JUST ARRIVED - DETAILS OF THE HORNBY TT:120 CLUB

THE TT:120 CLUB IS ONE OF HORNBY'S ideas to support prospective owners of the newly-introduced 1:120 scale model railway system.

FAREWELL TO DARRELL BURGE OF HORNBY

Scale Model News is sad to hear of the passing of Darrell Burge of Hornby. Darrell was Product Manager at Airfix, since moving from Humbrol in 2006, and in charge of the revitalisation of Airfix products over the last decade.

STEAMPUNK COMES TO MODEL RAIL WITH A NEW BASSETT-LOWKE RANGE

THE BASSETT-LOWKE BRAND DATES BACK to the late 1890s. So it's appropriate that the Hornby-owned company is now trailblazing a path back to that era with a dedicated range of steampunk-inspired locomotives, rolling stock, and accessories.

HORNBY ON TRACK TO FUTURE FINANCIAL SUCCESS

SOLID PROGRESS ON THE Hornby Group turnaround plan is proceeding well, according to the company’s latest report.

HORNBY THREATENED - BUT HAS A RESCUE PLAN

UK MODEL MAKER HORNBY is set to raise money to secure its future. The train set manufacturer, also the name behind brands such as Airfix, Corgi and Scalextric, revealed big losses this week.

STEAMPUNK OR RETRO-FUTURE?: WHO CARES, THIS SCI-FI TRAIN RACE MIGHT CONJURE UP SOME IDEAS FOR AN OFF-THE-RAILS KITBASH

Here's a fun few minutes from Russian CGI outfit, Digital Light Studio. We'd like to see versions of these locomotives running on scale tracks, modded from Hornby or Bachmann originals.

UK MODELZONE STORES BEING CLOSED: RIPMAX BUYS WHOLESALE SIDE AMERANG

Modelzone had up to 47 stores across the UK, but ran into trading problems in 2012, moving into administration in June 2013.

INCOMING: POCHER KITS RETURN WITH THE LAMBORGHINI AVENTADOR TO 1:8 SCALE

DAVID JEFFERIS REPORTS:
The tie-up between Hornby and the classic Pocher car kit brand has finally turned to modelmaking gold with the upcoming 1:8 scale kit of Italy’s finest - the Lamborghina Aventador LP700-4.

TWIN-TRACK HEAVEN - THE LONDON FESTIVAL OF RAILWAY MODELLING

Anyone in range of London with an interest in model rail needs to get down to Alexandra Palace this weekend, for what’s claimed to be London's leading railway modelling event.

LIMITED EDITION 2012 - QUEEN’S DIAMOND JUBILEE SHORTS TUCANO

SMN REPORT:

Here’s a new Limited Edition kit from Airfix, on release to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, on June 5, 2012.

HORNBY GETS GROWN-UP - 2012 AD CAMPAIGNS TARGET ADULTS

SMN market report:

Hornby Hobbies are expanding the company image away from pocket-money-price ‘small boys’ toys’ to moneyed-and-mature ‘big boys’ toys.’ Well, that’s our take on the plan. In advertising marketeer-speak, Hornby has launched: “a long-term brand campaign as part of a big push to introduce adult consumers to its products.” Having said that, Hornby traditional strengths remain, with updates to the rail range that include the 4-4-0 locomotive above, and the ready-weathered 4-6-0 Black 5 shown after the jump.

HORNBY STEAMS AHEAD, EXPECTS LONDON OLYMPICS 2012 BOOST

SMN report:

Hornby, owner of the famous Airfix, Corgi, Humbrol, Hornby trains, and Scalextric names, has posted an 80 percent jump in first-half 2011-12 pretax profit, and looks forward to a good result for the next half too, as it eyes a mouthwatering boost from selling Olympic Games-linked products.

A READY-MADE HIDEOUT FOR THE FRENCH RESISTANCE

Mat Irvine looks at a useful diorama structure 

It is somewhat ironic, given that the name ‘Hornby’ equates with model trains, that when the company acquired Airfix in 2006, items that were not included in the purchase were railway trackside buildings and accessories, which had been sold to Dapol in 1985. The exception was the Airfield Control Tower as, although it started off as a trackside accessory, it had been - probably logically - moved to the aircraft section of the catalogue before the Hornby sale!

HORNBY GAINS FROM 2012 OLYMPICS AND WINS STAR WARS

SMN report 

Hornby has just hit the headlines with exciting Scalestric news. In the words of Hornby CEO Frank Martin: “We are delighted that we have secured the worldwide licence for a range of Star Wars Scalextric products. As the films are converted into 3D format by Lucasfilm over the next few years, we anticipate that we will get an encouraging reaction to our new range of speeder bikes and X-wing fighters. We also have high hopes for our products associated with the new Disney/Pixar movie "Cars 2".

Tinplate rail auction

Talking of model rail, here's an auction for a gorgeous item of retro railiana that's going on right now. It's with Tennants the live auction site, and this Hornby set consists of a O-Gauge Electric E220 loco, the Bramham Moor Special Pullman LNER train Set TS2415. The 20 volt set contains the 4-4-0 locomotive and tender in green and black, two brown and cream Pullman coaches Verona and Loraine, plus track and accessories in a sturdy blue card box.

Also included are extra boxed rolling stock and accessories, including a breakdown van and crane, a meat van, plus a trio of wagons - side tipping, gas cylinder and fibre.

There's more in three extra boxes, including a signal cabin, level crossing, footbridge, junction signal and various lengths of track - there's even a platelayers' hut to add a bit of interest to the trackside.

The whole thing's just terrific for any classic rail lover, and with a guide price of £700-10o0 GBP ($1100-1600 USD), in SMN's opinion it's worth every penny.

Visit Tennants here.

GREAT OFFERS FOR HORNBY CLUB MEMBERS IN 2010

Own-brand clubs are a powerful marketing tool that can cement brand loyalty among users like few other things. But let’s not be too cynical here - virtually all such clubs go out of their way to offer value to their members, and the Hornby Club is no exception. For 00-gauge rail fans it’s almost a no-brainer, as Hornby offers a number of useful items, such as:

* A welcome pack, including membership card, stockist list and service dealer list.
* The Collector - a bi-monthly enthusiasts magazine, and the Collector Plus twice a year.
* Exclusive competitions in every issue
* 10% Discount from selected Hornby stockists, as well as Hornby.com
* Fully-working Hornby locomotive, exclusive to club members (while stocks last)

All of which is a pretty good deal. The free loco is a 0-4-0 saddle tank, while there is also a good discount offered on a Limited Edition 4-4-0 Class T9 LSWR locomotive, an express passenger design by Dugald Drummond, introduced in 1899. Sixty-six of them were built over a three-year period, and Hornby's video shows the attractive lines of the T9 in closeup. The 00 gauge model looks pretty good, especially if you look at the care taken with the detail in the open cab.

The pictures show, top to bottom:
1 Saddle tank 0-4-0, supplied with membership.
2 T9 4-4-0, available at discount to members.

Visit the Hornby Club here.

Other Hornby rail equipment is available here.

PRE-CHRISTMAS SALE FROM HORNBY

00 gauge (1:76 scale) train enthusiasts might like to visit the Hornby website, where there are some mouthwatering bargains to be had. SMN’s choice is the ‘Running light’ pack, with a 4-6-2 West Country class loco and tender, two coaches plus a brake van. The quartet comes priced at a mouthwatering one-third off normal, which has to be good for the pocket.

Hornby trains have come on a storm in recent years, and these models are no exception, with fine detail and good slow-speed running from the locomotive. There are many other items in the sale, including lots of buildings and some N gauge (1:148 scale) products.

Incidentally, there’s a downloadable supermarket interior available as a pdf here.

Check out the Hornby bargains here.

HORNBY WINS OLYMPIC GOLD

London is the scene for the 2012 Olympics, and Hornby has just received a three-year licence to produce models and collectibles linked to the event.

The souvenir market is expected to be a money-spinner in the run-up to, and during the Games, so it’s certainly an important development for Hornby. Chief executive Frank Martin declared that it is a “great honour” for the company.

Products in the 2012 pipeline are likely to appeal to serious collectors and souvenir hunters alike. Hornby will produce Corgi versions of London taxis and buses, and collectible figurines, which should be on sale by the end of this year. Following on in 2011 will be Hornby Olympic-badged electric trains, an Airfix kit of the Olympic Stadium, and Scalextric version of the Velodrome.

So we’re likely to see miniature 2012 logos (main variations shown above) decorating the Hornby model souvenir-world over the next few years. It’s a pity the logo’s not the most elegant Olympic badge ever designed (it scored poorly in news polls when unveiled) but we’ll all be seeing a lot more of it, that’s for sure.

And talking of Hornby, its YouTube channel is growing nicely. The 00 (1:76) gauge Class 43 locomotive shown here is a recent addition, and very good it looks too, even if (like me) you ache for Brit trains to be produced to an international common scale.

Visit Hornby here.

SCALEXTRIC - FROM TIN TOYS TO SUPERB SCALE MODELS

The roots of Scalextric go back to 1952, when Scalex clockwork racing cars were introduced, but the brand really took off a few years later, when electric versions were displayed at the UK Harrogate Toy Fair, in 1957. The name changed too, morphing to combine ‘Scalex’ with ‘electric’, and a year later was sold to Tri-ang, which developed the system under the wing of its subsidiary company, Rovex. Today, Hornby owns the brand, and the main manufacturing base is in China.

Comparing vintage Scalextric racers with state-of-the-art ones is like comparing chalk and cheese. Early cars were fine as slot car racers, but were still toys - made with little regard to the finest outline accuracy or detail. Today, the average Scalextric production is a superb mini-model in its own right, with decals and printing that rival anything you could achieve by hand. Inside, driver figures manage to look fairly human, and details such as seat belts are there for inspection.

There’s a choice for collectors and race car fans - buy and slot-race as is; leave in virgin condition as a collector’s item; or get the airbrush out and add some subtle weathering. Or of course, buy three at a time!

Unsurprisingly, Ferrari has always been a popular selection, and the beautifully detailed Ferrari F430 (top two pictures) is presently available at discount from UK online supplier The Modeller. If you like the classic look, eBay has a Ferrari F375 tinplate edition presently on offer. And in September, Scalextrix will release what should be a winner, the Lotus Type 49T, as driven by British driver Graham Hill (bottom).

Visit The Modeller here, eBay here, and Scalextric here.

TAKE A TRIP TO YOUTUBE TO SEE THE HORNBY HOBBIES CHANNEL

There’s a good spot on the internet for 00 gauge rail fans, and for Hornby enthusiasts in particular. Hornby Hobbies now has its own YouTube channel, with a selection of fascinating videos for all to watch.

I particularly like Hornby’s clean presentation of new-product items, which shows them turning slowly against a plain white background - very neat, very cool. The video above shows a pre-production Class 395 Javelin, running on Hornby's showroom layout.

The YouTube channel is here.