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Hornby 2022 range

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Sad Sprinter

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Two representative comments (not personal digs at the individuals concerned) show the very fine line Hornby (and all their competitors) walk. Not enough modern? - here's some modern. But now it's too modern! (and that is aside from the debate about how modern a train has to be to count it as 'modern'). You can't please all of the people all of the time.

My point was the combination of SWT and South Central slam door stock was an odd choice. From my memory, Connex Yellow was prevalent on slam door stock until their withdrawal in 2005, with South Central green being less common. A Connex Yellow unit would have tied in better with their previous 'Kent Coast' 4VEP and the class 466 models. (not to mention the Yellow Submarine Eurostar!)

As I said, hoping that now some 4VEPs are back, Hornby might reintroduce the NSE livered set next year if sales of the current models go well!
 
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could the SouthCentral 4VEP suggest Bachmann is planning to bring out a class 377 model? Seeing as they already have the Electrostar body mould for the class 168 it's perfectly possible.
The Turbostar body would need a fair bit of work to turn into an Electrostar either in the factory or on the home workbench- with 168/170/171s being 23m vehicles and 375s et al being 20m. They're also narrower, but only by a fraction of a mm at OO scale.
 
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RichJF

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The Southern Vep holds personal childhood memories as it used to regularly turn up on my train journey to school. Having said that it's prohibitively expensive & too large, & I've migrated to HO scale anyway

Also interesting is Hornby's Titfield Thunderbolt, as it appears they've released it despite Rapido being awarded the sole contract by Studiocanal, who own the IP rights of the film. Could end up in court for Hornby!
 

Iskra

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I think this a rather good range, with something for just about everyone :)

I'm impressed with the following:

- The DB Red Class 67 trainset featuring a modern locomotive which should appeal to younger modellers.
- The Hornby Dublo range looks stunning for the older and wealthier
- The coaching range has some interesting additions; the Coronation streamline set, the BR blue 6-wheeler and the Caledonian Sleeper Mk2's all look like great additions.
- Steam and sound looks an interesting concept
- The triang train sets look interesting and perhaps better value than the regular trainsets, although I'm not sure who the target market for these is?
- Some fantastic HST liveries; FGW, Castle Class GWR for the modernistas and EMR look particular highlights.
- There looks to be a significant expansion in the railroad range, especially in classic liveries but also good to see a GWR '57' make an appearance. Good to see a railroad IC HST too- that will be popular I think.
- Quite a bit of modern stuff with the 80X range and the FLIRTS.
- Good to see more Class 50 models :)

I'm not going to comment about prices until we see how much they are actually offered for by the retailers.
 

43055

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After not much coming out last year I am very happy with today's announcement. Firstly EMT HST and newly tooled coaches so that could mean a third rake for the layout. A bit surprised there is another batch of LNER coaches considering there have been about 3 lots already. Was expecting the TPE 802 but it is nice to see other packs as well such as the LUMO 803 and 9 car LNER/GWR sets. The GWR one is tempting as I have been thought about creating a longer 800 with the previous release of separate coaches.

The GA 755's very interesting. Could lead to the TfW in a few years.
 

IanXC

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No Hull Trains 802 *sob*

(possible over complex livery for printing I suppose.)
 

43055

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No Hull Trains 802 *sob*

(possible over complex livery for printing I suppose.)
Possibly. Also with 4 other 80x sets announced and previous years announcments not yet here there could also be no more slots for production this year.
 

TheEdge

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Also interesting is Hornby's Titfield Thunderbolt, as it appears they've released it despite Rapido being awarded the sole contract by Studiocanal, who own the IP rights of the film. Could end up in court for Hornby!

I'm interested to see who has the biggest legal budget, Hornby (revenue £37.8m) or Groupe Canal+ (revenue €5.16bn)

Strange choice from Margate...
 

Islineclear3_1

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Why have they never made a ac EMU like a 305, 302, 307, 309 or even a 321 or 317?
Look how long it took Bachmann to manufacture the 4CEP/BEP and 2EPB/HAP and 2DEMU?

Personally, I think a 317 or 321 should have come before an IEP and Flirt... I know Bratchell did a 319 and 321 but not all of us have the time to build models...
 

Iskra

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Why have they never made a ac EMU like a 305, 302, 307, 309 or even a 321 or 317?
They fall into the gap of being neither modern nor particularly historic, equally they are humdrum units that lack the prestige of express locomotives and operated in distinct geographical (electrified) pockets- ie they are niche and lack mass appeal for Hornby's target audience. Not many folk have cantenary on their network, so how much demand would there realistically be?
 

SCH117X

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I'm interested to see who has the biggest legal budget, Hornby (revenue £37.8m) or Groupe Canal+ (revenue €5.16bn)

Strange choice from Margate...
Hornby share price down 7% today; and yesterday it only went up 2.7%, hardly a vote of backing for the new range.
 

32475

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It seems some are happy with Hornby’s offerings and some not. Of those who are not so happy, a common factor apart from some of the pricing seems to be that their particular desired loco / emu / dmu etc isn’t being produced.
I watched Simon Kohler’s presentation and at one point he does emphasise strongly that if there is demand for a particular new model then Hornby need to be contacted by potential customers. I’m sure Hornby like any other manufacturers keep their ears to the ground to look at developing products that nobody else is however they must have to be pretty confident of the volume of demand before investing time money and resources. Therefore if there was a poll on this forum for desired but currently unavailable products then that might be a good starting point (forgive me if there is one already and I just haven’t seen it).
I suppose the quote that springs to mind is that you can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time.

My own suggestion to Hornby would be for a modest premium, the ability to purchase a loco with your own choice of number, name and shed plate. This would be a great benefit to modellers who are trying to be as accurate as they can be with layout locations.
 

reddragon

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It seems some are happy with Hornby’s offerings and some not. Of those who are not so happy, a common factor apart from some of the pricing seems to be that their particular desired loco / emu / dmu etc isn’t being produced.
I watched Simon Kohler’s presentation and at one point he does emphasise strongly that if there is demand for a particular new model then Hornby need to be contacted by potential customers. I’m sure Hornby like any other manufacturers keep their ears to the ground to look at developing products that nobody else is however they must have to be pretty confident of the volume of demand before investing time money and resources. Therefore if there was a poll on this forum for desired but currently unavailable products then that might be a good starting point (forgive me if there is one already and I just haven’t seen it).
I suppose the quote that springs to mind is that you can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time.

My own suggestion to Hornby would be for a modest premium, the ability to purchase a loco with your own choice of number, name and shed plate. This would be a great benefit to modellers who are trying to be as accurate as they can be with layout locations.
I'm sure one day, blank locos with a fee to choose a number or even producing with a variety of numbers will become available in one batch.

The 2022 announcements are fair overall but still focus too much on steam. A start though with more diesel locos, the HST, 8xx series & 755 though.

Why oh why though, yet another M prefix BR B/G buffet car? They make rakes of W prefix coaches but no W prefix buffets, nor does anyone else!

What about modern wagons? Have Hornby totally thrown in the towel on this to everyone else?
 

RuddA

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I haven't had anything new for years. Nearly fell off the chair when I saw the prices. No longer something for Christmas like when I got mine.

Never forget, as a teenager, receiving my BR blue class 86 at about the time they started being used on the GEML.
 

RichJF

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I'm sure one day, blank locos with a fee to choose a number or even producing with a variety of numbers will become available in one batch.

The 2022 announcements are fair overall but still focus too much on steam. A start though with more diesel locos, the HST, 8xx series & 755 though.

Why oh why though, yet another M prefix BR B/G buffet car? They make rakes of W prefix coaches but no W prefix buffets, nor does anyone else!

What about modern wagons? Have Hornby totally thrown in the towel on this to everyone else?
A couple of the American HO manufacturers produce unpainted loco ranges that allow you to paint/detail as you want. Priced a little lower than finished versions.

Still think OO manufacturers could take a leaf out of this book.
 

Sprinter107

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Certain items are already sold out on pre order, so they must be very limited in number.
 

Peter C

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I've had a look through the range a couple of times now, mainly just at the locomotives/units, and so here's my tuppence's worth;

I know it's not a new concept for 2022, but the idea of there being just standard "Hornby RailRoad" then there being "RailRoad Plus" doesn't work in my eyes. The whole point of the RailRoad range was, as I understood it when I joined the hobby a few years ago, to provide cheap(er) models, of lesser quality detail-wise than the main range, but at a lower price to suit. That way it was quite easy to build up a fleet of good engines, which looked like the real thing and performed reliably. Hornby seem to have lost their way with the RailRoad range now, and I can't help but feel that someone high-up has been presented with the idea of lesser-quality models without the necessary context to go with it, and thought, "these models need some more detail, let's make a new range". Maybe there's an argument to be made that now newcomers to the hobby can start with RailRoad as it is, then move up to RailRoad Plus, then on to the full range, but I'm not convinced, especially when so many of the RailRoad Plus models are old Lima toolings.

Nice to see the Class 50s back in the range, they're not bad models in many respects. Particularly happy to see 50042 Triumph in the range, given that was the 50 which got me interested in them when I saw it at the Bodmin and Wenford Railway; personally I'm a big fan of manufacturers producing more models with names/numbers of preserved examples because then everyone wins - those making models of preserved railways get realistic engines without having to rename/renumber them, and those modelling the railways during the time when such engines would have been commonplace win too because there's nothing special about a particular engine necessarily which sets it apart from the others in that context, if that makes any sense. But anyway, I digress :lol:

The 4-VEP is an interesting one; it's been a model which the model railway scene, especially on Twitter, has been crying out for for a while now. It's a new tooling I believe for 2022, and the two liveries are nice as they're sort-of modern (not modern image though any more, really), but then you've got the old unit underneath. An interesting example of how Hornby can, if they put their minds to it, produce a model which is a bit quirky, like 3514 in the Southern green livery, being the only 423 to have ever carried that colour scheme. Let's just hope it runs better than the original!

The Turbomotive is another interesting model; it just goes to show that if Hornby think they'll be able to sell enough of those to cover their costs, they might be able to look at some other one-off engines, perhaps such as Big Bertha, the Lickey Incline banker, The Great Bear, the GWR's only 'Pacific', or maybe something like a Bulleid Leader, if they were feeling adventurous enough.

There's also the really quite surprising inclusion of the Class 755/3 and 755/4. Not something I'd ever have expected to see from Hornby - a properly modern-image unit - but it is nice to see. Just got to wait and see now, to make sure the price matches the quality!

The GWR 802/1 and Lumo 803 are also nice to see. I'd been hoping Hornby would make a GWR 802 of some description for a while, mainly because we've had a five-car GWR IET from them before and it'd be nice to have a nine-car version too. They've delivered on that front - hopefully it all works well.

I've definitely missed some stuff out but that's sort of my thoughts on it all to be honest, if anyone was particularly interested (who knows, I might have said something particularly outrageous ;)).

-Peter
 

reddragon

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The Turbomotive is another interesting model; it just goes to show that if Hornby think they'll be able to sell enough of those to cover their costs, they might be able to look at some other one-off engines, perhaps such as Big Bertha, the Lickey Incline banker, The Great Bear, the GWR's only 'Pacific', or maybe something like a Bulleid Leader, if they were feeling adventurous enough.

Leader from KR
 

SCH117X

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The 4-VEP is an interesting one; it's been a model which the model railway scene, especially on Twitter, has been crying out for for a while now. It's a new tooling I believe for 2022,
More tweaked than wholly new - corrected cab front, windows to first class internal partitions, improved inter coach coupling and power transfer, 21 pin DCC socket and a 5 pole motor bogie
 

Peter C

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More tweaked than wholly new - corrected cab front, windows to first class internal partitions, improved inter coach coupling and power transfer, 21 pin DCC socket and a 5 pole motor bogie
Ah thank you - glad to hear they've sorted the issues with the couplings for sure. My 4-VEP from the previous run has lost lighting in all but one coach, and at one end, because of the poor connections between the coaches. The motor wasn't fantastic in the originals either - and a 21-pin DCC socket should hopefully mean saying goodbye to those 8-pin decoders with all their wires!

-Peter
 

Sprinter107

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Would any member be able to tell me where 3514 VEP was allocated while in Southern livery and would it have worked across the Oxted line ? I've tried to do some research but have seen no pics of it on the Oxted line. I quite fancy ordering one. Thanks in advance.
 

32475

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Would any member be able to tell me where 3514 VEP was allocated while in Southern livery and would it have worked across the Oxted line ? I've tried to do some research but have seen no pics of it on the Oxted line. I quite fancy ordering one. Thanks in advance.
A quick look at Google images for the unit in Southern livery show it at Lewes, Haywards Heath, Horsham, Barnham and Stoats Nest Jctn. I’m sure there are more locations if you delve further.

A quick look at Google images for the unit in Southern livery show it at Lewes, Haywards Heath, Horsham, Barnham and Stoats Nest Jctn. I’m sure there are more locations if you delve further.
It certainly went through Oxted on 19-11-05 on the Sussex Slammer rail tour.
 

RichJF

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I can't remember the specific allocation, but 3514 worked everywhere on the Southern network and certainly did work East Grinstead turns (i.e. down to Oxted).
Reguarly turned up on Redhill services. Usually from Horsham - Victoria was my staple morning train.
 

Sprinter107

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Thanks ever so much for all your replies. I've managed to find a pic of 3514 VEP at Hurst Green. I've ordered the Hornby one. Hopefully they'll do a Connex one next.
 
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