Coronation Special - A Royal Roundup

Welcome to a special edition of Engine Shed. In this edition, we commemorate His Majesty King Charles III’s upcoming Coronation by looking at the BR Coronation Class locomotive and Hornby’s recent history of models associated with the Royal Family, including models from our 2023 range.

Saturday 6^th May marks a momentous occasion in British history: The Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III. He will be the first monarch for many people in their living memory to be crowned, after the much loved and revered Queen Elizabeth II sadly passed away in September last year. She reigned for 70 years, the longest reign for any British monarch.

Soon to arrive soon after Charles’ Coronation will be the highly sought after Collector Club Exclusive BR Coronation Class 46220 locomotive.

The Coronation Class of locomotives, correctly known as Princess Coronation Class, was made up of streamlined and un-streamlined locomotives.

LMS 46220 ‘Coronation’ was the first of the class to be built streamlined and was outshopped with a casing in June 1937 from the LMS Crewe works. The casing was removed, and replacement smoke deflectors were fitted in November 1946, with the locomotive being withdrawn from service in April 1963, and then later scrapped. Locomotive 46220 had 5 different liveries over the years and this locomotive also held the then speed record of 114mph with the Driver TJ Clarke and the Engineer Robert Riddles on the footplate.

The first five conventional locomotives were known as the ‘Duchess’ sub-class ranging from No. 6230 ‘Duchess of Buccleuch’ to the 6234 ‘Duchess of Abercorn’. In 1938, the locomotives were built with a single chimney and no smoke deflectors. Duchesses 6249-6252 had double chimneys fitted in 1944.

In 1946, Duchesses 6253-6255 had their appearance changed once more by having a split platform replacing the curved fall plate, with new smoke deflectors being fitted. Under BR ownership, George Ivatt modified the design for 46256 and 46257. This included a different cab, roller bearings, pony truck and reversing gear. Beginning with the 6235 ‘City of Birmingham’ in April 1946 and ending with the 6243 ‘City of Lancaster’ in May 1949, the engines were de-streamlined. In December 1962, the class started to be withdrawn from service, and by October 1964, all the ‘Duchesses’ had been withdrawn. Fortunately, three locomotives were saved for preservation: 6229 ‘Duchess of Hamilton’, 6233 ‘Duchess of Sutherland’ and 6235 ‘City of Birmingham’.

LMSR 4-6-2 8P Coronation Class No 46229 'Duchess of Hamilton' - 1981. Science Museum Group Collection. © The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Going back to 2002, Elizabeth II and Prince Philip participated in a tour of the UK, using The Royal Train during the summer. This was part of the Golden Jubilee Year celebrations, and the LMS Princess Coronation Class ‘Duchess of Sutherland’ locomotive was a fitting choice to haul the claret liveried Royal Train.

Hornby released ‘The Royal Train’ set in 2004 to commemorate the Golden Jubilee. The train and coach packs consisted of the LMS Princess Coronation Class ‘Duchess of Sutherland’ locomotive and three carriages: HM The Queen’s Personal Saloon, HRH The Duke of Edinburgh’s Personal Saloon and the Royal Household Couchette. These are representative of those coaches that were used during the Golden Jubilee Royal UK tour.

Coming back to the current Hornby RailRoad Plus range, there is the DB Class 67 ‘Bo-Bo’ locomotive known as the ‘Royal Diamond’. These diesel-electric locomotives were built for the English, Welsh & Scottish Railway (EWS) between 1999 and 2000 by Alstom in Valencia, Spain.

Class 67’s primary use was to haul in mail trains until EWS lost the Royal Mail contract in June 2003. In March 2004, the service was severely reduced and then closed. Since then, these locomotives have been used to haul the Caledonian Sleeper north of Edinburgh, as Thunderbird Rescue locos, as chartered tourist trains and various other different uses.

For the Royal connection, three locomotives were repurposed to receive special new liveries. Two locomotives had new liveries applied for use on the Royal Train in 2003. The other locomotive received a special commemorative Jubilee livery for the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II in 2012. This special livery was also for use on the Royal Train.

Also, from the RailRoad Plus range, the DB Class 67 ‘Queen’s Messenger’ has another special royal connection. The 67005 locomotive has been used for the Royal Train since 2004. The livery was originally in EWS maroon before being repainted in royal claret. The ‘Queen’s Messenger’ is operated by DB Rail.

If you are looking for something different for your own layout to celebrate the Coronation, then look no further than our associate company, Corgi who are offering a Coronation of King Charles III - New Routemaster bus model. Corgi has a proud history of producing commemorative die-cast bus models, using the Classic Routemaster, to honour special Royal events. For the first time, Corgi has produced a contemporary New Routemaster model to celebrate a new age in British history. This die-cast model is in the 1:76 scale which is a perfect complement to a model railway.

Hornby’s association with commemorating Queen Elizabeth II’s Jubilee events has spanned the years of her long reign. Now, Hornby will continue that association by commemorating the Coronation of her son, the soon to be King Charles III. We look forward to a new generation with memories of King Charles III.

Without further ado, we reach the end of this Coronation special of Engine Shed. If you have any fond memories of Queen Elizabeth II’s Jubilee celebrations or using Hornby commemorative train packs and sets, then don’t hesitate to get in touch with us. Send photographs and text through to marketing@hornby.com and we look forward to reading and seeing them!

New Arrivals & Coming Soon

Luxury on a layout!

Add a touch of luxury to your model railway collection with our two new GBRf Belmond Royal Scotsman Class 66 Co-Co locomotives, featuring the iconic maroon livery and operated by Belmond Ltd. Perfect for any model railway enthusiast looking for an authentic and stunning addition to their collection and layout.

Available to order and in stock now!

Keep your little ones busy with these NEW Playtrains accessories and wagons!

Introducing our new Playtrains Builder+, including a tunnel, signal box, station building and platform. Our Builder+ range comprises of simple and easy-to-construct, plug-together buildings and accessories, which are perfect for adding to children's Playtrains adventure. A great way for kids to bring their layouts to life and keep them busy and entertained during the May half-term!

Expand their journey – pre-order now!

Somewhere over the rainbow… is our new Trainbow Train Pack!

The  GWR  Class 800  Trainbow Train Pack which is due to be delivered imminently celebrates diversity and inclusion across the GWR network. With its subtle vibrant rainbow livery, this Trainbow Train pack is the perfect way to show your support, whilst having a hugely popular train running on your layout. Get your hands on this special pack now before it's sold out!

Looking for something electric-flying?

Look no further than the new electric Class 91, Bo-Bo 91101 ‘Flying Scotsman’ locomotive in a stunning eye-catching red livery celebrating the famous train! Under Virgin Trains East Coast in 2015, 91101 was repainted in a new livery combining the standard LNER livery with the Scottish flag, while new 'Flying Scotsman' nameplates were fitted. This model is perfect for any modern image modeller looking to celebrate the centenary of ‘Flying Scotsman’.

R30165  LNER, Class 91, Bo-Bo, 91101 'Flying Scotsman' - Era 10

MESSAGE FROM THE TEAM

Kids Easter Colouring Competition Winner!

We received an overwhelming response from young model railway artists who sent in their colourful and creative sheets. (Thank you parents and guardians!)

We were amazed by the level of talent and enthusiasm shown by the children, and it was a tough job for us to select a winner. After much deliberation, we were pleased to announce Sofia, who is just 10 years old, as the winner of this year's Easter Colouring Competition. Her artwork was truly impressive!

We would like to thank all the children who participated in the competition. Your efforts and passion were truly inspiring and we hope to see more of your wonderful creations in the future.

This year we are supporting the Railway Benefit Fund (RBF) and their fundraising for ‘Railway Family Week’ again. The RBF is the only UK charity solely dedicated to supporting current, former and retired railway people and their families.

Although the Hornby Prize Draw is now closed, you can still be in for a chance to win over 30 money-can't-buy rail experiences which are up for grabs. View all the amazing prizes and experiences here. 

Alternatively, you can show your support and spread awareness of this great cause by sharing this link. 

Coronation Takeover

This month marks the Coronation of His Majesty The King and to honour this special occasion, we will be running a Coronation Takeover!

We have some amazing activities lined up, a competition, a royal Engine Shed, and lots more to celebrate this momentous occasion. Keep your eyes peeled on our social media channels to stay up to date with all the exciting things we have planned.

All aboard! The Collector Club train!

Do you love collecting rare and exclusive items related to your passion? If yes, then you simply cannot miss out on becoming a Collector Club Member!

As a member, you will have access to a range of benefits that will make your hobby even more enjoyable. The latest Club models recently announced is the LNER, P2 Class, 2-8-2, 2005 'Thane of Fife' - Era 3, which you can pre-order only if you are a Club Member. This stunning model is a must-have for any collector and will add tremendous value to your collection.

But that's not all, as a Collector Club Member, you will receive x4 56 page magazines every year, earn Enhanced Hobby Reward points, exclusive discounts and more!

So why wait? Join our Collector Club today and start experiencing the many benefits that come with being a Member. To find out more, please click here.

HM|DCC app on Android coming soon…

Exciting news! The HM|DCC Android version for HM7000 is on its way! Don't miss out on the latest updates - subscribe to our email newsletter and follow us on our social media platforms to stay informed.

Stay tuned for more updates!