[Gary]

There is news of several special edition and limited edition sets that Hornby have produced for the mail order market. The sets contain locomotives that appear to be unique and with the liveries having certain nuances that are not often seen. The rolling stock also appears unique to these sets and so they may appeal to collectors as well as the newcomer to the hobby.

Exclusive to Boogaloo, this 60th anniversary VE Day train set is limited to only a thousand. It was magnificent trains like this one that brought our boys home from the battlefields of World War II back to jubilant street parties 60 years ago. Attention to detail is striking: The super-detailed LMS locomotive boasts sprung buffers, wartime black livery with a weathered finish. It also includes 2 weathered LMS composite coaches and 1 weathered brake coach. Looking at the images it is not clear which loco it is so any news on this would be appreciated. It could be a weathered example of "City of Edinburgh" which has not been modelled by Hornby previously.

The Northern Belle set, exclusive to Clifford James, recreates the luxury and romance of the original Pullman 'Belle' trains of the 1930's. The set contains the detailed Princess Coronation Class model locomotive, 'Duchess of Sutherland' hauling three extensively modified mk2 Pullman coaches - 'Glamis', 'Warwick' and a 'Mk 2D Brake' coach.

This specially commissioned top-of-the-range Hornby train set, exclusive to Clifford James, includes a reproduction of the LMS 'Princess Elizabeth' Locomotive and tender plus, HM The Queen's personal saloon car, HRH The Duke of Edinburgh's personal saloon car and their sleeper/brake coach as used to transport The Queen & Prince Phillip during their tours of the United Kingdom.

This set from Hornby, exclusive to Boogaloo, showcases the world famous Mallard decked out in a distinguished and rarely seen green BR livery. Still the fastest steam train ever, recorded at 125mph, this unique set includes a super-detailed Mallard along with a rake of four equally elegant Carmine and Cream BR carriages. Hornby collectors should note that Mallard is offered on general release in LNER Garter blue this year. The loco has the early crest on the tender.

Happy modelling
Gary

 

[Doug]

The VE Day train looks interesting - if only because it has a different type of streamlining that we are so used to on model railways. It is similar to the German wartime streamlined locos.

 

[Gary]

So who did it first?

The British or the Germans?

Happy modelling
Gary

 

[Jennings]

I like the looks of the Mallard one ... but its a tad expensive (Unless thats the new Gresley's as well, then its a bargain)

 

[Gary]

I've just been browsing through my Model Rail and noted an advert for the Winston Churchill Coming Home set featured above.

The loco in the set is actually "City of Lancaster" and not "City of Edinburgh" suggested above. The set is limited to 1000 and has a certificate of authenticity signed by the Hornby marketing manager Simon Kohler. It seems like a reasonable collectable for the money. I suspect the coaches have running numbers unique to the set.

A bit surprised to see the previously available price though of £290 used in the advertising. There is an * against the price and it goes on to say *previously sold elsewhere for £290" lower down. I don't quite understand this.

Have Hornby ever sold a set for £290?

And if its exclusive to the advertiser how can it have been *previously sold elsewhere for £290"?

If its the value of the bits of the set sold off seperately then maybe, but really they should make that clearer if that is indeed the case.

Happy modelling
Gary

 

[Thomas]

For me these limited sets are a real pain. Often the sets are only sold by companies that will not post them to Austria. Last year I tried to order the Hornby Evening Star trainset from Marks and Spencer but to no avail. The shop I usually order from (Rails of Shffield - excellent!) could not order it for me. The same troubles with the Hornby Excalibur Trainset no chance to it. I really wanted the coaches of this set (I still want them actually:help but Hornby does not offer these coaches.

Hornby should offer these packs in the collectors club for overseas customers to get some additional sales without damaging the sales of the companies that order the sets and packs from them as these do not offer ovrseas sales.

 

[Doug]

I agree with what Thomas says.

Exclusive offers by companies that can't offer to sell to everyone is most frustrating.

There are always ways around this by asking friends to purchase on your behalf, but it would be great if a deal was reached with companies who wish to offer exclusive products that made it obligatory for them to sell to a worldwide clientele.

 

[Jennings]

In reagrds to the M & S one last year, i kept checking their site after christmas when stock seemed to vanish from the shop overnight. Eventually manged to pick one up at ... wait for it ... £29!!!

They even went as low as £9!!!! but sadley my order wasn't accepted on both occassions i tried. (Shame really). I actually took some screenshots as well for the fun of it.

That Royal Train one as well is the EXACT same set as M &S had in 2003 (Different packaging though), so it can't be 'special' since at least 2 companies have done it as 'their' limited.

 

[Bilbo]

Back to Boogaloo. I took the liberty of asking them where/when this set was sold previously for £290. They have emailed me back to say it was sold by a company called Compton & Woodhouse http://www.comptonandwoodhouse.co.uk/ . I found no reference to it on their website.

However the question I would have to ask is if it is advertised as exclusive to Boogaloo then how can it be sold by someone else.

 

[mow]

Makes me wonder if Boogaloo have had any recent dealings with disgruntled members of Consumers Association (or Which?), or Tradings Standards Offices of County Councils.

 

[Rail-Rider]

As to which was first, the Germans undoubtedly beat Stanier's Princess Coronations onto the track by a couple of years. Stanier didn't manage it until 1937 and the Germans had streamliners in 1935, the same year that Nigel Gresley introduced the A4s.

It seems that many jumped on the streamlining steam bandwagon in the 1930s with some very unusual late experiments such as Pennsylvania's

S1

of 1939, with a 6-4-4-6 wheel arrangement and their

T1

a 4-4-4-4 which, though fast and powerful, were not very succesful by most accounts.

One of the most peculiar was this German so-called
V8 steam engine by Henschel!
It appears to be 2-8-2 wheel arrangement and is really powered by four V-twin steam cylinders rather than one V-8.
Another flop, although being hit by bombs in the war didn't help its chances a great deal!

 

[Gary]

Yes, I can now see the similarities. Did Sir William Arthur Stanier have any German relatives by any chance?

Great link by the way.

Happy modelling
Gary