Hornby Merchant Navy announced (formerly Facebook leak)

[toboldlygo]

Many thanks Phil you beat me to posting on this thread. I hope people find it useful I posted it as a direct response to a question I was asked via my blog so thought I would share the information.

 

The direct link to the post on my blog is here https://grahammuz.com/2016/12/10/talking-stock-35-original-merchant-navy-pacifics-Hornby-initial-variations-in-detail/

 

Thank's for that Graham, it will save me a bit of work when I get round to renaming one (okay it will be more than one )

[Black 5 Bear]

Interestingly enough, Merchant Navy Clan Line is already shown as sold out, so it looks as if Hornby's threat to reduce/restrict production is a reality.

[Ian Hargrave]

Interestingly enough, Merchant Navy Clan Line is already shown as sold out, so it looks as if Hornby's threat to reduce/restrict production is a reality.

And there you raise an important issue. With this opening out of communication with Hornby,might it not be possible for them to provide us with some information on production "limits" ? For a variety of sound reasons,I stopped pre-ordering some while ago.If however,as seems to be the case,numbers are being pared downwards,then the laws of supply and demand could catch me out if I do not.Or am I asking too much for commercially sensitive reasons ? The MN is special for me for unashamedly sentimental reasons and I cannot miss out.

[Dunsignalling]

And there you raise an important issue. With this opening out of communication with Hornby,might it not be possible for them to provide us with some information on production "limits" ? For a variety of sound reasons,I stopped pre-ordering some while ago.If however,as seems to be the case,numbers are being pared downwards,then the laws of supply and demand could catch me out if I do not.Or am I asking too much for commercially sensitive reasons ? The MN is special for me for unashamedly sentimental reasons and I cannot miss out.

If numbers are being pared down, one of the factors influencing production totals will undoubtedly be pre-order levels but I doubt the exact calculation would be made public.

 

Therefore, those who refrain from pre-ordering will automatically make themselves more likely to miss out.

 

The initial MNs announced will almost certainly be followed by others but if you specifically want one of the first four models (and Clan Line in particular) I'd suggest breaking your resolution without too much delay unless you are happy to subject yourself to the vagaries of eBay after the event.  

 

John

Edited December 10, 2016 by Dunsignalling

[Ian Hargrave]

If numbers are being pared down, one of the factors influencing production totals will undoubtedly be pre-order levels but I doubt the exact calculation would be made public.

 

Therefore, those who refrain from pre-ordering will automatically make themselves more likely to miss out.

 

The initial MNs announced will almost certainly be followed by others but if you specifically want one of the first four models (and Clan Line in particular) I'd suggest breaking your resolution without too much delay unless you are happy to subject yourself to the vagaries of eBay after the event.  

 

John

I wasn't suggesting figures btw just an indication in general terms of policy direction.No I think you are correct.A pre order is "in order" here. With regard in any case to the very latest releases,the ebay market appears to be in marked decline.

[bigherb]

Interestingly enough, Merchant Navy Clan Line is already shown as sold out, so it looks as if Hornby's threat to reduce/restrict production is a reality.

Channel Packet is also now sold out to pre orders.

[Dick Turpin]

I'd have thought sold out pre-order volumes should prompt additional future production runs, subject to some intelligent market evaluation of course. Better this than the opposite scenario, surely?

[Train wasp]

If Hornby have decided to reduce the production run on these locos the only people that will gain from this will be eBay sellers. Reminds me when 34001 Exeter came out a few years ago and seeing the crazy Prices on eBay.

[Steamport Southport]

I don't know where this "Sold Out" has come from?

 

I just looked at half a dozen retailers and all of them have them for pre order.

 

 

 

Jason

[Black 5 Bear]

Jason,

Take a look at the Hornby website, this clearly shows that they are sold out to pre-orders. The M/N's may be available at other retailers, but be aware that a couple of years back, some model shops didn't receive their allocations of the A4 Bittern and the West County Exeter. If folk genuinely want one pre-order, otherwise you're likely to be disappointed.

Edited December 10, 2016 by Black 5 Bear

[Steamport Southport]

That's the Hornby website though.

 

They've had the same with regards the Pecketts for months and some retailers are even posting in the Peckett thread saying they've got them on order and to buy from them. You can even walk into shops and buy them in Australia apparently.

 

 

Jason

[Ian Hargrave]

That's the Hornby website though.

 

They've had the same with regards the Pecketts for months and some retailers are even posting in the Peckett thread saying they've got them on order and to buy from them. You can even walk into shops and buy them in Australia apparently.

 

 

Jason

I think what you are being told is that when they arrive for UK distribution all are allocated to whomsoever (retail outlets) has ordered them and that when this has taken effect the Old Mother Hubbard scenario applies.

[Steamport Southport]

I understand some might have been disappointed before. But I believe that was with two models. I can't think of any others that there has been a major problem with.

 

 

All this gets is panic buying and hoarding by ebay sellers. Plenty of Exeters about if anyone wants one.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2050601.m570.l1311.R1.TR1.TRC0.A0.H0.Xhornby+exeter.TRS0&_nkw=Hornby+exeter&_sacat=0

 

 

I'll wait. It's the "widow peak" Channel Packet that I'm after as I've already got a decent set of nameplates.

 

 

 

Jason

[phil gollin]

.

 

...Plenty of Exeters about if anyone wants one.  ....

 

.

.

 

They, I think, are the (very slightly) inaccurate second run ones.

 

.

[sandwich station]

Some of those Exeter's are the older version before the super detailed ones.

[Steamport Southport]

Some are, I just put "Hornby Exeter" into eBay's search and that's what came up. However there are at least two major retailers there with plenty of stock of the newer model. I don't know whether the model is accurate for Exeter or not.

 

 

My main point was that if they sell out then they'll almost certainly make another batch. I can't see them spending money on tooling just to make a small amount of models.

 

Obviously if you want a specific model then go for it.

 

 

 

Jason

[Robin Brasher]

If demand for Merchant Navies exceeds supply the shops would not be selling them at a discount.

[Dunsignalling]

If demand for Merchant Navies exceeds supply the shops would not be selling them at a discount.

Some retailers discount as a matter of policy and, even if demand did prove to exceed supply, we couldn't possibly know that until the models were delivered.

 

All we have at present is a statement that two versions are fully pre-sold from Hornby, via a combination of direct-sale pre-orders and orders from retailers. 

 

How many remain unallocated to pre-orders at individual retailers is unknown and all the statement hints at is which variants are (so far) generating most interest.  

 

John

[Black 5 Bear]

Many retailers apart from Derails and Rails of Sheffield to their credit, have put the price of this loco up though. This happened recently when Hornby increased the RRP of these items. No one is saying there are going to be major shortages, however Hornby have made it abundantly clear that there won't be the amount produced as before. If you want a particular loco, to ensure you get it you will have to pre-order or take a chance. You could always wait and see if that particular item is unpopular and subject to major discounting.

[Robin Brasher]

For me the air smoothed Merchant Navy is not a 'must have' model as it was too heavy to run on the Swanage Railway which is my main interest. I will buy one because I like it and I expect most people who do not have Southern layouts based in the early 1940s will do the same with the Southern locomotives. I was going to wait to see if Hornby will make a blue, cycling lion Merchant Navy. Simon Kohler said that the blue locomotives always sell the best. Last Wednesday a former engine driver visited the Purbeck Model Railway Group meeting. He said the air smoothed Merchant Navies were the best locomotives on the Southern Region. He said he regularly drove them at 108mph. He said there was a speed limit of 80mph on the line but they had to drive them at over 100mph to keep to the timetable. I am tempted to buy Royal Mail as well because a bird in hand is worth two in the bush.

 

Meanwhile I enclose a picture of a blue Merchant Navy. Picture is © Copyright PL Chadwick and licensed for reuse under the Creative Commons License. I have enlarged my picture to 1/43 scale and mounted it on cardboard as a hoarding for the Purbeck Model Railway Group's model of the Swanage Railway at the first floor of the stables at Godlingston Manor, Swanage.

[Robin Brasher]

Many retailers apart from Derails and Rails of Sheffield to their credit, have put the price of this loco up though. This happened recently when Hornby increased the RRP of these items. No one is saying there are going to be major shortages, however Hornby have made it abundantly clear that there won't be the amount produced as before. If you want a particular loco, to ensure you get it you will have to pre-order or take a chance. You could always wait and see if that particular item is unpopular and subject to major discounting.

According to page 27 of the Hornby 2016 handbook Hornby are only making runs of 700 to 1,000 at a time so I agree that if you want a particular locomotive you may have to pre-order it. Tri-ang and Tri-ang Hornby used to have much larger production runs but they also had many more customers.

[phil gollin]

.

 

As a Southern Region modeller I am happy that the BR(SR) Early Crest Air-Smoothed Merchant Navies will become available.  

 

However, ASSUMING that Hornby is producing similar numbers of the first 4 versions I think that the fact that the BR versions have been sold-out to the trade is a slight worry for future Southern Railway versions.  Hornby wants to make profits, so poor selling versions will be avoided.

 

I would press for people who want further Southern Railway versions to order "extra" models of the present ones to encourage Hornby.

[Robin Brasher]

So far Hornby have avoided the blue one which, with the green cycling lion version, is Graham Farish' s most popular one in N gauge. In N gauge the BR late crest and Southern versions are slightly less popular.

 

If people have been prepared to pay for inaccurate models of the Merchant Navies in the past like the Chad Valley 0 gauge, Wrenn and Graham Farish 00 gauge, Graham Farish (Poole) N gauge I am sure they will buy Hornby's models of the Southern versions as well as the BR SR versions. If people are willing to pay about £2,000 for a Golden Age Merchant Navy they will pay between £134.50 and £179.99 for a Hornby version whether it is BR green or Southern green.

 

I look forward to Hornby producing an 00 gauge version of Graham Farish's blue one in the illustration.

[GreenGiraffe22]

I just laughed at a comment on Facebook saying "lower your prices and you might actually sell things" I brought Hornby's recent sell-outs to the ignorant poster's attention...

 

Edit: surely the sell-outs are a good indication to Hornby produce more to make more £££££?

Edited December 11, 2016 by GreenGiraffe22

[Hilux5972]

Looking forward to a Blue MN being released. Will be joining my fleet for sure.