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Hornby 2020 new models

29K views 17 replies 7 participants last post by  34C 
#1 ·
Hornby have released details of their new products for 2020. This year marks the 100th anniversary of Frank Hornby founding the company which bears his name. Hornby are marking the occasion by including some special models in the range. You can read the full list of new models on this page on the Hornby website.

Hornby have also produced an edition of 'The Signal Box' on You Tube which gives a rundown of the range
http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/t5j--1Q__tg?rel=0

For the first time in a long time, it looks like I might be tempted to 'collect' quite a few of these new releases.

David
 
#3 ·
I gather most retailers have sold or over sold their commemorative boxed Rockets given how many they will each get has not yet been established - can't say it attracts me, anything in a Triang box IME was old, usually poorly running and with wheels that would suit a steamroller. I would expect their will be a number of further Rocket sets or individual items in the future.

The carriage names of the commemorative set reflect those used by Triang, Dispatch, Experience and Times ,while the other set has Globe, Renown and Wellington. None therefore replicate the coaches to be seen with the current Replica, which also is normally to be seen with an open coach or tw0. Hornby are marketing the current ones as Rocket in its 1829 condition but its questionable whether their were actually any vehicles other than wagons which had seating fitted inside them at the time of the Rainhill trails.
 
#4 ·
Adding slightly to b-h's post above: The major retailers appear to be selling out of their allocations very rapidly on both Rocket sets. I didn't want to commit to one so quickly, but have placed a pre-order with Kernow Model Centre for the 'ordinary' set (Hatton's are all pre-sold already). I don't see the need for the Triang commemorative packaging for myself, as my model is intended to be for occasional use. I can understand collectors wanting that version, though.
 
#5 · (Edited)
(butler-henderson @ 12 Jan 2020, 22:36) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>...I would expect there will be a number of further Rocket sets or individual items in the future...
Difficult to gauge that, Hornby don't have a terrific record in 'continuity' even with successful models! My advice to a couple of friends who were havering over whether to purchase was to consider how disappointed they would be if this proved to be their only chance to buy this item new in the near future.

(I can see that nine and ten years ahead, the Bicentenaries of the Rainhill trials and opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway will provide an occasion for a re-release.)
 
#6 ·
Rails had sold out their centenary version of the Rocket by the evening of the announcement. I am happy enough to settle for the 'standard' edition to add to my collection of "Fastest trains in the world".

QUOTE Hornby don't have a terrific record in 'continuity' even with successful models!
Indeed! I'm waiting for a few more pre-war condition K class Pullmans to go with the first five they produced. The second batch were post war with dark roofs being the most obvious difference.

Still with a full set of Coronation coaches and a comprehensive list of APT coaches perhaps times are changing? Their colleagues at Rivarossi are re-releasing their VSOE cars.

David
 
#7 · (Edited by Moderator)
According to postings by a Warners magazine editor(etc) on another forum area who has discussed the availability of the Rocket sets with Hornby, the Hornby reps will be given the role of allocating the Rocket sets to shops which is yet to happen so those saying they have sold out of Rocket are simply guessing at the moment how many they will get, and they may get less or more. Apparently shops which have done the greater amount of business with Hornby will be favoured first.
 
#8 ·
QUOTE Apparently shops which have done the greater amount of business with Hornby will be favoured first.
Modellbahnshop Lippe posted the Centenary edition on their website yesterday. Not seen much Hornby there previously so I wonder how they'll fare


David
 
#9 ·
QUOTE (butler-henderson @ 14 Jan 2020, 18:24) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>According to postings by a Warners magazine editor(etc) on another forum area who has discussed the availability of the Rocket sets with Hornby, the Hornby reps will be given the role of allocating the Rocket sets to shops which is yet to happen so those saying they have sold out of Rocket are simply guessing at the moment how many they will get, and they may get less or more. Apparently shops which have done the greater amount of business with Hornby will be favoured first.

If said editor is correct, it would have been wiser to do the allocation and let the shops know before they were taking orders. That would be a rather new system, well away from shops making a guess at possible sales and ordering accordingly, at which stage they would be informed how much of the order could be fulfilled..... before customers ordered and then later getting the order cancelled. Ummm...??

Forum feeding frenzy...? salt anyone??

Regards
Julian
 
#10 ·
QUOTE (Julian2011 @ 14 Jan 2020, 21:15) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>If said editor is correct, it would have been wiser to do the allocation and let the shops know before they were taking orders. That would be a rather new system, well away from shops making a guess at possible sales and ordering accordingly, at which stage they would be informed how much of the order could be fulfilled..... before customers ordered and then later getting the order cancelled. Ummm...??

Forum feeding frenzy...? salt anyone??

Regards
Julian

I tried to Edit this post and it didn't accept the edit, presumably timed out.

This is the Edited reply:-

Said Editor said that the allocation for sets [ie. the number of sets to be available to a shop] are being decided by the reps, which enables the shops to order whatever number they wish, up to the number in their allocation. It didn't seem clear to me, when the reps would do [have done?] that decision making. It also said that [seemingly as of Sunday 12th] they had not sold out. It will be interesting how the Hornby statement plays out.

Regards
Julian
 
#11 ·
QUOTE (dwb @ 14 Jan 2020, 20:03) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Modellbahnshop Lippe posted the Centenary edition on their website yesterday. Not seen much Hornby there previously so I wonder how
they'll fare ...
I suppose that this will come down to the Hornby Group's internal integration. Do stockists of the Hornby International ranges get a look
in? Now here's something I do know, at least one continental European HO modeller is interested in a Rocket set. Kees has lamented for
a while the lack of a good 'Rocket' to go with his other models of early locos, and will be buying, having seen the images.
 
#12 ·
So...over 6 months in and curious to know what anyone has ordered from 2020 range.

I caved and got the Rocket pack (std version) after seeing all the positive reviews and that they will also issue a 3rd class wagon to allow a prototypical formation.

I did also order the DB Class 60 Dowlow though that was a 2019 announcement; I missed the original back in 2013 (Spirit of Tom Kendall) at £120 so for an extra £40 TTS Sound Fitted wasn't too bad.
 
#13 ·
QUOTE curious to know what anyone has ordered from 2020 range.
I have the 'standard' Rocket train pack. It's incredibly cute. I finally got round to ordering the Hornby 6 pin decoder for it this week. It should arrive tomorrow. I chose the Hornby on the basis that space is incredibly tight and surely their decoder should fit? I have an ESU lokpilot with 6 pin harness but the PCB is too big by a long way, never mind the harness on top of that.

I have also ordered the Hush Hush in original and rebuilt state.

Don't know if the Queen of Scots train pack is 2020 but one of those arrived earlier this month.

I haven't decided on the Thompson A2 rebuilds, the LMS Coronation set or the APT. I'm kind of hoping that by waiting they'll get sold out and the decision is taken out of my hands
.

Definitely a good sales year for Hornby from me...

David
 
#14 · (Edited by Moderator)
Had one of the standard Rockets - ran backwards okay, forwards was a bit rough but seemed to be getting better so I left it running and suddenly it stopped all together - motor working - driving wheels not turning. Sent it back to Gaugemaster asking for it to be repaired but they refunded instead so now I am expecting one from Kernow (full list price £15 dearer than Gaugemaster) on Monday. A tip I have read elsewhere is to slip a suitable sized piece of wire insulation onto the tender coupling pin to keep the drawbar in place - the main weakness with the model is the wires to the tender seem stiff (single core?) and snap readily from their soldered joint. Not keen on the Hornby 6 pin decoder as it simply their very basic 8 pin one on a 6 pin connector so have an idea or two to try out.
 
#15 ·
QUOTE (dwb @ 31 Jul 2020, 16:16) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>...I haven't decided on the Thompson A2 rebuilds...
Then there's the competition. Bachmann should have their new V2 on sale at about the same time. Elegant, reliable and effective,
or one of Thompson's ill proportioned mechanically suspect clunkers? I am so going to wait for an A2/3, V2's were an everyday
sight, Thompson pacifics relatively rare near KX.

The W1 in final form, now that's a must. I already have its service replacement, DP1, ready for the 1959 'handover'.
 
#16 ·
QUOTE Thompson pacifics relatively rare near KX.
Nice thing about Leeds Central is that it's not far from Doncaster and I've seen a few photos of locos on 'running in' turns after maintenance so the possibilities exist
.
I just have to remember if I'm running pre-war, not to have Pacifics arrive before the bridge strengthening works somewhere further south took place.

David
 
#17 ·
Got my Kernow Rocket - ran fine, tried a decoder and it ran along the programming track - never seen a loco do that before. Turned out that all 6 terminals on the socket have wires to them (2 x track, 2 x motor, 2 x lights - what lights!) Enough of this nonsense by Hornby - its now CKD and will go back together with improvements that IMO it should have had in the first place. One of the immediate weaknesses of the model that comes to light when you CKD it is that the set of gears between the motor and the driving wheels are fitted on a metal rod that is only held in place by a totally accurately fitted body. Completely goes against the basis principal that a chassis should run okay without the body fitted and the first thing to tackle probably with a mixture of Araldite and a washer. Suspect that was the issue with my first Rocket.
 
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