Firstly we have the LNER B17/5, a variant of the ‘Footballer’ class. Two examples of the class were fitted with streamlining for publicity purposes by the LNER and set to work on the ‘East Anglian’ train for which one of them was named. These locomotives would keep their streamlining into the BR era, before being removed and the members of the class reclassified as B17/6s.  

A beautiful locomotive from all angles.

The model is 21 pin DCC ready and features the new style packaging as used with the 9F. It is interesting to see a locomotive that so resembles the LNER A4, but with a different wheel configuration and somewhat of a missing link in the Gresley designed LNER fleet. 

From a resplendent LNER tender engine to something rather more sedate. On the 10th January Hornby announced several newly tooled wagons. Of these, there were two new bogie flat wagons, one of which is the ‘Salmon’. Initially being released as the YMO and YMA variants, with others to follow in the future, these long wagons were used throughout much of the BR and modern era by the infrastructure departments responsible for maintaining the railways, with some ‘Salmons’ still in use today albeit in rebuilt form.  

Research for the ‘Salmon’ wagons was quite extensive and in this case the survey research was completed at the Spa Valley Railway as well as the Northampton and Lamport Railway, both of which had a different variant of the wagon which they were more than happy to grant us access to. When undertaking survey research, no small detail is left un-catalogued. 

From freight wagons to a distinctive freight locomotive. With this year’s 9F releases we have some interesting additions, one of which is the Westinghouse Pump version or as it may be better known, the Tyne Dock 9F. 

This special batch of 9F locomotives were assigned to Tyne Dock and was tasked with hauling the heaviest freight trains from the docks to the Consett Iron Company, some twenty or so miles to the south west. The Consett line on which the trains travelled was sharply inclined which played to the strengths of the 9F, and while some may be mistaken for thinking the Westinghouse pumps were for additional braking power on these heavy trains on a steep line, this was not actually the case. The additional pumps actuated air powered doors on the special hopper wagons used on the train, allowing for the rapid unloading of the cargo when the destination was reached. 

Integrated into the running board, these pumps and their associated pipework adorn the side of the diecast boiler. The pumps are not that easy to see on the product image as they are only visible through the distinctive small gap between the running plate and the chassis.  

A slice of tradition, the Hornby annual wagon is represented this year by the 6 wheel milk tanker. 

There are some interesting re-liveries for 2023 as well. Firstly, the six wheel Sentinel joins the 21st century with this smartly liveried ‘Potter Logistics’ version ‘Pride of the Fens’ in its striking yellow colour scheme. 

The same class also takes a step back in time with an interesting London Transport version. This diesel shunter replaced the London Transport pannier tank engines along with two other classmates.  

This example features some never before seen tooling variations such as the dumb buffers and tripcock by the wheels shown in red to the right of the cranks in the below image. 

There are three new locomotive collections being released in 2023, the first of these of course being the Flying Scotsman Centenary Collection. Secondly, we have the ‘Big Four Centenary Collection’ celebrating, as you may be able to deduce, the centenary of the Grouping Act coming into effect at the beginning of 1923, and the formation of the LNER, LMS, and SR, with the GWR already existing but absorbing other western region railways. This collection is made up of locomotives from the early years of each company including the LNER A1 and GWR Castle Class. 

The third set of models is the Hornby Dublo Great Gathering Anniversary Collection celebrating a decade since the NRM led ‘Great Gathering’ saw the six preserved LNER A4 locomotives come together, possibly for the last ever time. Each Hornby Dublo locomotive is presented as it appeared at the ‘Great Gathering’ celebrations in 2013, complete with additional Hornby branded headboard that each locomotive was fitted with due to Hornby’s status as a lead sponsor of the event. One such locomotive can be seen below, which looks gargantuan compared to the streamlined locomotive shown further up in this blog. The below locomotive is one of the preserved six of course, and appears as it did at the ‘Great Gathering’. 

Newer modellers, or modellers on a budget are well catered for too with a litany of models released under the Hornby RailRoad brand. Some favourites are ‘Iris 2’, a Network Rail DMU shown below as a product image. 

We are also modelling 47200, a RailRoad Plus Class 47 which features etched nameplates and on board TXS sound, perfect for digital users. The image below shows the product artwork.  

The TXS sound abbreviation goes hand in hand with the new HM7000 system announced with the range launch and now available. The HM7000 system is a project long in the making and is the next step in the world of DCC advancements, as much as the ‘Select’ and ‘Elite’ were from the ‘Zero1’. 

The HM7000 system features, at its core, a full Bluetooth wireless control, full CV programming and read-back and full support of DCC operations via the HM|DCC app. The associated TXS sound decoders have three sound channels allowing for simultaneous play of multiple sounds allowing for the layering of running sounds combined with whistles, horns or other sounds across steam, diesel and electric classes.  

New Arrivals & Coming Soon

2023 Collector Club Locomotive

The 2023 Collector Club locomotive is now in stock and available to order!

R30088 2023 Hornby Collector Club Locomotive

If you want to get your hands on the new 2023 Club locomotive be sure to join the Collector Club with the 2023 subscription going live on 1^st February!

As a member you can also benefit from Enhanced Hobby Reward points, exclusive discounts, product announcements and so much more! If you are an existing member, remember to renew your membership to ensure you don’t miss out.

For more information, please click here.

Midland Pullmans Coming Through!

The highly anticipated and beautifully blue Midland Pullman coaches are now in stock and are sure to look stunning on any modern image layout. These coaches feature fine detailing, metal wheels, are suitable for Maglight fitting and are all part of the ever growing 1:1 Collection.

If you’re tempted by the coaches but haven’t got the HST, then your luck is in as we have just a few of these HST train packs in stock!

Upgrade your Couplings

Our new magnetic coupling packs announced just a few weeks ago are in stock and available to order!

R7398 Buckeye Magnetic Coupling Pack

These coupling packs are the perfect accessory for Mark 3 or Mark 4 coaches and the vacuum pipe magnetic couplings are great for anyone who has the Big Four era and BR Mark 1 and 2 coaches!

The Official Flying Scotsman Anniversary is Approaching

The Flying Scotsman Centenary celebrations which started in October 2022 are getting even more exciting next month as the official anniversary date for Flying Scotsman takes place on 24^th February.

To celebrate such a momentous occasion we have a range of 6 Hornby Dublo models arriving this spring and R40369 Flying Scotsman 100th Anniversary 4 Wheel Coach which is now in stock. This little coach will definitely be proudly displayed on our layout this year!

Order now to secure yours!

R40369 Flying Scotsman 100th Anniversary 4 Wheel Coach

Message from the team

Hornby: A Model World Series 2

We hope you’ve all been enjoying series 2 of Hornby: A Model World which started on 16^th January.

So far, we’ve seen the planning, development and introduction of Hornby TT:120 with Simon and the team, the fixing of the fiddliest locomotives with repairs ‘magician’ John, plus Jools Holland’s incredible 45ft layout and lots more!  

In episode 3 we see the team working on a whole host of special royal plans including the Coronation Observation Car and the famous purple Jubilee locomotive.

If you have missed any episodes you can catch up here.

Tune in to next week’s episode on Monday 6^th February at 8pm on Yesterday Channel.

National Hobby Month

This month we have been celebrating National Hobby Month and as part of it we took to social media to find out exactly what our customers enjoy the most about the model railway and we have had some fantastic feedback…

Davidson said: “Many things! Including learning new skills… great for mindfulness and mental health and well-being… being able to either recreate scenes and memories from the past or present… also a good community, on forums, clubs and exhibitions.”

Ashley said: "I enjoy about model railways is the creation of a little world by creating scenery and little scenes to make you happy and sometimes it’s just to sit back and watch the trains running and the most important thing of all is to remember to have fun."

Russell said: "Doesn't matter your skill level, what era you are into or whether its factually correct... it's your railway and you can run what you want."

Trevor said: "I love the sheer choice you have nowadays...there were very few releases of new models in the late 70s when I had my first set. Back then it was difficult to build anything life-like, but now...so much! A great example of escapism at its finest.”

This hobby wouldn't be what it is without you all, so it's been wonderful hearing about what it means to our wonderful customers!

Model Rail Scotland 2023

Commencing Friday 24th - Sunday 26th February at the Scottish Event Campus, Exhibition Way in Glasgow, the event is set to be a great one and over the anniversary weekend of Flying Scotsman!

We will be showcasing a selection of 2023 models as well as our latest releases and soon to be arriving models, including Flying Scotsman centenary locomotives. There will be a chance to enter an exciting competition, join the 2023 Collector Club and a whole host more!

For more information or to purchase your tickets please click here and we look forward to seeing many of you in Scotland soon!

Model Rail's Model of the Year Awards 2022

Cast your votes in Model Rail's ‘Model of the Year Awards 2022’ and be in with a chance of winning as well! Everyone who votes will be automatically entered into a prize draw to win one of the models in their MEGA giveaway bundle!

Voting closes at 23:59 (GMT) 16th February 2023 so don’t wait!

Click here for all the information and have your say!

And that concludes this month’s Engine Shed but if you would like Engine Shed to cover a specific subject in a future blog or if you have any images of your locomotives and coaching stock in action, or maybe you have a suggestion of a particular model that you think we should produce in the future, please do let us know. We are always keen to receive feedback.

Be sure to follow Hornby on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and Instagram to be kept up to date on all the latest news and product updates. Don’t forget to subscribe to the Hornby YouTube channel and tune in to our Beyond the Buffers Podcast.

Happy Modelling!

The Engine Shed Team

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