Item information on line catalogue

[XJR1300]

Being a very new returning to the hobby after many years, just before Christmas. Is it me or is the online catalogue woefully lacking on model information?

Things like what range a model is in e.g. Railroad, lack of detailed pictures. The New 22 listings in trains sets: -

1. Mallard Record Breaker Train Set - Era 3 there are 2 R1282M and R1282P -EU, what is the difference and what is EU?
2. R30126 LNER, W1 Class 'Hush Hush' (Smoke Lifting Cowl), 4-6-4, 10000 - Era 3, only 1 picture, no pictures of 'Smoke Lifting Cowl'

There's many examples of lack of pictures and range any given model fits into, I haven't even managed to find out any details of the ranges. Is there any such information?

Thanks in advance.

[VESPA]

There is usually a reasonable explanation but I prefer to research the actual item being modelled on the internet or books. I always buy the catalogue anyway as it is a good reference for that year and future years. One snag with it though, is that Hornby make a surprise release sometimes that is not catalogued.

[XJR1300]

@VESPA Thanks for that. I'm not referring to the paper catalogue but the 'online' shop catalogue, where someone like me would visit first and purchase a model, but the information is lacking or sparse. Why is it so lacking and confusing?

[Going Spare]

The P-suffix on sets means that the wall-plug transformer is suitable only for European Union countries. The M-suffix sets are for the UK.

[Bulleidboy]

Without looking, as I have the 2021 catalogue, I thought there was a separate section for Railroad models. Like Vespa, I have catalogues going back for many years, in my case to about 1990, they are useful reference books for questions that often get asked on this forum. I had assumed the "Online" catalogue gave the same information as the hard copy.

[Chrissaf]

Hornby's documentation [both paper and on-line] has always been woeful.

This has been raised by mod's directly with Hornby website administration.

The answer we got, was that they were aware of the information deficiencies and that the intention was to implement a project internally to address it. No timeframes for this project are known.

[ColinB]

I would agree with you XJR1300, I find that that don't often list the features such as lights etc. If you look at the new smoke fitted locos, very little detail. They have got a bit better in the last couple of years at least having a symbol about the lights, but again no real detail. As to the photos, some of their items in the catalogue are what I refer to as "vapour wear", they don't actually exist, they are in the process of designing them. If it works they will sell you one many months/years later or quietly drop drop it if it doesn't. If you look up the 9F in the 2021 catalogue there are no photos of the model. I gather there are some photos of the pre production versions available but that was only a couple of weeks ago. With a lot of the other models they are rehashes of existing models so on CAD either a recolouring exercise of change of nameplate/numbers exercise. Rails used to be good they used to take the Hornby data and put it into a common format with other companies products but as they no longer do Hornby products that service has gone.

When I worked in the motor industry we used to try all different combinations of vehicles, many of which I have driven as prototypes, but we never announced it as a product until we had a "job 1" date.

[XJR1300]

@Going Spare Okay, how/where did you find that information please?

[XJR1300]

@Bulleidboy Sadly no, the online version has no such sections. Compared to Bachmann, where each model menu has detailed explanations and tells you exactly what's in the box. Hornby's online shop/catalogue is very poor. Speaking for myself it's actually putting me off buying direct from them, it really is very second rate at best IMHO.

If as you say, the paper catalogue has sections and detailed explanations, I've yet to see one. I suspect Hornby are wanting to make customers pay for this info, by having to shell out £10.99 plus postage for a paper copy. I would be considered old my many these days, but all manner of manufacturers catalogues, for just about anything you can buy is now online and has been for at least 15yrs!

What are Hornby thinking of, I wonder?

[XJR1300]

@Chrissaf Being very new I can't help thinking Hornby really don't want to succeed and would question how and who's running the company! Any company that sells products must ensure their products are properly advertised, in order to sell, grow and attract new customers. In my experience, younger customers won't spend too long looking for what they want, they just go elsewhere.

It would appear from what you saying, they either don't know or really don't care and view their window to the world as not important. Fine if you are the only manufacturer/supplier, they're not. Instead they're relying on long standing loyal customers to keep putting their hands in their pockets! I must say the last few weeks of getting back into the hobby is being a real eye opener. As a new buyer to Hornby, spurred on by their recent TV series to get back into the hobby. It's hard work to find exactly what I want, with good levels of detail and that doesn't leave me with more questions than answers! The marketing and sales strategies of Hornby are a recipe for failure.

[XJR1300]

@ColinB I my experience of dealing with development, sales and marketing which is extensive, albeit in a very different market. As mentioned in my previous post, I would question how and who's running the company! As it would seem all about about face, looking backwards or rather not seeing the faults of the past and correcting them, instead they appear to just be carrying on. I've seen this situation many times, in my experience, those who drove a company into the ground, can't then get it back into long term profit, with just money alone, as it was them who drove it into the ground in the first place!

Doing the same old stuff, begets the same old results! 

[ColinB]

XJR1300 that program was a real eye opener for me, probably not in the way it was intended. I think you summed it up quite well Hornby caters for a long established customer base, that is probably getting smaller every year. What company cuts out its two major retailers and then "screws" the rest of them. The thing that was interesting was it seemed everything was down to one person and there were an awful lot of "just" jobs. We now see that they will be going full bore to beat another supplier to a model, probably meaning that it will get to the customer earlier but probably tarnishing their name as it was developed too quickly, as has happened with many of their previous attempts. Then people wonder why they keep increasing their prices at significantly above inflation.

[Going Spare]

@XJR1300

I knew about the transformer specs by studying the information given by Hornby on the website and in the catalogue.

[Simmo009]

Just to put in my observation on this.

One example: The Black Five with smoke generator. Stated as Era 5 (BR Late Crest), picture has the early emblem. 4-6-0 in the description, look at the tech spec and apparently, the wheel configuration is 2-8-2. No mention of the DCC interface, it mentions sound in the description, so I assume it is DCC ready, but guesswork really. Working lights? Will the position be changeable to allow the right configuration for the consist you are pulling? If not, a pretty useless feature.

This is just one model out of the entire release. Not looked at anything else in detail as it doesn't interest my project, but wouldn't be surprised if there are similar glaring errors, omissions and vagueness on most of the others.

How do Hornby expect orders to be placed without providing clarity to the customer?

[CORKY.]

Disappointed at the scarcity of Railroad models, but what is this "junior" name creeping in? Is it the new Railroad, as seen on the HST 125 Intercity exec.