Nova Scotian

We have some of the Nightstar MK4s to sell back to you

There's a couple of chaps in New Brunswick with fantastic multiple level layouts. With big basements they tend to be able to get some decent height on an acceptable grade without a helix, and it allows a very complex layout. You can follow the train through multiple scenic breaks (eg. Port, lumber town, grain elevator, etc), very sinuous, and then before you realise it you're above or below one of the other scenes. I do find many of the layouts I dream up in my head to be flat. A run of 10m will give you 20cm of clearance at a 2% grade.

How on earth did you manage to buy drywall in Canada in 2021? I had to buy some recently to patch a wall - more than 80% of places here were sold out, the remaining 20% had purchase limits. That said, contractors seemed to be finding it (but complaining about paying through the nose for it).

They really do look fantastic - and run well. I have some KATO HO models (and "atlas, powered by KATO" HO) and they too run brilliantly. I wonder if there could be a tie-in with an existing manufacturer that would make sense. On a side note - what a lovely voice you have! (comment from my partner)

I used to be on a search and rescue team on Canada's east coast. Invariably people get lost in the middle of nowhere... Fellow volunteers were always a bit surprised when my Mazda5 turned up at the bottom of a rutted logging road they'd driven their pickups and Wranglers down. Had to be careful though, it had one of the lowest ground clearances of any car I've driven. It even towed out another vehicle that was stuck! A FWD vehicle that's front heavy and on blocky touring type tyres can have surprising grip.

Doesn't sound quite right, does it?

Ah, my apologies - didn't know it was available separately.

Looks like a cheap (and decent) chassis for an n gauge (or OO-9) bash https://railsofsheffield.com/products/44470/gaugemaster-collection-gm2260201-n-gauge-es-1-style-electric-locomotive-br-e3682

Right, and I think this is where some nuance has been lost. The vibe that I picked up on here (and I might be wrong) is that Hornby should have been able to make much greater net income due to increased demand. That sentence makes it clear they had supply chain challenges, but they worked through *most* of them. That suggests to me there were covid related effects that had opportunity cost. It's not like their business ground to a halt, but not all their requirements were met (and remember "requirements" is a pretty strong term - as it's possible they also missed out on "wants" or "nice to haves" as a result of these challenges). It is impressive that they managed to maintain/grow their gross profit margin. My wild guess is that while their shipping/logistics costs would have increased, they were not needing to discount stock as much to get it to move due to the increased demand. How much of that was luck and how much was judgement, who knows! I'm an avid follower of Bargain Hunters 2 on here - it is my impression, not supported by any facts or data, that there are less "bargains" to be had in recent months, especially the December - March period. There have still been unpopular products needing discounts to be moved, but newer product lines, more common liveries etc all seem to have held their pricing better (20% off rrp rather than 40-50%).

Having skimmed most of this thread (and chuckled at a couple of posts) I do think there's one element missing here from the discussion. Yes, the past year has seen much higher demand in the hobby, driving up sales and is probably a large part of them turning a profit this year. However, when you consider the headwinds they face, their product cycle, and what's happened in the world, it's not as though they could make unlimited profits this year. 1. The product production planning for this year happened, most likely, the year or even two in advance. They had their volumes figured out on expected sales. When COVID hit they were probably trying to figure out what would happen to sales (in a recession they'd go down, and this was a massive recession) and may have been willing to postpone production slots. Instead, once lockdown eased, demand skyrocketed. 2. They would likely have had supply issues, if anyone remembers anything of getting product from China from Feb-April/May last year. Horrendously difficult, production slowdowns, massive cost of freight. 3. They had to contend with marine freight rates increasing significantly as a result of both COVID and Brexit - and air freight went up even more. 4. They gave up production slots to run the NHS 66 - I think in the long run this will work out well for them commercially, and morally I know it gave me warm fuzzy feelings about them. My view of Hornby as a brand improved as a result of that 3500 product run, but you can bet they had an "opportunity cost" of giving up production slots on higher margin products to meet that demand. 5. I come back to timelines - their product rollout, their production volumes etc - all would have been planned pre-covid. Now they have to adjust everything, and try and crystal ball whether demand will stay strong (people stay in the hobby) or collapse (demand goes away). Supply chains are still totally fubared. Semi conductors, precious metals, natural rubber/latex - you name it, there are massive shifts in demand layered on top of other industry disruptions (move to EVs etc) that are causing pain points everywhere. Your supplier doesn't have to be in lockdown/furlough for them to struggle to deliver, there are a million other things that might be going on in their supply chains. Setting up factories for social distancing while maintaining productivity and output was a challenge in the middle of last year. My own, totally uninformed opinions are: - They're testing new revenue streams (steampunk, the new kids' line etc), they're doing it with little capital invested (it appears), and if they find a winner they can make hay. This is smart. Work with your partners, nibble around the edges of your product because if you can hook someone and bring them into your main (high margin) product lines you'll have them for years. - They're working hard on their brand image, including their recent statements around inclusivity. If they're going to be around the next 30 years they need my generation and younger to find them relevant. Younger consumers are demanding brands have values that they can connect with. It's my opinion, but I see this as positive, I see what they're trying to do, and it's the right thing to do. - Some of their brands are doing good work, like Airfix. Others are struggling (all their european brands). Fixing their HO and N gauge strategies are going to be really important going forward. - The work they do now will pay off in two years time. I expect the APT to be a roaring success, they'll have put a lot of money into that last year, and it'll pay off this year and into the future. So we need to look at their "signal box" etc and read the tea leaves - their upcoming products look strong individually, they're doing a good job keeping customers updated and interested, their investments in diecast parts is probably going to pay off. - There is significant customer resentment at their "abandonment" of modern image. They have left too much room for competitors to eat their lunch on important diesel/electric product lines. This was probably a conscious decision; there's only so much cash on hand for design, for tooling, and only so many production slots available. But it's left them weak. If I were writing them a memo of strategic advice I'd focus on three things: 1. Raise cash to make an acquisition - focus on an OO upcomer that produces high quality product, and incorporate their brand. Figure out structuring three levels - Railroad, Oxford, "Newco" - or something. It needs to be someone who's active in diesel/electric, someone who has strong design strengths. You need to buy their range, buy their brains, and have happy customers spending 200 GBP on a class 3something because they're getting a top product from Newco by Hornby. 2. In line with the above, get more consistent with your brand strategy. Bassett Lowke was a misstep, your brands have value by only if you use them right. Brits still refer to a "Hornby trainset" - so your main brand resonates with early/young/occasional modellers and nostalgia. The Dublo "relaunch" has been good - a USP, good product, quality, nostaglia + margin. Figure that out more broadly, what are you doing with those European brands? 3. Get invested in one of your suppliers; you need some vertical integration back to have greater production slot flexibility, to get your elbows out on the newcomers. Personally I want to see Hornby survive and thrive. They're a key part of the hobby, even though as a kid I remember being frustrated at weak ringfields and sub-standard 47s, compared to the Roco/Fleischman etc from the continent. I don't want them to be the only game in town, and they won't be. My (dual) national pride has me rooting for Rapido too

mdvle is one of my favourite people on this forum. Thanks for keeping us updated, being knowledgeable and being interesting.

The DB Schenker one has gone, but a Freightliner available at 70 GBP which still seems pretty competitive http://herefordmodels.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=832_834_848_973_978&products_id=16056

Kent Garden Railway seems to have some good prices on Bachmann MK1s to go with that warship http://kentgardenrailways.com/index.php?route=product/category&path=61_116_125

Some Dapol N gauge Class 66s found in a backroom somewhere at Hereford Model Centre? One DB Schenker at 65 GBP http://herefordmodels.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=832_834_848_973_978&products_id=16057 Some other liveries at 70 GBP

Back on the charger - I do like the new livery. I've been very negative because I won't see them, and that's wrong of me. This is a fantastic investment in that rail corridor with new rolling stock and I hope it helps build the importance of the railway here. I look forward to the results of the winterization tests - hopefully they test it in all the conditions it'll meet - as freezing rain, dry powdered snow, sticky wet heavy snow etc probably do very different things to fans and cooling systems!

Realistically, the distances between Halifax, Moncton, and Saint John are pretty short - with several towns on each route that could be served. Upgrades to bring back intercity services to those could feasibly contain cost. Once you start talking about line upgrades all the way from Halifax to Quebec City to cost becomes unworldly. The distances involved in cross-Canada are just massive, as you well know! To me, it's almost as though the rebuild needs to start with intercity service - starting to connect and reconnect key cities (eg. Edmonton and Calgary) and once the railways are reestablished start to look at sensible long-distance options. The commuter rail study in Halifax didn't go anywhere - from what i could determine a multitude of reasons (safety standards where sharing track with freight, the timetabling around freight on single track, installation of platforms and other infrastructure etc). I don't see commuter rail as the saviour - nor long distance - so that leaves intercity by default! It is highly unlikely I would take a train from Halifax west of Windsor unless I were travelling purely for leisure and the train journey is the point. Travelling for work, or where I'm trying to get to a destination I'm not going to spend more than 8 hours on something without sleeping accommodations, *maybe* 24 hours with. The railway was an amazing nation building and unifying exercise - but air travel is where it's at for the majority of long distance travel.

They've also run into the problem when you use set-track and single portal tunnels - the loading gauge (gap?) between the two tracks is completely non-prototypical.

I'm not sure whether it's a lack of support high-up, the lack of a plan (beyond dedicated line section TO to Ottawa), or what's really going on, but the Government did recapitalize many of the funding pots that Via could go to. And there's always the Canadian Infrastructure Bank. My nirvana is a cohesive 30 year plan that identifies where intercity service could be reinstated, under what conditions, how to invest in infrastructure and rolling stock to achieve economic, environmental and social goals beyond "that will never pay back". Expenditures on rail often generate avoided costs elsewhere, and are a key economic enabler for both flow of trade and people. I know I have rose-tinted railway glasses and the argument is much harder to make here... the distances involved, the age of existing lines (plus the length and speed of unit freight trains and their prominence on large sections of single track). Over Christmas I read a couple of fantastic books on both CP and CN, the initial building of the railways... and the "gift" to these companies of infrastructure funded by the government (thus the people) that is now locked up for private freight use. Of course, much of what was given was land beside the railway that wasn't actually ours to give... I've promised my kids once the restrictions are lifted, that if the Ocean is reinstated we're going to do Halifax - Quebec City soon after it's running, incase its return is only temporary given the rolling stock challenges and who knows which way political winds will blow re. Via annual funding.

I'm so excited to never see one of these because the East Coast is an afterthought... Does look good. Was hoping there'd be some bold action, funding etc for Via as a result of the pandemic. Get people back out of aircraft and into comfortable, high-enough speed trains. Shame the infrastructure, cost etc just doesn't support it. Will try and hop on one the next time I'm in QC/ON on work travel (whenever that starts up again).

This one isn't for me, I find the 18 GBP for old tooling as a "special" not particularly attractive. Someone else here mentioned the Beatles ones, which are in the same boat. However, glad it's been made, and despise the stupid comments made at Hornby about it. My kids would love it. The railways and the hobby need to be inclusive. Inclusivity includes being a visible and vocal ally. No-one should feel like they don't belong, let alone be subjected to the hate that many are. If the railways and the hobby exclude broad swathes of the population they will find themselves in decline and irrelevant. I will not be supportive of my kids participating in a hobby where their peer group are comfortable attacking others for who they are. That Avanti Pride... that's bloomin' marvellous. Absolutely spectacular. If I had 500 quid lying around I'd buy it and the extra coaches in a heartbeat. Rule 1. Doesn't matter what era, geography etc, it's just fantastic.

With that kind of clearance you're bound to get shorts between the wheels and chassis. Recommend some spacers.

Here's one from The Model Centre - Bachmann Class 108 with 60GBP off - down to 180GBP https://www.themodelcentre.com/32-900c-Bachmann-oo-scale-class-108-2-car-dmu-br-green-speed-whiskers Green with speed whiskers, so basically the best livery

Missed this on my Rails roundup - Dapol Class 121 Railtrack down to 70GBP, I've not seen it below 80GBP before I think https://railsofsheffield.com/products/36792/Dapol-4d-009-009-oo-gauge-class-121-bubble-car-railtrack-clearing-the-way-diesel-locomotive-no-977723

Trying to change it up a bit, here's a couple from Kernow: NSE 159 (noticed I have a bit of a thing for NSE?), 320 GBP for DCC sound and a cracking model https://www.kernowmodelrailcentre.com/p/63313/31-520SF-WSL-Bachmann-Class-159-3-Car-DMU-159013 Hornby railroad 92, WSL, 65 GBP https://www.kernowmodelrailcentre.com/p/61923/R3740-WSL-Hornby-Class-92-Co-Co-Electric-Locomotive-92-023

E-mail from Rails this morning re. Bank Holiday Sale https://railsofsheffield.com/groups/3521/bank-holiday-sale- A few choice items skimming through I've not seen that cheap in a while: - Heljan 009 for 100 quid, example https://railsofsheffield.com/products/34591/Heljan-9963-009-scale-lynton-barnstaple-lyd-2-6-2-tank-southern-railway-green-preserved-locomotive-no-190 - Heljan 07 for 90 quid, ten less than it had been going for recently, example https://railsofsheffield.com/products/36763/Heljan-2907-oo-gauge-class-07-d2998-br-blue-diesel-shunter - Hornby mk3 Cross Countryy for 25 quid each, this is a couple of quid cheaper than recently? Example https://railsofsheffield.com/products/37462/Hornby-r4938-oo-gauge-cross-country-trains-mk3-sliding-door-tgs-trailer-guard-standard-no-44021 - Bachmann Class 117 DCC sound, GBP295 seems pretty good? NSE example https://railsofsheffield.com/products/41875/Bachmann-35-502sf-oo-gauge-class-117-3-car-dmu-br-network-southeast-revised-dcc-sound