Loss of Direction!

[PETER-373874]

Just recently i have become really dissatisfied and dissillusioned with hornby as i feel they have lost direction somewhat, a case in point is the new! flying scotsman with diecast foot plate and smoke generator etc ,it was supposed to be on sale last year, then it was supposed to be on sale or release this time of year before christmas , when i phoned up , all i was told was its now the end of july next year!!! "what is going on"! it seems that this "TT" scale has pushed everything onto the back burner ! a lot of money has been spent on the visitor centre re-furb, but when you go onto hornbys website, so much of the 2023 collection is still on pre order !!,

ive had enough of being messed about, so all my 00 scale railway collection etc and scalelextric cars and sets etc, are going to auction in protest i really have had enough of their apparent cavalier attitude.

[SteveM6]

The inhabitants of Hornby Towers must be shaking in their boots.

[Brew Man]

Well that sounds rather like you are throwing your toys out of the pram. Yes it is frustrating when delivery times keep slipping back, but in Hornby's defence they are not the only ones. Other manufacturers and suppliers are largely in the same boat and it is often due to circumstances they have no control over. That is, their manufacturing plants are based overseas - usually China these days which, as we know are having various economic difficulties and component shortages. I agree though that they could be more realistic in their release date predictions and by keeping us better updated.

[Brew Man]

The inhabitants of Hornby Towers must be shaking in their boots.

 

 

Now-now, Steve angry joy

[Bulleidboy]

Cavalier attitude - whose?

[LTSR_NSE]

Personally the only ‘improvement’ to release dates (ETAs) that I wish Hornby would implement is to virtually scrap them. Replace the dates (which are entirely outside Hornby’s control until the models actually reach the warehouse anyway) with manufacturing stages. That way prospective customers can ‘see’ the actual/real progress of any item, without being confused by meaningless dates that are at best wishful & at worst unintentionally misleading.

If all humans could be relied upon to recognise that estimated dates are neither fact nor promise - then showing them would be entirely reasonable. However since the reality is different, so the information presented needs to be different.

[JJ73]

Hey Peter

Don't get rid of all your Models just because you have been messed about, I've been waiting for over a year for 3 of my Models Locomotives and I'm still keeping all of my Models!!! 🚂

[ntpntpntp]

"Cavalier attitude" eh? Not on Hornby's part. All model companies delivery schedules and dates are very much dependent on outside factors nowadays.

I seriously don't see how getting rid of your Hornby models "in protest" actually achieves anything other than denying you the option to indulge in hobbies which presumably you're still interested in? Do you really no longer like and enjoy the models you already have? If you want to give up the hobby then fair enough, otherwise it just sounds like pointlessly throwing money away to be honest.

[Rallymatt]

Quite a tantrum for a 1st post. I appreciate people get frustrated but as others have pointed out, challenges in manufacturing globally and particularly China are largely responsible for delays in product availability. From a business perspective Hornby have the worst situation, they have the upfront development and tooling costs sitting eating into profits but but no pay day. TT:120 range is designed by a stand alone team and manufactured in different factories to the OO range and the revamp of the Visitor Centre won’t have had any influence on a manufacturing delay by a contractor in China either.

I’m waiting for new models in TT:120, they will arrive when they arrive and until then I play with what I have.

I suspect you have been paying too much attention to the usual suspects in Anti-Social Media land. Run some trains and enjoy 😁

[96RAF]

Maybe the OP should set up as a you tube reviewer and make a fortune out of their whinging.

[Tony57]

Whilst sort of understanding the OPs frustration one thing I have noticed is Bachmann and others are now only announcing in advance what it is bring brought to market in the next quarter ( 3 months). That way there is no disappointments because of planned releases falling behind schedule due any number of issues, including missing the production slot.

When you sit down and think about bring a new locomotive to the marketplace, you have the measuring and photographing of the subject if possible, then CAD, the initial 3D print, checking every detail make changes if necessary, 3D print again, recheck again, then tooling, the assembly of Airfix type kit from tooling , recheck details then modify tooling if required then reprint and assemble kit, recheck, then first livery paint trial, check and amend if required, paint again then recheck to make sure it is right, then work out how many of each DCC ready, DCC, DCC sound or Sound and smoke which livery and signage you want your production company to produce , then production of item, then shipped to UK then sold. No wonder production timing slips.

[Rallymatt]

Another consideration with Bachman, they are Chinese, Kader is the parent Co, and they own the factory that makes their models, it was the one Hornby used until Kader bought it out. In China it’s not permitted for non Chinese companies to establish themselves in China. Hence non Chinese companies enter into JVs or manufacturing contracts.

[AndyMac1707817969]

There are many factors than can delay a loco, yes there can be production issues, Hornby don't make anything themselves anymore so they are no longer masters of their own destiny when it comes to production.

 

There are also other reasons, you have to have a market to sell to and just because you have ordered one will not be the main deciding factor. Once you produce an item you have a large amount of money tied up in stock which you then have to sell and turn back into cash as quickly as possible. At the moment, just in case it had somehow passed you by, the retail market is very depressed, the worst I have seen it in years. For a business no sales means stock sits in the stock room unsold. Unsold stock means no money to buy new stock from Hornby or anyone else. It would be pretty dumb of Hornby to produce items they cannot sell on to retailers so it may well be a case Hornby have purposely pushed back production until retailers are in a position to place orders for it.

 

I must admit I am perplexed as to why Hornby did another run of the APT (though that was pushed back a year) and a second run of the blue coronation coaches when some retailer still have stock of the first batch. Clearly there is a lot more stock than there is people to buy it.

Whatever you decide to do with your stuff I doubt anyone at Hornby will be sticking their head in the oven over it.