Hornby at the London Toy Fair

[JeremiahBunyan]

Hornby announcements at the London Toy Fair:-

 

Hornby:

- Hornby Junior

A range of sets with a more toy like appearance in 1:87 scale and runs on traditional HO/OO track. Nothing really prtotypical but the set look like a Eurostar in a nice mixture of a Virgin/Hornby livery. Looks much better that the Marklin sets of similar age groups.

- Downtown Abbey

Also at the toyfair a Downtown Abbey set was on display. I find the theme of the set odd as the set looks like the most basic starter around, however it still looks good. I hope more themes suitable to the younger modelers will be chosen next though.

 

Humbrol:

- 3D Printers

Humbrol announced their own 3D printers. 3D printing filament is also available. By the looks of the 3D printed prototypes, it looks to be very good quality.

 

Airfix:

- Engineer Series

Airfix announced a range of "Engineer" kits i.e. Automotive Engineer and Locomotive Engineer. No idea what the scale is. But it seems to be a quality kit that comes with working lights and motors. Basically a full fledged kit. Very affordable too.

[DonnyRailMan]

 To be honest these themed sets like Downton & The Railway Children tened to look

cheap and tacky. They should stick to the Thomas and Freinds .

[96RAF]

Humbrol would be the last people you would associate with 3D - printing.

 

I wonder if the Engineer kits will be similar to the Jet Engine and Car Engine that were marketed a long while back - not sure if they were Airfix or Revell.

[walkingthedog]

The jet engine is available now from Airfix.  

[trainlover23]

 The Downton Abbey set does pose the question Why?

[GeoFF03]

 The Downton Abbey set does pose the question Why?

Having seen the contents on another site, I'd agree with you. Just what are they thinking?

[Buz]

Hi all

Well nothing on the web site for us colonials yet so have not got a clue what you are on about.

re DonneyRailMan's comment  I am not sure I agree with the don't do it nothing wrong with theme trains as such.

 But unfortunatly they do tend to look cheap and tack mostly because I don't think these sets get the design attension they should so rarely look like what they claim to be.

If they got the attension to detail they should and looked like the train they claim to be, I don't think it would be an issuie. 

A good case in point is the Titfield Thunder Bolt nothing like the train on the film and badly done.

As for the railway childern set it depends which one you are talking about.

One was very well done in fact I have that one and an extra coach the other while very collectable but again nothing like what it claims to be.

The Hogwarts express was nearly right must get the replacement correct locomotive while I still can.

regards John

[walkingthedog]

I've no idea what they're on about either Buz. There are lots of things made by the Hornby companies that I have no interest in at all so don't look at them.

 

A Downton Abbey set does sound a bit odd I must say considering the series is now finished. I guess they'll be on here for about a fiver in a years time, bit like the Olympic stuff.  😆

[Buz]

  Hi WTD

A fiver I got ripped of mine cost a tener  🤐.

Well it was certainly a very cheap addition to the railway and I managed to wangle an extra coach from a faulty set at no extra cost.

I actualy thought the olympic trains would do better than they did, and just as well the stadium was way way to small.

Otherwise I would probably now have a building of the  "what the erhm am I suposed to do with that now its way to big why on earth did I buy it"

I actualy have a little tiny but to scale and dirt cheap shell garage that I found in a hobby shop rumage bin. 

I think that inspite of it being to scale It really is so tiny that it needs a scale light up shell sign just to find it and I havn't seen an old style shell shaped one with external lighting about, only the reletivley modern rectangular one that would be out of place.

regards John

[Slornie]

I was definitely underwhelmed by the content of the Downton Abbey set.  I don't see that the show having ended is necessarily a problem; there are undoubtedly fans of the show who would be interested in such a memento/collectable, but the content of the set seems rather ill-thought through.

 

Where on earth did someone at Hornby get the idea that an 0-4-0 painted in a fictional "Downton Abbey" livery would be the way to go?  Surely a better option would have been to represent in model form one of the several locomotives that actually appeared on the show in one episode or another?

[walkingthedog]

What the hell did Downton have to do with railways. How about a Morse pannier tank or an Antique Roadshow wagon three pack?

[Postman Prat]

If Fiona Bruce delivers them, I'll have 2 wagon packs!!

 

Don't understand the Downton Abbey set. Highclere Castle, the actual setting, lost it's railway years ago. You can see the remains south of Newbury on the A34, for a couple of miles

[Buz]

I was definitely underwhelmed by the content of the Downton Abbey set.  I don't see that the show having ended is necessarily a problem; there are undoubtedly fans of the show who would be interested in such a memento/collectable, but the content of the set seems rather ill-thought through.

 

Where on earth did someone at Hornby get the idea that an 0-4-0 painted in a fictional "Downton Abbey" livery would be the way to go?  Surely a better option would have been to represent in model form one of the several locomotives that actually appeared on the show in one episode or another?

Mlud the prosicution rests its case.

Like I said nothing wrong with the idea of theme trains.

But do take the time to get it right make it like the train in the TV show or the movie and if you must include special extras something in the show or movie is the way to go not a re hashed pretend bit.

regards John