Opening the box

Introducing Hornby’s 2019 range.

Three steam locomotives; one industrial diesel; four ranges of coaches and two new wagons – that’s how Hornby’s Marketing & Development Manager Simon Kohler has marked his return. Hornby’s 2019 range kick-starts the return to a wider range of products and accessories, complemented by a return to its spiritual Margate home. Mr Kohler told Model Rail: “When I returned to Hornby much had changed. There was a new building and new systems but a model railway range that didn’t seem to have any particular direction. “Like an oil tanker, these things cannot change [direction] straight away, and it will take a year or two to work through some of the decisions made by the previous teams. In many respects, there was little I could do with the 2018 range, but for 2019 I was able to bring some clarity and direction.” The standout feature for the 2019 range is an all-new LMS ‘Princess Royal’. Sir William Stanier’s pioneering ‘Pacific’ of 1933 should receive the same treatment as the ‘Princess Coronation’ (see p104). Hornby’s design team visited the Princess Royal Class Locomotive Trust’s HQ at Midland Railway – Butterley in 2018 to study preserved No. 6201 Princess Elizabeth (the other preserved ‘Princess’, No. 46203 Princess Margaret Rose, is also based there). Following the success of its Peckett 0-4-0ST and Sentinel diesel shunter, Hornby is to offer two new industrials. Calls for a six-coupled industrial steam locomotive have been answered by the Peckett ‘B2’ 0-6-0ST. The Bristol locomotive builder introduced this design circa 1914. The Ruston & Hornsby ‘48DS’ 4WDM was one of the smallest and cheapest standard gauge locomotives money could buy. The design originated in a locomotive built for Heinz in 1936 and they continued in production until the 1960s. Owing to the model’s short wheelbase, it will come with a ‘Conflat’ wagon fitted with additional pick-ups, although you may find that your Ruston will navigate your points on its own without any difficulty. Hornby will go head-to-head with Dapol and Bachmann with two items in its 2019 range. Hornby is to replace the old Airfix GWR ‘Large Prairie’ with an all-new version that, like Dapol’s under-development model (MR244), will cover ‘5101’ and ‘61XX’ variants of Collett’s 1929 2-6-2T. The launch of an all-new Mk 2f is an even more surprising development. Hornby will only produce First Open, Brake Second Open and Tourist Second Open Mk 2fs but the models will be nearly £20 cheaper than Bachmann’s new model (MR254). However, two further range of coaches will complement new models from other manufacturers. Hornby is to develop an all-new Mk 3 but with the plug doors now fitted to Scotrail, Crosscountry and GWR HSTS, whereas Oxford Rail is only offering slam-door Mk 3s. Hornby’s new 59ft Bulleid coaches should complement the 63ft type currently being developed by Bachmann. Hornby’s new models comprise Corridor Composite and Corridor Brake Thirds to Diagrams 2121 and 2316, introduced in 1945/46. The final new coach range follows Hornby’s familiar pattern of offering ‘top link’ coaches, before filling in the gaps with some non-gangway types. New for 2019 are the GWR 57ft Diagram 98 Brake Third of 1925 and 57ft Dia. E131 Brake Composite of 1927. Hornby’s elderly LMS 20t brake van, an ex-airfix model, is to be replaced by an all-new version. Finally, Hornby’s extensive range of Southern Region models will be joined by an LSWR brake van. It will produce the 20t brake van (Diagram 1543) designed by Surrey Warner in 1915. These 75 vehicles were originally rated at 20t but were upgraded to 24t by the Southern Railway.