[Guest]

Dear Sirs

I wanted to know a little about the history of Hornby box design.

I have a couple of unopened (unbroken silver tag) HORNBY OO R230 B.R. PULLMAN CAR GOLDEN ARROW S309S.

They are in an older box design - with Horny Railways in the top left hand corner in yellow - i.e. without the diagonal sashes.

I was wondering from what date these date back to?
Since these boxes are also unopened are they rare or not?

Any help about the history of hornby box design would be helpful.

all the best

Mike ([email protected])

 

[John Webb]

The coach (and presumeably its box) date from around 1975. Some 25,000 were made.
(Information from Pat Hammond's 'Hornby Railways - the story of Rovex Volume 3 1972-1996' published by New Cavendish Books in 2005.)
Regards,
John Webb

 

[steventrain]

See the link and tell me which year with hornby logo on box.

http://www.modeltrains.net.au/hornby/hornby_logo_menu.asp

 

[Guest]

John and Steventrain,

Thanks for your replies - the logo is the one listed as 1973 on the web site you supplied - I presume that must be the date from which these trains come from then?

You can see a picture of the box on:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...E%3AIT&rd=1

As I am selling them on eBay

all the best Mike

Mike

 

[Guest]

John and Steventrain,

Looking further at the web site you supplied above:

http://www.modeltrains.net.au/hornby/item_...?itemyearid=921

it would apear that this modle was only made in 1974-78

However, it seems odd that I have a 1973 logo design!

I suppose the 1973 logo (http://www.modeltrains.net.au/hornby/hornby_logo_menu.asp) was used in 1974 as well as 1973, or this modle was made a bit earlier i.e. from 1973-78.

.... or I have a super rare 1974 train in a 1973 box!!!!!!!!!!

All the best

Mike

 

[John Webb]

Dear Mike,

A re-read of Pat Hammond's book, mentioned in my post #2, implies that this coach was made in 1975 and 1976 only. The version produced in 1975 had 'Golden Arrow' in large letters in a bold font, the 1976 models used an extra-bold font but in a smaller size. There is no other reference to these being made in any other year. (See page 272 if you can get hold of a copy of the book.)
Re the box - Pat's book has information on packaging (pages 471-473). He points out that packaging was used in one style until it ran out, which means that models from one year could be packed in boxes produced up to several years beforehand.
The silver seal is an indication the coach was fitted with 'Silver Seal' wheels - these were wheel sets with plastic axles & spokes with metal tyres for smoother running.
Regards,
John Webb

 

[DS239]

QUOTE (John Webb @ 5 Aug 2006, 12:33) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>'Silver Seal' wheels - these were wheel sets with plastic axles & spokes with metal tyres for smoother running.

Actually,on the original 'silver seal' branded rolling stock,-the ones packaged with the actual silver label sealing the box,-the axles were steel,only the wheel centres being plastic,tyres were plated metal [like those on the bogie wheels of a steam loco] and the 'silver seal' models were priced higher than the standard ones which had plastic wheels,-later on about 1976/77 [IIRC] they started fitting metal tyred wheelsets to all their rolling stock as standard,-but these were the version with cheap looking pressed metal tyres fitted to a one-piece axle/wheel centre moulding,and the first versions with the square-section axle centre were truly awful...

they wobbled and had a narrow back to back dimension, if anybody's got any stock still fitted with those wheels I'd seriously advise them to swap the wheels for the current Hornby type..