Up-coming Anniversaries

[LCDR]

July 2017 is 50 years since steam was abolished in the Southern Region, the last steam worked main line passenger service in England.

 

August 1968 will be 50 years since steam was finally abolished by British Rail.

 

Both these really should be commemorated by Hornby by the issue of locomotives and carriages that featured on the final days. 

 

Hornby has already got the Merchant Navy, West Country and Battle of Britain class locos  together with Mark 1 carriages in green, that could be used for the former, and the Stanier class 5s  and Britannia, together with blue and grey Mark 1s that represent the latter. 

 

35030 worked the very last ordinary train into Waterloo, the 2:11 pm from Weymouth on Sunday 9th July. Although 34021, 34052 and 34095 were also active up to the last. 34021 on the 11 am boat train from Southampton, and .other two on goods trains to Westbury.

 

1T57 the last BR steam train of all  11th August 1968 was hauled by 45110,  70013 ,  44781 & 44871 at various stages of its journey.

 

These would O feel all make a nice pair of commemorative sets and perhaps a limited edition with some special extras, perhaps?

 

 

 

[happybear]

In my opinion Hornby or someone should do a fitting tribute in 2018 .My choice i think would be apt and stunning that is a GCR class 9P "Valour", a tribute from the GCR to employees who fell in great war, check this loco out and the nameplate it would look faboulous in model form.

[UICman]

In my opinion Hornby or someone should do a fitting tribute in 2018 .My choice i think would be apt and stunning that is a GCR class 9P "Valour", a tribute from the GCR to employees who fell in great war, check this loco out and the nameplate it would look faboulous in model form.

On the same theme of the Great War I would suggest the GCR "Robinson" 2-8-0 class 8K https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GCR_Class_8K which became the standard ROD locomotive on the Western front overseas.

 Given their service outside of Britain and also later Australian acquisitions it could be a good way to dip a toe into British HO too !   Incidentally maybe JoeufHornby might have already some matching French locomotive too! What a way to celebrate the 1918  Armistice Day!

[UICman]

If the scale is to remain in 1:76, there should already be in Hornby's range: they are Stanier's 5MT, Britannia and the West Country. Aren't they.

 A rather sad annyversary! 

The 5MT and Britannia not having splashers but high footboards should be easy to be made in 1:87.  Popular models even overseas by reputation. The West Country has simple visible valve gear instead.

  They might be made under Limby label, from the same Chinese factory.

 

[LCDR]

 My original suggestion was based on the fact that no new tooling would be required. Tooling is VERY expensive and can take a very long time to bring from concept to sales, whereas a new livery, especially if limited to a different number and name  is somewhat simpler (and cheaper) to achieve.  The packaging might require a bit more work if it was to be a limited edition commemorative set.

 

Any completely new product is unlikely to be ready in time for any of the anniversaries mentioned.

 

The better bet for a commemoration of the end of WW1 would be "The Unknown Warrior" based on the Patriot 45551 being re-created in full size. Hornby already has Patriot tooling.

[happybear]

I disagree with the LMS patriot suggestion ,i think a locomotive to commerate an anniversary as important as this one should be one that is contemporary with the event or era ,the Patriot is not .The first GCR 9P was introduced in 1917 and gave its name to class "Lord Farringdon" to have one that was not contemporary would be inappropriate.If thats your logic why not just have a Class 66!

[LCDR]

 Get real!

 

I made my suggestion for purely practical considerations.

 

It takes between two and four years to deverlop a new model loco from concept to sale and unless Hornby have been developing a B3 / 9P in secret  it isn't going to be ready for sale on 2018 and probably not until 2020/2021.  By then it will be just a bit late for the anniversary.

 

The B3 is a lousy idea as a mainstream mass production locomotive model in any case. It was a small class of mediocre locomotives rapidly superceded by a host of new Gresley classes, and which would probably all have been scrapped by 1940 if it hadn't been for WW2. The only one to survive into BR days (withdrawn 1949) was 1166/6166/1497/61497 and this one had been rebuilt by Gresley in 1929 and by Thompson in 1943. 1165 was withdrawn by the LNER in 1947 as 1496, although at least one of its nameplates have been preserved.

 

So unless Hornby IS already working on this model (which I am sceptical about) it is about as likely to enter the Hornby range before 2019 as a re-run of the Tri-ang Dock Shunter, anything in HO scale, or a South African Garratt.

 

 

 

 

 

[The Doc]

@FNM200

I can't see Hornby making the Robinson 2-8-0 as Bachmann already make an excellent model, and judging by the price reductions I've seen on some websites, supply is outstripping demand.

And I agree with LCDR, the GC 4-6-0 isn't going to sell well.  I'm a big LNER fan but it would be way down my list of priorities.  Of all the loco releases in the last few years, almost all have been locos that lasted well into BR days (the most popular era these days, it seems, for most railway fans, judging by how many are produced in BR livery).  Probably the only exception is Cock o' the North - but that is a fairly exceptional loco in many respects and we will hopefully see a new version (of the real thing) in the future.

[Bulleidboy]

If you live close by the main line from Waterloo, you are in for a treat this week, several in fact.

Wednesday 5th July - Bournemouth Belle - 35028 Clan Line - Leaving Waterloo at 9.52am

Saturday 8th July - End of Southern Steam - 34046 Braunton - Leaving Waterloo at 9am

Sunday 9th July - Waterloo Sunset - 35028 Clan Line - Leaving Waterloo at 10.41am

 

I live in Basingstoke and both Wednesday and Saturday's train's will be watering at Basingstoke on their return to London - plenty of photo opportunities.

[RDS]

@bulliedboy

Maybe this valuable information would be more visible in the Off Topic or even General section with a meaningful title, so that it gets maximum exposure rather than being hidden at the end of an unrelated thread.

I can move it if you wish and you would like to supply a new title (just post a reply here)

[Fazy]

How about the creation of British Railways. The  70 th anniversary is coming up soon maybe something special for that might be worth looking into. 

[Bulleidboy]

@bulliedboy

Maybe this valuable information would be more visible in the Off Topic or even General section with a meaningful title, so that it gets maximum exposure rather than being hidden at the end of an unrelated thread.

I can move it if you wish and you would like to supply a new title (just post a reply here)

I've copied and pasted it into Off Topic - with a new heading. Thanks for the suggestion. BB

[RDS]

... Thanks for the suggestion. BB

 

No problem.  I wish I lived 200 miles nearer!

[Clownfish01]

If we start talking about new toolings, why not think 3/4 years into the future. For example, 2020 will mark 55 years since the end of Western region steam, and I'm sure there are plenty of others.