Hornby-Mixed Fortunes

[Toddington Ted]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-16754809
According to BBC Business, Hornby has not had a good trading period up to Christmas 2011 although the Olympics 2012 items have helped the Company.
The 2012 catalogue is a veritable cornucopia of shiny new 00 gauge stuff, including some excellent LNER locos and coaches and also the release of more Hawksworth coaches and the 42xx, 52xx and 72xx GWR massive tanks. I wonder if some of these will now be released in 2012 or at all?
Hornby's Railroad Range seems to be very good value for money at the moment. I purchased a Hawksworth County last year and, although it is perhaps not up to the standard serious modellers expect, I think it looks and runs very well indeed. I will probably purchase more Railroad stock in future.

[Madcaravanner]

I wish I could afford the full detailed stuff but prices seem to be spiralling up to fast for my pocket

so the Railroad range is good for us too it means adding my own detailing at a later date but then it can be detailed to whatever amount I want

[John H-T]

I don't think Hornby can afford not to deliver their promises this year after their poor performance last year. I expect Bachmann to do very well again in the Model of the Year poll as Hornby managed to get so few of their New 2011 products into the shops.

They certainly have not made a good start for 2012 with a massive price rise: The Hattons Price for the standard DCC decoder has gone from £9 to £14! We will have to rely on the box shifters to bring prices down to anywhere near affordable and there are many people like Gray and Ted who are looking at the Railroad Range and thinking that several of the offerings could be made very acceptable with a little extra work.

We now have to wait until early March to see what Bachmann are going to produce and perhaps more important, how much they are going to raise their prices!

Best wishes,

John H-T.

[springs branch mickey]

It's a shame because I would prefair to deal with a British company. I have some good decent Bachmann stuff, but Hornby is our own. What a shame then, that every time I go on their website, their prices are always more than the traders. Wouldn't you think that by going direct so to speak, you would get cheaper goods?
mickey

[John H-T]

While Hornby are issuing a profit warning Bachmann are claiming their best year ever:

http://www.bachmann.co.uk/

At the end of the day Bachmann are delivering a wide range of quality products, Hornby while producing some superb models, have a range which is patchy and tends to lean towards more the glamorous stock. Both Hornby and Bachmann have their products made abroad but in both cases the design work is done in this country.

Bachmann seem to be keeping their prices within reason ( but we have yet to see how much they will put their prices up in 2012) while Hornby's continue to soar.

Best wishes,

John H-T.

[Madcaravanner]

Hornby are no longer a model maker they are a TOY maker who sees the detail modelling side as a cash cow whilst trying to sell to kids - therefore the Thomas franchise and of course they priced it wrong making parents not wanting to take it further
Which is why Railroad was born when they realised that DETAILED modelling wasn't bringing the continued customer base they expected, and why they moved to China to reduce manufacturing costs

As someone who has had Triang then Triang/Hornby since childhood I am dismayed at the way they seem to go from one scheme to the next (include Corgi and Airfix in that too since they are all the same company)

WHY not built a range of models that is fairly comprehensive and detailed to a level with add-ons available to extra detail them covering the UK railway as they USED TO DO - - - -suppose it's because the main money for the company no-longer comes from the UK. Poor Frank H must be crying now

[colchesterken]

They need to find a way to reduce the cost of models. My work friends purchased me a Brit for my 60th it cost best part of £100. In these hard times only the rich could but them as presents for kids
I have a Brighton unit in its box marked 42 shillings I dont know how that relates to now but I could not have been that much as my parents purchased it for Xmas

[Madcaravanner]

Originally Posted by colchesterken

They need to find a way to reduce the cost of models. My work friends purchased me a Brit for my 60th it cost best part of £100. In these hard times only the rich could but them as presents for kids
I have a Brighton unit in its box marked 42 shillings I dont know how that relates to now but I could not have been that much as my parents purchased it for Xmas

42/- WOW

As a kid my mother used to work in a Toy shop

My brother and I got the first run Hiawatha which was 17/6d (I got the loco he got the tender)

[saxokid]

Last few new loco"s ive had from Hornby have been "pritty poor" build!! and there not cheap to buy,most of my collection now is bachmann......