Nova Scotian

This was certainly the case for me. I ordered the 6w PBA Sentinel - I had issues with my chosen shop online and didn't want to miss out, so made my first ever Hornby shop online purchase. My next purchase returned to my preferred retailers. I'm not a brand acquisition, but was looking for a "deal" on a decent shunting loco. 55 quid discounted with free shipping was a no-brainer compared to other options out there, but had another brand discounted similarly I'd have been comparing between them. This did help Hornby - the additional margins from direct selling make all the difference when net income is so slim - but "at what cost"? Unknown yet, to me, if the loss of a major retailer like Hattons can be made up by those stronger margins. Good for them though - seemingly on the right track. Less cost of carrying inventory, debt reducing, etc. As the only manufacturer still bothering with "entry level" sets to try and bring new into the hobby I think it's important they are strong enough to support the hobby.

Kernow have five versions of the Dapol Class 73 at 85 quid - 50% off. (easiest way to find them is sort by price low-to-high and they'll be on the first page) https://www.kernowmodelrailcentre.com/c/1788/Diesel-and-Electric-Locos The Model Centre have had the Bachmann Station Pilot set on for 165 for a while now - to me it's a great price for loco and three rolling stock - not to mention track oval etc. Early BR crest, so lots of branchline potential. https://www.themodelcentre.com/30-180-Bachmann-oo-gauge-station-pilot-train-set

The creasing and rippling on the side of the 69 really is quite pronouned.

I'm not sure the hobby is so healthy here. Many retailers online are not well stocked. The local stores are disappearing - I can't think of when I last went to a city with a new model shop that's opened. Manufacturers like rapido do well and power to them, but selling more direct and to a much bigger population. The local clubs have been struggling with ageing demographics

This Bachmann Class 24 at TMC stood out to me https://www.themodelcentre.com/32-443

And despite my post last night, I just pre-ordered the light green today. I don't want to risk these not having another run and going for silly money second hand so I can never get one. I'll just postpone a couple of items of rolling stock

My 2024 budget is likely 2-3 locos (300 quid, roughly). There was nothing in the Hornby 2024 announcement for me. I'm waiting on Rapido to stop teasing on a Railway Children product (class 25 L&YR or MSC tank and my money will be in that morning). The unnumbered light green 16" Andrew Barclay was a fallback option for me - a toss up between this and the Rapido Hunslet 16". To go with my unnumbered Planet Industrials Stuart Kerr. Hope they either can go ahead with the run, or find someone to take over the pre-order booklet (Accurascale given the 66?, Rails have taken over some other pre-orders?, EFE?) - but I can't commit to a pre-order to make it happen. 85 quid for these is fantastic, and I've been tempted, but it's not my #1 and #2 priority, and committing to it could mean I can't afford one of my priorities.

I liked the Eurostar set (where they didn't make enough of the extra coach packs so prices second hand on those are silly) - as it was a good attempt at recreating a real livery used on Eurostar. On the rest I agree with you.

My predictions were all completely wrong. I had used the Rovex 70 in my prediction of a Dublo Princess (yes, I know that's a bit silly, but we all know it would have sold to collectors anyway!). I would be tempted by the B1 and L1 if they make it to the bargain section... Several here positive on the B1 so that may not happen. Nice to see railroad model pricing held rather than continuing to rise. GNER HST is glorious and glad to see them tackling the better early privatisation liveries. Overall though, very disappointing. No pre-orders from me.

I follow the announcements for a motorcycle manufacturer. Every round they have similarly "cloaked" teasers - you can tell if the wheels are spoked or cast, 17" vs 19" vs 21", you can guess the general format, but hard to do specifics. The frothing from these announcements would cover the UK 9 feet deep in gooey, motorcyclist froth. The Hornby one on the other hand I agree looks AI generated and therefore not a teaser. The dimensions and angles of the loco are what AI thinks it could be, without knowing what it is. Eg. The distance from chimney to dome, the short distance from dome to the end, the lack of any can structure etc. Looking forward to the announcement tomorrow, not quite as jaded as most here. I'm certain there'll be a dublo, I think it'll be a Princess per my earlier post, but smart money would be on a Castle class.

Wow, first 1980 release. Amazing how well the mainline and airfix tooling stands up today. Even the mechanisms, but for their longevity.

Let's see someone's running :)

https://www.burevalleymodels.com/c/241/Analogue

They could always jump on a certain trend and we'd get: - express blue - experimental blue - desert sand/khaki - maroon - BR big logo blue - Intercity swallow - Provincial railways - Transport for Wales/ScotRail Saltire - Harry Needle - Network Rail Yellow Eight-to-ten "might have been" liveries. Run 50 of each, you've got 400-500 added to the run. Special collectors certificate and you're golden. In seriousness, few Clans still around new, those that are are 190 GBP plus showing there's strong demand (limited discounting). It might be they need to give it a couple more years, but I certainly see another clan run in the next three years.

Oh, sorry - not sure how I missed that one! I also missed their Hunslet 16" announcement apparently, I was thinking that might be an industrial tank that Hornby would tackle.

Alright, my 2024 predictions. - Hornby Dublo Princess - Hornby Clan class (reckon it's time to see one again) - Hornby permutation of the IET (eg. Class 805 etc) - Hornby Class 27xx (or similar - a reimagining of a Hornby staple done to modern standards, and Bachmann already did the Jinty) - Hornby - one really stonking industrial tank like an Andrew Barclay 18" - Hornby - Lion without the brass firebox - Hornby - Announce a 197/196 etc to get their elbows out on a modern multiple unit, but takes 2+ years for delivery. - Bachmann, I reckon are going to come out with an updated Class 165/166 or similar - supporting their modern image DMU line. Lots of more recent livery choices and time for a high-fidelity DCC release. - Bachmann Class 57 using the upgrades from the 47 - Dapol - longshot, but reckon they were the HST competition that Hornby were worried about (per TV show). Class 43 and bunch of mk3s to be released 2024. - Dapol GWR steam, in order of liklihood: Saint, Grange, County, Star - Rapido - something to support their metropolitan product line, maybe A class? - Rapido Midland 115 (Spinner) - waste not to use what they learned from the Stirling Single - Accurascale - reckon a Class 59 to take on Dapol's (learning from the 66 Hattons project) - Heljan I'm struggling with, I think it's going to be something 8 coupled, like an LMS 7F - Heljan Class 10 Someone will announce an S160, now two WD Austerity 2-10-0s are on the cards. Someone will do a modern run of a Brittania, I couldn't decide who. Could be Hornby. Longer shot, but I think someone may attempt a class 13 as a niche product, but giving them the chassis design and most of the tooling to then see if there's interest in taking on both Hornby and Bachmann with an 08 release. No-one will do a Dx class.

With the jackshaft fixed, is there enough slop for when the axles deflect in the hornbeams? Or do you deal with it another way?

Shame these photos were lost in the server crash - maybe the OP can upload again one day or has an external site available? The state of this rail line continues to deteriorate. To me, Fiona was the last nail in the coffin for anything being salvageable, but I've not been up to see the line since (only heard of the significant washouts).

Rapido didn't get me what I really wanted this Christmas. Squirrelling 20 quid a week away next year for the hobby, half of that for rolling stock, if Rapido can put out a L&YR Class 25 or MSC long tank 0-6-0 they'll have at least a third of my rolling stock budget in a heartbeat.

If the board of directors are at the individual product level for approval then management + board is a complete mess. (eg. Titfield) Additionally, the olympic range was over a decade ago. With various term limits, changes etc I doubt much of the board from back then are on the board today. I did not like steampunk - but you can see what they tried to do with it, all the chassis already exist, the tooling changes were minimal. The "deals" have been no better than anywhere else they're currently blowing out the 0-4-0s for thirty quid. Win or loss, steampunk was probably a rounding error on an income statement. More serious to me was what they did to the Basset-Lowke name and the inability to determine how to have a real brand strategy. Happy for tiers to be gone - also hoping to see less of the silly for popular product launches - far too many times you'd see them sell out on pre-orders online + retailers, then a retailer would find themselves shorted (with an angry customer) and miraculously a handful of stock would turn up online again. That extra 30%-40% margin is extremely tempting.

Can anyone share the deal? The interface they're using the open the "door" isn't working on my mobile device.

I hope that not all the ones I voted for are made available to purchase as my bank account would not take it. I think there are about eight here I want - of those two fit perfectly what I'm starting to build out, the other six are rule 1. One of them involves a new gauge to me! If launched in the same year I could stretch to two or three - if they're spread out over the next decade I'd get all eight. Or I just have to get better at making Judith Edge kits and do a couple myself! Not as quirky - but tortured by my decision not to jump on Bellerophon pre-order. Great example of a very small locomotive class where an order would be purely rule 1 - because I want it. And if Rapido/Accurascale/Bachmann/Hornby/Heljan were making it I'd have ordered. Children getting to the age where I can send them down pit - that might help fund more of my selections.

With the details it would have been rude not to... Green lined one winging its way to my family, I'll collect the next time I'm there. I'll look for some PBA transfers and a made up nameplate sometime.

My FOMO is strong and likely well founded. Ummed and arred all week - went out for a christmas do last night, drank more than I usually do. Came home and thought "I'll figure out paying for it somehow", but then realised I missed the promotion! My own stupid fault. Hope everyone has fun next week as their packages arrive :) In the cold light of a Saturday morning I have to buy cat litter, dog food, and the expensive monthly pill for fleas + ticks for the dog, adding up to about the cost of a Kerr Stuart Victory

@Talltim Exactly. If I'm modelling 2023, great, but trying to model what I see on the railway today would be constantly changing. I wonder how many people say "this moment, in November of 2023, on the 22nd day, is the exact moment by which I wish to capture this scene, and I am certain that after months spent building it and thousands on rolling stock that won't change"