stops to show off what differences there are. The adverts are in magazines aimed at serious modellers and not kids mags, these are the people who want to know the difference so they can upgrade etc. First you replace the catalogue with an inferior product then you don't even bother to use new pictures to show off a new range, I'm always been pro Hornby but just lately... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sawyermodels Posted December 11, 2015 Share Posted December 11, 2015 According to my rep Edwards day out will not be produced so why it is mentioned in the year book I've no idea. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MGR Hooper! Posted December 11, 2015 Share Posted December 11, 2015 According to my rep Edwards day out will not be produced so why it is mentioned in the year book I've no idea. Could have simply been something planned but later cancelled. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Hilux5972 Posted December 16, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 16, 2015 According to Hornby website, Thomas is available just by himself now. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikesndbs Posted December 18, 2015 Share Posted December 18, 2015 Still got the originals here and they are popular as ever. Anyway, Happy Christmas to everyone Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
No Decorum Posted December 18, 2015 Share Posted December 18, 2015 Great fun! Thanks. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Hilux5972 Posted December 19, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 19, 2015 I see we have a bumper release at hattons. Thomas, Percy, Annie & Clarabel, Troublesome Trucks, Gordon's coaches, James' coaches, the wagon triple packs, and old slow coach. Now just need Edward, Henry, Gordon and James to complete the line up. I think £36 seems really good value for Thomas and Percy. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold papagolfjuliet Posted December 22, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 22, 2015 Just held Gordon in my hand, advantage of being a retailer, and examined the tender. Motor is definitely in there driving two axles with traction tyres diagonally opposite each other. There is an 8 pin socket in there to. Loco remains unchanged. I asked why they didn't use railroad loco chassis for the Thomas Gordon as it is the same as the flying scotsman. This question was met with silence and topic moved back onto new tender motor. Correction: 'Gordon' is the old Tri-ang A3 body and is not the same as the Railroad Scotsman, which is a new tooling. I've tried, and the Railroad chassis won't fit the Tri-ang body without a lot of hacking around. Why they haven't used the Railroad loco drive Black 5 chassis for 'Henry' on the other hand is a mystery. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alfsboy Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 We are talking about licenced toys .Full stop .Some sound like sculptors moaning about star wars figures having no proper . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Dunsignalling Posted December 22, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 22, 2015 We are talking about licenced toys .Full stop .Some sound like sculptors moaning about star wars figures having no proper ######. With the acceleration rate of those X-wing fighters, I'm not surprised...... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Hilux5972 Posted February 27, 2016 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 27, 2016 The 70th anniversary metallic Thomas is available now on the Hornby website. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Hilux5972 Posted March 26, 2016 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 26, 2016 Has anyone got their hands on the new Henry yet? Some of they pics earlier in this thread look like a slightly glossier paint scheme than he used to have. Hattons haven't put pics up yet. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MGR Hooper! Posted March 27, 2016 Share Posted March 27, 2016 https://railsofsheffield.com/r9292-Hornby-henry-steam-locomotive-number-4-r9292-JJJA28106.aspx Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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