The first “Hornby clockwork train” was released by Meccano Ltd. back in 1920 and therefore the current Hornby are marking the Centenary in style. The full history of Hornby can be found elsewhere but I am sure we are all familiar with the Hornby brands and ranges including:

In this post I will provide outline details of the limited edition centenary releases and their new tooling releases; although there is new tooling for the Southern  Railway modeller this year, new livery versions of existing tooling relevant to Southern / Southern Region are included.
I am also able to bring some additional information regarding Work In Progress the remaining outstanding Southern related items.
The full 2020 range is available on the Hornby website here.

Centenary Range

Hornby’s Centenary Year will include a variety product launches including a special range of limited edition products to celebrate each decade and will feature packaging to represent the relevant decade and include a limited edition certificate. They will be released evenly during the year.

• 1920s: ‘The Hornby Electric Train’ – 4 new ‘0’ Gauge tinplate locomotives; London North Western Railway black, Midland Railway red, Caledonian Railway blue and Great Northern green. 100 per livery, Availability Jan, Mar, June, Sept.
• 1930s: ‘HORNBY-DUBLO’ 1938 – LNER A4 4498 ‘Sir Nigel Gresley’ and two teak coaches, track and transformer. Limited to 1000 units available June
• 1940s: ‘Hornby DublO’ ‘Candy Stripe’ packaging 1948 – LMS 6231 ‘Douches of Atholl’, Die cast body. Limited to 500 units available May.
• 1950s: ‘DUBLO DIECAST’ 1957 – a selection of 6 diecast vehicles, Austin K8 Van, Morris J Van, MG TC, Fordson Tractor, VW T2 Van and a Scammell Mechanical Horse Van Trailer. Limited to 2000 each version available May.
• 1960s: ‘Tri-ang Railways’ 1963 – Stephenson’s Rocket Train Pack, Rocket locomotive and 3 coaches, completely new tooling true to 1/76 00 scale. Limited to 1500 units. Availability Feb.
• 1970s: ‘Tri-ang Hornby’ 1971 – 9F 92220 ‘;Evening Star’, includes commemorative makers plate. Limited to 1000 units, available July
• 1980s: ‘Hornby Railways – Blue Belt’ 1983 – 56024 ‘Smokey Joe’ – Hornby’s longest serving locomotive (tooling modified to include extra detailing parts such as handrails etc.) Limited to 2000 Units, available June.
• 1990s: ‘Hornby Railways – Top Link’ 1998 – LB&SCR 45 ‘Merton A1 Terrier in Strudley’s improved engine green. Merton was where the original Tri-ang trains factory was located. Limited to 1000 units, available July.
  
  
• 2000s: ‘Hornby’ celebrating the step change and resurgence in new Hornby models – 35028 Merchant Navy Pacific ‘Clan Line’, 18ct gold plated details and valve gear. Limited to 1000 units, available August.
  
  
• 2010s: ‘Hornby’ 2017 – Peckett 614, includes brass effect makers plate. Limited to 2000 units available Sept.
• 2020: ‘Rovex’ 100 years of Hornby Train set, celebrating the first train set produced by Rovex, a black livery Princes Elizabeth and 2 off LMS Coaches

Other celebratory limited edition collectable mechanise will be available including: a mug, pen and gold plated anniversary badge and a new book by Pat Hammond ‘The Hornby Book of Trains The First one Hundred Years’.
Also keep and eye out for the Hornby Centenary video campaign, a limited number of tickets available for a British Belmond Pullman Experience train on Saturday 19th September behind 35028 Clan Line. One box in each of the Centenary range products above will feature a ‘Golden Ticket’ to win one of a number of prizes including a trip on the Belmond Pullman or vouchers for the Hornby website.

New tooling

Whilst there is no new tooling this year for specifically Southern / Southern Region modellers, except BR Mk1 RB Coaches, Hornby are still investing in an ambitious plan for the year that includes:

• BR Class 370 Advanced Passenger Train 5 and 7 car train packs and additional coach packs will be available and (note totally Hornby’s own new design and tooling) It will be complete with tilting mechanism- available Dec
• Stephenson’s Rocket and 3 coaches standard version train pack – available Feb
• BR Thompson 4-6-2 A2/2 class – 2 livery versions – available Dec
• LNER / BR Thompson 4-6-2 A2/3 class – 4 livery versions – available Dec
• BR Standard 2-6-0 2MT 78xxx class – 3 livery versions – available Dec
• LNER 4-6-4 W1 class ‘Hush Hush’ original form No. 10000- 3 livery versions – available Dec
• LNER / BR 4-6-4 W1 class ”Rebuilt’ No. 10000 and 60700- 2 livery versions with and without valences – available Dec
• BR Bo-Bo Class 91 Electric locomotive – 4 livery versions – available Dec
• LMS Stanier Coronation Scot coaches – BTKs, FK, RKs and RTOs – available Oct
• BR Mk1 Restaurant Buffet (RB) coaches to Diagram 24 including in BR(S) Green livery R4972 as S1720 as introduced in 1961 and R4972A as S1757 as introduced in 1963. They will also be available in Western, Midland and Intercity liveries – available Nov.

New liveries

New liveries for Southern / Southern Region models are listed below:

• • R3846 – LSWR 0-6-0t A1 Terrier class No. 735 in LSWR livery, purchased by the LSWR from the LBSCR 735 (ex 668) along with 734 (ex 646) entered service on the LSWR in April 1903 mainly in the East Devon area until languishing at Eastleigh Works in 1919 – available July
    
  • R3845 – LBSCR 0-6-0t A1 Terrier class No. 40 ‘Brighton’ in Stroudley’s improved engine green livery as carried before she was sold to the Isle of Wight Central Railway in 1902- available July
    
  • R3847 – SR 0-6-0t A1X Terrier class No. W14 ‘Bembridge’ SR Olive Green as she carried on the Isle of Wight between April 1932 and May 1936 when she returned to the mainland- available July
    
  • R3848 – SR 0-6-0t A1X Terrier class No. W13 ‘Carisbrooke’ BR Malachite Green as she carried on the Isle of Wight between early 1948 and April 1949 when she returned to the mainland – available July
    
  • R3763 – SR 0-4-4t H Class No. 1552 SR black, with non shaded lettering but shaded number, as per reference picture that Hornby have based the model on taken at Nine Elms on 29/8/1948 – available Jan
    
  • R3862 – SR 4-6-0 Lord Nelson Class No. 864 ‘Sir Martin Frobisher’ SR Malachite Green, as she ran between February 1947 and May 1948 – available July
    
  • R3863 – LSWR 4-4-0 T9 Class No. 120 in LSWR Green as preserved, running and repainted by British Railways in March 1962 before becoming part of the National Collection in 1963- available Oct
    
  • R3943 – Express Dairy Co. Ltd., Ruston & Hornsby 48DS 0-4-0 236611 in Express Dairy Blue livery as seen at Mordon – available Dec
    
  • BR Mk1 coaches in BR(S) Green R4975 SK No. S34310, R4976 CK No. S15574, R4977 BSK No. S34967, R4979 TS) No. S4009, R4981 FO No. S3065 and R4982 GB No. S84289 – available Dec
    
  • R6911B LSWR 20t ‘New Van’ Goods Brake Van No.10124 in LSWR livery – available Aug
    
  • R6938 SR Diagram 1543 24t Goods Brake Van No. 55052 in post 1936 (small lettering) SR livery (yes I do agree with many that the shade of brown is too light) – available Aug
    
  • R6915B BR Diagram 1543 24t Goods Brake Van No. S55063 in BR grey livery – available Aug
    
  • R6944 3 Plank wagon (generic) in LSWR Engineers dept. Brown livery No. 316 – available Aug
  • R6948 5 plank PO wagon ‘Herbert Rigler No. 106, Bournemouth’ – available Oct
  • R6952 7 plank PO wagon ‘Madge No. 62, London and Brighton’ – available Oct
  • R6978 6 wheel milk tanker No. 44029 ‘St Ivel’ – available Sept
  • R1253M 373 Class Eurostar “Yellow Submarine” livery train set – and all new new licensing agreement (also includes R3829 Train Pack and R4001 divisible centre saloons coach pack and Corgi models). This is based on the livery applied to set 3005/3006 in 1999. Although in reality each of the 18 coaches had different graphics, as virtually no one can really run a full 18 coach set, the Hornby release replicates the majority of these with different graphics on each side of each available coach – available May
    

Railroad Plus

The railroad range is slightly enhanced with a “Plus” version of the range with additional livery details and touches, including in some instances etched nameplates, when compared to the existing Railroad range. The range includes 3 off Class 47 Co-Cos ,  a Class 20 Bo-Bo, a Class 37 Co-Co, a BR 2-10-0 9F class No. 92218 and finally R3910 Class 73 Bo-Bo No. 73964 ‘Jeanette’ in GB Railfreight livery – available Sept

Work In Progress Update

Whilst we have been able to take delivery of many of the Southern / Southern Region modes from last years range such as the all new tolling ex LBSC A1 and A1X Terrier locomotives, the excellent Bulleid 59ft coaches and the just arrived ex LSWR Diagram 1543 24t Goods Brake Vans, some items have been delayed. It is well known that the Hornby supply chain includes a number of different factories in China, one of which was unexpectedly at very short notice closed, due to a compulsory purchase of the land by the Chinese government!

This has impacted the production of the new Merchant Navy pacifics, both versions of the Peckett industrial tanks, the Class 800 Azuma units and the new tooling GWR 61xx large Prairie tanks locomotives.
Work to move the tooling to another factory has taken place and the livery samples for R3716 – BR 4-6-2 ‘Holland America Line’ ‘35022’ Merchant Navy  (Original Air Smoothed) in BR Brunswick Green, early crest  and R3717 – SR 4-6-2 ‘Aberdeen Commonwealth’ ‘21C7’ Merchant Navy (Original Air Smoothed) in SR Wartime Black, original ‘widows peak- front end with no smoke deflectors can be seen left.

Included within the 2019 range was also R3649 – BR 4-6-2 ‘Ellerman Lines’ ‘35029’ Merchant Navy (Original Air Smoothed) – BR Brunswick Green, early crest representing the condition she ran in between July 1952 and June 1959 when she was rebuilt. This model required new tooling to be completed for the 5100 gallon, series two tender (no 3129) that she was paired with in 1952. The Engineering prototype of  this new tooling can also be seen left. This is a very positive step as it will open up the possibilities for Series Two Merchant Navy models to be produced int he future so watch this space.

I am also assured that R3632 – BR 4-6-2 ‘East Asiatic Company’ ‘35024’ Merchant Navy (Original Air Smoothed) – BR Line Blue, early crest from the 2018 range announcement is also still in progress.

Other Items

The HM6000 & 6010 App based analogue control system

Hornby have also announced an brand new phone or tablet based analogue control app that can control up to 8 separate circuits of track.
The system works via a bluetooth between the phone / tablet app to layout mounted HM6000 base units that can each control up to two separate circuits and up to 4 HM6000 units can be connected together (note track power as per analogue as no chips are required for locomotives).
The HM6010 base unit can control up to 4 points and accessories and up to three HM6010 base units can be connected together to therefore control up to 12 accessories.
It also includes locomotive sounds (from the phone / tablet speaker not the locomotive).
This system is a step between the traditional rotary knob type controller and DCC style control via apps like WiThrottle.

Steampunk

A complete new market sector for Hornby and launched via the Bassett-Lowke brand as they meld together the world of Steampunk; a World where steam has evolved into the primary power source, where dinosaurs are domesticated, where the elegance of tea drinking is the ultimate pleasure and where society is still enmeshed in the Victorian era; as an introduction to model railways.
Initially a range of models from locomotives, rolling stock and buildings will be available, that have been created from minimal modifications to existing tooling and the addition of extra resin parts.

Any new market sector and development that has the potential to bring new interest into the hobby, also think of some of the layouts and animations that appeared in the Channel 5 Great British Model Railway Challenge, is to be applauded.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the team at Hornby for the hospitality extended to me last month and the advanced information provided to enable me to bring the above summary of their celebratory plans for this year ahead to you.