Hornby 2009 Range

[Ultimo Tiger]

Is this thing cyclical? I mean might Hornby move on to have a GWR fetish for a few years, then an LNER one, then an LMS one and then a modern era one etc?

I think all the Live Steam loco's are LNER A3's & A4's but I don't suppose many people use such an expensive (and complicated) system.

[Caledonian]

Tends to be the way it is. Just as one swallow don't make a summer, one loco don't make a railroad...

Hornby basically work in packages; out came the new A1/A3s and the A4s and the new Gresleys came with them; likewise the current crop of Southern stuff. The problem with the LNER range from Hornby isn't a lack of models, as any fool can figure out by counting on his fingers, its the fact that apart from the old stagers its all high end ECML stuff.

The trouble, to be fair, is that once you get down to the bread and butter stuff its difficult to please everybody because there was so much regional variety. Provide me with some ex-NBR stock, a County and a bright shiny new B1 (yes I know Bachmann do one, but it's an ancient split chassis thing) and I'll be as happy as a pig in the proverbial, but its not likely to do much for somebody modelling the ex Great Eastern lines.

[Caledonian]

I just got the new catalogue today and oh dear me, never mind the "failure" to produce new LNER models...

In regards to tender locomotives there has been a noticeable rationalisation with only one each of A4 (Mallard), A3 (Flying Scotsman 2004), Princess Royal and Princess Coronation, Merchant Navy, Grange (Frankton) and Black 5. There are still multiple identities of West Countries and Battle of Britains (original and rebuilt) and two Britannias; but otherwise the range is made up of the new LMS and Southern locos; Patriots, Scots, Arthurs, Schools, and T9s; the new Standard 4; re-tooled Castle and of course the Clans. Everything else has gone.

Tank engines comprise the M7 in various guises, Stanier and Fowler 4s, the old GWR Prairie and a selection of shunters; the horrid old ex-NBR J83 has disappeared at last, but oddly enough Smoky Joe is still with us in the main catalogue as well as in Caledonian blue as a Railroader. Otherwise there are two version of the GWR 2721 open cabs, two Austerities (WPR and British Railways); the Terrier (Piccadilly) and the GWR 14XX

Now summing up on all of this (and excluding other bits and pieces offered in train packs and sets) there is a good and very up to date range of LMS and Southern passenger and fast freight locos, but next to nothing in the shunting line. The GWR is decidely thin with just one Grange and the Prairie to tide it over until the new Castles come through, and again not a lot shunting wise.

The LNER range however has been pretty comprehensively butchered with one A3 in preserved livery, one A4 in pre-war garter blue and, scraping the barrel a bit, a Blaydon shedded J94 in BR livery.

[52D]

Dont let them remove Smokey Joe yet. Apart from the useless toy chassis and motion i am using the body in a number of projects and will be putting a guide to modificatins out as a freebee to those interested later on. At present i am working on a late LNER early BR period Y9. I am building up drawings and reference material for a pre grouping NBR version and a version with cut down fittings from Beckton Gas works. There is a plethora (been eating dictionary pie again) of similar Neilson versions just crying out to be modelled and would welcome any photos via a pm of Industrial and NBR versions.

Thanks,

George (52D)

[Caledonian]

I doubt we'll ever see the end of Neilsons' finest. I was just expressing surprise that it still appears in the main catalogue as well as in the Railroad range, at different prices.

Still astonished though at the way the LNER stuff has quite literally evaporated and live in hopes for something in the mid-term announcements hinted at for later in the year once they've sorted out their production problems

BTW have you looked at the photos of the Y9 and the Neilson on the SRPS website?

[Blink Bonny]

To be honest, us LNER types always seem to be at the bottom of the pile when it comes to model railways.....

Maybe we should take a leaf out of the Great Western society's book and bombard the manufacturers and model magazines with letters. They seem to take heed of Green, Wet and Rusty requests.....

Ah, the halcyon days of the Paramiltary Branch of the GWS. Never could see it meself!

[Ultimo Tiger]

Thing that annoys me about the LNER (well lack of it) in the Hornby range is that it means the really cool stuff like the P2's and Garret's need to be done from kits. I'd rather just buy one RTR than faff around making it and then trying to paint it.

Least that TMC place sells loads of the A1's, A3's and A4's with different nameplates and running numbers etc. Still, if you don't run the heavy mainline loco's then you are to put it bluntly, screwed.

[shauny]

Hello there.
I`d like to through a little light on the subject of "lack of LNER models".
The wish list survey doesn`t work!
The southern railway being the smaller of the big four had fewer locomotive designs and thus any survey of 'produce it by public demand' is likely to favour this.As those lucky southern fans have less to choose from.
If all of us fans of the biggest of the big four could agree on lets say, a J21 then I would bet on our friends in China working overtime!
Oh and to add a personal winge, whats with this delay on the bachmann couplings, I`ve got rakes of kit built stuff thats useless right now.

[Bullhead]

Oh and to add a personal winge, whats with this delay on the bachmann couplings, I`ve got rakes of kit built stuff thats useless right now.

I second that - I've been busily constructing a variety of Parkside Dundas freight and NPCCS vehicles recently, but haven't been able to get hold of supplies of the latest pattern of Bachmann NEM coupling either.

[Blink Bonny]

(deep sigh)

Where's that Crownline V2 kit got to?

[Bullhead]

What's with this delay on the Bachmann couplings?

They're in stock at Hattons (and presumably elsewhere) today.

[Blink Bonny]

If you're after NEM couplings, the Hornby NEMs are identical and in model shops NOW!

[Bullhead]

If you're after NEM couplings, the Hornby NEMs are identical and in model shops NOW!

The Hornby NEMs I've been using (and replacing) have a vastly inferior mounting system (two little sprung legs), and don't articulate as freely as the Bachmann version. The Hornby lifting hook is also slightly larger, and more likely to foul dummy drawhooks than Bachmann's.